Seeing The Elephant In The Room From The Window

Windows Into Souls That Need Repairing

I shared a video debate entitled “Islam is a Religion of Peace” on my Facebook page recently.

The title is the premise for a debate argued between a panel 'for' and 'against'.

The cognitive disconnect was sadly apparent, emotional pleading being used in argument (which is a fallacy) being evident from the beginning of the discussion.

Sincerity shouldn't be ignored, but sincerity of what inspirational writings and ideas have fostered should also never be ignored...and that was the elephant in the room.

At one point it seemed the side promoting Islam as a peaceful religion actually refuted themselves and proved the opposite: Islam is not a religion of peace.

Perhaps after conquest, as with any other regime or movement that wishes to establish their brand of order, Islamic jurisprudence promotes peace while also enforcing its law...which is what any other government of men does after realizing victory.

This is what any body politic has done since humans began to organize beyond the family unit.

I read a news article recently about a video message of an Imam (Islamic preacher) from Egypt, now residing and teaching Islam in California, expounding the teachings of Muhammad and asking God to cut down others. (read the transcript here).

The Islamic center where this preaching occurred released a response here, which happens to be their current home page...but it is fully quoted in the next link to a news story.

The video sermon was removed.

The key word I found quite interesting in defending the religious sermon was “misconstrue”, which means to interpret incorrectly.

Here is a local news story from that part of California.

The apology is that others have misinterpreted the message, not the Imam speaking incorrectly.

This should cut to the heart of the debate I shared atop this page.

It elucidates the nearsightedness of some proponents.

The promoters either unwittingly, subconsciously, possibly through obfuscation (taqiya – religious allowance to lie or conceal the truth).

Perhaps the issue is the psychological phenomenon labeled “cognitive dissonance”, as the debate video shows, in defending such violent rhetoric while also claiming peace.

Salt and fresh water supposedly flowing from the same stream, which speaks to both blessings and curses coming from the same heart.

A clear case of hypocrisy.

Why?

The precepts for both violence and peace is written in the believed-to-be-inspired texts of the Quran and Hadith, the handbooks of Islamic culture, life and jurisprudence.

How It All Started

There has been a duel of sorts happening between two factions of an extended family for thousands of years.

Although Isaac and Ishmael trace had the same father, they had different mothers, making them half-brothers.

As still happens today regarding inheritance, rights, standing and legitimacy, there is a party that has always questioned and opposed the claim of another.

Ishmael did not receive the covenant inheritance (neither the physical inheritance from the house of Abraham besides a few gifts).

He was instead sent away with his Egyptian mother Hagar to occupy surrounding territories besides those Isaac and his progeny inherited.

I think the rift between these stepbrothers started with a childish mocking incident...and ever since then, trouble has brewed in place of familial unity (the bond one would expect of blood relatives).

Yet some who claim descendancy from Ishmael, and thus from Abraham, claim that it was not Isaac who is the rightful heir of the land (and the covenant perhaps), but Ishmael.

However, no such ancient claims have been found written anywhere aside from the Quran's poetic claims authored in the 7^th century A.D..

The Hebrew bible does hold a historic record of these details dating from before the 8^th century B.C., with secular historical findings complimenting the narrated claim.

Legends abound and opinions have proliferated varying accounts since ancient times.

This article is not to blame who was right or wrong, or declare a winner or a loser, but to simply highlight how perceptions are argued as true and correct while being false and incorrect.

The issue shouldn't be about land or material prominence anymore...but far too many are focused on the physical and always missing the spiritual.

What is more, the method of reconciliation is not dominance, nor force, but is achieved through love, peace, humility and compromise...even submission to those who desire to inherit the things of the world.

Humility and compromise are difficult words for those who perceive themselves as legitimate, and for those who fear death.

But guess what?

Both parties are theologically illegitimate according to the light of Christ when they argue (and fight) for their brand of religion.

Both groups who lay claim to some land, or religious leverage over another group, or the world, yet have baseless claims outside of Christ despite land holdings or material wealth and influence.

Both the Jews who claim spiritual connection to God according to His Word, and the Muslims who also claim spiritual connection to God according to His Word, are incorrect in their arguments when they slip into fighting, killing and all the carnal efforts of the eye-for-eye-an method...which was resolved and forever reconciled in Christ.

It is by force both parties desire to prove themselves in a relatively small piece of earth (but it doesn't ever stop there, does it?).

Their legitimacy, their standing and their place in God's kingdom is not by force, but they are convinced otherwise.

Yet force is NOT the Way...at least not the Way to heaven or entrance into the kingdom of God.

Force, strife, fighting, and killing is the way to eternal death...and that is what thousands of years of animosity has produced.

The carnal and religious identity, which allows for violence, is so powerful that it even causes those who claim to follow Christ, the Prince of Peace, to also fight and shed blood.

How foolish and doubt-filled such physical efforts...yet some who claim to follow the Prince of Peace still argue for weapons, war and all the paths to death, when Christ is about life.

Christ fulfilled the inheritance expectation the Jews were long awaiting, and many Jews did believe (and continue to believe Today) and were brought into the New Covenant of love, grace and truth.

They inherited the promise.

Those who did not, perished as God predicted they would.

When the Covenant of love and grace was forwarded to the rest of the world, it also reached those living in Arabia, where Islam was spawned.

They too realized the promised inheritance of God judging men according to their minds and hearts from times past (and continue to believe Today), despite not having the covenant made through Isaac.

Some did believe and came to submit to Yeshua as Messiah, Lord and God, and the Perfect Model of humanity.

Some did not, as was also predicted by God, and perished.

Those who fight over land and the things of this world know not that hostilities have been retired in Christ.

The violent and confused sadly perish believing an incomplete understanding of God, not knowing the Prince of Peace, not knowing that salvation is promised without the need get physical.

Some foolishly believe that God somehow changed His mind after Christ and now calls people to kill for Him.

Some preach a final battle between Christ and the (a) anti-christ in an incorrect and foolish manner, and actually spout out anti-christ vitriol, like that Imam in California...believing they exemplify peace while calling for the death of others.

How many others throughout the world are also confused and tricked by this clear two-faced approach to life that has been labeled a so-called “peaceful” religion?

Some call for fighting and killing, which is anti-christ...yet claim to also believe in Christ.

Some say they love Jews, but desire to eliminate some Jews.

The Quran has a beautiful verse that speaks of killing one person would be like killing all of mankind...and despite the theological debate that this verse only speaks to Jews and not to others, it is used as a defense against compulsive religion or force over non-Muslims.

One cannot have it both ways.

We in fact are all called to be Jews, but not as one would assume that identity to be.

We are called to be like Yeshua, who was very Jewish yet didn't teach that identity, but a holy identity irrespective of lesser human identities.

The desire for Ishmael and his descendants to be included with Abraham's inheritance has long been at-hand, but why the effort to turn it into something else?

Christ has already brought the inheritance, but it is not an inheritance that perishes along with this material and physical world.

The inheritance is eternal and can never perish or fade.

The inheritance is spiritual, not physical.

Christ is the Man of Peace, the Prince of Peace, the Son of Man and the Son of God; the Spirit become flesh for a time so mankind can understand who God is.

If anyone would chase after religion in place of righteousness, they should look to Christ and what He did.

For those that cannot distinguish between righteousness and religion, or God and man's explanations of God (religion), may they realize that Christ brought the factual Religion of Peace.

This is what the primary sources, the actions of those who have reflected Yeshua's Spirit since the beginning, and history reveals to the keen eye.

Sure, my writings may seem like the same propaganda that others claim any other religion is...but can Christ or His message be proven false, violent, inconsistent, hypocritical or inciting hatred?

It is non-Christians (people believing they know Christ by memorizing words in a book, but fail to reflect His love) that have also caused God's Name to be blasphemed.

Why do men desire to follow men of war, men of strife, men who shed blood and deny Christ as King and the declared Son of God?

Perhaps they are plagued with the same pride, arrogance, greed and lack of love that continues to separate the descendants of those stepbrothers.

These confused people include faux Christians who support either side of strife over land and man-made shrines that ring hollow sounds within and fail to resonate lasting resolve of love and peace from without.