When angry mullahs and oil despots want to stir up anger against the West, "Crusade" is an inflammatory term that comes automatically to their lips. The memory of Christian knights invading the Arab world is very long. The height of the Crusades ended seven centuries ago. But it's not history that is at stake. Embedded in the worldview of many devout Muslims is a defensive and hostile attitude toward Christianity. The burning of the bible by a mullah somewhere in Iran wouldn't incite mob action in the West, but a single extremist in Florida with a following of less than fifty led to violence and murder in Afghanistan.
Distasteful as it is, religion remains a major element in all three Arab conflicts that the U.S. has ventured into. The memoirs of former President George Bush are rife with religious motivations. There is little doubt that when he gave speeches about a "conflict of civilizations," he meant a conflict between two religions. Such a conflict doesn't exist, not inherently. Jesus is worshiped as the Prince of Peace; one definition of the word "Islam" is peace. But history has created its own dogmas, and when human nature wants to justify aggression, any rationale will do, including God.
This issue is facing us again because the uprisings that are revamping the Arab world include a strong Islamist influence. In some places the specter of new hostility between the Shia and Sunni is boiling up. In other places the Muslim Brotherhood has a strong voice, and almost everywhere the populace looks to their traditional leaders, the clerics, for guidance. Crowds consider Friday, the chief gathering time for the faithful going to mosques, as a significant day for protest. There is a real possibility that fundamentalist Islam will loom in the future of many states.
The direction of history will be decided by another faction, one that has proved stronger than religion in Egypt: young people who want a future in the modern world. Like the student uprisings in the West in the Sixties, a youth movement in Islam isn't likely to seize power after expressing its discontent. In every Arab country an entrenched military, traditional clerics, and explosive extremists hold the spotlight. Protests aren't equal to organized, empowered elites.
What's important is that the West doesn't repeat Bush's doctrine of fighting for God. If we honestly asked what Jesus would do about Islam, it's obvious that his solution wouldn't be war. He might even apply the Golden Rule. So far, President Obama has been more Christian than his predecessor, not by applying Christian principles but by treating Muslims with common humanity, tolerance, and understanding. These uprisings are part of a global phenomenon, the rise of the dispossessed. People don't emerge from political repression as model citizens, much less saints. They are angry and resentful, so they lash out. They have been deprived for generations of education, so they follow demagogues. They know little of the world beyond what religion tells them, so they see others through the lens of religion.
We have a reactionary wing in this country that shares the same traits, but they have much less excuse. They haven't been oppressed, and for the most part every benefit of prosperity and education has been available to them. The jihadis and extremists of the Arab world have served well as bogeymen for the right wing, as they have served the Gaddafis and Mubaraks whose vested interests are just as reactionary. I doubt that Jesus would appreciate their values, and his response to religious intolerance would not be to praise it.
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Sure he taught a message of love and tolerance, but the theology sourced from Jesus in quite clear......He's the one and only one. The tolerance only goes that far.
"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6
"We have a reactionary wing in this country that shares the same traits, but they have much less excuse. They haven't been oppressed, and for the most part every benefit of prosperity and education has been available to them." Have you already forgotten all those born in non-oppressed countries who have committed acts of violent jihad???!
"one definition of the word "Islam" is peace", followed by "There is a real possibility that fundamentalist Islam will loom in the future of many states."
If islam were indeed a religion of peace, you would see its fundamentalists emulating Jainism fundamentalists, who take great care not to hurt the smallest of creatures. Islam means "Submission", and its fundamentalists are violent, unlike fundamentalists from truly peaceful ideologies. The problem is NOT being a fundamentalist. The problem is the ideology.
Commented Mar 25, 2011 at 17:16:38 in World
“The holy Sham land will become holy again, The non respectful of the commandmen-ts controllin¬g Damascus and J. will be thrown out from the holy land.
The friends of anti Christ controllin¬g the planet now will soon lose one of them "The Lion Al-Assad" many will follow
M and Jesus will appear soon and Jesus will pray behind M at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. Many many many humans populating the planet now will come to know that they are big losers. Too late, too late…”
The teachings of Jesus were very simple and straightforward .... and yet, people seem to have so much imagination about what Jesus would say or do, with respect to Islam ... much of which seems different than Jesus' ultra-simple message (Love God, love each other; be good to each other).
I wonder if maybe some people are confusing their own projected ideas about Jesus with Jesus?
That would explain a lot.
This question is about as speculative as, "What would Ty Cobb do about Sandy Koufax?"
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4: 13-14)
"Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks." (John 4: 21-23)
"The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.” " (John 4: 25-26)
Jesus would say to Muslims what he said to the Samaritan woman at the well. He would tell them that Hew was the fount of living water, he would tell them that He was the Messiah, and He would tell them to repent and follow Him.
And secondly, I would point out that instead of simplistically endorsing the Jewish religion over the Samaritan religion Jesus says that the distinction between them will be transcended. The real worshipers will worship in Spirit and in truth. So what I would suggest is that just as de-emphaized the difference between worshiping in Jerusalem over worshiping on the mountain, he would have de-emphasized the difference between worshiping in a church over worshiping in a mosque or synagogue. The true worshipers, worship God in spirit and in truth.
First of all which bible and editions are you using as reference. Also, the current bible cannot be used as a source of reference to refer to everything on the life of Jesus (pbuh), because not only there are many contradiction with verse you quoted, but before 325 AD there were many manuscript.
The early Christians , (the Unitarian) did not believe that Jesus was God or literally the son of God.
Also, the current New testament was mostly written by Paulwho himselves was never a disciple of Jesus, tough he claimed Jesus appeared in a vision and said it no longer necessarily to follow the law.
Luke 22:39-46 clearly demonstrated that Jesus was a man:
" Jesus went out to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."
An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground."
"When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. "Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Getup and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."