| | | | Is Islam a Religion of Peace? In yesterday's post, we looked at a few differences between Islam and Christianity, leading us to the conclusion that Islam and Christianity do not worship the same God. Allah is NOT the God of the bible.
Today we'll address a thornier question: "Is Islam a religion of peace?"
I state that this is a thorny question because with the ever-increasing spread of violent Jihad in the world, many leaders have attempted to assure the public that these acts of savagery are not "true Islam," because "true Islam is a religion of peace." While it true that the vast majority of Muslims do not actively practice violent Jihad, that doesn't mean that Islam is a religion of peace; it simply means that a majority of Muslims do not practice all that the Quran teaches.
What does the Quran teach about violence? - The Qur'an tells muslims to kill and go to war to fight for Islam: Quran, chapters (Surahs) 9:5; 2:191; 2:193; 3:118; 4:75,76; 5:33, 8:12; 8:65; 9:73,123; 33:60-62.
- Fight for Allah: "And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from whence they drove you out, and persecution is severer than slaughter, and do not fight with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it, but if they do fight you, then slay them; such is the recompense of the unbelievers, (Quran 2:191).
- Muslims are to battle for Allah: "Those who believe do battle for the cause of Allah; and those who disbelieve do battle for the cause of idols. So fight the minions of the devil. Lo! the devil's strategy is ever weak," (Quran 4:76).
- Kill those against Islam: "The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land. Such will be their degradation in the world, and in the Hereafter," (Quran 5:33).
- Beheading: "When thy Lord inspired the angels, (saying): I am with you. So make those who believe stand firm. I will throw fear into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Then smite the necks and smite of them each finger. That is because they opposed Allah and His messenger. Whoso opposeth Allah and His messenger, (for him) lo! Allah is severe in punishment," (Quran 8:12).
- Allah urges war: "O Prophet! urge the believers to war; if there are twenty patient ones of you they shall overcome two hundred, and if there are a hundred of you they shall overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve, because they are a people who do not understand," (Quran 8:65).
- Slay non-muslims: "Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush. But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then leave their way free. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful," (Quran 9:5).
- Allah urges war: "O Prophet! strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be unyielding to them; and their abode is hell, and evil is the destination," (Quran 9:73).
- Allah urges war: "O you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness; and know that Allah is with those who guard (against evil)," (Quran 9:123).
- Allah urges killing: " . . . the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease and the agitators in the city do not desist . . . 61Cursed: wherever they are found they shall be seized and murdered, a (horrible) murdering. 62(Such has been) the course of Allah with respect to those who have gone before; and you shall not find any change in the course of Allah, (Quran 33:60-62).
- Beheading: "Now when ye meet in battle those who disbelieve, then it is smiting of the necks until, when ye have routed them, then making fast of bonds; and afterward either grace or ransom till the war lay down its burdens . . . " (Quran 47:4).
- Allah loves those who fight for him: "Truly Allah loves those who fight in His Cause in battle array, as if they were a solid cemented structure," (Quran 61:4).
For a more complete list (109 verses) of verses in the Quran that call Muslims to war with nonbelievers for the sake of Islamic rule, CLICK HERE ).
Now some pundits will counter "Christianity has it's violence too, just look at the Crusades." It's true that there have been many terrible things done in the name of Christianity, however those things were not done in accordance with Christian teachings found in the bible. Consider this: - There are no teachings the bible that would support the Crusades or the Spanish Inquisition.
- There are no instructions for Christians, or even the ancient Hebrew people, to compel non-believers to convert or be killed. (Exodus 22:21 instructs the Israelites to treat foreigners as fellow Israelites)
- The Catholic church actually apologized for the offenses of the church (1993, Pope Paul II). The Pope would not have apologized had these offenses been in line with clear Christian teaching.
One might counter "but what about Joshua's campaign into Caanan? That campaign was a judgment on the Amorite and Caananite people for hundreds of years of sin (Gen 15:16). This was a culture that had degraded to the point of burning their infant children in the fire to appease their cult god Molech. (For more on this, CLICK HERE). The events outlines in the book of Joshua had a specific historical context, and cannot be used as a pretext for conquering other peoples and nations on an ongoing basis.
To understand the violence found in Islam, we must dig deeper what Islam is; Islam isn't simply a religion, it is a theocracy - the laws of Islam (Sharia) are intended to be the guiding principles of society. This is why many in the west are confused about how to counter violent Jihad. Westerners have the world-view that government and faith are separate, while those who practice Islam have he world-view that government, culture, and faith are one integrated system.
This is why in Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia, women are regularly jailed for simple offenses such as driving a car, and possession of a bible or converting to Christianity is punishable by death.
This is why when Muslims begin to populate an area in a democratic country such as England, they demand that they be allowed to use Sharia Law to guide their civil and legal proceedings.
This is why "honor killings" are acceptable in Muslim families if a child becomes "too westernized," I.E. (Surah 4:15, 4:89)
This is what drives groups such as Al Queda, ISIS, Hezbollah, etc, to continue to wage war with the west - it is not because of what the west has done to Muslims, or for Israel, it is for the sole purpose of spreading the cult of Islam throughout the world by force. It is the holy calling of Jihad.
One of Islam's most revered modern scholars, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, openly sanctions offensive Jihad:
"In the Jihad which you are seeking, you look for the enemy and invade him. This type of Jihad takes place only when the Islamic state is invading other [countries] in order to spread the word of Islam and to remove obstacles standing in its way." Elsewhere, he notes: "Islam has the right to take the initiative…this is God's religion and it is for the whole world. It has the right to destroy all obstacles in the form of institutions and traditions … it attacks institutions and traditions to release human beings from their poisonous influences, which distort human nature and curtail human freedom. Those who say that Islamic Jihad was merely for the defense of the 'homeland of Islam' diminish the greatness of the Islamic way of life."
The strangest and most untrue thing that can be said about Islam is that it is a religion of peace. If every standard by which the West is judged and condemned (slavery, imperialism, intolerance, misogyny, sexual repression, warfare, etc) were applied equally to Islam, the verdict would be devastating. Islam never gives up what it conquers, be it religion, culture, language or life. Neither does it make apologies or any real effort at moral progress. It is the least open to dialogue and the most self-absorbed. It is convinced of its own perfection, yet brutally shuns self-examination and represses criticism.
Further, our leaders do us a terrible disservice by attempting to frame Islam as a religion of peace. Doing so fails to truthfully identify the threat facing our civilization. Giving Islam a pass allows clerics freedom to disseminate hate in their mosques under the cover of "religious freedom."
Even if we consider that a majority of Muslims do not actively embrace Jihad, the numbers are alarming. A recent Pew study concluded that 28% of Muslims actively support violent Jihad. Considering that there are 1.3 billion Muslims in the world, that means 350 MILLION Muslims support violent Jihad - that's a pretty large army, and the number is growing. That same study noted that in middle eastern countries that are supposedly "democratic" (for instance, Indonesia), 79% of the population are in favor of Sharia law being used to govern the country.
In conclusion I must admit there is one similarity between Islam and Christianity; Both religions have the goal of spreading their faith throughout the world. I personally would love nothing more than seeing every person in our city come to faith in Jesus Christ.
The huge difference is that our bible doesn't command us to take the city by force, kill those who resist, or force our religious tenets on others with the threat of death.
Our faith teaches us to love our neighbors, and even our enemies. Our faith brings light and life to a broken and dying world. Our faith is a culture of live.
Jesus: "I have come to bring life abundant."
Mohammed: "we have come to kill infidel's and enslave their women and children."
Pastor Clay
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