Posted on 09/11/2014 2:43:59 PM PDT by The Grammarian
This past Sunday, Charisma News published an article by Gary Cass, the CEO and President of DefendChristians.org. The article was entitled, “Why I am Absolutely Islamaphobic.” They subsequently removed the post, no doubt in response to a #takedownthatpost campaign. Because the article was focusing specifically on formulating a Christian response, and because of the gravity of the article’s proposal, I will persist in my response. The article can still be found on the defendChrstians.org website. Gary Cass’ Three Options
The article surveys many examples of Islamic extremism around the world, including ISIS, and argues that Christians are faced with only three options, two of which he dismisses. The first option is Conversion. Cass argues that Muslims will not be converted because “The Arab Muslims are God’s sworn enemies, and are ordained by God to be against everyone.” He cites Genesis 16:11,12 as support for the impossibility of converting Muslims to the faith. The second option is, D.A.M.N. – meaning “Deport All Muslims Now.” Cass favors this idea but believes that American politicians do not have the courage to do this.
Finally, Cass lands on the only remaining solution, violence. He calls Christians to “trust God, then obtain a gun(s), learn to shoot, teach your kids the Christian doctrines of just war and defend yourself.” He asks, “How many more dead bodies will have to pile up at home and abroad before we crush the vicious seed of Ishmael in Jesus’ Name?”
The fact that Charisma magazine would publish such an article in the first place demonstrates anew how the Christian church has not articulated a proper response to the rise of Islamic fundamentalism. Raymond Lull
We just might have to go back to the 13th century for a little perspective. Raymond Lull lived at a time when Islam was, quite literally, on the move around the world. Half of Spain had fallen to Islamic armies. Most of central Asia had turned to Islam and the Holy Land had been sacked and burned. The church’s response, like Gary Cass today, was to take up arms. The result is the legacy of the Crusades, which lasted from 1095 to 1291, leaving a tragic history from which the church has never fully recovered.
Over the course of the Crusades 700,000 Christians took up arms and sought to defeat the armies of Islam. However, the crusades ended in bitter defeat, with not only Islamic victories, but putting an end to the hope for a reunification of Eastern and Western Christianity. It is estimated that between five and six million people lost their lives as the result of the Crusades.
Raymond Lull wrote,
“I see many knights going to the Holy Land in the expectation of conquering it by force or arms; but instead of accomplishing this object, they are in the end all swept away themselves. Therefore it is my belief that the conquest of the Holy Land should be attempted in no other way than as Christ and his apostles undertook to accomplish it; by love, by prayer, by tears, and by the offering up of our own lives. It seems that the possession of the Holy Sepulchre can be better secured by the force of preaching than by the force of arms…”
Jesus calls for us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us (Matt. 5:43-48). Cass seems to forget that there is a fourth option; namely, to bear witness to the in-breaking rule of God. We may be martyred for the sake of the gospel, but we must learn to love, even in an age of hate. What we must not do is respond to violence with more violence. We must not return hate with more hate. We must face hate with the power of love. We must face violence with the power of the gospel.
We, of course, encourage governments around the world to act. Violence even in the name of Allah must be stopped. ISIS must be defeated. Relief must be given. Justice must prevail. Christians, Muslims, Yazidis and other innocent people in the region must be protected. But, the long-term solution is not military action, but the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our hope is in the faithful witness of the church and the return of Christ who will vindicate His people and set things right. In the meantime, our role is to find extravagant ways to bear witness to the love of God in Jesus Christ. Christians should not take up arms to defend ourselves. We are never called to hate. Even the Just War theory of Augustine and Thomas Aquinas was not designed to support Cass’ views.
There is no greater testimony to the power of love to overturn hatred than our Crucified Savior. As God in Christ hung with his hands outstretched He was showing us a better way. “The meek shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5). We remember anew his words, “In this world you may have tribulation, but take heart, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Raymond Lull was stoned to death in Algeria on June 30, 1315 at 80 years old. As Christians we are not called to stand with those with the words of hatred and vengeance on their lips. Rather, we are called to stand with the Apostles, the prophets and the martyrs, remembering that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against…the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12). This is the faith which overcomes the world.
I’m a Christian and I’m Islamaphobic. Even though I don’t believe them to be right, I don’t have the same feelings towards, Hindus, Buddhists, Shenism etc. I feel a huge percentage of Islamics would wish to see me dead.
Note that Dr Tennent says that "We, of course, encourage governments around the world to act. Violence even in the name of Allah must be stopped. ISIS must be defeated. Relief must be given. Justice must prevail. Christians, Muslims, Yazidis and other innocent people in the region must be protected."
But the crux for him is simply that "the long-term solution is not military action, but the gospel of Jesus Christ." The same gospel which calls us to "love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us."
Go to India. Hindu extremism is just as anti-Christian as Muslim extremism. Same with certain forms of Buddhism (Nichiren, for example).
See my comment just above.
To clarify, that would be the comment aimed at Travis McGee.
R-I-I-I-G-G-H-H-T!
The profound problem with ignorance is it creates a world that doesn't exist.
Most liberals might know about the Barbary pirates, but saw them as pirates who happened to be muslim, rather than the reality the world has to deal with : Everything ugly in the world happens to be perpetrated by ugly animalistic muslims, some of whom happen to be pirates.
Such monumental arrogance! You are not qualified to decide for everyone else what is the "proper" response; or who is a proper Christian.
Of course, if you're merely a sociopathic megalomaniac, I can simply ignore you.
I dunno, a highly-respected Christian missiologist who has written extensively on evangelizing in the Muslim world and who is the president of one of the foremost evangelical seminaries in the US certainly seems qualified to offer what he thinks to be a more appropriate response to Islam than un-Christian fear, violence and hatred to me.
“Raymond Lull wrote,”
“I see many knights going to the Holy Land in the expectation of conquering it by force or arms; but instead of accomplishing this object, they are in the end all swept away themselves. Therefore it is my belief that the conquest of the Holy Land should be attempted in no other way than as Christ and his apostles undertook to accomplish it; by love, by prayer, by tears, and by the offering up of our own lives. It seems that the possession of the Holy Sepulchre can be better secured by the force of preaching than by the force of arms…”
.....Yet NOW the greatest Christian shrine is under the protection of both the nation of Israel and the IDF.
I believe Christians will be driven underground and it certainly looks like that will happen unless somebody, Christians, start getting some courage and speaking up, LOUDLY. The church has forgotten how to defend herself and by "church" I mean every Bible believing person that draws breath.
The Church has been fooled into believing that anger is a sin and so is defending themselves. Horse hockey! The Word says "Be angry and sin not". We are allowed to be angry. What's important is what we do with that anger. And God never tells a believer not to defend God or His Word.
What's the PC police's favorite meme? Oh yeah, "Don't judge!" Yes judge! And loudly. Either we start yelling or we'll continue to be treated like whipped curs.
BTW, did you see the article posted a few days ago: How Should Christians Expect Our Nation to Respond to ISIS? With Wrath and Vengeance http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3200794/posts
It was excellent
No. I hadn’t seen that article. Thank you, it is very clear and concise.
While I agree with the long-range solution offered, the Great Commission is moot if all Christians are dead and gone.
And please remember that the Commandment ACTUALLY READS “Thou shalt not MURDER”.
As sons of King Jesus, we have the right to defend the faith AND ourselves!
Hitler, Stalin and Mao were a sociopathic megalomaniacs do you think it would have been wise to ignor them?
As a general rule any sociopath is dangerous.
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