Over the years, many have asked for a comparison between Muslims & Mormons. In a wonderful book on apologetics called “Fast Facts on False Teachings.” One of the authors, Ed Decker leads a Christian Ministry and he has published numerous articles on Mormonism. I have included some of the information here in a comparison of Christianity & Mormonism.
Before I start, however, I would like to add a caveat. While there are similarities, there are also GREAT differences!
The Mormons claim a belief in Christianity that is similar to the Judeo-Christian views. However, the differences start right at the book of Genesis.
Mormons believe that the archangel Michael was born on earth as Adam, the first mortal man. In the Mormon version of the creation story, Jesus Christ, who before his birth was called Jehovah of the Hebrew Bible, who created the earth and all things on it at the direction of God the Father. This is a notion very similar to the beliefs of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.[4] Mormons believe that God is immortal and that He was once a man albeit a perfect and exalted man. This is considered to be blasphemy by BOTH Christians and Muslims!
An article from Beliefnet.com states that the fact that would make Christians, Jews and Muslims shudder is the Mormon belief that Jesus is the Son of God in a literal and physical sense. He is the eldest brother of all mortals and the firstborn spirit child of God. They believe that from Mary, a mortal woman, Jesus inherited the capacity to die, and from God, an exalted being, he inherited the capacity to live forever.[5]
Given all these differences, I actually believe that talking about Islam is a great spring-board for discussion and engaging your Mormon friend! What a wonderful way to start a dialogue.
Here are some of the things I would like to point out in what I know of the two religions:
*Muslims:Prophet Mohammad had a revelation by an “Angel of light” – later called “Gabriel” Mormons:Joseph Smith had a revelation by an “Angel of light” – later called Moroni
NOTE: Paul warned, “For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15).
*Muslims:Must make a pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime to Mecca, where they must wear white (to equalize out rank/social status, etc) and to show purity Mormons:Must make a pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime to Utah Mormon Temple, where they must wear white (to equalize out rank/social status, etc) and to show purity
Temple dress looks much like a Muslim dress for Hajj (Pilgrimage)!
*Muslims:Polygamy acceptable per Islam (up to 4 wives) Mormons:Polygamy acceptable (per book of Mormon & Joseph Smith’s practices)
NOTE: Some claim that the Bible promotes polygamy in the Old Testament. Where we find polygamy (Abraham, Jacob, Hannah & Peninnah in 1 Samuel, Solomon’s 700 wives, etc), we find trouble, confusion, sin and punishment. God’s original design was one man, one woman in Genesis 2:24 and again reiterated by Jesus in Matthew 19:4-6. Anything apart from that is sin.
*Muslims:Jesus was a man & prophet – nothing more Mormons: Claim: “Our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ the Son are two distinct PHYSICAL beings. (Contributions of Joseph Smith)”
*Muslims:No original sin. Adam was a prophet who sinned… no big deal. All children are a blank slate and are held accountable later at puberty for their sins Mormons: No doctrine of original sin from Adam & Eve. Children are not held accountable for sins until age 8
*Muslims: Muhammad was illiterate (but wrote the Koran due to divine inspiration through the angel Gabriel) Mormons: Joseph Smith was illiterate (education through grade three but wrote the Book of Mormon from divine inspiration through the angel Moroni)
*Muslims: Koran is “mother book” that resides in heaven with God. Mormons: it is the golden Nephi plates that the angel Moroni took back to heaven.
*Muslims: Complete information for religion comes through Quran, Hadith and Sira of Muhammad Mormons:Complete information for religion comes through Book of Mormon, Doctrines & Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price
*Both say that they are the ultimate prophet of God
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1)
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. (Matthew 7:15)
In May 2018, Starbucks closed up all their coffee shops in order to have “Unconscious Bias” training after the arrest of two Black gentlemen, Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson at a coffee shop in Philadelphia. Reports stated that the men showed up 10 minutes early to the coffee shop for a business meeting, asked for the restrooms and were told by the white employee that the facilities were for paying customers only. According to the Washington Post article, “After Nelson returned to the table where Robinson was sitting, the white manager approached them to ask whether she could help get them drinks or water.Two minutes later, she called the police to report “two gentlemen in my cafe that are refusing to make a purchase or leave.”
The men were so gracious that they settled with Starbucks for the token sum of ONE DOLLAR each – merely to show that their intention was to get the company to fix what was broken. As a part of the agreement, Starbucks announced it would close 8,000 stores for anti-racial-bias training on May 29. Johnson (CEO) and Schultz (chairman) met with Nelson and Robinson personally to apologize.
All this because of ONE employee… this did not need to happen.
Unconscious Bias is something we all have. It resides in the background of our brains and comes out at unexpected times and places. It may look like an extreme emotional reaction to someone or it could look like a “gut feel” to not hire someone. Either way, it’s there, lurking and unless we realize that this is something we can all fall victim to, it will not get addressed or go away.
So, how does one deal with this?
Harvard has an amazing tool that I assign to my undergraduate business students called the “Implicit Association Test (IAT).” It is free for personal use and it exists to help people realize that we all have blind spots. I get at least one student per semester who writes me a terse e-mail, telling me that they do not appreciate me pointing out that they are prejudiced. I normally reply back simply by writing back “We ALL have prejudice!” It’s good to become aware of the things that might trigger a reaction, much like the one the Starbucks employee had upon watching two African American men sit down at an empty table. I’m not excusing her behavior, I’m merely pointing out that something went terribly wrong in this exchange and it happened to revolve around the people’s race and ethnicity.
We all have physical blind spots in our optic nerve (blocks peripheral vision — that’s why we need side view mirrors on cars!), so why don’t we believe that we have mentalblind spots as well? The more we encourage one another to think about matters of DIVERSITY & INCLUSION, the better off we will be as an organization and as a society.
If you’d like to know more about this topic, contact me! 🙂
On Tuesday, I wrote about the fear of rejection and how tough that can be for children and adults alike. I was scheduled to speak twice that day- once at a place in OKC called Concordia (which went well) and later in the evening at the City Rescue Mission (which went not so well).
Last year, I shared my testimony at the City Rescue Mission, so after prayer, I felt that I should speak about something different. I settled on a topic that’s not so popular… that man is not “good.” Even David said in Psalm 51:5 that:
“5Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”
After the fall of man, there’s not much that is “good” about human beings — the 20th century was the bloodiest century ever recorded in the history of man. YET, we are capable of good — for God is the only one who allows us to show good works in our life through fruit of the Spirit by the work of the Holy Spirit.
Within about 5 minutes of the talk, several women just walked out! At first, I faltered in my speech. As much as I speak, I am not used to people just walking out. I am used to people coming up afterwards to argue or tell me I’m wrong about something (that happened earlier in the day at Concordia, but the man was respectful in his disagreement). So, I stopped in the middle of my sentence and watched them get up and go out of the place. Within seconds, I smiled to myself and was amused because I remembered what I wrote about that very morning! 🙂 Talk about timing!
So, I took a deep breath and continued where I left off.
It’s funny when you get called out on the very thing you are telling others to practice in their life. As I mentioned in that blog – I am not immune from the feelings of rejection. It makes me sad and messes with my mind! I am also not writing this so you will feel sorry for me… instead, I am writing so you will know that public speaking – especially sharing the Gospel of Christ is no joke! I don’t take it lightly and I know that it can be irritating to many.
This is what was promised… so now go out there and live out the Great Commission (Matthew 28) to share the Gospel and yet, share the reason for your hope in Christ with gentleness & respect.
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect… 1 Peter 3:15
Are you one for making resolutions for the new year? Then you reflect about half the population. Are you one for keeping them? Studies show that only about 8% of the people keep their resolutions. Why the staggering low amount of completion?
Turns out that self-help isn’t really all that helpful!
We make a resolution to exercise more and the first really cold day (again… January), we decide that it’s much better to be bundled up with a steaming cup of hot cocoa. We decide to spend less money, only to be confronted with after-Christmas sales. Yes, you guessed it – I’m talking about myself. It happened again today for lunch – here I was, making good choices about eating vegetables and saw that they had my favorite carb right by the veggies. Yup, my resolve crumbled right there just like that cookie facing me.
It’s not easy to do this alone.
The world tells you that “YOU can do it” and that “It’s all about YOU.” It tells you that only if you were more focused, you could achieve every goal. For some of you out there who are disciplined, you can do it… but again, we are talking about the 8%. The rest of us 92% fall miserably short of our goals.
There are goal-setting tools that can help you achieve a few more of those goals and the self-help section in the bookstore is always the largest. But what if I told you that you weren’t meant to do it alone? What if I told you that if you were to have someone alongside of you, that the resolutions and goals would have a better percentage?
It’s called ACCOUNTABILITY.
We need that at work, for our diets, for exercise and most of all, for our Christian walk. We were meant to work together with others who will help us, encourage us (take a look at 1 Thes 5:11) and also cry with us when we mess up. It’s wonderful to have someone to share things with. The statistics back up my claim. The Association for Training & Development did a study where they found that sharing the goal with even one person increased the odds of goal completion by 95%!
So this year, don’t do things by yourself. Enlist the help of others. It will keep you accountable and humble!
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. ~ Proverbs 27:17
When I share my testimony with others, I share John 14:6 – Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Most times, I am speaking at Christian gatherings, yet within the crowd I will almost always get someone who wants to speak with me afterwards about how offensive it was to them that I stated that the only way to God is through Christ Jesus. Again… speaking at CHRISTIAN gatherings.
I am not sure when the idea of tolerance included getting away from scripture. If you are a Christian and you believe in the sanctity of the written revelation of God through the Bible, then you cannot dispute Jesus Christ’s own words. Either you believe or you don’t believe. It’s that simple.
Or is it?
At this point, I usually get called “narrow-minded” or “arrogant” to have that view. I am told that the world is not black and white. There is no real right or wrong way of thinking.
As someone who has a real desire to be liked, it is difficult to be called “offensive, narrow-minded, and arrogant.” Yet, we are told that the world will hate us (see John 15:18). Paul even tells us that we are fools for Christ’s sake in 1 Corinthians 4:10 and this is usually how the rest of my own family views me for believing in Christ as I do. The world wants you to choose a watered down Gospel. They want you to agree with them and say there are many roads to heaven and God. At the same time, they don’t realize that this is an arrogant view to take because they are saying “You are wrong for believing in one way. You need to believe the way I believe.” They are also narrow-minded, for they do not take into account that other religions do not believe in many ways to God – like Islam! Muslims, for one, would laugh at you if you took that approach with them and they would set you straight by telling you that the only way is through following the 5 pillars of faith and through good works in the name of Allah.
If you are in Christ, stand firm in the foundation of His WAY of grace as a free gift that no one has earned through works, His TRUTH as revealed in the Gospel, and the eternal LIFE only He has paid for through the shedding of His blood on the cross. Amen.
Shocking, isn’t it? In a world that teaches tolerance, I feel that it’s important to know what is being taughSt in the Quran and in Mosques all over the world. There are passages in the Quran that are not very kind – especially to Jews. The verse in the photo above comes directly from the Quran in Surah Al Ma’idah that says ”
Say, “Shall I inform you of [what is] worse than that as penalty from Allah ? [It is that of] those whom Allah has cursed and with whom He became angry and made of them apes and pigs (swine) and slaves of Taghut. Those are worse in position and further astray from the sound way.”
Some Muslims will find the above passage to be shocking as well. The first time I saw this, I was still a Muslim. I reasoned it away by thinking that maybe it was a one-time reference. In doing research for another book, I have found that there are multiple declarations of this passage and that Imams also refer to Hadith (traditions of Muhammad) that discuss the passages. The other instances are in Surah Al-Baqarah 2:65:
And you had already known about those who transgressed among you concerning the sabbath, and We said to them, “Be apes, despised.”
and
Surah Al A’raf 7:166:
So when they were insolent about that which they had been forbidden, We said to them, “Be apes, despised.”
So why the pig and ape reference? Well… there are different stories. From one Muslim website (al-islam.org), we find that there was a story where Allah threatened the Jews and actually turned them into apes. Ten thousand people saw them and no one cared. Another tradition said that Israelites were fishing on a holy day (Friday, that is) and Allah turned them into apes and pigs.
Whatever the case is, the explanation does not answer why the penalty applies to BOTH Jews and Christians and also will take place on Judgment Day (according to Islam).
On another Muslim website (islamqa.infoislamqa.info), someone asked a great question “Are the Monkeys and pigs that exist nowadays humans who have been transformed?” Again, no good answer other than what was given on the other website. There is only the Hadith to go by and it says this will be a standing judgment on both Jews and Christians who do not follow Islam.
If you look further into Islamic websites, there are plenty of them that defend these verses. One man even went as far as to say that the Quran never called any human being a pig or an ape. Another said that it was just for the Jews and they were turned into apes, but there is no mention of pigs or swine. Both are incorrect. The verses are stated above and anyone can find them in a Quran both in the book and online. In addition, while the verses do not say anything about Judgment Day (as a standing decree of Allah), the Hadith mentions that this is most definitely the case and still applies to those who go against Allah’s messenger.
My own take on this: Apes and pigs were the dirtiest creatures (hence in Islam & Judaism, cannot touch pigs or eat their meat). The worst punishment would have been to be turned into one of these. I simply think it’s a threat for anyone who does not choose Islam.
So, what to do with this information? How do you still reach Muslims in love?
1. Do not argue about details. MOST MUSLIMS HAVE NOT READ THE QURAN (yes, I am yelling). There is an ignorance that exists. I say this because I was one of them. I was 30 years old and calling myself a Muslim, yet knew next to nothing that was written in the Quran. I knew bits and pieces from what I had been taught by my family and in our sporadic visits to the Mosque. I would have been absolutely appalled and in denial if I had been faced with these verses.
2. Why then did I talk about these verses here?
a. Many Christians ask me if they should read the Quran for themselves. My standard answer is “Read the Quran only AFTER you have read your own Bible cover to cover.” If you are not in a Bible Study (real Bible study of scriptures) and do not know what’s in your book, you have no business reading the Quran.
b. It’s alarming to me that people say that the Quran and the Bible are both Holy Books that are the same. NOT TRUE! You will not find anything remotely close to this type of a declaration above in the Bible. Please be careful making the comparison like that. There are vast differences that I will cover in future posts.
3. Approaching Muslims with an attack is not Biblical. In 1 Peter 3:15, it says “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…” Maybe a question and answer of what they believe would be good. I recommend starting with the question “Have you read the Quran?” and then asking “Have you read it in your own language (and not Arabic – for they may not even speak Arabic, but it’s required to read it in the language of Heaven = Arabic)?” See where that conversation goes. I would not bring up Pigs, Apes or any animals for that matter! 🙂
4. Remember: “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23. Before you met Christ, you were also in the dark. It is not possible to see unless the Holy Spirit gives us eyes to see. We have to be careful to not get frustrated or even angry. Anger is not useful and may even hurt your witness as a child of God to someone who doesn’t know.
Let’s try to share the love ESPECIALLY since the Quran doesn’t have love to offer others.
Father’s Day is a reminder to us to go back and think of our earthly father who has influenced us over the course of our life. My father has been a generous source of caring and love. I have photos of him carrying his daughters around and you can see his giant grin that goes from ear to ear. He is the kind of father that is ready with a hilarious joke, a well-told story or the loving kindness in his smile – even for strangers.
Over the years, I have come to the realization that some don’t have a warm, fuzzy recollection of our father. For some, that person was just a “donor” and left soon after they were born. Others never knew an earthly father who raised them up.
We live in a broken, messed up world. There are painful stories people have shared with me that have brought me to tears, listening to the cruelty and heartbreak of an uncaring, missing father. Some of these personal stories have left me wondering how does this person carry on with their life or even more than that – how do they have a role model to follow?
Not only did I have my father who raised me up, but we had the additional blessing of having our maternal grandparents who lived with us for several years. My grandfather (lovingly called “Abba”) was also kind, caring and ready to sit with you. He wanted to be involved in your life and was genuine in his affection. He was quiet in his manners and demeanor but made you feel special even when you sat next to him. He had all the time in the world to spend with you.
When I became a Christian, imagine my surprise at reading about how Jesus taught his disciples to pray in Matthew 6: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…” He told them to call God their Father. It even got more strange for me, because I was told the Aramaic (what Jesus spoke to his disciples) – “Abba.” I about flipped out of my chair that Sunday morning! Abba was my grandfather – my grandpa. Abba was not God Almighty’s name!
As a Muslim, I was taught that God was way up high in the heavens and that he was indifferent to us unless it was during the time of prayer. You see, as a Muslim, you have to have an appointment to truly talk to God. Even then, you aren’t really “talking” to him as an equal. You are bringing in your petition like a slave does to a king. You bow down low (literally the case during prayer) and then you say certain verses in Arabic. You don’t just plop down on the couch and chit chat with God (YIKES! Blasphemous!) but you approach His throne (see another post I wrote on this here: MY Dad’s Chair) carefully so you don’t cause offense.
There is no relationship with God. That is just a ridiculous notion to a Muslim. When I heard someone praying and calling God Almighty her “Daddy,” I freaked out then also. I did not realize that Jesus had given us the model to pray. We truly DO have the freedom to call Him our Father in Heaven, as well as “Abba.” He is just that close to us in a true relationship.
What a mind-blowing revelation to me! Yet, many Christians take this fact as nothing special. When we realize that we have officially been adopted into the Kingdom of the LORD God Almighty – creator of Heavens and earth, we should be shaking in our shoes. Instead, He welcomes us into an embrace – He runs to us (Prodigal Son parable – see Luke 15:20) with joy and His arms open wide!
On Father’s Day today, if you have a crummy earthly father, don’t give up hope. If you have a missing earthly father, don’t give up looking. If you have a wonderful earthly father, give God praise. For all of us, remember that we have a PERFECT Heavenly Father who is waiting for us very patiently to return to Him so He will run to us, embrace us, and call us His child. What a wonderful God, Redeemer and Savior we have! Amen.
“Muslims are being spit upon and the number of verbal attacks are increasing.”
“The terrorists don’t represent what Islam teaches.”
“We cannot blame this attack on the entire Muslim community.”
These are the types of things that are now being reported all over the internet. The comments are cliche and don’t leave the Manchester or other communities (like New York) that have been threatened over the last week. It brings to mind the bombing of the night club in Orlando. Westerners who don’t understand Islam are asking “Why did this happen and what can we do about this?”
What the Muslim community does not tell the public is simple. Jihad is the only 100% way to get to heaven according to Islam. Jihad means “to strive or struggle.” Muslims will tell you that it does not mean “Holy War” but refers to an internal struggle, but that is NOT what Islamic teaching says. Let me start at the beginning.
The Guardian: Muslim Leaders concerned about Islamophobia in Manchester
For Islam, there are two worlds: Dar al Islam (Arabic:House of Islam) and Dar al Harb (Arabic: House of War). If you don’t belong to the House of Islam… you automatically belong to the House of War. The Quran (Surah Al-An’am 6:127 and Surah Yunus 10:25) goes further to call the House of Islam the House of Peace (versus war). This is where Muslims have publicized that they follow a religion of peace. It is peaceful as long as you follow the laws of Islam within the House of Islam. If you do not follow the rules and law of Islam (Sharia), there is no peace for you because you belong to the world of the infidel or Kafir (literally one who rejects Islam). Muslims will not tell you that there is most definitely war. Many Friday prayers at the local mosque will remind Muslims weekly that they are all united in war against the infidels.
For the Muslim, there is a checklist to follow in order to be a good Muslim and fulfill their faith requirements. These are called the Five Pillars of Faith. I have written about these in a previous blog. For the average, cultural Muslim. These are very difficult to achieve on a daily basis. I know – I tried and failed miserably when I was a Muslim, both as a teenager and as an adult. I simply could not get it right. There are many Muslims who feel this way. Their works cannot justify them, so they count on Allah’s mercy to get them to Heaven. There is no assurance for ANY MUSLIM that they will get to Heaven. Allah (through angels on your shoulder) is keeping an account daily of their good and bad deeds. Furthermore, Muslims believe that Allah can change his mind. Even if you’ve been a “good Muslim,” Allah can change his mind at the last minute and deny you entrance into Paradise.
Here enters JIHAD… the shining knight that can save a Muslim from all his or her troubles. Jihad is the only 100% guaranteed way to get into Paradise for a Muslim.
Here’s excellent information (supported with research) from the website Answering Islam:
9:33 It is He Who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad) with guidance and the religion of truth, to make it superior over all religions, though the Mushrikûn (polytheists, pagans, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah) hate (it). (Hilali and Khan, The Noble Qur’an, Riyadh: Darussalam, 1996, 2002; parenthetical notes are theirs).
This verse is repeated two more times, word for word, in Suras 61:9 and 48:28. Muhammad means business.
The Arabic word for “to make it superior” comes from the root z-h-r, which means “to become distinct, obvious, conspicuous, or manifest; to ascend or to mount; to have the upper hand.” It can also mean “triumph” or “victorious” or “prevail.”
Seekers and the curious about Islam must understand this brute fact as they read the Quran: in the ten years that Muhammad lived in Medina (AD 622-632), he either sent out or went out on seventy-four small assassination hit squads, raids, expeditions, small battles, or full-scale wars like the Tabuk Crusade in AD 630, in which Muhammad led 30,000 soldiers north to invade the Byzantine empire. Sometimes the conflicts did not end in violence, but too many times they did. All verses (and there are not many) in the Medinan suras that seem to speak of peace and tolerance must be read in light of this violent historical context. Not far from the few tolerant verses the reader will find intolerant and violent verses.
Sura 9:33, simply put, predicts the conquest of Islam over all religions. Islam must dominate the world through jihad.
9:29 Fight [q-t-l] against those who believe not in Allah, nor in the Last Day, nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad) and those who acknowledge not the religion of truth (i.e. Islam) among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. (Hilali and Khan)
What happens to martyrs in jihad?
Martyrs are guaranteed a fast track to Islamic paradise. Their deaths are depicted in economic terms. If they expend their lives as a living currency, Allah will exchange them for heavenly Islamic gardens.
61:10 You who believe, shall I show you a bargain that will save you from painful punishment? 11 Have faith in God and His Messenger and struggle [j-h-d] for His cause with your possessions and your persons—that is better for you, if only you knew—12 and He will forgive your sins, admit you into Gardens graced with flowing streams, into pleasant dwellings in the Gardens of Eternity. That is the supreme triumph. (Haleem)
Muslims who struggle (j-h-d) in Allah’s cause will either win the battle and live to see another day, so that they can collect some spoils of war, or they will die and have their sins forgiven and be admitted into Islamic heaven.
Sura 9:111 carries on the economic bargain.
9:111 God has purchased the persons and possessions of the believers for the Garden—they fight [q-t-l] in God’s way: they kill [q-t-l] and are killed [q-t-l]—this is a true promise given by Him in the Torah, the Gospel, and the Qur’an. Who could be more faithful to his promise than God? So be happy with the bargain you have made: that is the supreme triumph. (Haleem)
Two things should be noticed here. First, the root q-t-l is used three times in this short verse. Qital or qatala, as noted in the section “What are some rules of jihad?” means killing, warring, and slaughtering and is therefore less ambiguous or has a more restricted meaning than jihad, though this latter word can mean those same bloody acts.
Okay… so, Martyrs who fight in Jihad get the equivalent of the Disney Fast Pass to Paradise. What’s waiting for them? Men get it all! They get a place of extreme physical pleasure with 72 eternal virgins (Houris), wine, food, etc. Women simply get a couch by rivers of milk and honey… oh wait, they also get the same husband they had on earth (whether they want him or not).
Getting back to the Manchester situation. It is an ATROCITY. Is this what England gets for agreeing to have Sharia-enforced areas in their country? They have been bending over backwards to allow Muslim demands to filter into their schools, politics and courts. When a terrorist strikes in the name of Allah, please understand that this truly is what Islam teaches.
Quran Surah 8:12Then your Lord spoke to His angels and said, “I will be with you. Give strength to the believers. I will send terror into the Kafirs’ hearts, cut off their heads and even the tips of their finger
What Islam teaches and what many Muslims believe may be two different things ONLY because over 80% of the Muslim world cannot read Arabic and the Quranic teachings are in Arabic. They are ignorant of what the teachings are, so you will find Muslims who say “Oh, this is not what I believe.” In order to be a true Muslim, you HAVE TO BELIEVE 100% of your book. If this is not what you believe as a Muslim, then according to your own religion, you are not a Muslim (Quran Surah Al-Baqarah 2:208 & Quran Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:7). In Quran Surah As-Sajda (32:22) it goes further to say –
“And who is more unjust than one who is reminded of the verses of his Lord; then he turns away from them? Indeed We, from the criminals, will take retribution.”
So, if you are a Muslim who questions Quranic verses or worse turns away (like I did = apostate), there will be retribution, for I am a criminal in Islam’s eyes.
This is your religion of peace. This is why people fear Islam for what it is and what it tells Muslims to do in order to behave. This is not a “phobia” (which is defined as “an extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something.”). This is not IRRATIONAL, but is a RATIONAL, logical fear people have. As long as we make excuses as a nation and remain politically correct about what Islam is and what it teaches, we will remain in the dark.
Let LIGHT and TRUTH shine in!
The Bible in Ephesians 6:12-14 says “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth fastened around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed…”
As Christians, we do not fight the Muslim people. We fight against the spiritual forces that do not tell the truth and take evil actions against innocents. We need to join together in prayer and share the Gospel of Christ in love. We do not need to take it upon ourselves to retaliate in anger, but to wrap ourselves in the truth of Christ’s teachings. To pray for your enemy and to answer evil with love.
If you have any questions about what I wrote – contact me. I am happy to answer or find the answer for you. The Lord gave you an incredible mind. Don’t take statements like “Islam is peace” or “Terrorists don’t represent Islam’s teachings” at face value. Question it. Research it. May the Lord shine His beautiful light into your life.
Today, I was invited by my friend to attend a talk given by the Religion Department at Oklahoma City University. I welcomed the opportunity to be in the audience, given that I think we should have an open mind to see what the current Muslim conversation and views are in our community. The speakers were all from the University and were intended to present what it’s like to be a Muslim in America today.
Even though I was not speaking or on the panel (= not a Muslim), I had to pray that the Lord keep my mouth shut unless 3 conditions were met. I prayed “Lord, open my mouth only if 1) it glorifies you, 2) it glorifies your Son, and 3) it is wrapped in your love.” So, being equipped with prayer, I set off with my daughter (who had a fever yesterday and is fine today, but could not attend school due to 24 hr rule for fevers). Right when we got there, I realized I did not bring my notepad to take notes. So, digging into my purse, I found my Sephora coupon for a free mascara. After a moment of hesitation (free makeup!), I went ahead and wrote down notes from the speakers.
Giving my ALL for Jesus!The first speaker was the Imam from the Greater OKC Mosque. He is the Assistant Professor and Chair in Islamic Studies Religion and hails from Palestine. Just a side note, he is also the Imam for the guy Alton Nolan who beheaded an innocent woman, Colleen Hufford in Moore, Oklahoma. The Imam started off talking about Islamophobia in the US
Alton Nolen in front of the Greater OKC Mosqueand asked why we couldn’t “coexist.” He cited examples of being harassed at the Muslim Day at the Capitol but nothing specific, other than saying that a Christian man from Kansas (how he knew he was Christian, I’m not sure) told him that he was “the devil.”
The other two speakers were less emphatic. The professor spoke about being victimized and using Muslims as doormats. He made political comments about the current presidency and also how he has been reading MLK Jr’s books about the Civil Rights Movement. He actually went as far as to say “the Civil Rights Movement is applicable now to the Muslim Community.” How? I find that to be a far reach. The African Americans at that time were facing serious oppression – separate bathrooms and eating areas, not being allowed seats on public transportation, etc. That is most definitely NOT what my family has faced as Muslims. He also said something that caught my attention. He said that Muslims needed to call for tolerance… really? Show me at least ONE Muslim nation that is “tolerant.” This is the reason why so many Muslims flock to the West – tolerance is here in the United States. You cannot find tolerance in the Sharia law that governs Muslim nations.
The young student they had on the panel was just darling and sweet in her replies. I told my husband afterwards that she reminded of me as a Muslim, telling everyone how wonderful Islam was. Her opening remarks were that she had not read the Quran and was not familiar with the writings, but she would share her experiences. She said that she had not felt any hate remarks aimed at her, even though she wears a hijab. She made it a big point to stress that she CHOSE to wear a hijab to cover and that no one was forcing her to do so. Her closing comment on Islam however, was naive and mistaken. She said that she wanted everyone to know that “Islam has the root word for peace and whenever we greet one another, we say ‘Salam’ which means peace be on you.” Unequivocally… not true. If you want to know, here’s an excerpt from the website Answering Islam:
“In order to find the meaning of a certain word in the Arabic dictionary, it is essential to search for the three letter infinitive verb which is called the root. Many words can be derived from the same root, but they don’t necessarily have to have any similarity in their meaning. The word Islam, which means ‘submission’, is derived from the infinitive Salama. So is the word Salam which means ‘peace’ and so is the verb Salima which means ‘to be saved or to escape from danger’. One of the derivations of the infinitive Salama means ‘the stinging of a snake’ or ‘The tanning of the leather’. Hence, if the word Islam has something to do with the word Salam i.e. ‘Peace’, does that also mean that it must be related to the ‘stinging of the snake’ or ‘tanning the leather’?
Muhammad used to send letters to the kings and leaders of the surrounding countries and tribes, inviting them to surrender to his authority and to believe in him as the messenger of Allah. He always ended his letters with the following two words: “Aslim, Taslam!”. Although these two words are derived from the same infinitive Salama which is the root of Salam, i.e. ‘Peace’, neither one of them implies the meaning of ‘peace’. The sentence means ‘surrender and you will be safe’, or in other words, ‘surrender or face death’. So where is the meaning of ‘Peace”In order to find the meaning of a certain word in the Arabic dictionary, it is essential to search for the three letter infinitive verb which is called the root. Many words can be derived from the same root, but they don’t necessarily have to have any similarity in their meaning. The word Islam, which means ‘submission’, is derived from the infinitive Salama. So is the word Salam which means ‘peace’ and so is the verb Salima which means ‘to be saved or to escape from danger’. One of the derivations of the infinitive Salama means ‘the stinging of a snake’ or ‘The tanning of the leather’. Hence, if the word Islam has something to do with the word Salam i.e. ‘Peace’, does that also mean that it must be related t’ in such a religion that threatens to kill other people if they don’t submit to it?”
Pastor Mateen Elass also wrote a great blog on the very topic of Islam not meaning Peace. You can find it here & I encourage you to check it out.
The question and answer session began with the question “All of you have been talking about how peaceful Islam is, but what about the violent passages in the Quran?” The Imam took that question right away and said there were NO passages in the Quran about violence at all! He continued to say that in fact, the Quran does not have words like “kill” or “kill the Infidels,” “convert or die, ” or even the word “sword.” The professor on his right picked up this theme from the Imam and said how Jihad was only to indicate a personal struggle and that all the students in his class were Jihadists because they struggled to get good grades. The Imam said that the media had bastardized and perverted what was written in the Quran… after all, it is interpretation that is the issue.
NO, NOT SO. We cannot continue to play the “it’s written only in Arabic, so we cannot truly understand the Quran unless you read it in Arabic.” “Kill” in Arabic pretty much means “kill” in English. This was a hard thing for someone who has been a Muslim as an adult and has read the Quran to swallow. I had to break down and whisper to my friend who invited me and tell her that was a blatant lie. There are over 164 passages in the Quran that are violent and deal with war, jihad (even though the word is not used, the intent to fight infidels is clear), or killing. It is not a story about peace and love… not even close. On average, one out of every six lines is about hell fire and damnation.
There is NO good news for Muslims.
Here is a list of over 109 passages in the Quran from a website called The Religion of Peace. Below is only ONE of these verses where you will find… drum roll please… “Kill, Killing, and Kill again” from Surah Al-Baqara (2:191-2):
And kill them wherever you overtake them and expel them from wherever they have expelled you, and fitnah is worse than killing. And do not fight them at al-Masjid al- Haram until they fight you there. But if they fight you, then kill them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers.
It’s difficult to sit there and see what is being said in front of you without anyone in the audience to challenge it. Yet I knew that this was not a place for debate and I was so thankful for coming to the place prepared through prayer ahead of time. The woman who asked the question about violence in the Quran left early, so I could not catch up to her to talk – maybe it was not meant to be. The rest of the questions were very politically correct and were in the line of “why can’t we all just get along?”
The message from the Muslim community (including those in my family) is mixed. There are many who do not know what is in the Quran and those who DO know (like the Imam) are choosing to not tell the truth or even a part of the truth.
It is important to know and look things up for yourself. The Quran is available online and all you have to do is to Google “violent passages in the Quran” or something along those lines to see BOTH the Arabic and the English. Please don’t accept things at face value. God gave us a brain and he intends for us to use it. Let’s use our brains to His glory and know what is being said in the media and on this type of a panel.
The end was more of the same. The Imam made an ostentatious claim that we are all under one God. He said “Allah, Eloh, Ilah” are all the same (look up the name Ilah & you will find something totally different!). Again, not true. Allah is only one dimension. Our God as revealed by the Scriptures is YHWH. He exists in three dimensions. Unless you know the relationship of love that exists between God the Father, the redeeming love of Christ Jesus and the breath of the Holy Spirit, you miss the whole picture. Allah is not the God of the Trinity.
There is great confusion and darkness for those who do not know God as revealed in the Scriptures. I pray that the Church will wake up and heed the Great Commission to GO! As one who lived in the US as a Muslim, I was accustomed to the darkness. I blindly believed what the Imams said in the mosque and what my parents told me. When the scales fell from my eyes and I saw the truth of God as revealed in Christ, it was indescribable. There is great freedom and love in Christ Jesus. I just pray that we, as Christians will share the Gospel in love. We need to always be prepared to give a reason for the HOPE we have ~ But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect… 1 Peter 3:15.
I beg you… Be ready! Be prepared! Give that reason for the hope you have in Christ. DO IT with gentleness and respect.This is what we need to share with Muslims today. Find a Muslim in your own backyard and share the Good News of the Gospel!
