Posted on 04/09/2011 10:24:59 AM PDT by wmfights
The future shape of the world appears to be a worldview competition between Christianity, Islam, and Western Secularism. For Christians, both of these worldviews represent real and lasting challenges to evangelism. Neither of these is a particularly new challenge, and the Christian encounter with Islam is now over a millennium in duration.
Writing over thirty years ago, when most American evangelicals had little knowledge of Islam, missiologist J. Herbert Kane of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School outlined six reasons why the evangelization of the Muslim world has been so difficult. His explanation of “Why the Muslim Soil is So Barren” remains both instructive and important.
1. Islam is Younger than Christianity
Having borrowed from both Judaism and Christianity, Islam “has just enough Christianity in it to inoculate it against the real thing.” As with Mormonism, Muslims claim a later revelation that corrects and supersedes the Bible. This represents a very real challenge to the Christian, who will base the argument for the Gospel on the biblical revelation.
2. Islam Denies the Deity and the Death of Christ
Islam not only denies the deity of Christ, it finds the idea abhorrent. “If a missionary but mentions the deity of Christ the fanatical Muslim is likely to spit on his shadow to show his utter contempt for such a blasphemous suggestion.” Furthermore, the Qur’an denies that Christ actually died on the cross, thus taking away the very act of our atonement. “There appears to be no way around these two obstacles,” Kane lamented. “The Christian missionary can find many points of similarity between Christianity and Islam, and certainly he will want to make full use of these; but sooner or later he must come to the central theme of the gospel — the cross. At that point he runs into a stone wall. He can remove many offending things, but he can never do away with the offense of the cross. That and the deity of Christ are hurdles that can never be removed.”
3. Islam’s Treatment of Defectors
“All religions, including the broadest of them — Hinduism — look with disfavor on the devotee who changes his religion,” Kane advised. “But it remained for Islam to devise the Law of Apostasy, which permits the community to kill the adherent who defects from the faith.”
For Islam, “conversion is a one-way street.” Even when death is not a real threat, losing the bonds of community and family are huge costs.
4. The Solidarity of Muslim Society
Even where Muslims are not in a majority, such as in Western nations, they often concentrate in specific areas or communities where this solidarity can be approximated.
Under such an arrangement, efforts by Christians to evangelize meet a unified resistance, and a decision to leave Islam can be construed as an unpatriotic act, tantamount to rejecting one’s nation and people.
5. The Public Practice of Religion
Often overlooked by many Christians is the fact that a faithful Muslim demonstrates that faithfulness in a public pattern of prayers and observances. A convert who ceases these observances becomes immediately evident. This system of public prayer and ritual represents a powerful support for Islam and a powerful deterrent to conversion to any other belief system.
6. The Memory of the Crusades
As Kane explains, “To Christians in the West the Crusades were a bad dream, of which we have only the faintest recollection; but to the Arabs they are the greatest proof of the Christian hatred for Islam.” Christians bear the burden of a long and intensely bitter Muslim memory. Though atrocities were common on both sides, the atrocities committed by Christians were uniquely a repudiation of central Christian teachings.
In the mind of many Muslims, the Crusades feel like a living memory. To many within the Islamic world, Christians remain Crusaders, and evangelism is just another way of continuing the crusading mission.
Professor Kane’s breakdown of these obstacles is not only interesting and helpful, it also serves as a reminder that these issues are hardly new. At the same time, Christians must evangelize, no matter the obstacles to Christian witness.
Christians must remember that the Holy Spirit can break down the greatest wall of resistance and the Word of God is, as He says, like a hammer that shatters a rock. Dr. Kane’s arguments help us to understand the challenge, but were not meant to suppress evangelism. To the contrary, he wanted the church to be better informed as we fulfill the command of Christ.
8. It is a punishable offense to criticize Islam.
9.You can't leave Islam once you're in. This is an interesting one. It is actually illegal in Islamic states to convert out of Islam. This is a critical part of Sharia law. Someone who has rejected Islam who was once a Muslim is an "apostate." This is a crime and a sin, and the punishment for it is death (and eternal damnation in hell thereafter).
... Since the punishment for apostates is death, fundamentalist Muslims are fighting modernizing Muslims all over the world, and keeping many rebellious, modernizing Muslims (or MINOs) from speaking up for fear of death.
http://www.citizenwarrior.com/2009/05/terrifying-brilliance-of-islam.html
It’s been my experience that to say anything really negative about Islam is a way to lose their receptiveness to Christianity.
We need to show them that Christianity is the truth. For if Christianity is the truth, than everything else is automatically a lie.
We don’t really need to attack Islam, per se.
Well, peaceful it may be when not riled, so are many guys in the pen. The public policy in almost every Muslim state is very hostile toward nonmuslim faiths. Toleration --which is strongly enforced in this country--is not ,found in Muslim states.
Our elites whom show such concern for Muslims, are indifferent to slights and even sympatheric toward shown to Christian groups even in the United States. In Iraq, Christians have suffered tremendously from their association with the Western occupiers. Which is why the Vatican opposed the invasion in the first place. Bush never lifted a finger to protect Arab Christians.
Ann Coulter jokingly said that the only way to establish democracy in Iraq was to christianize the population. Ironically, this is true. And make it as hard on Muslims to practice their faith as it is now for Christians to practice theirs.
Want to convert a population? Intolerance generally works. All but a remnant will cave if you keep the public pressure on for lone enough.
15. A woman is in a thoroughly subordinate position... If women had too much influence, they'd try to curb the warring. Women in general don't like to send their husbands and sons off to war. But if women have no say, then the rest of the ideas can express themselves without interference. By subordinating women, the idea-collection prevents their effective vote against war, violence, and conquest.
The rules and laws within Islam that keep women subordinate are numerous. For example, she is not allowed to leave her house unless she is accompanied by a male relative. Under Islamic law, a woman is forbidden to be a head of state or a judge. She can only inherit half of what a man can inherit. In court, her testimony is only worth half of a man's. She is not allowed to choose where she will live or who she will marry. She is not allowed to marry a non-Muslim or divorce her husband. He, however, can divorce her with a wave of his hand. And according to Sharia, he can (and should) beat her if she disobeys him.
All of these ideas keep her subordinate, which helps keep the war machine going unimpeded by domestic rebellion. ...
16. The only way a woman can get into Paradise for sure is if her husband is happy with her when she dies. When I read about this one, I thought, "Mohammad, you are a crafty one."
This idea obviously helps with the subjugation of women. It motivates her to subjugate herself. It gives her a strong incentive to subordinate her wishes to her husband's, because while she might have a chance to get into Paradise if she's a good Muslim, the only way she can guarantee she will go to Paradise (and avoid eternal suffering in hell) is to make sure her husband is happy with her when she dies.
http://www.citizenwarrior.com/2009/05/terrifying-brilliance-of-islam.html
So did the First Century Jews....
What you posted, merely proves the point: the way to defeat Islam is through the women. Why else do you suppose that the first thing the Islamofascists do is shove them behind a veil? They know this; so should we. But even if we "know," we don't act on it.
The mistake is to try to beat Islam at its own game. That's what the zealots of Jesus' time tried to do, too, against the Romans. Jesus won in a different way.
“None of us have any doubt what Iran will do with a nuclear weapon. They will fire at Israel and it will be on like Donkey Kong.”
Actually, I am thinking they wouldn’t use it right off the bat. After all, they don’t really want to nuke the Temple Mount, do they? I think they would use it as nuclear blackmail, having observed what North Korea has gotten away with. They could, for example, start attacking their neighbors conventionally, and threaten to nuke Israel if the West tries to intervene.
If so, then how do you tell a whole religion, "Grow up and get a life, already?!". The Crusades were 800 years ago!
Islam in its infancy wiped out Christianity in North Africa, and in its adolescence, it wiped out Christianity in Asia Minor. Should that be a "living memory" for us, and show us how much Muslims hate us, so much that we think of any Muslim as a "Turk"? Sheesh.
I don’t recall the link but it was an interview with a high up Imam translated by MEMRI. I think.
He also stated that they loses thousands a day more when violence occurs, such as 9/11.
The other sources come from missionary friends in the field and you will not get the links for them.
They're sorely lacking THERE, too, aren't they?
They're all demonic ... they've allowed themselves to be used by the devil. ALLOWED it.
You're right - it is the way - but it's also next to impossible. The incentives for ME men to keep women controlled is beyond the comprehension of the average westerner.
TERRORIZING MUSLIM WOMEN
THE SILENCE IS deafening around the world in regards to the inhumanity and brutality of Sharia towards women. Most of the activism against stoning, flogging and abuse of women under Sharia is heard from former Muslim women, like myself, and a few others in the West who dare to expose the truth.
Muslim women have no choice but to abide by Sharia, since rejecting it is grounds for the charge of apostasy, punishable by death. Having been exposed to Sharia for centuries, Muslim women have learned convoluted coping mechanisms to avoid Sharia’s wrath. Engaging in their own form of Stockholm Syndrome, most Muslim women publicly defend the very laws that enslave them. Even Obama’s advisor on Islamic affairs, Dalia Mujahed, stated that Sharia is “misunderstood.” Muslim women end up as the guardians of their own jails. It is women who often report younger girls who refuse to wear the head cover, and some wives cover up for the honor killing of a daughter by their husband or son. Many have accepted their inferior status and wear it as a badge of honor.
That is why there is no significant grass-roots feminist movement in the Muslim world today. Muslim feminists are routinely accused of apostasy — with its death penalty hanging over their heads. The only feminist movements to speak of in the Muslim world occurred during British colonial rule and, on a smaller scale, when the French conquered Egypt in 1798. By the end of the British rule, feminism ended inside the Muslim world.
Many Muslims claim that “Islam honors women” just as they claim that Islam is a “Religion of Peace.” The truth however, is just the opposite. Islam does not honor women, but rather holds their very lives in absolute bondage.
America must outlaw Sharia from ever being practiced by anyone on American soil. If we fail to do this, if we permit Sharia to creep into our legal system, we might as well say goodbye to our freedom. Here are just a few examples of what Muslim women must live under:
[1] There is no age limit for marriage of girls under Sharia. A man can pay a dowry and sign a marriage contract with parents of a toddler girl and consummate the marriage at age 9. Recent cases in Yemen and Saudi Arabia exposed this tragedy when 8-year-old girls filed for divorce from their over 50-year-old husbands. Not one Muslim authority challenged the Saudi marriage high official, Dr. Ahmad Al Mubi, who stated in 2008, in an interview that aired on LBC TV: “There is no minimal age for entering marriage. The Prophet Muhammad is the model we follow.”
[2] Islamic law states: “a Muslim will not be punished for killing an adulterer.” Islam, therefore, encourages honor killing of women. Since men have more sexual rights than women in Islam, it becomes harder to catch a man committing adultery. Thus women become more susceptible to becoming the victims of the above law, which allows vigilante street justice against adulterous women. I have never heard a Friday sermon stating that honor killing is forbidden in no uncertain terms.
[3] A rebellious wife is one who “answers her husband coldly” or refuses to go to bed with him. Rebelliousness on the part of the wife nullifies the husband’s obligation to support her and gives him permission to beat her (Shafi Law m10 and m11 p. 541-2). The Prophet said: “A man will not be asked as to why he beat his wife”.–Sunaan Abu Dawud, 11.2142
[4] Divorce is only in the hands of the husband and is as easy as verbally saying “I divorce you.” Thus the wife is divorced whether the husband had the intention to do it or not. Law n3.2 p 559.
[5] There is no community property between husband and wife in Islam. A Muslim wife would be lucky to inherit 20% from her husband. A man’s property after his death is not given to his wife, but is divided among many members of the family such as his parents, other wives; sons take double what daughters get.
[6] A man has the right to have up to 4 wives. Polygamy is not just a right, but loyalty to one wife is discouraged. Mohammed said: “The best Muslims had the largest number of wives,” Bukhari 7.62.7. A Muslim man does not vow loyalty to his bride in the marriage ceremony and the bride must not expect it. In the Muslim marriage contract itself, the husband is asked to give name and address of wife number 1, 2 and 3 if any. (See a copy of the Muslim marriage contract in my book, chapter 2 of Cruel and Usual Punishment.)
[7] Mutaa or pleasure marriage gives the right to a man to marry a woman for a fixed amount of time, from a few hours to several years. That takes away any holiness in the concept of marriage. The only condition is that the man must pay the woman money (dowry) in exchange for sexual rights over her body. This is simply legalized prostitution, exploiting needy and poor women. This form of marriage is not registered or regulated by the State.
Urfi marriage is another form of marriage that is usually kept as a secret. Sharia has not forgotten the traveling man and gave him “Misyar” marriage allowing him “wives” in different cities. Sharia satisfies men’s urges at the expense of women’s dignity and humanity with total disregard to limitations and wholesome standards for men to live by for the benefit of a healthy family life.
[8] The Qur’an often uses the word “nikah,” which literally means sexual intercourse, to mean marriage. The dowry is called “ugur” in the Qur’an, meaning wage. It is payment for owning a woman’s private parts to be used by the husband as he wishes. “The dowry is given in exchange for the woman’s sexual organs.” (Ibn Kathir)
[9] A man is allowed to have sex with slave women and women captured in battle, and if they are married their marriage is annulled. Qur’an 4:24: “All married women (are forbidden unto you) save those (captives) whom your right hands possess.” Sharia never abolished slavery and highly regulates it, that is, makes it “regular.” Saudi Arabia officially abolished slavery only as late as 1962 after pressure from the “infidel” Western Judeo-Christian culture. To this day, the Muslim leadership in Egypt and Saudi Arabia refuses to annul slave sexual rights for men in Sharia books.
[10]The testimony of a woman in court is half the value of a man, law o24.7. You can guess who usually wins if a man and woman face each other in court.
[11] Revered Muslim theologian Imam Ghazali (1058-1111) defined marriage for generations of Muslims without apology as: “Marriage is a form of slavery. The woman is man’s slave and her duty therefore is absolute obedience to the husband in all that he asks of her person.”
[12] For a Muslim woman to prove rape, she must have 4 male witnesses. “Proof of adultery and rape will be either confession of accused or eye-witness of four male adult Muslims.” Hudood ordinance #7 of 1989 amended by #8B of 20 of 1990.
[13] A rapist may only be required to pay the bride-money (dowry) without marrying.” law m.8.10, page 535. This law tells the man that all he has to do to rectify a rape is to pay a dowry to the rape victim. Rape is almost always blamed on the girl who must come up with 4 male witnesses, especially if she was not covered up the Islamic way. A Muslim preacher in Australia blamed rape by Muslim men on Australian women whom he described as “uncovered meat.”
[14] The Prophet said, “I looked at Hell and saw that the majority of its inhabitants were women.” Bukhari 4:464. There is a book sold in British mosques entitled: “Women Who Deserve to Go to Hell” by Mansoor Abul Hakim.
[15] A Muslim woman must cover every inch of her body since Islam regards every part of a woman’s body as “Awrah,” a sexual organ. Some sects of Islam demand the covering of the face and others don’t. This kind of extreme cover of even the face deepens the feeling of isolation, gender segregation and becomes the symbol of Islamic submission and presence in the West.
[16] Muslim scriptures describe women as deficient in intellect and faith, toys, crooked, half devils, harmful and detrimental to men. Also the prophet stated: “After me I have not left any affliction more harmful to men than women.” Bukhari V 7, B 62/33. “A woman’s jihad is to please her husband” is taught by some Muslim women websites such as Takva.com, posted on 11-2-2008.
This article is dedicated to Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani, an Iranian woman in jail who is awaiting death by stoning for alleged adultery. Under international pressure, Iran just announced that her stoning is “postponed.” But the regime still plans to execute her.
See the original article: Terrorizing Muslim Women.
http://dttj.blogspot.com/2010/07/islamic-sharia-law-women.html
I think Islam feeds off of supplants the lifeless corpse of institutionalized Christianity. May I be more “fervent in spirit; serving the Lord”, (Rm. 12:11) in prayer and the Word in whatever state.
“Isn’t there also a harlot?”
The harlot is not a person though, the harlot is a city (and perhaps by extension the things associated with that city):
“And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” Rev. 17:18
Compare with Isaiah 1:21:
“How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.”
This is speaking of, as it says at the beginning of the chapter, “concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.”
So the harlot there is Jerusalem, but perhaps by extension representing the people and kings of Judah.
Their eschatolgy leads right into it. They believe a figure will appear they call the Mahdi and he will unite muslims and enter into a 7 yr peace agreement with Israel. During this time they believe Jesus will return to establish a worldwide caliphate and after 40 years Jesus will die ands be buried next to muhammed in Medina. Then their god allah will judge the world.
What a great way to open the door. Among the differences Jesus performed miracles which were signs that were foretold in the OT and Muhammed never performed any miracles. Also, Muhammed was a hypocrite that proclaimed what the law was and did not abide by it. For example, he had 11 wives even though he claimed muslims were only allowed to have 4.
This always stumps them because there is nothing wonderful they can think of about Mohamed. He is all law and edict.
Just like the god they worship.
He was guest Pastor last week, and his stories about Chad was very interesting.
I wish I had been there. It seems there is so much to learn and so little time.
The point they are reaching for is the claim that Christianity promotes violence in pursuit of power just as islam teaches it's adherents. The difference is the Crusades were not called for by Christian Scripture.
We can agree that the Crusades were a rightful exercise of self defense, but Scripture calls for us to love our enemies not kill them. Islam teaches the opposite.
It certainly has helped it grow.
I believe the greatest factor in it's growth is it is a counterfeit religion you are born into and fiercely fights to keep all other views censored. There are converts who chose to become muslim, but the majority are just born that way. They do not chose it.
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