Muslims pt. 2

Okay, here's an addition to my previous post, to try to make some points clearer thant they were. I realize that my previous post was not a complete analysis of a situation, and may have come across differently than I intended.

1) My main point was that I have been concerned about the Muslim people, with all of the different reports from around the world. I still am. And I firmly believe that we need to be praying for them. That will not change. I was also hoping to point to the idea that Christ is working in those areas of the world, even though we sometimes despair at the lack of Christians there. There is great hope that we will see dramatic movements of people to Christ.

2) I realize that many Muslims, especially in North America, would claim that the Qu'ran doesn't teach Jihad, or holy war. In my research (which has not been intense, dedicated research, but rather a collection of things I have learned from many sources, both personal and academic) it appears that the passages regarding Jihad are hazy, at best. Thus scholars here say that the Qu'ran does not teach it, while both history and Muslim scholars in other places seem to hold to it rather firmly. Again, this is not unanimous, by any stretch.

3) Piggybacking on the previous point, Muslims throughout the world have and continue to include violence and holy war as integral to Islam. Converts to another faith are persecuted, often to the point of death. The history of Islam includes much warfare - if a country resisted the preaching of Islam, then holy war could be declared. As I understand it, holy war could be declared if a Muslim was attacked - frequently, if a messanger of Islam was rejected, then this was viewed as an attack, and holy war was declared. Islam's history is just as violent as many aspects of Christian history.

4) Islam here is quite different from Islam in many other places. Again, numerous contacts, both personal and academic, indicate that in order to grow in North America, Islam has deliberately worked at changing some of its image, and softening many of its stances on different issues. I expect that most Muslims here would be strictly opposed to what is happening elsewhere in the name of Islam. Note that there were hardly any demonstrations in North America about the cartoons of Mohammed compared to the rest of the Muslim world. I strongly suspect that the teachings and culture of Islam are different here than in the rest of the world.

5) I do not believe that Muslims here or in the rest of the world are any less deserving of respect and value than any other person. They too were created by God, and as such are valuable to him and me. I do have concerns about what they often seem to be taught, how in many places they only seem to value Muslims and all others are not worthy of living, and most importantly, how they reject the gospel of Jesus Christ. I disagree with them, but I do not hate them, by any stretch. I have a deep concern for them. Again, though, I acknowledge that my knowldege of all these things is not perfect. I have research and testimonial knowledge of the situations and realities in the Middle East and Europe, not first hand, eye witness knowledge.

6) I am well aware that even if a society as a whole seems to display one thing, there are many within that society who would be opposed to it. I do not doubt that there are some, if not many, Muslims in those countries who would also oppose what is done in the name of Islam.

7) I am not defending the Christian record, or the practices of many Christians. I was not in any way seeking to say that Christians are perfect. I know as well as any that we are not, and that often what we claim to believe is not what we live. My belief, though, is that faith in Christ is the only means by which we have been given to enter heaven. I am concerned about the witness (or lack thereof) that many Christians give, but my focus in my previous post was not on all that is wrong with Christianity, but the concerns I have for the Muslim world.

I hope that clears a few things up. I don't hate Muslims, but I do disagree with their faith, and I am concerned about many of the things that they seem to do around the world. Despite this, I have great hope that one day, they, too, will come to know Christ. Let me know how this sits with you.