Catalyst readers: The Denton Record Chronicle recently published a “puff piece” on Islam (read it here ). If you attend New Life, you have heard me teach on the dangers of this religion. (I’m watching the news right now about another terrorist strike in France) There were so many false statements in this article, I had to say something. The Denton Record Chronicle published it on Friday, July 29, 2016.
I enjoyed Caitlyn Jones’ “Six Things I Learned during Ramadan” (DRC 7/6/16) though I disagree with…well, almost all of it (I have no opinion formed on Saudi coffee yet). I admire her desire to learn, but her suggestion that attending an Islamic Center in Denton, Texas is “going to the source” is like me going to the “source” of an artesian spring in the bottled water aisle of Wal Mart.
I am sure she will consider this, as she calls it, post 9-11 “Islamophobia” and “spewed vitriol.” Nevertheless, I’ve read the Koran, the “source.”
The God described in the Old and New Testaments is not “one and the same” as Allah in the Koran. In the Koran, Mohammed goes to great lengths to differentiate followers of Islam from the “People of the Book” (Christians and Jews), to describe their “perverted transgression” and even call on Muslims to make war with them (Surah 9:5, fight and slay, seize, beleaguer, lie in wait, use every stratagem of war against them).
It is true that Muslims and Jews (and subsequently Christians) came from the same father, Abraham. But they certainly took different paths. And, Allah and El have the same Arabic/Hebrew etymological roots. But they are not the same. In fact, all three religions make exclusive truth claims of themselves. One may be correct, they all may be incorrect, but they can’t all be correct. And they certainly aren’t the same.
The word “Islam” does not mean “peace”. It comes from the same root word, but “Islam” means “submission.” This carries a double entendre. To the Muslim it describes his desire to completely submit to the will of Allah. But it is also a global mission statement…everyone must submit to Allah. In fact, they divide the world into two parts: Dar al Islam (House of Islam) and Dar al Harb (House of War). You are either in or you are out…and if you are on the outside, you are considered at war with Islam. That’s not very peaceful (For more commands of violence including beheading, rape, and terror see also Surah 2:216; 3:157; 4:24, 95; 5:33; 8:14-16, 39, 55-57; 47:4, 35).
Ms. Jones is correct that “radicalists” don’t target only Christians (estimated 50 million killed in Jihad since Islam’s inception and growing daily). They also target Hindus (80 million killed), and Buddhists (10 million). Thomas Sowell estimates that 11 million Africans were shipped by Muslims to the Americas as slaves and 14 million sent to Muslim countries. Of course, our tragic national news of late reminds us that radicalists also have a problem with homosexuals.
The greatest irony of Ms. Jones’ piece was her insistence, self-proclaimed feminist that she is, in the equality of men and women in the Muslim world. She would have us believe the separation of gender in worship is due to space limitations. This coming from a young woman who drove herself to her assignment, picked out her own attire, could read and write because of her education, and voted in the last election. Again, about five minutes of research on the website www.memri.org (Middle East Media Research Institute) would change her mind. Interestingly and sadly, on the day her piece was published, the opposing page of the paper had an article with this ad posted by Islamic holy warriors: Girl for sale. Virgin. Beautiful. 12 years old.
We love our First Amendment in this country. There is no question that Muslims should be afforded every opportunity to worship freely and safely in Denton, Texas. Founding Father Benjamin Franklin said: “Even if the Mufti of Constantinople were to send a missionary to preach Islam, he would find a pulpit at his service.” This openness is what makes our country great and why many Muslims want to come here.
But freedom must be realistic and not make-believe. We must not pretend Islam is something it isn’t. The media and politicians can call it the “religion of peace” until the cows come home, but look at the fruit. Read the source. Look into their teachings. Read the paper…or just the headlines. Evaluate the religion as you would anything else, with eyes open and mind alert. If the religion is so peaceful, why will no one say these things openly? Why is it with trepidation for my family that I sign my name to this?
Jesus told his followers to “turn the other cheek” when struck. But he never told us to pretend we weren’t being sucker-punched.
