Lately, i've been feeling more and more that "black" christians are in a unique position to speak on certain topics due to what has happened to them in western society.
One of those topics is abortion.
A lot of the reasoning being used to murder children in the womb, are very similar or exactly the same as those used to kidnap, enslave, and treat horribly scores of africans and those of a darker complexion.
Recently, there was another islamic attack on british citizens.
I was in the middle of discussing it and encouraging people to read the quran, when it dawned on me that this is another unique position.
Although i'm not hostile to peaceful muslims, and i fully understand what is going on and why its happening, i started to feel a bit sympathetic to the peaceful muslims.
As one who is a christian and as one who's skin enjoys the sun, i can understand what they may be going through.
You see, from the christian side there are a number of instances where people who claimed to be christian, did some incredibly wicked things.
Slavery, for example.
Even though the majority of christians didnt engage in slavery, even though slavery was ended because of the major contribution of christians, and even though the bible doesnt teach it but declares the death penalty for those who wouldve engaged in it, a lot of people see christianity as pro slavery/slave trade.
Even though a minority did wicked things in the name of christianity, people paint the entire religion in the same color.
I also sympathise because of the color of my skin.
A minority of people with my shade of brown act a certain way. Others then assume that we all act and think the same way - even though its completely illogical to think that way.
The peaceful muslim believes that they're in the same predicament.
That there are violent people claiming to be muslims carrying out horrific acts in the name of their religion - islam.
And even though the majority don't behave that way, more and more poeple are treating the peaceful ones like the violent ones.
I can sympathise with that a bit because i have been through it, and will continue to go through it.
There is a difference though.
For the christian issue, i can point to the bible that proves it doesnt teach the kidnapping and enslaving of people in both the old and new testaments.
There are even copies of the bible that go back to before america existed to prove that the text hasnt changed as well.
For the color issue, we are not the borg.
Each person is an individual with their own mind. Its completely illogical to say people who share the same skin color will behave alike.
Only a complete idiot would believe that.
The peaceful muslim though, doesnt have that kind of an out.
Islam was given through muhammed.
Muhammed is the best example of a muslim since he was the first one, and the prophet of islam.
The quran gives information about his life. Not in complete detail, but its there nonetheless, and muslims are commanded to follow and obey him.
Muhammed lived two different lives once he became a prophet.
The first was indeed peaceful.
Thats where the peaceful verses come from.
Thats where the 'you have your religion and i have mine' comes from.
In the beginning, he did preach tolerance, and people tolerated him in return. People weren't afraid of him or anything.
They simply didnt believe he was a prophet.
Then he changed. He was no longer peaceful and tolerant to those who weren't muslims. And for the rest of his life, the peaceful and tolerant muhammed is gone.
It waa no longer 'religion is without compulsion'. Now, it's submit or die. And there are plenty of people he conquered in that manner.
Some people identify it as the muhammed of mecca vs the muhammed of medina.
its this period where the violent verses and commands come in.
The peaceful muslims, who truly do want to live in peace, look to the peaceful prophet.
The violent ones, look to the violent prophet.
The peaceful ones are taught that islam is about peace.
The violent ones are taught that peace extends only to believers in allah, muhammed, and the last day.
Its not easy to convince a peaceful muslim that offensive violence even exists in islam.
All sorts of excuses will be used, even changing the promised virgins into raisins.
But when they stop making excuses they either do one of 3 things.
1. They leave islam.
2. They stay in islam but try to reform it by pointing out the verses and denouncing them.
Th most recent islamic figure to do this is the muslim leader in australia
3. They submit to the quran and commit violence
The thing is... the violence is not simply for the purpose of being violent. It isn't purposeless.
The violence is for the purpose of converting non-believers.
Those who see the attacks are basically being given a warning. Convert to islam or this will happen to you.
So, my sympathy for peaceful muslims only goes so far.
Where as I can point to the source of christian and fundamental logic and prove my case, the peaceful muslims have a problem if they do that.
The quran shows this transition from peaceful to violent.
It shows this transition from, the peole of the torah and gospel are on the same level as muslims and worship the same god, to the people of the torah and gospel are to be forced to convert to islam, made to pay the protection money, or killed.
I have had peaceful muslims laugh for me telling people to read the quran, which is odd in itself, and I've had peaceful muslims tell me there are absolutely no violent verses in the quran.
Which is absolute nonsense.
The bible, for example, is filled with violence.
Violence is described, done by God's people, and even done by God Himself in the bible.
The christian is not suppose to try to hide or deny this fact.
The muslim, however, tries to downplay the violence of their prophet.
This is where claims of taqiyya comes into play.
Taqiyya is an islamic teaching that it is ok to lie in order to further the cause of allah.
So there are a lot of people that will say that peaceful muslims aren't actually peaceful.
They are fully aware of the violence in their religion, and agree with it.
The only reason there is a peaceful muslims is to trick gullible and ignorant people into accepting islam as peaceful and thereby allowing islam to spread... not simply unhindered... but actually aided by sympathisers.
They point to not only muhammed's own actions, not only islamic history, but the present reality of the spread of islam in the west. Especially with islam alone receiving concessions and protections for their beliefs that no other religion receives.
The christian bakery court cases are prime examples of this.
So many people see all muslims in the same light. They all want sharia law to be implemented and will even lie to the public at large as to the real nature of islam so that islam can get big enough to dominate with little resistance.
Is that the truth though?
I don't think it is.
I do believe that there are muslims who do have that in mind, but i believe that there are a majority of muslims who truly believe that islam is actually peaceful.
I believe this because the vast majority of the muslims I've talked to are ignorant of what is actually in the quran.
So, just like there are numerous people who proclaim Christ who are ignorant about the scriptures as well as church history and come to all sorts of conclusions because of it... and just like there is a number of "black" people who also don't know their history and comes to all sorts of conclusions because of it... there are muslins who come to the conclusion that islam is peaceful because of what they don't know.
So, i can sympathise with muslims who are peaceful.
And i pray that God would open their eyes and draw them to repentance and faith in Christ Jesus
