I recently read an interesting; and I thought surprising, article taken from "liberation (Paris)" that had the title "Surely it’s not racist to attack Islam". Before I quote from it let me say that, in general, there seems to be a growing reaction against religious terrorism and secular attacks on the faith - Satan, of course, who is behind all this, is, after all, a loser - As the apostle Paul wrote -"Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" - Ephesians 6: 12 But those "powers" fight what is to be a long defeat, they will not prevail.
But let me quote fully from the article: "Of the great monotheistic religions, it is Christianity that is currently the most persecuted", says Paul Bruckner. Christians can’t worship openly in many Muslim countries; in Iraq they are being killed for their faith. Yet no-one complains of "Christianophobia". So what’s all this stuff about "Islamophobia"? The term was coined by Iranian fundamentalists in the 1970’s "To make Islam an untouchable subject". And how successful they have been. Criticise the religion and you’re branded a racist.
"But faith is not a race", it’s a school of thought, and under our democratic system we have the right to judge any such school as false or reactionary. And given its "aggressive proselytising, its claim to hold the only truth and its penchant for sacrificial protest", we’ve as much reason to be wary of Islam as we once were of Catholicism".
This is very much a French and secularist point of view, but it does underline a change of attitude from the appeasement of Islam in the past and the constant denigrating criticism of Christianity - Of course, people who denigrate have little to fear from Christians, but violence world wide from large sectors of Muslims is always inevitable.
There was an article by a Muslim in one of the British broadsheets recently where he stated that he was accused of being a traitor to his people because he had openly criticised certain aspects of his religion. He went on to say that a few brave Imams have also done so. I thought this extraordinary, if Christian pastors and ministers condemned some atrocity or immorality by a Christian sect they would not feel that they were being in anyway brave as they would be unlikely to be in any danger.
The article from France that I quoted was, of course written from a secular point of view, but I agree with much of it. However, Christianity too claims to the truth, and that that truth is not to be found in abstract statements but in the person of Jesus Christ, he himself declared - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father but by me" - John 14: 6.
At the "Dome of the Rock" in Jerusalem written around the base of the dome itself are the words in Arabic - "God has not begotten, neither does he beget". This is a direct attack on Christianity because we read in the inspired Word of God - "And the Word (Christ) became flesh (Human incarnate) and tabernacled - fixed his tent of flesh, lived awhile - among us; and we (actually) saw his glory - his honour, his majesty; such glory as only a begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favour and loving kindness) and truth" - John 1: 14
The word "begotten" is used in connexion with Jesus Christ at least 8 times in the New Testament, but I will only quote one more - "For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that he (even) gave up his only - begotten (unique) Son, so that whosoever believes in (trusts, clings to, relies on) him may not perish, but have eternal life and (actually) live forever." - John 3: 16
I have used here the Amplified Version with these two quotes from the New Testament because it gives all the nuances of the original Greek of the New Testament.
Have you believed in Jesus Christ? Do you trust him? Are you relying on him? If not please put aside all past prejudices and ask him to come into your life through the Holy Spirit, save your soul and cleanse you of sin through the blood that he shed on the cross, and you will receive the gift of eternal life.
If you do this contact us through our Alicante Church Facebook or come to our Sunday morning service in San Juan de Alicante...
God bless you!!!
Gordon Guillermo Burgess
The Pastor (Church of the Good Shepherd)
Gordon Guillermo Burgess
The Pastor (Church of the Good Shepherd)
