On the Religion Forum, my liberal, atheist, secular, and vanilla-flavored non-believer Friends will always challenge me, as a Conservative Christian, on most issues. In this case, it is because I have written that Islam is truly not a "religion of peace." That is not an indictment against all of the people in the Islamic religion; nor is it an indictment against Islam. It is just a statement borne out by the actions of the Islamic nations and the words of the Qur'an.
Yet, we are called to share the Word of God with our Muslim friends -- for many of us have seen faithful witnessing bear fruit in bringing friends out of Islam and into the arms of Jesus Christ. I know that my dear Friend, Pastor Sam Lacanienta, has led several Muslims to Jesus Christ; I have missionary Friends who are working with Muslim communities and I have no doubt there will be fruit from their endeavors.
The best example, to my knowledge, of faithful witnessing bearing great fruit is Dr. Ergun Caner, President and Dean of the Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary and Graduate School, and his brother, Dr. Emir Caner, President of Truett-McConnell College, a Baptist school in Georgia. Both were Sunni Muslims who converted to Christianity as teenagers in high school. These two brothers are great examples of the result of faithful and persistent witnessing. Ergun Caner's teenage high school friend, a Baptist, is responsible for this blessing.
This article is not to knock our Muslim friends; only to respond to questions on the Religion Forum and to present facts which may be helpful to you. Please feel free to share this with your Friends, Relatives, Associates, and Neighbors -- all your FRANs. Let's keep sharing the Word of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ with all the world -- until He returns.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill Gray
Hi to my Forum Friends,
In the discussion I began titled "Reports Say Obama Admitted He's a Muslim" -- Hay responds, "Mostly your information comes from one point of view and is only defended from the sources that give that one point of view. And in the end, what does it matter if Obama is a Muslim? Open your eyes and see that every Muslim isn't a terrorist, they are law abiding citizens just looking to practice their religion beliefs. We don't lump all Christians in with Fred Phelps or the many cults that continually pop up, do we?
You can sit here and say 'my religion is right, you have to be mine' all you want, but in the end, you have no more say about what is correct than anyone else. Just because you grew up a Christian, or were exposed to Christianity (more) than any other religion doesn't mean it is the 'end all, be all' of religions"
Hay, first, I did not grow up a Christian. I wish I had; but, unfortunately, I did not become a Christian believer until I was fifty.
Regarding Islam being a "religion of peace" -- you need to study it a wee bit more. No "religion of peace" will tell its followers to convert all the infidels (by the way, that is you and me) or destroy them.
Then, my Friend, Logical, asks me, "Have you actually read any of the Qur'an?"
Logical, while I do not make a practice of studying the Qur'an, I do have a copy sent to me by CAIR. In recognizing false religions or teachings, I prefer to use the FBI standard on how they recognize false currency. How are they taught to recognize false currency? By studying real currency until they know it like the back of their own hand; then, a false currency will stand out like a sore thumb.
The same with faith; study the Written Word of God, the Bible, until you know it like the back of your hand -- and, then, false religions and teachings will stand out like a sore thumb.
But, back to the Qur'an. In my Qur'an, Surah 9:5, I read, "And so, when the sacred months are over, slay those who ascribe divinity to aught beside God (Allah for them) wherever you may come upon them, and take them captive, and besiege them, and lie in wait for them at every conceivable place. Yet if they repent, and take to prayer (Islamic prayer), and render the purifying dues, let them go their way: for, behold, God (Allah) is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace." Parenthetical emphasis is mine.
As you can see, when the Qur'an was translated to be distributed by the CAIR, they were careful to use the name God, and not Allah. However, in the online version below, you will see that it is still Allah and not God. And, contrary to liberal, secular, and atheist teachings, Allah and God are definitely not the same.
The verse below is from the web site: Interpretation of the Meanings of The Noble Quran, Published by Dar-us-Salam Publications http://www.dar-us-salam.com/TheNobleQuran/index.html
Surah 9:5, "Then when the Sacred Months (the Ist, 7th, 11th, and 12th months of the Islamic calendar) have passed, then kill the Mushrikan (see V.2:105) wherever you find them, and capture them and besiege them, and prepare for them each and every ambush. But if they repent and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), and give Zakat, then leave their way free. Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
In my copy of the Qur'an, there are footnotes which tell us, "There shall be no coercion in matters of faith" and "war is permissible only in self defense." If you believe that, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I will sell you very cheap.
Consider the history of Mohammed and his ravaging of trade caravans to fund his army -- consider the history of Islam's spread -- consider 9-11 -- consider the pubic beheading of the American journalist and many other kidnapped captives -- ask anyone who has heard the rantings of many Islamic holy men on television -- ask anyone who has heard Iran's president and many Arab leaders call for the annihilation of Israel and the Great Satan, America. Then, tell me that Islam is a "religion of peace."
Should we, as Christian believers, turn away from our Islamic friends? No. We should pray for them; we should, when possible, share the true Word of God with them. But, we must never be deceived into believing that the vast Islamic community, in America, in Britain, in Europe, across the Middle East -- wants to be friends with America or with Americans.
As I said, in those communities, even if it is not spoken publicly -- America is still the "Great Satan" -- the friend of Muslim's long hated enemy, Israel. If it were only a small minority of Muslims who feel this way; why do those who do not -- stay silent in support of the Militant Islamic Terrorists?
No, my Friend, this is the relationship between the descendants of Ishmael and the descendants of Isaac which will not be resolved in peace -- until our Lord Jesus Christ returns and establishes His Millennial Kingdom on earth. Then, for the first time since Ishmael and Isaac -- there will be peace upon the earth, ruled by the hand of Jesus Christ from the throne of David in Jerusalem, the holy city of God.
Until then, we share the Word of God with our Islamic friends, and all our friends -- but, we do not destroy our weapons of war, our means of self defense against terrorism and those who view us as the Great Satan to be destroyed, until Jesus Christ returns to give us true peace.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
