By Pastor Paul W. Martin
Recent response to a few papal comments made me think... you never read anything like this:
Christians around the world were deeply offended today by the insensitive remarks of Sheik Abu Hamza al-Bazri made at a meeting of top clerics in Iran. “Christians are infidels and dogs. They are not to be tolerated. Their goal is to pollute our countries with their filth. We must speak boldly against Jesus – for although a prophet, the words attributed to him in the Bible cannot be trusted! Cursed be the Christians!”
Such a powerful statement was met with outcries across the globe.
Christians in Norway chanted, “Down with Muslims!” as they paraded through the streets.
In Mexico City, Christian fundamentalists set the local mosque on fire after battering it with stones and debris.
In a shocking development, Canadian Christians organized a massive rally that included armed vigilantes that took the local Muslim Centre by storm. Authorities there are still trying to negotiate a settlement.
American Christians have been threatening to hijack some of their own military aircraft in order to take vengeance on al-Bazri and his protective compound, prompting United Nations Head Kofi Annan, to urge Christians to back down. Anan called their current reactions, “an unfortunate, but not surprising development.”
Rev. Billy Graham, speaking from his North Carolina home, said, “The time has come, really, for all Christians around the world to unite and fight against these Muslims and the rotten things they say about us. We can only take so much.”
Story developing.
I hope the point is obvious. Christianity and Islam are very different religions. Imagine if we paraded through Toronto with signs that read, "Butcher those who mock Christianity" or "Behead those who insult the Christian faith" or "Iran is the cancer, Islam is the answer" or "Tehran, prepare for your 9/11." These are direct quotes of signs paraded through a recent "Religion of Peace Demonstration" in London, England (only replace "Christian" with "Islam"). Others have noted the irony, but I think it bears repeating. This is peace?
No doubt there have been abberations in Christian history when men have trusted the sword to do the work of the Spirit. But I would argue they have been few and far between. And if they occured today, Christians would be the first to condemn it. Such as the Christian outcry against the nut cases who started shooting abortionists. That don't jive with Romans 13!
Regardless of history, right is right. And I await the Muslim cleric who will finally say that forced conversions (like of those poor Fox News reporters) and vengeance are the tools of evil. Until then, Islam continues to demonstrate by its fruit that it is a false religion. For it is nothing like the God of the Bible.
