I've been receiving a number of comments from "unknown" who says he's a Muslim and claiming this:
Our religion commands us to love those who hate us and to do good to our enemies, but how do you want people to treat Muslims because of the 'truth' you tell about Islam? Do you even see Muslims as individual souls, the way God sees them, or as a monolith you fear even though as I pointed out in my comment you didn't publish, Jesus tells us constantly not to be afraid. He is with us always and He thirsts for souls. It's one thing to try to get the speck out of your brother's eye when you have a log in your own (and I'm sure I have one in mine or you would publish my comments), but what happens when you don't even think of the other person as a person you would even try to help but just take your big log and bash them to death?
This reader confuses the treatment of individuals with the tenets of what is more a political system than a religion. If one reads the history of the Islam and its attempt to take over the West, the on-going threat of Islam is obvious. And the reality puts to the lie my critic's statement that "Our religion commands us to love those who hate us and do good to our enemies." Read about the takeover of Famagusta prior to the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. The barbaric treatment of the survivors after being promised an honorable retreat from the island is horrifying and included the flaying alive of the commander of the garrison after days of torture.
But that happened 450 years ago, you say. Surely the religion of Islam has embraced peace and justice since then. Well, maybe not. Shall we just ignore the genocide of the Armenian christians by the Ottoman empire during the forced Islamization of the country in the early 20th century? About one millions were deported in forced marches, many women and children. Most died on the way. A young Catholic archbishop, Ignatius Maloyan, recently declared a saint, was among the victims. [See here and here.] Only recently has the Armenian genocide been recognized. It was an inspiration to Adolf Hitler who famously said, "Who...speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?" And who committed the genocide and under what religious tenets: the Ottoman Muslim government under the tenets of Islam.
But that happened over 100 years ago, you say. Surely, Islam is now a religion of peace. Well, maybe not. In the 1960's the Shah of Iran was implementing a number of progressive reforms called the "White Revolution." Among them were rural land reforms, expansion of education, and women's suffrage. The Shah's program was imposed with authoritarianism and rebellion was brutally suppressed which contributed to the backlash. The Shah's efforts were seen as secularization of the country and were deeply contested by the religious leaders as a corruption of Islam. In 1979 the Islamic Revolution resulted in the Shah being exiled, the monarchy dissolved, and the era of the ayatollahs began.
Islam: The Quran itself preaches violence against nonbelievers
Gene Youngblood
Guest columnist
Feb. 3, 2015Updated Feb. 4, 2025, 3:58 p.m. ET
NOTE: This piece expresses the views of its author, separate from those of this publication
I think most Americans stand in unified prayer and sympathy for the citizens of France whose lives have been ended or devastated by the horrific terror attack that occurred and all the related events following that resulted in even more death and carnage.
Twelve people - 10 journalists and two police officers - were killed in the initial Paris assault. Five more innocent victims were killed in the hostage taking and escape attempt that followed the original attack. At least one terrorist attacker remains at large so the final cost and death toll is yet to be determined.
We must all confront the realities that are going on all around us and recognize that these horrors are perpetrated by one religion, Islam.
We are told Islam is a religion of peace; anyone telling you that is just engaged in uninformed, wishful thinking or is deliberately trying to deceive you.Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!
Islam is not a religion of peace at all; the perpetrators of terrorism are following the edicts clearly given in the Surahs (verses) that constitute the Quran, their holy book.
The word Islam means submission.
The Quran dictates repeatedly that its followers must convert you to Islam or kill you if you refuse to convert.
Much of the Quran speaks not about religion but only about how one must submit; it commands how one must live, dress, treat women and slaves, and practice jihad.
VERSES TELL THE TALE
The Quran is replete with Surahs directing its followers to violence.
Some examples follow:
Surah 3:151: "We shall cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve (all non-Muslims) …"
Surah 2:191: "And kill them (non-Muslims) wherever you find them … kill them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers (non-Muslims)."
Surah 9:5: "Then kill the disbelievers (non-Muslims) wherever you find them, capture them and besiege them, and lie in wait for them in each and every ambush …"
America and France must wake up and realize that we are at war.
A war that cannot be won by being politically correct, appeasing, ignoring or coddling the enemy.
Islamic terrorists are not going to just go away and leave us alone.
According to the Quran, they must persist until we are either all converted to Islam or killed.
CHURCHILL'S WARNING
Winston Churchill understood this problem when he wrote, "How dreadful are the curses which Muhammadism lays on its votaries! … Individual Muslims may show splendid qualities, but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in this world."
I agree with the statement that, "Islam is a religion in which god (Islam's Allah) requires you to send your son to die for him.
"Christianity is a faith in which God sends his son (Jesus) to die for you."
The threat facing us now has already been faced by numerous tribes and nations that have already fallen under the onslaught.
It is an onslaught that we now face, and it is incumbent upon us to stand up and confront this menace and give our prayers and support to our allies.
Gene A. Youngblood is president of the Conservative Theological University and pastor of First Conservative Baptist Church in Jacksonville
This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union.
To answer the question of my anonymous reader, yes I recognize the goodness of individual Muslims and would happily discuss their faith and, in fact, I do with a young Muslim man who I like very much. But from my point of view every good Muslim is a bad Muslim since he defies the tenets of his faith if he loves non-believers and treats them as equals.
To put it another way, a Christian who champions abortion is a bad Christian who fails to keep the biblical command against murder. By the same token, a Muslim who disputes the Islamic scripture calling him to "kill the disbelievers wherever you find them" is a bad Muslim.
My anonymous reader will no doubt send me another dissertation about the religion of peace. But look at any Islamic regime in the world today and grieve for the poor persecuted Christians who live there. Check out the Open Doors World Watch List and the map of countries where persecution of Christians is "very high" or "extreme." Most are Islamic countries. Islam is anything but a religion of peace. I'm sure there are many kind and good Muslims practicing love for enemies. But that is not what their religion teaches.
Islam is a political system of conquest more than a religion. And that's all I'm going to say about it for now.
Meanwhile, Catholics, "Love your enemies and do good to those that hate you." That is our belief and we should do all we can to convert those practicing the so-called religion of peace to the true religion, the Catholic faith. Please pray for my anonymous reader.
May Jesus Christ be praised.
No comments:
Post a Comment