Posted on 12/09/2015 10:22:15 PM PST by hoagy62
As one looks at the articles and comments found on Free Republic, you can see the complete and utter loathing, disgust, and outright hatred towards Muslims. It is viewed as a justified hatred, built on the actions Muslims have taken for decades against Americans and others. Notable attacks include the Beirut bombing of the Marine barracks, Beslan in Russia, the recent San Bernadino attack, and of course 9/11.
However, I was challenged by a few friends recently as to how a professing Christian can have a deep-seated hatred for Muslims. They reminded me of Jesus' command to love one another. They pointed out that He wasn't just talking about Christians loving other Christians (which can be difficult sometimes), but about Christians loving people in their communities...even those one may count as an enemy.
It's been pointed out to me that Christ's death on the cross wasn't just for me...it was also for the Muslim. He wants them to come to know Him as their Savior just as much as He wants us...or me...to. The problem they see is that someone won't want to come to know Christ if those who say they're His followers are in your face telling you that they hate you.
When I point out to them about the danger that Muslims have time and time again posed to society, they argue that Jesus didn't care if they were dangerous- He wanted His followers to love them, And, if that love had an element of risk associated with it, His followers were to love them anyway. A reminder of what that looks like can be seen in the story of the Christian men who ended up martyred by the Auca tribe in South America.
In any case, what they said is making me think. I want to know how one can reconcile a hatred for Muslims with Jesus' command to love people. It does seem that you can't do one and do the other as well. Yes...I am aware I may very well be opening up a huge can of worms, but this has been bugging me and I wanted to discuss it with my fellow FReepers.
Love is not defined as looking the other way when it comes to evil.
Start with Revelation 2:6 to get things moving back into context.
Jesus told his followers to even sell the clothes off their backs and buy swords with which to smite their enemies with. So just what does that make Jesus the Christ ?
It is really very simple. It is like with the Gays, I do not hate them I hate what they do.
If there were mooslimbs during His time, he probably would have made exceptions.
you can love them all you want.. but God holds us accountable for protecting and providing for our own families, wife, husband, parents, children, grandchildren, siblings, cousins, in laws... ETC.
If we let the crazies kill or harm those for whom we are accountable, God will NOT approve. We can turn our own cheek... ONCE. Not a requirement that we do so as a NATION twice or three times... and under no circumstance can we expect our families to turn their cheeks and face destruction... as we are sworn under oath to God to love THEM more than our own bodies.
There comes a time to sell your cloak and buy a sword. Jesus said so himself... and Jesus is NOT wrong. Ever.
It is righteous anger at the actions of Jihadists and terrorists to kill and torture for no reason. It is frustration with the Obama administration and others for encouraging terrorists and releasing terrorists.
It is a moral and honorable desire to protect our families, our country and our way of life.
There is nothing more immoral than refusing to confront evil.
Edmund Burke said “all that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing”
Allowing evil to succeed is not Christian or moral.
There’s nothing “un-Christian” about having a healthy sense of self-preservation nor does a Christian outlook preclude self-defense or defense of one’s family and community. Those who claim otherwise are traitors to their families, their community their religion and to humanity.
Correct. Presuming a “hatred of Muslims” is to fall for the liberal propaganda line.
One old Adam Smith quote came to my ears not too long ago: “Mercy to the guilty is cruelty to the innocent.” Love is defined by giving the guilty the due reward of their deeds, in defense of the innocent.
Righteous anger. Some people need killing.
Because turning the other cheek is not a suicide pact.
1 Samuel 15:2-3, God commanded Saul and the Israelites, “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”
Me thinks the modern world mistakenly equates criticism for hate.......
I hate militant Muslims because they are vicious, murderous, lunatics. All other Muslims I profoundly disagree with. That’s not the same thing as hate. Disagreement is about ideas. Some ideas are incompatible. It’s still not hate. I see them as entrapped and so I might even feel sympathy, if we must define everything in terms of emotion. The militant element does make me feel caution more than I used to. If things keep increasing it may rise to the level of extreme caution.
As for the category I said I hate, even those people I would not hate to the degree of violence except to the point of defending myself and others. In Christianity, vengeance belongs to God. He will repay.
I am really sick of the misuse and abuse of the word “hate.”
For the record, I DO hate Islam (Psalms 15:4).
Revelation 12
12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
How do you justify our military service? When they started issuing sidearms to officers in the Air Force, I asked my brother if he could use it. He said he didn't know. I told him he better decide quick.
You need to decide the answer to your own question quick because the enemy is at the gate and it matters little what we think.
The OT contains many warnings about tribes and nations, particularly those in opposition to God and Israel.
I have no doubt that if Islam predated scripture, it would contain warnings about Islam and the wrath muslims would incur from God and His people.
I have lived in the Muslim world and have written about our experiences (The Gathering Storm, Dailey) from a Christian point of view. There is a balance to be struck between xenophobia and legitimate security concerns. I found many Muslims to be commendable, but they were unable to stand against the violent impulse at the heart of their religion.
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