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Church's sign has Muslims outraged -''Jesus Forbade Murder. Muhammad Approved Murder. Surah 8:65.''
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Posted on 01/17/2003 6:11:48 AM PST by chance33_98



Church's sign has Muslims outraged

Florida pastor says criticism of Islam is legal and fair

Associated Press Friday, January 17, 2003

Jacksonville --- The Council on American-Islamic Relations-Florida is calling on state religious leaders to repudiate a Jacksonville Baptist church's roadside sign the group claims is anti-Muslim.

The sign outside the First Conservative Baptist Church in Jacksonville's Mandarin area reads: ''Jesus Forbade Murder. Matthew 26:52. Muhammad Approved Murder. Surah 8:65.''

Altaf Ali, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Florida, said his organization attempted to talk with the Baptist church's officials about the sign, but were rebuffed with belligerent language.

''All Americans must band together to condemn hate speech designed to divide our nation along religious and ethnic lines,'' Ali said. ''Any attempt to marginalize or vilify one religious community is an attack on all people of faith.''

The church's pastor, the Rev. Gene Youngblood, who also leads the Conservative Theological Society and Conservative Christian Academy, said he has been using the marquee-type sign to express the church's opinion for 15 years and has no plans to remove the message.

''First and foremost, are we not entitled to freedom of speech?'' Youngblood said.

Youngblood, who said he is an expert on world religions, said he had been threatened and his property vandalized. He said he has filed 13 police reports since July.

Youngblood said his church would issue a formal statement later.

Iman Zaid Malik, spiritual leader of the Islamic Center of Northeast Florida, said some Christian friends brought the offensive sign to his attention.

''Misinformation must be rejected by all people of conscience,'' Malik said. ''This shows that the vast majority of Americans reject hate and seek a society where good overcomes the evil.''

Malik said the Quran verse indicates that those who believe and are steadfast in battle will overcome much larger armies. It is not an endorsement of murder, he said.

The verse reads: ''O Prophet [Muhammad]! Inspire the believers to conquer all fear of death when fighting, [so that] if there be twenty of you who are patient in adversity, they might overcome two hundred; and if there be one hundred of you, they might overcome one-thousand of those bent on denying the truth, because they are people who cannot grasp it.''

The Council on American-Islamic Relations said the Quran also states, ''whoever murders a person . . . it will be as if he killed all mankind, and whoever saves a life, shall be regarded as if he saved all mankind.''

ON THE WEB: Council on American-Islamic Relations-Florida: www.cair-florida.org

First Conservative Baptist Church: www.conservative.edu/main.htm


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; US: Georgia
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To: twntaipan
Chose them from the New Testament, if you will please (we'll be waiting for your answer).

Can you not read? Are you incapable of reason? The point is, if anyone choses verses from a book (any book!!) as single sentences (ie. verses) one can argue any point one wishes. And, why is it that you are demanding that I limit myself from which section of the bible I may chose from, and you don't feel compelled to limit your selection? I am not islamic, and am not defending Islam. My point is that this sign is an abuse of the freedom of speech, designed for the single purpose of insulting a group of people. I do believe that our counstitution garantees freedom of religon, and forbids discrimination based upon religon. Or is that just when it's convenient?

41 posted on 01/17/2003 7:10:38 AM PST by Hodar
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To: Centurion2000
Islam is a gutter religion made by criminals for criminals and support Arab cultural supremacy over everything.

And I have said nothing to counter your belief. In fact, I agree. My statements are to the effect of using single verses (from any book) taken without context to make a point.

42 posted on 01/17/2003 7:12:38 AM PST by Hodar
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To: Agamemnon
Yes, and the NT is the fullfillment of OT law.

The fulfillment is what Christianity is based on.

If you think Jesus came to earth to preach hatred, death and world domination (like Mohammed did), you're sorely mistaken.
43 posted on 01/17/2003 7:12:42 AM PST by Guillermo (Sic Em')
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To: HarryDunne
Kum bay yah.

There is nothing wrong with mocking superstition.
44 posted on 01/17/2003 7:13:11 AM PST by headsonpikes
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To: Hodar
I would just suggest that you do some more studying of the Bible... there is a Old Testament and a New Testament, Jesus came to fullfill the law and replace the beliefs of the old testament with the word of his Father.
The Koran was just dictated to Mohammad by God, Therefore there is no seperation in time or thought.
Please do some studing before you propose to pontificate.
45 posted on 01/17/2003 7:14:56 AM PST by carolina rebel
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To: secretagent
Please refer me to the Islamic site that posts these texts, supposedly from the Koran

Hardcover edition sitting on my shelf at home. Translated by Ahmed Ali from the original Arabic and certified by the Saidi Arabian government as a true and accurate translation.

Signed by Hafiz 'Abd-al-Rauf Research and registration officer, Department of Auqaf, Sind.

46 posted on 01/17/2003 7:15:22 AM PST by Centurion2000 (Islam is EVIL.)
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To: Hodar
Good question

Where, in the Bible, did Jesus support genocide?

<< crickets >>

47 posted on 01/17/2003 7:15:36 AM PST by AppyPappy (If you can't beat 'em, beat 'em anyway)
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To: carolina rebel
In the case of Hodar, there are none so blind as those that will not see.
48 posted on 01/17/2003 7:16:56 AM PST by AppyPappy (If you can't beat 'em, beat 'em anyway)
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To: Hodar
And I have said nothing to counter your belief. In fact, I agree. My statements are to the effect of using single verses (from any book) taken without context to make a point.

The problem is that we don't have room for the entire book and that the sentences so listed are representative of it.

If everyone here read the Koran, they would realize that it is an evil religion. Christianity, while it may have a bloody history has matured and does not advocate violence. Islam still is in it's 11th century forms.

49 posted on 01/17/2003 7:18:53 AM PST by Centurion2000 (Islam is EVIL.)
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To: Hodar
The ten commandments was a basis for Judism, ie before Christ.
Just shows we need to attend Sunday School, eh?
50 posted on 01/17/2003 7:19:27 AM PST by carolina rebel
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To: Hodar
>>>And I have said nothing to counter your belief. In fact, I agree. My statements are to the effect of using single verses (from any book) taken without context to make a point.<<<

Simple. Let me help you then. Take the verse, put it back in its context(the entire Koran), show us verses which clearly show that to treat the enemies of Islam with love and respect is the way to go; how to convert you simply prosthelytize and not force by sword. Line up those verses one by one

With the context, please.

Show how that contexrt clearly changes the meaning.

Then show how this "peace" was practiced in history (with Mohammed), and is being done today in such places as the Phillipines, South America, Africa, the Middle East, Russia, Israel......ad nauseum.

Oughtta be easy for the "religion of peace", no?

His, (STILL the Prince of PEACE)
Bob Z.

51 posted on 01/17/2003 7:21:37 AM PST by Bob Z.
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To: twntaipan; Hodar; Centurion2000
The heart of the issue is: which will help you bring more people to Christ: spreading hatred or by spreading empathy and understanding. I'm not talking about blindly embracing another religion, I'm talking about being neighbor to those of different faiths. This sign alienates would-be converts.

Or is that not the issue at hand?

52 posted on 01/17/2003 7:21:41 AM PST by HarryDunne
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To: Hodar
Or may a Muslum plaster a single incriminating verse on a billboard as this pastor did?

Of course he can.

53 posted on 01/17/2003 7:23:02 AM PST by ActionNewsBill
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To: Bob Z.
That's a good question.

As a matter of fact, I have asked Muslims (online, in chat rooms, message boards), who told me that I was taking their verses out of context, to contextualize them for me.

They never could.

Ultimately, they had to admit they wanted the entire world (Not just the U.S.) under Muslim/Koranic rule.
54 posted on 01/17/2003 7:24:31 AM PST by Guillermo (Sic Em')
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To: ActionNewsBill
What's your basis for that?
55 posted on 01/17/2003 7:26:05 AM PST by HarryDunne
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To: Geist Krieger
GEIST KRIEGER WROTE: "Jesus died for our sins. Muhammad would have you die for yours's"

Good point! Maybe even better, though, would be to say:

"Jesus died for our sins. Muhammad would have you die for his."

56 posted on 01/17/2003 7:26:30 AM PST by Concerned
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To: Just mythoughts
"I see no good coming from deliberately trying to insult another religion"

I am niether christian, nor muslim.

The phrase 'another religion' denotes (to me) a cultural equivalance. No such equivalance exists. The Islamic world is backwards, totalitarian, and evil. Let's not fear being clear on this.

57 posted on 01/17/2003 7:26:56 AM PST by laotzu
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To: Hodar
You prove the point, you don't know the Bible and the difference between the Old and New Testaments.
58 posted on 01/17/2003 7:27:19 AM PST by carolina rebel
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To: HarryDunne
I disagree with the Pastor's tactics (he is a fool).......and I also stand by my stance that the verse is not "being taken out of context".

All we are all saying is show us where the context changes the meaning, nothing more.

We (and you) both know you can not. We just admit it.

Islam IS the epitome of an evil religion, this pastor aside. Unless you can show from the Quran and history both otherwise.

His,
Bob Z.

59 posted on 01/17/2003 7:29:13 AM PST by Bob Z.
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To: Bob Z.
We just admit it.

?

60 posted on 01/17/2003 7:31:31 AM PST by HarryDunne
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