Switzerland votes to disallow the construction of minarets (see p. 16).
Other European countries worry with the Swiss that Islam’s expansion coupled with the Christendom’s shrinkage will lead to the imposition of Sharia law. American communities set up hurdles to thwart construction of mosques (p. 18). The majority of U.S. Christian ministers consider Islam to be dangerous (p. 6). What are we to do about Islam? What can we say about Muslims? One thing we can say is that most Muslims are likeable people. At the risk of sounding condescending, let’s state the obvious. Most Muslims — whether they live in Jakarta or Dearborn — are regular folks trying to raise their families, pay their bills, build friendships, enjoy holidays, and live a responsible life. And they’re people whose beliefs prompt them to be good neighbors to the rest of us. Most of those I know have a great sense of humor. They’re regular folks. Some Muslims are dangerous — fanatics to be feared. Every major religious system has bred some monsters at some time in its history. We Christians can’t gloss over the sins of either the Crusaders or the Nazis (on whose belt buckles they inscribed “Gott mit uns,” i.e., “Emmanuel/God is with us”). In today’s world it’s a cluster of Muslims who have twisted their faith into a monstrous evil. “Not all Muslims are terrorists,” a Jordanian Islamic leader recently assured me; “but,” he lamented, “most terrorists are Muslim.” Nevertheless, the statement still stands: most Muslims are not terrorists and are, indeed, likeable people. Secondly we can say that the devotion of most Muslims puts to shame the self-indulgence of most Christians. How many folks in our churches stop all activities to pray on their knees even once a day, no less five times a day? How many of our children memorize even a book of the Bible, no less the whole Bible? Yet daily prayers and whole Quran memorization are the rule, not the exception, among Muslims. Would we be decrying Biblical ignorance or cheap grace, were we to incorporate such spiritual practices into our daily routines? A third thing: Islam misses the message of grace. Having been raised in a distorted brand of Christianity that hung salvation out as the carrot at the end of the stick, Blessed Assurance overwhelmed me when I entered into a relationship with God made effective not by my behavior but by Jesus’ redemption. Islam operates with that proverbial carrot. “He that works evil will not be requited but by the like thereof: and he that works a righteous deed — whether man or woman — and is a Believer — such will enter the Garden (of Bliss): Therein will they have abundance without measure.” (al-Quran 40:40) Such language echoes the Biblical principle of sowing-and-reaping. However, grace grants us unmerited favor. Christ’s atoning work — incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension — paid the necessary price for that gift to be bestowed. And now we serve God out of gratitude for the gift rather than as sweat-dripping effort to hopefully gain God’s favor. I long for Muslims to experience the gift of blessed assurance. Finally: We Christians are duty-bound to make peace with Muslims. We can debate till the cows come home the question of salvation for Muslims. Some say Islam offers a valid path to God. Some say all Muslims, not having accepted Christ as Savior, are doomed to hell. Others affirm that Jesus alone saves, but that his salvation may be extended to people of genuine devotion, even if misguided theologically, because such devotion would never come about in sinners unless prompted by the Holy Spirit. In other words, the same grace of the Lord Jesus Christ that gets extended to infant children, saving them by means beyond their comprehension, may also be extended to devoted adults who do not comprehend the gift of Christ’s salvation. Regardless of which position we might take, what we do know is that Muslims live right now in our midst. And we believers are commanded, “If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” (Rom. 12:18) That command is followed with admonitions to refuse to avenge ourselves; to feed and refresh our enemies; and to return good for evil. So what are we to do about Muslims? Befriend them, if accessible. Learn from them, where valuable. Proclaim to them, when possible. Love them, regardless. —JHH
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Dear Mr. Haberer:
The most recent story on “Allah” on page 8 of the March 8, 2010 Outlook, “Malaysia Christians flock to worship amid attacks on churches” follows your article on the web, “Christians, Jews, Muslims, Together?” written by you on February 23. I searched the Letters to the Editor to see if anyone was commenting on this idea that God and Allah are the same and I found nothing except Jim White’s response to your January 24 article, “So What About the Muslims?” You may have more responses, but I do not have time to read the 3,000 responses to the Outlook or the 342 mentions of Muslim on your website.
What I have taken time to read over the years is a long list of books about Islam and terrorism that results from deeply committed and deep reading by Muslims of their religious books. By the time a Muslim is able to understand Islam, they are committed to acting like Mohammed asked them to act, by telling others to become a Muslim, pay homage as a slave to Muslims, or be killed. See the list attached for some of the books that help explain the previous sentence. [This list was attached to the direct Email letter.]
You may have a superficial view of Muslim fanaticism if you stand by your statement in the January 24 article saying, “Yet daily prayers and whole Quran memorization are the rule, not the exception, among Muslims.”
By the time any Muslim memorizes the whole Quran they are set aside as a special Imam entitle to guide, lead, pronounce fatwas and otherwise control other Muslims. I doubt if you can find 7 Muslims in the USA who have memorized the whole Quran and who would be willing to prove the feat to anyone. I do not think it is the rule, but a rare exception and I doubt if anyone can repeat the Quran from beginning to end.
But the beginning and end of the Quran is another problem as scholars, including Muslims, disagree on the order of the verses in the Quran, so the doctrine of abrogation is not always applied correctly by the Imams. And it is pointless for me to argue with a Muslim if I do not read and understand the language of the Quran as that is the only kind of expert they will enter into a discussion with about the meaning of the Quran.
In your February 23rd article you state, “Both Christians and Muslims believe in one God, known to both as Allah, the Aramaic word for God, but Christians’ belief in the trinity is rejected by Muslims.” This is a pretty definite theological statement that I have never seen in writing before in Outlook. The Muslims have repeatedly confirmed that “God has no son.” This is even written on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The Muslims say that Mohammed supersedes Jesus. The real Messiah, according to the Shi’ite Muslims is the 12th Imam now hidden in a water well somewhere in the desert.
The bottom line for me is that Allah is not the God I worship. There is no similarity between Islam’s “submission” and my God’s “love.”
Like Elias Boudinot, who refuted Thomas Paine’s The Age of Reason with his own book, The Age of Revelation, I wish that real religious scholars were responding and refuting beliefs issues like the sameness of Allah and God, but they are not, so I must state what I believe.
Hopefully the General Assembly study will provide some help in understanding what the real answers are and not mislead Presbyterians into letting down their guard. For over 1300 years the fanatics among well-read religious Muslims have been urging submission to Islam. When others fail to listen and respond, they resort to terrorism. Recent events in the world show that they are still able to press their cause. I hope Christians and Jews will continue to press their causes as well or better than the Muslims.
Until I learn differently, Allah deserves no respect from Christians. I will still try to befriend them and already have, learn from them and already have, proclaim to them and already have, and love them and already have, but I will be careful.
Finally, I recommend you read an article titled, "The Purpose Driven Strife" in the March 2010 issue, page 40, of The Catholic
World Report for another view of Islam that is similar to mine.