Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Toning down whose rhetoric
townhall ^ | May 13, 2003 | Cal Thomas

Posted on 05/12/2003 9:17:59 PM PDT by TLBSHOW

Toning down whose rhetoric

The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) convened a meeting in Washington last week to urge their mostly conservative Christian leaders to tone down "dangerous" and "unhelpful" remarks about Islam. Concerns were raised over comments by the Revs. Franklin Graham, Pat Robertson and others that Islam is inherently "wicked" and violent. NAE leaders worry that such statements endanger Christian missionaries around the world. They proposed new guidelines for churches to follow in relating to Muslims.

Doesn't the NAE have it backward? The most incendiary language is not coming from Christian leaders in this country, but from Muslim clergy overseas and occasionally from Muslim pulpits and schools in the United States. There is no Christian or Jewish doctrine that mandates followers of those faiths to kill people who disagree with them and to make the state in which they reside subject to their interpretation of holy writ. If one converts to Islam from any religion (or no religion) in the United States, his life is not put in danger. In America, one may take God's name in vain without fear of temporal punishment, unlike in many Muslim countries where even perceived blasphemy can result in the death penalty. Ask Salman Rushdie, who remains the target of a fatwa calling for his assassination for writing The Satanic Verses, a book that offended some Muslim leaders.

The NAE should be calling on members of the radical Islamic clergy to tone down their rhetoric. It should also be asking "moderate" Muslim clergy to isolate the extremists within their faith and to deprive them of legitimacy if they speak and act outside the will of mainstream Islamic doctrines.

As chronicled in this column over several years, invective against Christians, Jews and all other non-Muslims regarded as "infidels" rains down from Islamic pulpits throughout the world. The harsh rhetoric makes reference Koranic justifications of violent means to religious ends. These include the takeover of not only the "West Bank," but all of Israel. Why would such people negotiate with "infidel" diplomats who represent "the great Satan" and settle for less when they believe their God wants them to take it all?

Christianity and Judaism - at least as practiced in the West - believe in separation of church and state. While these faiths see the state as having been instituted by God, they do not universally view the state as a means by which God accomplishes His will. Islamic eschatology is somewhat different. Many Muslims believe the state is an arm of God that He uses to achieve His will. That includes, they believe, forcing those who do not believe to submit to those who do.

Many Muslims are taught that land once possessed by Islam - even if it was taken by force from others - remains holy Islamic territory. Such "lost lands" are to be restored to their "rightful rule." These doctrines suggest that not only is Israel in jeopardy but also large parts of Southern Europe, Spain and North Africa, which were once dominated by Islam.

If these are no longer prevailing Islamic beliefs (as forceful dominance of the Middle East or any other part of the world was long ago rejected by Christians), then let leading Islamic clerics and theologians say so. They should initiate conferences to "tone down " the rhetoric coming from the mouths and writings of their fellow Muslims.

The NAE leaders make a classic Western mistake. They believe that what they say and do shapes the thinking and behavior of those who regard them as infidels. For centuries Christian missionaries have been murdered by religious and political terrorists. That risk goes with the job. They are not likely to be in less danger because of the rhetoric of certain American preachers.

Christians and Jews aren't declaring war on the world, and they are not hijacking airplanes to fly into buildings or blowing themselves up among civilians. Those who do claim their mandate is from Islam. The shoe is on the wrong foot.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: calthomas; franklingraham; islam; nae; patrobertson

1 posted on 05/12/2003 9:17:59 PM PDT by TLBSHOW
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: TLBSHOW
"Religion of Peace" bump!
2 posted on 05/12/2003 9:19:44 PM PDT by Jay D. Dyson (Islam: We're a religion of peace and we'll kill you to prove it!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jay D. Dyson
Concerns were raised over comments by the Revs. Franklin Graham, Pat Robertson and others that Islam is inherently "wicked" and violent. NAE leaders worry that such statements endanger Christian missionaries around the world. They proposed new guidelines for churches to follow in relating to Muslims.

Doesn't the NAE have it backward? The most incendiary language is not coming from Christian leaders in this country, but from Muslim clergy overseas and occasionally from Muslim pulpits and schools in the United States.

BUMP

Ya gotta love the TownHall writers they always get it right.
3 posted on 05/12/2003 9:21:41 PM PDT by TLBSHOW (the gift is to see the truth)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

Comment #4 Removed by Moderator

To: TLBSHOW
And here I thought you were doing a mea culpa. Some other time perhaps.
5 posted on 05/12/2003 9:35:30 PM PDT by Torie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Torie
perhaps, but don't count on it. I have the spirit and the truth behind me.

It is great to see FR is a member of TownHall now they do have great and truthful writers there such as Cal Thomas and this wonderful truthful story about Islam.
6 posted on 05/12/2003 9:40:40 PM PDT by TLBSHOW (the gift is to see the truth)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Travis McGee
Christians and Jews aren't declaring war on the world, and they are not hijacking airplanes to fly into buildings or blowing themselves up among civilians. Those who do claim their mandate is from Islam. The shoe is on the wrong foot.


Cal Thomas

INASMUCH AS liberals are demanding that Americans ritualistically proclaim, "Islam is a religion of peace," Muslims might do their part by not killing people all the time.

Recently, the Religion of Peace suffered a PR setback when Muslims in Nigeria welcomed the Miss World beauty pageant by slaughtering Christians in the street and burning churches to the ground. At last count, more than 200 people were dead, hundreds more were injured and thousands were left without homes. Also, the Nigerian contestant's chances of winning "Miss Congeniality" were dashed.

Leaping at the one chance they had to attract positive press to their country and perhaps begin the process of dragging themselves out of the 13th century, Nigerian Muslims instead chose to hack innocent people to death with machetes in the name of Allah. Pageant officials pulled up stakes and took the show to London. At least the Christian-carving faithful can sleep at night knowing they've secured a place for themselves in heaven alongside Mohamed Atta.

Ann Coulter
http://www.anncoulter.org/columns/2002/112702.htm

7 posted on 05/12/2003 9:44:17 PM PDT by TLBSHOW (the gift is to see the truth)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TLBSHOW
You want some truth, find the answer to this question. Why did Osama Bin Laden choose September 11th, specifically, what was so special about that day to him and other muslims? The answer to that question, explains more about what we are dealing with, in terms of muslims, then anything else.
8 posted on 05/12/2003 9:44:39 PM PDT by Sonny M ("oderint dum metuant")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: TLBSHOW
Insane murder cult bump.
9 posted on 05/12/2003 9:54:02 PM PDT by Travis McGee (----- www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com -----)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

Comment #10 Removed by Moderator

To: Travis McGee
The NAE leaders make a classic Western mistake. They believe that what they say and do shapes the thinking and behavior of those who regard them as infidels. For centuries Christian missionaries have been murdered by religious and political terrorists. That risk goes with the job. They are not likely to be in less danger because of the rhetoric of certain American preachers.

Cal Thomas

we here and America must not fall into the trap
11 posted on 05/12/2003 10:00:20 PM PDT by TLBSHOW (the gift is to see the truth)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

Comment #12 Removed by Moderator

To: TLBSHOW
It's going to come down to bare knuckles before it's over.
13 posted on 05/12/2003 10:02:32 PM PDT by Travis McGee (----- www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com -----)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: TLBSHOW
bump
14 posted on 05/12/2003 10:15:49 PM PDT by LiteKeeper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xbar
Congratulations, you get first prize. (sorry, there is no actual prize).
15 posted on 05/12/2003 10:29:23 PM PDT by Sonny M ("oderint dum metuant")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

Comment #16 Removed by Moderator

To: xbar
BUMP
17 posted on 05/13/2003 6:32:20 AM PDT by TLBSHOW (the gift is to see the truth)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson