We can tell you who does NOT speak for Christianity or Islam: the radicals who are getting all the media attention.
In both Christianity and Islam, freedoms of speech and expression are cherished rights, however, a small fraction of extremists on both sides are abusing these rights and pretending to speak on behalf of billions of peaceful Christians and Muslims. The tendency to mischaracterize a religion other than your own is nothing new. The desire to defend one's faith and respond to insults is certainly understandable. But let us all take a moment to put this in perspective: Who is launching the attacks?
Recently, a demeaning and degrading hate film, produced by a radical Christian in California and promoted by a fundamentalist Christian leader in Florida, resulted in radical Muslims rioting in several countries. The Christian extremists intended to outrage Muslims worldwide, and to get the Muslim extremists to respond violently. They blame each other, but they are two faces of the same coin.
We have both been in the office of Rev. Terry Jones, on different occasions, to try to dissuade him from actions that would place Americans, especially those serving in our Armed Forces, in danger. We have failed for a simple reason: He loves the attention and he believes he is fighting evil. His tiny congregation loves the idea that believers like them are the only ones true to Christ and courageous enough to defend the faith against enemies. Like other fundamentalists of any faith, he speaks with disdain when talking about other churches let alone Islam. When we visited him, instead of carrying a Bible around the office, Rev. Jones and his assistant pastor carried guns.
We do not know any respected Christian leader or denomination who would promote or even tolerate a despicable video denigrating the leader of another religion. Out of the billions of Christians on this earth, only a very few would approve of such slander. The question is, how many will speak out against it?
We both have talked to Muslims, encouraging them to peace and dialogue. Compared to the of the millions that demonstrated for more democratic reforms in the "Arab Spring" movement across the Middle East, how many have been involved in these violent reactions to the film? Only thousands, in some cases hundreds, demonstrated angrily and only a fraction of those were violent.
Everyone likes to blame the media for focusing on the loud voices of the radicals, but some of the responsibility must rest on the majority of religious leaders who are silent during these times, the ones who would speak up for peace and respect of others but they do not take the initiative. Maybe if more of us spoke up, we could drown out the radical provocations and the radical responses with voices of reason, civility and thoughtfulness.
As a Christian leader, I, Pastor Joel Hunter, rebuke the Coptic Christian who made such a disgusting video. I know many Coptic Christians in Egypt and other countries who would be sick about this kind of attack on the Prophet of Islam. I will be part of the voices that will drown out future attempts to incite the clash of religions and civilizations.
As a Muslim leader, I, Imam Muhammad Musri, strongly condemn the cowardly criminal attacks against the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, and other U.S. Embassies around the world. My prayers and condolences go out to the families and loved ones of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and his colleagues, who were killed in these senseless criminal acts. I strongly condemn the radical mob that carried out the attacks, and I stand up with the vast majority of Muslims who are peaceful against the extremists who keep trying to hijack our faith. Islam is peace, and under no circumstances is any kind of violence ever justified in response to such provocations.
While many religious leaders find it difficult to reach out across the religious divide, we are proud to say we have been best friends for nearly 20 years. We have advocated for many issues of compassion and justice and health together. We have worked together to reduce nuclear arms, pollution, eliminate torture, minimize poverty and other important issues. How
many will stand with us to speak out and outlast the voices of degradation when it comes to other religions? We are each strong advocates for our own scriptures and understandings of God, but we do not build our communities by tearing others down.
Brian C. Stiller: Egypt's 'Christian Winter'
This is complete hypocritical coming from an Imam who does not allow any dissenting voice on any of the mosque that under his control, yet have to gall to lecture others, (obvious just to placate the media) on freedom of speech. Anyone visiting any of the mosque rule by this Imam will notice a palpable sense of fear of any one who dear to criticize his management style, something quite common in the M.E where the government controls everything.
It is important for the media not to give a platform to power hungry Imams who refused to promote to its members the true value of free speech and the concept of our democratic tradition, something most immigrants needs to be exposed since most of them comes from countries that do not tolerate any dissenting voice.
Why? Because their voices are the loudest, the angriest, the most outrageous. And so when people like me, who have been the victims of "Christian" persecution for generations, say that we have no use for these sorts of people, perhaps it's because they do such a good job of representing their religion that the rest of these religions' followers simply fall into a background of tacit approval.
Tell me, where are the evangelical mega-churches preaching true love and acceptance? Where are the fire-and-brimstone preachers shouting about how judgement is a worse sin than sodomy? Where are the "Christian Soldiers" leading the cause for peace, charity, humility, and non-judgementalism? Where are the fatwas against Jihad? Where are the fatwas to embrace other cultures and to learn about them? Where is the Jihad for understanding?
From where I'm standing, it seems as if the "they don't speak for us" people are standing back and doing precious little. And that is just as bad as helping out.
Nobody speaks for any religion. It's as absurd as me pretending to speak for white people.
Involving religion with business or government is often a bad idea, and does a diservice to both, as well as all those involved.
Maligning other faiths, particularly while using ones own faith as justification makes one look like a fool, from the eyes of all other faiths.
Someday, we may all be able to live together in peace, when we can see each other as humans first, and other details from a relative distance. Rather than seeing people as "the other" we may be able to see each other as brothers, or at least kin.
No matter which religion you follow, or even from a scientific perspective, we are all family. In every family, there are strange or unusual members. We know they are odd, or different, or have funny practices, but we still treat them as part of the same family. Why can we not do the same for the whole world? For they are family as well.
With that in mind get a copy of the Scriptures your Qur'an says its Author gave the Jews and Christians, preferably audio King James by Alexander Scourby on CDs or DVD and listen in this order to get the most valuable information the quickest, taking notes and or following along with a cheap marking copy to determine what has not been corrupted and is still valuable information.1. Matthew - Revelation, 2. Job, 3. Proverbs - Song of Solomon (Canticles), 4. Daniel - Malachi, 5. Psalms, 6. Genesis - Leviticus, 7. Isaiah - Ezekiel, 8. Deuteronomy - Ester, 9. Numbers. Some of you probably have brains that work far better than mine and can by common sense determine what information is still of value, having not been corrupted. Please, do the best you can with what is available.
This was before the Quran..It is complete in instruction and needed not revision; only apostles and prophets pastor's , teachers, evangelists ,
John 16 :13 says, Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
This Spirit of truth was given in the next book after John. Acts 2 . What happened is that the 300 years of Roman Persecution cut down on the number of persons who could understand the way.. and lead the others... by the time the Romans turned and accepted Christianity the Holy Spirit was not available to answer the demands for a broad knowledge .... most of the people were very weak in knowledge due to the persecutions ...
Because of his "grandiose plan" of communicating with us, mainly through books, is that we are in this mess. It is squarely your god's fault.
Books are a horribly imperfect way to communicate with the masses. People remember different things, have different interpretations, assign different context, and some people don't have the patience or ability to thoroughly study the text. But that justifies your jobs nicely, doesn't it?
If instead, your god had the capability to make sure we ALL had the same level of understanding... But it doesn't. And it doesn't because it doesn't exist. It relies on the imperfect human way to transfer knowledge. And because of that, people will burn in hell for eternity - if hell existed. It is squarely your god's fault.
That the pastor and the imam claim to speak for Christianity and islam is as immoral as the "fundamentalists" claiming they speak in the name of those religions. Both groups wholeheartedly act in the way they do, not because one camp is "evil" (whoever that might be, or both), but because they truly believe what they believe. It is squarely your god's fault.
Jesus is found in John 7:37-39 ... there he reveals that the Holy Spirit is available to any who call upon him in spirit and in truth ...He would comfort you which his very own presence which would also show you that he loves you very much... He is real and available .. He comes in Jesus name..
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Acts 4:2 be blessed :)
Whant irrefutable proof? Look no further than all the different denominations, and sects from all major religions. The obvious slaps you in the face.
What a laughable freaking mess!
Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
These both Jesus and John the Baptist spoke to the Pharisees when they were approached ..
in Matthew 23 :33 and Luke 3:7
then Paul says in Romans 3:17 Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: says in Romans 3:17
The Israel Lobby (read They Dared to Speak out by Paul Findlay), which has spent the past 60 years flooding newsrooms with lies and misinformation and terrorizing staff who dare question pro-israeli propaganda. Newsrooms have a lot of pro-israelis working in them both at the top of networks like Presidents and the bottom like writers, news directors etc.
Evangelicals
American politicians are owned by lobbies including the ones I outlined above. Political corruption at every level.
Post 9/11 hysteria & hyper-patriotism ...
So, moderates can not find a single outlet to allow their voices to be heard. Currently these same forces I've outline are dominating and manipulating the media to push for war with Iran.
It's not just religious beliefs, it's any hotheaded beliefs, with very little or no hard evidence to back them. The only things worth believing are the well tested laws of science and rigid logical deductions such as geometric theorems, with the understanding that these laws may be modified in the light of later evidence. God is simply the total of these laws of nature. All other beliefs, please go away.
But if you look farther, the quotes from McDowell don't follow logic. Let's suppose that he presents "proof" from statements of Roman officials. But those proofs are simply descriptions of the Christian sect. "Followers of Christ who say he rose from the dead". It doesn't mean that Romans ever thought he rose from the dead, or even that they attach much importance to whether Jesus ever existed in the first place.
I'm a non-believer, but from what I've seen, I am fairly convinced that Jesus existed and lived in Palestine during the first century. But the "devil is in the details". What did Jesus think of himself and what he was doing? It's my contention that he thought of himself as a pious follower of Judaism of the day, and had no notion of making a new religion.
And heretics were burned at the stake for...? Galileo was made to re-nounce the truth...because...? Blasphemy charges are brought about because people have a right to free speech...? Someone is not thinking clearly to even suggest that freedom of speech and expression are cherished rights of either Christianity or Islam. Somebody must have napped through their history classes...(sigh)
Absolutely nothing in history of these two religions proves that. Nothing.