Islam, Submission With No Peace Pt. 16: CAIR Calls Franklin Graham "Un-American"

It HAS to be Friday the 13th to read and hear about this story. It all begins with participants selected to serve at the Presidential Inauguration ceremonies of Donald Trump. 

It seems that Franklin Graham, the son of renown Evangelist Billy Graham was selected by Team Trump to pray at the inauguration.  Not so fast says the nations leading Muslim Advocacy group:

"If President-elect Trump truly seeks to unite our nation as he promised in his acceptance speech, he will limit the list of those offering prayers at the inauguration to religious leaders who work to bring us together, not to create divisions between faiths,"..."Rev. Graham's ill-informed and extremist views are incompatible with the Constitution and with American values of religious liberty and inclusion." ~ Nihad Awad CAIR National Executive Director

CAIR (the Council on American-Islamic Relations) urged President Elect Trump to can Graham from ceremonies if the aim is to unite the country because of past statements of Graham. Pointing to statements such as "Islam is not compatible with American values" and "Every Muslim that comes into this country has the potential to be radicalized--and they do their killing to honor their religion and Muhammad." CAIR claims that statements such as these show that Graham is intolerant and therefore unworthy to pray at an American function designed to support the highest office in the land. 

Does CAIR Have A Valid Point?

In my opinion DEFINITELY NOT!!!!

First, every Muslim would agree that, according to their scriptures, the practice of Islam is not just something that can be shrugged off as a fancy way to pass time. Islam is an all life encompassing faith. A way to live and view the world. 

As we have noted on this BLOG, America is a place that traditional Muslims believe is a mission field, to be "settled". In addition, the ultimate aim of Islam and the highest goal in any society is Sharia. Sharia, also known as "Sharia Law", is the all encompassing guide to life as interpreted by Muslim Clerics imploring the Quran and the Hadith. Sharia also includes elements of concensus by Clerics on issues and analogy. From this combination of what are considered holy and inspired scriptures, and additional holy sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad, and other aspects, Sharia Law takes shape and is established. 

The website of the Interfaith Alliance, largely driven by liberal and inclusionist religious philosophies and interpretations of scripture, faith and law, states the following regarding Sharia law:

19. What is Sharia?

Sharia stands for Islamic or sacred law. It is an Arabic word meaning “the way” or “the path to water.” For centuries, Muslim scholars have given a broad definition of Sharia reflecting the diversity of interpretations on how Muslims have attempted to best understand and practice their faith.
The general definition of Sharia as understood by most American Muslims is as follows:
Sharia represents how practicing Muslims can best lead their daily lives in accordance with God’s divine guidance. It may be generally defined as the Islamic law revealed by God to the Prophet Muhammad. That divine law was then interpreted by Muslim scholars over the centuries. Among the primary aims of the Sharia are the achievement of justice, fairness and mercy.
The five major goals of the Sharia are the protection of sound religious practice, life, sanity, the family, and personal and communal wealth. The acknowledgement of sound local customs throughout the world is one of the five basic maxims of the Sharia according to all Islamic schools of law.

They go on to say:

"Currently, 35 countries incorporate Sharia into their civil, common or customary law. The diverse manner in which these countries apply Sharia to daily life highlights how Sharia is neither static nor rigid but instead a reflection on how different communities interpret it."

Thus, by admission, Sharia not only judges conflicts based on religion or moral meta-ethics. It is Sharia that decides matters of family and life in civil and even secular society. It is Sharia that is the ultimate authority and way to live. All other governmental systems are secondary to Sharia and at the very least should incorporate some aspects of Sharia. So the aim is to slowly make each state or situation, one that can be ultimately governed by Sharia itself.

I know, my Muslim readers take aim at my statements here and will jump up and down to say that I am intolerant also. But unlike them in their dissent, I think there is ample proof that what Graham says and what I am contending here is totally true if getting to the truth is the aim. 

On the Interfaith Alliance website, the question regarding the compatibility of American Civil law and Sharia is ashed:

22. Is Sharia compatible with American law and values?

Many aspects of Sharia or Islamic law are consistent with modern legal rules found in American law. For example, both legal systems allow rights to personal property, mutual consent to contracts, the presumption of innocence in criminal proceedings, and the right of women to initiate divorce proceedings.

If and when religious laws conflict with American law, the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses of the First Amendment prohibit American government, including the courts, from substituting religious laws for civil law or following religious laws that violate civil law. This prohibition applies to all religions equally.

Now, this is very smart. By using analogy (a tenet of Sharia) the question is kind of turned on its head. It is certainly true. The government cannot simply upend religious freedoms and laws, however, 

according to what has already been said, Sharia is "sacred law". Now if religion means anything at all, what is "sacred" is at the highest point of the practice of religion and religious values. 

Such conflicts do not exist within Christianity to the degree that they exist in Islam. The bible condones and encourages "good citizenship" even in the face of what is ugly and uncomfortable. It does not teach to "uproot" as teaching exist in Islam to do the same.

We can speak much more on this in the comments, but to examine Franklin Graham's statements and to declare those statements as Un-American demand that the issue of what is American be examined as a whole. 

Since the State cannot establish religion, then how is it that it is American for any religion to have their law code, as interpreted or otherwise, in their legal system based on itself? 

I understand that American society, at least most would like to think, is based on Judeo-Christian values emanating from the bible and what we view as "sacred scriptures" as well. However, the difference here is that the concepts from the scriptures are the guide as opposed to the chapter and verses themselves. 

Conclusion
I certainly have oversimplified the argument, and will be more detailed in the comments if necessary, but I hope that this provides good food for thought. Franklin Graham is certainly American and what he believes about those who are dedicated to and bound to the practice of what is becoming a very diverse religion of Islam (as the difference between fundamental and liberal Islam is really beginning to display itself) must also know that Islam, as practiced and encouraged by the majority of Muslims who read and interpret the same book as American liberal Muslims do, have very different ideas about the methods that should be used to bring about Sharia, but share equally in embracing the goal of Islam and that goal is to bring about Sharia, or a state that is subject to and under the rule of Allah. 

I don;t think that there is a question about that to any Muslim faithful to their faith. Whereas, the Christian already knows that there is NO KINGDOM on Earth that is the final place of God's rule. Jesus said that HIS Kingdom was not of this world and one day there will be a new kingdom where there will be rest. Though every Christian strives every day to make this world better and to do as much good in this world as possible, we do not demand by any means necessary that all men are subject to us or what we believe. We see evidence of that in education, social life and all, YET we know that Christ reigns anyway, in spite of what men do or think. 

Blessed! 

   

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Islam, Submission With No Peace Pt. 15...Listen & Understand

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Islam, Submission With No Peace Pt. 14 ~ The Crisis With ISIS

We stand WITH the victims, citizens and families of Orlando, FL. and America herself, suffering from the reach of domestic terrorism. While there are pundits attempting to make this event an issue of gun control, and an issue of homosexual civil rights, the fact is that the ideology that took the lives of some 50 persons and injured, and maimed some 53 others, is an age old philosophy based and rooted in a particular interpretation of the Quran that has been the generally accepted interpretation within the Muslim world. 

Although the murderer in this case, claimed his allegiance to ISIS with no mention of simply wanting to kill "gay people" what he did was a sick act of hatred, thoroughly condemned as an act of pure religion or service to God in any way. Christians should CONTINUE to preach against the sin of homosexuality, but should also be mindful that God has not called a single Christian to KILL ANYONE in the name of Christ because of the sin they embrace. 

So liberal pundit, we, as Christians, DO NOT take the blame for what is done in the name of Allah or the god of the Quran. As we will discover in the video-series below, Allah is NOT the God of the bible and the teaching of the Quran, whether liberal, moderate or extreme, cannot be harmonized or reconciled with the teaching of Christianity or the command of Christ. 

It is my prayer that you leave the webpage tuned to The Dunamis Word for the duration of these programs brought to you by the John Ankerberg Show, and that you will listen to the content, because this just may be the information you need to make a difference in your community. Also feel free to visit and join our Facebook web page "In Defense Of The Faith" where we present information regarding this and other matters of Christian faith, lifestyle and values. 

Blessed! 

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Islam, Submission With No Peace Pt. 13 ~ Christian Liberalism

Recently, Wheaton College Professor Dr. Larycia Hawkins gained national attention when she was placed on administrative leave by Provost Stan Jones. It has been reported that Dr. Hawkins troubles began when she decided to wear a hijab, a garment associated with religious Muslim women, to show her solidarity with Muslim women, a class of persons whom she felt were being marginalized and ridiculed within American society, in particularly because of recent terrorist attacks within the United States, said to have been inspired by ISIS.

Dr. Hawkins explained her actions in her Facebook POST as follows: 

“I stand in religious solidarity with Muslims because they, like me, a Christian, are people of the book. And as Pope Francis stated last week, we worship the same God.”

She further stated:

"As part of my Advent Worship, I will wear the hijab to work at Wheaton College, to play in Chi-town, in the airport and on the airplane to my home state that initiated one of the first anti-Sharia laws (read: unconstitutional and Islamophobic), and at church."

In her recent press conference on this issue, (see video at the end of this article) she stated:

"Our love for Jesus compels us to make no peace with oppression because Christianity is political or it is not Christianity. That drove my solidarity with women in the hijab, particularly Muslims in the hijab—because you know, Jesus’ mother Mary wore a hijab too."

She went on to state:

"Throughout my years of service at Wheaton College, I have never waivered from my commitment to the Christian doctrines elucidated in the Statement of Faith."

Distinguishing & Differentiating Issues

I would be the first to say that I do not know anything about Dr. Hawkins employment

agreement with Wheaton College or about any reason or right that her employer may have had to monitor Dr. Hawkins' Facebook account. While I would support Dr. Hawkins' right to free speech and to privacy, I must point out that it also seems appropriate that Dr. Hawkins, if she has agreed to a statement of faith, or to certain Christian centered doctrines and teachings, that she be faithful to those teachings even in her private life. This is especially important as she is not only a representative of the college, but more importantly of Christ.   

The media has focused its attention on the Dr.'s freedom and right of expression. However, the primary issue, as I have examined this case and the statements, are clearly her assertion that Muslims (who she sought to encourage) and Christians, worship "the same God". To be fair, Dr. Hawkins was not asserting these ideas independently. Her statements echo those of Pope Francis' who also recently affirmed that both Christians and Muslims worship "the same God".

The issues seem to have been convoluted or intertwined, until the person casually associated with religious doctrines and tenets of faith, assume that the only issue is the wearing of the hijab. In fact in Dr. Hawkins' statement and press conference, this is the primary and initial point of focus. Her theological assertion is downplayed, but I believe that her theological position is the primary, if not the only issue at hand, as you will see in this post. 

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Islam, Submission With No Peace Pt.10

Saif al-Kasaesbeh surrounded by Jordanian Military Officials

In my article "Islam, Submission With No Peace Pt. 9...ISIS" I undertook a small examination of the Islamic cult ISIS and the terrible impact that it has on world, and especially those living in Islamic countries. 

Of course, since our initial examination, we have seen all kinds of continued atrocities from this group. Not only do ISIS cult members rape, pillage and kill in the name of "Allah", they also kill fellow Sunni and Sheite Muslims and have no respect for family and or values except their own. They appear to be led by a sect proclaimed Caliphate leader  Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. 

According to Islamic tradition, a "Caliph" is said to be a successor of Muhammad who is also appointed by the Mulsim Community. This, by itself, is a huge problem among Muslims. It appears that the "Muslim Community" has not chosen and or ordained this man as their leader. Only a certain group (ISIS) have made this man their leader.

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Is Satire Freedom?

"What I'm about to say is maybe a little pompous, but I'd rather die standing up than live on my knees." 

~ Stéphane Charbonnier aka: "Charb"
(deceased Lead Editor, Charlie Hebdo Magazine)

Among many things, one of the more disturbing events that has recently taken place is the murder of 12 journalists associated with the Charlie Hebdo magazine of Paris France and the subsequent murder and killing of an additional 18 or so people as a result. I first want to say that my heart and the heart of the representatives of the Dunamis Word and many of its readers goes out in support and prayer of all the families who have lost their loved ones during this time. 

To the point, the Hebdo organization was made famous by its continual mocking and criticism of almost all things religious and all things that have to do with authority. A Hebdo staff member describes Hebdo's role as follows: 

"The aim is to laugh. ... We want to laugh at the extremists — every extremist. They can be Muslim, Jewish, Catholic. Everyone can be religious, but extremist thoughts and acts we cannot accept." ~ Laurent Léger, Charlie Hebdo staff member in 2012 to CNN News. 

Obviously the purpose is to not only criticize, but laugh, and make fun of many things, but primarily religion. A favorite among atheists and so called "freethinkers", concepts of the Hebdo magazine were delivered in effort to lower the veneration given to many religions, especially the veneration given to Christianity and Islam, and to incite thoughts against inconsistencies displayed by "extremists" within religious groups. Here is what a recent report about the Hebdo organization recounts:

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Islam, Submission With No Peace Pt. 9...ISIS

ISIS Executing Iraqi Soldiers

ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) a force of nearly 7,000 to 8,000 Sunni militants, has quickly placed itself in the lead of the many woes facing the Middle East. Many of us have heard the threat of ISIS repeated over and over on the news and seen how this group (also called a mobile army) has kicked both Christians and other Muslims out of their homes. 

ISIS, with 800 men, captured the second most populous city in Iraq, Mosul, which was defended by 30,000 soldiers. This group has successfully waged war in both Syria and Iraq and is quickly gaining strength in the whole region in effort to establish a completely new state with a completely new Muslim ethic. 

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Islam, Submission With No Peace Pt. 8...Is "Muhammad" In The Bible?

The Islamic Apologists

The late Islamic scholar Ahmed Deedat (1918-2005) claimed extensively that Muhammad was mentioned in the bible and that the biblical translators had changed the meaning of the original word to hide this "fact". The reason that Deedat believed and taught this, was because the Quran was supposed to have said that Muhammad was mentioned in the law and in the gospels. 

Sura 7: 157 ~ "those who follow the messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own (scriptures),- in the law and the Gospel;- for he commands them what is just and forbids them what is evil; he allows them as lawful what is good (and pure) and prohibits them from what is bad (and impure); He releases them from their heavy burdens and from the yokes that are upon them. So it is those who believe in him, honour him, help him, and follow the light which is sent down with him,- it is they who will prosper."

So for Deedat and many other Islamic Apologists, there "must" be a connection to Muhammad, their prophet within the Holy scriptures associated with the Jews religion and with Christianity. This has been debated for years, so it is nothing new. 

In response to his 1986 debate with then Evangelist Jimmy Swaggart, Deedat claimed the following:

The Late Dr. Ahmed Deedat

"Initially when I started talking about the subject about what the Bible says about Muhammad, (pbhn), I didn't know, at the beginning and for a very long time, I didn't know, that the Holy Prophet Muhammad, (pbhn) was mentioned by name, in the bible.Mentioned by name." 

"What has happened is this, first that Muhammad (pbhn) is mentioned by name in the original scriptures. The Old Testament, according to Christian mythologies, was preserved in the Hebrew language. The New Testament, in Greek scriptures, in Greek language. In the Old Testament, the Song Of Solomon chapter 5, verse 16, in the Hebrew language....it says: "חכו ממתקים וכלו מחמדים זה דודי וזה רעי בנות ירושלם׃" The word "ma·ḥă·mad·dîm, (highlighted above) is the word  "Ma ha mad".."im"..."im" is a plural of respect in the Hebrew."   

Dr. Deedat went on to argue that all Eastern languages have a common feature of respect when it is implying a "proper name" or referring to someone of importance. Thus his textual proof that the "Prophet  Muhammad" is mentioned in the bible and that the biblical prophecy is centered around him.  

To the ardent faithful of Islam, this makes much sense. It further leads to great leaps of sentiments that Jesus prophesied about Muhammad as well by referring to him as "the comforter" (Jh, 14:16) Heritics such as Zakir Naik who hasn't fallen far from the Deedat tree, but seemingly landed on his head, promote this fallacy boldly proclaiming that Muhammad is the one who is to lead us and guide us into all truth! More on this fallacious and absurd argument later in the article.  

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Islam, Submission With No Peace Pt. 6

ABC's Good Morning America in effort to "get beyond the rhetoric" and do what I call "sanitize" perceptions toward Islam produced the following snippets called "Faith and Fear: Islam In America" Now the title in itself declares the aim of the program to distinguish the difference between faith and fear as it pertain to Islam, but this "discovery" is something that the American public is to find with the assistance of good ole journalist reporting of course.

Here's the video and I'll discuss a few of the more important and erroneous points presented afterward




Defining Truth And Redefining Islam

First Robin says that the intent of this particular series was to take a "true look at the faith and why there are so many questions about Islam" This segment presents these basic questions premises and makes the following assertions:

1- Robin, at the beginning of this story, expresses the first FALSE sentiment regarding Islam. She states that Islam has come under suspicion SINCE 9/11 and has been the target of anger and violence within America.

There is nothing further from the truth and more fanciful. First, Christians have not responded violently to Islam within America or anyplace else over the globe. The FACT is that the Islamic response to America has been filled and riddled with violence far before  9/11:

• 1979 Muslim students seize the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and hold 52 Americans hostage for 444 days.
• 1979 U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan was set on fire by Muslim fundamentalists.
• 1982, 37 Americans were taken hostage by Hezbollah in Lebanon last American to be freed from this incident was freed in 1991.
• 1983 at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut the U.S. and French military barracks was bombed by multiple suicide bombers killing 350 people including 241 U.S. Marines.
• 1985 Hezbollah hijacked a TWA jet to Beirut killing a U.S. Navy diver.
• 1988 an Islamic group was responsible for the murder of 259 passengers on board a Pam Am jetliner over Scotland.

I haven't even made it to the failed World Trade Center bombings in Feb. 1993 which killed 6 people and injured 1,000 on American soil long BEFORE 9/11.

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Islam, Submission With No Peace Pt. 4

Galations 1:8 ~ "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."

In this post will will provide a basic biblical contrast to the essential claims made by Islam. As you can tell from parts 1, 2 and 3 there is much that can be said about Islam but we will seek to narrow this apologetic to 4 points:

1- Is  The Biblical God Transcendent?

2-The Biblically Affirmed Deity Of Jesus

3- God's Plan Of Salvation & The Problem Of Sin Original Sin

4- The Final Revelation Of God To Man

Section I: Is The Biblical God Transcendent? 

In a response to Pope Benedict XVI’s lecture at the University of Regensburg on Sept. 12th 2006, leading Islamic Scholars presented a document called "A Common Word Between Us And You". Within this document there were 8 points outlined to display the unique and supposedly similar relationship between Islam and Christianity. The object of the document was to correct statements that were supposedly erroneous and misrepresentative of Islam, and to expound upon those "misunderstandings" encouraging Christians to expand their views toward Islam and Islamic teachings of the Quran, and especially many of those that were set forth within the Pope's address.

One of the retorts presented within "A Common Word" concerned God's "absolute" transcendence. Transcendence meaning that God cannot be physically intermingled or touched with his creation and most specifically with that which is flesh. This was the Islamic rebuke regarding the Pope's exposition of this concept found within the Islamic faith:

"You also say that “for Muslim teaching, God is absolutely transcendent,” a simplification which can be misleading."~"A Common Word Between Us And You"

The Muslim Clerics then go on to invoke that in order for one to truely understand transcendence as taught within Islam, one should study the teachings of al-Ghazali (d.1111CE) as his teachings are more representative of Islamic belief regarding this issue than the scholar that the Pope referenced. This is what al-Ghazali has to say about the subject:

-"He [Allah Ta`ala] is not a body with a form, or a limited, quantitative substance, not resembling bodies in quantifiability or divisibility, or in being a substance or qualified by substance, or in being an accident or qualified by accidents. He does not resemble anything that exists, nor does anything that exists resemble Him. There is nothing whatsoever like unto Him, nor is He like unto anything. He is not delimited by magnitude, contained by places, encompassed by directions, or bounded by heavens or earth." (Qawa'id, 1.3)

-"He - the Most High - is not a body composed of different substances, since the body is that which is composed of substances. When His being a substance limited by place is refuted, His being a body is also refuted, because every body is limited by place and is composed of substances. But it is impossible for the substance to be free from division, composition, motion, rest, form, and quantity, all of which are characteristics of originated phenomena. And if it were possible to believe that the Maker of the world is a body, it would also be possible to believe in the divinity of the sun and the moon as well as other heavenly bodies. If, therefore, one should dare to call Allah a body but not meaning thereby a composition of substances, he would be wrong as far as the name is concerned, but not in negating the idea of body." (Risalah, 1.5)

While it is true that the Quran teaches that Allah (God) is the sustainer of all things, (therefore he has involvement with the world and creation) the Quran also clearly teaches that God is not mingled with or does not take on the limitations of his creation or humanity under any circumstance. To say that the extension of Allah(aka: khalifa or Allah's agent on earth) is God himself or God in the flesh is Shirk (blasphemy) within Islamic teaching and is worthy of the penalty of death. Angels, though representatives of Allah, are NOT to be considered equal to or with Allah under any circumstance. Specifically, StateMaster Online Encyclopedia says this of the Islamic concept of Transcendence:

"For a Muslim, divine transcendence must be protected, and all talk of incarnation or even attempts at figurative artistic representation of the divine, or even of holy persons, are regarded as culpable detractions from God's absolute unicity, supremacy and transcendence. A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam."

Therefore one of the first and most notable differences regarding the God of the Bible and Allah of the Quran comes in the manner of how God has revealed, communicated and interracted with humanity, especially as it pertains to the process of salvation. This information directly effects the message that God gave to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel, as it points to and reveals the actual source of the message. The message of the Quran is not authenticated by the scriptures that even the Quran holds in high esteem calling it "The Book" and the "Holy Injil" (the Old Testament)

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Islam, Submission With No Peace Pt. 3

Honor Killings: Radical Islam Or Just Islam?

"If I had stayed in Ohio, I wouldn't be alive,"..."In 150 generations in family, no one has known Jesus. I am the first — imagine the honor in killing me."..."There is great honor in that, because if they love Allah more than me, they have to do it. It's in the Koran,(Quran)"..."They love God more than me, they have to do this," ..."I'm fighting for my life. You guys don't understand. … I want to worship Jesus freely, that's what I want. I don't want to die." ~ Fathima Rifqa Bary

The Price Of Choosing Jesus Over In Islam

This young Christian came to Jesus November 8th 2005. In July of 2009 she realized that she had to flee for her life and cut her ties with her family which maintained associations with Islam. For 4 years she hid and minimized her transformation experiences until her father found Rick Warren's book "A Purpose Driven Life" and her mother later found a second book. After these conversations in which she disclosed her love for Jesus she was threatened in the following manner:

17-"My father had a serious talk with me about the importance of retaining the Islamic blood line in my family but I did not tell him about my conversion;" 18-"In June of 2009 my father confronted me with several questions about whether I had become a Christian, whether I was baptized, ifl was going to a church. Out of fear I remained silent;" 19- "Then my father told me that he received numerous e-mails and phone calls from the leaders of the Noor Center community who informed him that he needed to deal with this matter immediately;" 20- "In a fit of anger that I had never seen before in my life, he picked up my lap top, waived it over my head as if to strike me with it and said "If you have this Jesus in your heart, you are dead to me! You are no longer my daughter." I continued to remain silent and then he said to me even more angry than before, "I will kill you! Tell me the truth!" 21- "On July 17, 2009, my mother confronted me about another Christian book she discovered that I had hid in my bedroom. She had just spoken with my father was on the phone who was out of town. She was very upset, in tears, and almost grieving and told me I was going to have to be sent back to Sri Lanka to be dealt with;" [(pg. 35 sworn deposition "INVESTIGATION AND INTELLEGENCE MEMORADUM IN SUPPORT OF PETITION FOR DEPENDENCY" IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE NINTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR ORANGE COUNTY, FLORIDA sworn and Filed 8/30/2009.]

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Islam, Submission With No Peace Pt. 2

Islamic Heretics & False Christs

Elijah (Pool) Muhammad who many yet claim was responsible for the dissapearance of Master Fard and the assassination of Malcom X after Malcom X visited Mecca and expanded his teachings and views of Islam to match more traditional views found within the Quran in 1964. Believe me there is a complete apologetic against such notions and I am uninterested in teh details and besides that isn't the focus of this article or this blog. (At least not yet)

There is a great history of charismatic leaders within the Nation of Islam. The successor of Master Fard Muhammad was

In this article, we won't go into a chronological history of events within this movement, however we will make an attempt to understand it's appeal to many witin the African American culture and community. As noted in Hip-Hop, Idolatry & The Church Pt. 1, Islamic teachings and belief systems have had a specific effect and influence on many black artists and entertainers. With the conversion of popular social figures to Islam, such as former NAACP President Dr. Benjamin Chavis, and other popular black icons, as we will see later in this post, the NOI's influence cannot be understated, simply written off or devalued.

A Cult Is What A Cult Does

The NOI is a highly organized group. The followers are disciplined and believe in many positive and ethically right social and political moralities. On most days within many black communities, all one needs to do is drive down the street within the black community to engage a NOI Muslim distributing incence and their magazine "The Final Call". It doesn't matter how hot or how cold it is. Similar to the Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons, these gentlemen and sometimes women, will work all day to spread their version of truth which is usually no more than the teachings and doctrine of one of the NOI's Ministers or former leaders. One thing is certain, IF you can allow the Lord to use you to penetrate the shell of a NOI follower and he/she is convicted of their sins and repents, you will most likely have and inpeccable Christian believer and faithful servan of the Lord. So it is well worth the effort to know the truth and reach out to this lost group.

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Islam, Submission With No Peace Pt. 1

Biblical truth is challenged like never before. Although this is highly disputed, many speculate that the fastest growing religion in the world today is Islam. With over an estimated 1 billion adherents statistics are that by year 2025 over 30 % of the world's population will be Islamic or under Islamic rule and that Islam will eclipse Christianity as the world's largest religion at some point between now, then or shortly thereafter.[Barrett & Johnson's estimated in an article in the International Bulletin of Missionary Research that the number of Muslims would grow from 1.22 billion in the year 2000 to 1.89 billion by 2025...Author Samuel Huntington predicts that "Muslims in the world will continue to increase dramatically, amounting to 20 percent of the world's population about the turn of the [21st] century, surpassing the number of Christians some years later..."]

Does Islam have an answer that is unknown to Christianity? Is Islam, especially that practiced within traditional Islamic countries somehow superior or more satisfying than the teachings of Christianity?

In the next couple of posts, we will look at what Islam teaches and contrast that to the bible and the biblical record. We are quickly approaching the 9th month which is the most holy time of year for the Muslim called Ramadan. So this information, especially at this time, promises to be an intriguing and eyeopening mini-series. For those observing or relating with someone who observes Muslim and Islamic tradition, I hope that you will better understand some of the traditions and possible worldview that many believers of Islam share. Let's begin:

What Is Islam and Where Did It Come From?

It was in the 9th month of approximately 610 AD, when a man known as the prophet Muhammad (c. 570-632), (assured by his wife Khadijeh that he was a prophet and an apostle (Rasoul)) received a special revelation and words from who he believed was the angel Gabriel. These words came to him while he was in a trance or a trance like state or condition. The words he received were recited and written, thus Quran means "recitation" The words were written down by those who heard him or were present when these episodes occurred. In fact here was the message from the angel:

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Episcopal Muslims, Buddhists & Druids

2 Timothy 4:3-4 ~ "3-For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4-And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."

The Episcopal Church USA led by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori (pictured below) has been an open door over the years to almost every type of apostasy possible. Much of what you'll read in this post is public knowledge and has either been resolved favorably or is the process of being resolved with some exceptions. Within this church, there are yet some questions that linger and the practice of homosexuality among clergy in the Episcopal Church is an accepted practice. For those who lead organizations or are considering beginning one, this church should serve as an example of what happens when you stop teaching, preaching and living the word of God in an uncompromising fashion and begin to teach a "social gospel" designed to make individuals feel comfortable in their sins.

Many Problems Begin At The Top

"God is, at the very least, a mystery,...God’s intention is for a restored relationship with all humanity. My job is to proclaim the good news of Jesus, but I cannot deny God is not at work in other ways,” ~ Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori Episcopal Church USA Church Of England News {in PEORIA, Il.-My back yard} 4/17/2009

"Christians understand that Jesus is the route to God. That is not to say that Muslims, or Sikhs, or Jains, come to God in a radically different way. They come to God through human experience—through human experience of the divine." ~ Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori Episcopal Church USA {NPR's "Here And Now" 10/18/2006.}

"We who practice the Christian tradition understand him as our vehicle to the divine"..."but for us to assume that God could not act in other ways is, I think, to put God in an awfully small box." ~ Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori Episcopal Church USA {Time Magazine 7/10/2006}

One can debate over whether a woman should pastor or lead and organization and point to that as the first problem with this church. I won't debate or set forth that issue here, but I will note that the preceding words from the Chief Apostle of the Episcopal Church is strong evidence of an obtuse and disingenuous reading and understanding of scripture. In fact they are strong evidence of a consistent but heretical position in which the Bishop feels that she can rewrite the word of God to suit her tastes. Borrowing from many of the more popular form critical assumptions of skeptical and critical scholars, the Bishop claims that Christians must rethink their ideas about how God could "act" among other religions and peoples. This is shades of the New Humanism that I outlined in a previous post that holds that new standards can be obtained and that historical standards and norms are obsolete especially when they are based on considerations outside of humanity.There are a bevy of problems associated with this line of thinking, and more specifically the Bishop's statements center around how a person can or could become acceptable with God.

The first fallacious thought that must be dispelled is that Christians teach that God can't or won't move among non-Christians. The scripture has said that God rains upon ie: provides for, the just and the unjust (Mt. 5:45). To think that God does not act in the life of sinners and non-Christian individuals is an overstatement. Even the Old Testament history, is filled with examples of God interacting and providing blessings to and upon non covenant peoples and persons.

However, the real point that the Bishop was making is that salvation or the right to access God has been given through other religions equally as well as Christianity. In other words, all religions lead to the same God with some variations and differing results or aims along the way. The thought that all of these different and varying spiritual and philosophical constructs can be molded into some sort of new multi-categorical practice or belief is called syncretism.

What About These Words Bishop?

John 14:6 ~ "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me".

The problem is that world religions DON'T lead to and through Jesus. In fact in many of those religions Jesus is only recorded as a good man or prophet but nothing else. In many of those religions Jesus can be no more than an enlightened mystic, who found his way to an elevated form of consciousness. Still others would only regard Jesus as one among many of the world's great teachers. With all the conflicts about what world religions actually teach as opposed to Christianity, the Bishop's statements simply can't be true. Either her statements are correct and the bible is wrong or the other way around. There is no middle ground within her assertion. I wonder who should we believe? The one who has demonstrated his power and authority over death, hell and the grave by laying his life down and taking it up again, or the one who ordains homosexuals, promotes another gospel, and believes and promotes religious pluralism? The answer is pretty clear cut to me.

The Episcopal Diversity

Obviously the Episcopal Church has suffered at the hands of what I consider to be heretical teaching and allowances of their apostate Bishop. The evidence is clear. As stated, her words speak for themselves and she has not recanted them. In fact she was recently in my city and restated her beliefs when asked by an audience participant.

In an article in Christianity Today the Episcopal Church's battle with syncretism among its clergy was examined and the evidence that has presented itself is shocking. We all know the church's most famous homosexual, V. Gene Robinson Prelate Of New Hampshire, who was affirmed by the majority of Bishops in the church to continue his immoral practices and abomination from a highest ranking local position within the church, simply because he was said to be a "nice guy". The GLBT community certainly has its apostle of change in high ranks of the Christian church. I said in a previous post that atheists were even holding out for ordination. Well, if this keeps up, it won't be long that atheists will be pastoring and preaching messages from local pulpits with evangelistic fervor.

Aside from all that, the Episcopal Church has had Druids, Muslims, Wiccans, and Buddhists in the ranks of clergy who declare their Christian ministry and actually lead congregations. WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THAT?

Druids and Baal Worshipping Priests:

• "In 2004, two suburban Philadelphia Episcopal priests, the Rev. William Melnyk and his wife, the Rev. Glyn Ruppe-Melnyk, were investigated by their bishop for being "practicing druids." The two were found to have been authors of a "Eucharist to our Mother Goddess" published on a Wicca website (and, for a while, on the Episcopal Church's Office of Women's Ministries site). Writing under the Druid and Wiccan names Oakwyse, Raven, Druis, and Glipsa, the liturgy evoked the Babylonian deity "Bel" and offered prayers to the "Queen of Heaven": a reference not to the Virgin Mary but to Ishtar, the consort of Baal. In an internet chatroom writing under the pseudonym "Druis," Melnyk stated he had been a member of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids since 1998. "My spouse and I are both Druid graduates of the training course. We are also both priests in the Episcopal Church. Between us, we lead two groves, some call them 'congregations,' of Christians learning about Druidry numbering about 1200." ~ "Muslim Priest and Buddhist Bishop-Elect Are Raising Questions About Syncretism" Christianity Today, George Conger 3/27/09

Here we have Episcopal priests who believe in ongoing human sacrifice, reading signs of the future by the way that blood runs when someone is slaughtered...believing in metmepsychosis or some form or variation of reincarnation...mixing all of that with the practice of Wicca, Baalism and Christianity. Sounds like a fairy tale? Reality is sometimes stranger than fiction.

What About This?

Deut. 18:9-14 ~ "9-When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. 10-There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, 11-Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 12-For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. 13-Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God. 14-For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do."

In fact, wasn't Baalism one of the practices that got the Canaanites expelled from the land of promise and that stirred the wrath of God against Israel as they erected the pole of Ishtar (aka:Ashtoreth) next to the Tent Of Meeting to represent God's cohort or wife? It was these very practices that caused God to remove his glory and scatter Israel by placing them in bondage to heathen nations.

Thankfully (after being pressured and defrocked) the Melnyk(ies) repented, they stated that they had got involved in the Druid practices "to help others who had lost connection to the Church to find a way to reconnect." OooooKaaaayyy!

Then Come The Muslim Priests

I believe that this is what happens when your faith and practice of Christianity becomes dry, mundane and inexpressive. It leads to a lethargy of spirit.

"The way I understand Jesus is compatible with Islam,...I was following Jesus and he led me into Islam."~ Former Priest Ann Holmes Redding Muslim/Christian The Seattle Times 6/17/2007

This particular defrocked priest (Yes, the church did remove her) ministered in the Episcopal Church for 20 years and reverted to Islam because of a Clerics prayer in which he laid out prostrate on the in a worshipful manner appearing to render his total self to God. She was also impressed with the rigorous prayer life and appearance of piety. This priest was so impressed that in March 2006, she said her shahada — the profession of Islamic faith — testifying that there is only one God and that Mohammad is his messenger.

Now I have many Muslim friends and admit that order in worship and piety are an attractive element of Islam, but they aren't attractive enough for me to forget that Jesus is GOD. The piety of Islam is certainly not enough for me to forget that Jesus is the final revelation of God to man and that without faith in HIM alone none can be saved. Islam doesn't make me forget that Jesus was sinless, (Mohammad was not) physically died on the cross (it wasn't a replacement) and that he exercised his sole authority over life and death by dying and raising himself three days later. How can any Priest struggle with any of these basic significant differences simply because someone looks good when they pray? That is called apostasy!

Salvation Through Nirvana, A Christian Zen Buddhist Bishop-Elect???

"I was drawn to meditation because these elders in our own tradition suggested it as a resource. It can deepen our own closeness to Christ. I find it a very helpful tool. I am not a Buddhist, or a Buddhist priest. I am someone who as a Christian is very grateful for having been taught by the Zen community how to sit...The lay ordination was a welcoming rite for me to commit myself to the path to discover why I suffer or why other people suffer, and to use the practice of meditation to help that suffering."" ~ Bishop-Elect Kevin Thew Forrester Diocese Of Northern Michigan Episcopal Church USA. The Times Magazine

Bishop-elect Forrester known also by his Buddhist name, "Genpo" (which means "Way of Universal Wisdom"), was led into Buddhist meditation by ELDERS IN HIS TRADITION??? WOW! You mean that there are others but he is the poster child because he is the one that was caught? You mean that these "elders" totally overlooked the biblical construct of meditation to submit and direct others to a Godless construct and worldview?

On his own, ( I suppose) the Bishop-Elect holds that Buddhism is a not a theological construct and does not conflict with the practice of Christianity. Is that true? In line with his opinion, Buddhism does not believe in a supreme being or otherwise named God. It does however teach that the world is evil, full of suffering and can only be overcome through a higher state of consciousness called Nirvana. This state of enlightenment has NOTHING to do with Jesus, the word or the power of God. In fact in Buddhism, the true "higher power" is SELF and what one can attain through "self-efforts" In essence, the god of Buddhism is self or self actualization.

Rom. 7:18 ~ "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not."

One thing is consistent. When a minister's concepts of biblical truth and sin are shaky or devoid of biblical understanding, one is left open to all sorts of doctrines of devils such as this. The following are the Bishop-Elect's thoughts on sin:

• "Sin has little, if anything, to do with being bad,...It has everything to do, as far as I can tell, with being blind to our own goodness."~ Bishop-Elect Kevin Thew Forrester Diocese Of Nothern Michigan Episcopal Church USA

The Bishop-Elect's ideas on sin are in strange alignment with those of mystic Eckhart Tolle as explained in my post The New Enlightenment Pt. 3. In his book, "The New Earth" Mr. Tolle describes sin as simply "living unskillfully". In the world of the mystic everyone is good but just doesn't know it.

Let's further examine how a Christian Minister become a Zen Buddhist. Well the story goes a little like this (in addition to what was stated above)..."drawn into the Christian-Zen Buddhist dialogue through centering prayer and his desire to assist persons in their own transformation in Christ."

That sounds familiar. It sounds like...The Melynk(ies) story...They were drawn into Baalism, Wicca, and Druidism while trying "to help others who had lost connection to the Church to find a way to reconnect."

Wait a minute...Is this the playa, playa', pimpin' da pews or what??? I mean these priests get involved into ungodly and immoral practices then blame it on the members of the church they were trying to reach??? What is that???

Num. 32:23 ~ "But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out."

These Priests and other must take responsibility for their own sins, actions and behaviors. Not only do these priests not take the blame for their practices and place it squarely upon their shoulders, they claim that God and their desire to better serve God has opened these doors. Unfortunately, at no time do they equate their actions with sin. I guess when one can look over the obvious SIN of homosexuality and promote it along the way, then any practice is at least fair game. After all, Buddahism and Druidism isn't specifically listed as an abomination in the bible whereas homosexuality is, yet the practice of homosexuality gets a pass and even a promotion within the church whereas adherents to other practices get defrocked...Go Figure!

Short of the long, there's nothing new under the sun and it's all been done before. Remember Saul? After having been give explicit and specific instructions to destroy ALL...

1 Sam. 15: 9 ~ "But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly."

But then when Saul was confronted with the truth, because his sin spoke for itself, he blamed the people for his actions:

1 Sam. 15:24 ~ "And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice."

He "feared the people" and "obeyed their voice". In other words he admitted that he was the one through whom sin had been actualized BUT the people were responsible for his violation of the instruction of the Lord. The results of such actions were clear then and they should be clear now:

1 Sam. 15:22-23 ~ "22-And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 23-For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king."

And ultimately:

1 Sam. 15:35 ~ "And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel."

Final Thought:

This blog has centered on the Episcopal Church leadership, but it may has well be the Church Of God In Christ (of which I am a member) Apostolic, Assembly Of God, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Evangelical Luteran, Catholic or otherwise. There is no exemption for any of us who have failed the Lord miserably regarding these issues and others. The denomination isn't the key here, apostasy is. When any people turn from the true and living God unto fables and myth, the community is in trouble because the church is powerless. Thank God for an opportunity to turn and be set free!

Blessed!

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