It is not even true that the word 'Islam' means 'peace.' In fact it means 'submission...Islam is a complex faith, and cannot be pigeon-holed as peaceful or violent or under any simple heading. "
But unless we go to them now in love and influence them in a Christian direction, the ongoing cycle of violence and revenge will force them to ... come to us - the Christian West - in judgment."
God help us to understand and do His will.
AMOS
Scripture scholars tell us that the mission of the prophet Amos lasted perhaps only one year. His message to Israel was so unrelenting and so forceful that a paucity of words sufficed:
"Fallen, no more to rise, maiden Israel; forsaken on her land, with no one to raise her up."
Yet Israel was not lacking in money or in power during Amos' time (around 760 B.C.) The Chosen People were at the height of wealth and influence. Nevertheless, Amos' message was that "they have rejected the law of the Lord and have not kept His statutes." Israel was a kingdom full of injustice.
Amos spoke boldly to the rich and mighty: "Hear this, you who trample upon the needy and destroy the poor of the land!"
They would often "display their wheat on the Sabbath. ...Diminish the ephah, add to the shekel. .. fix their scales for cheating!" Amos uncovered the darkness of their injustices -"buying the lowly for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals." In their hearts, and in their actions, they plotted: "Even the refuse of the wheat we will sell!"
Amos confronted the corporate greed of his time:
"The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: Never will I forget a thing they have done!"
Was Amos a prophet or just unpatriotic?
Yes...submission to the will of God. How you can find fault with that is beyond me.
"Islam" means "peace" we are often told by Muslim and non-Muslim alike, says The Barnabas Fund News. "Even before Tuesday, some newspapers and TV broadcasts tended to paint a glowing picture of Islam as a religion of peace, modesty, morality, self-discipline and family values, sadly tainted by the violence of a few fundamentalists. Muslim minorities nevertheless continued to complain of Islamophobia, and felt themselves unjustly portrayed in the media as terrorists." The truth falls not so much in the middle between these two extremes of peace and violence, says The Barnabas Fund News, but manages to embrace both extremes at the same time. "It is true that many individual Muslims are peace-loving and law-abiding," agrees The Barnabas Fund News"But it is not true that peace is the main characteristic of Islam. It is not even true that the word 'Islam' means 'peace.' In fact it means 'submission.' Islam as a faith emphasizes submission of Muslims to God and, by a logical extension, the submission of non-Muslims to Muslims."
This is an important thing for all the nominal Christians to understand..they want to pretend that we worship the same God and that we can all just melt into a nice One world get along religion
Fellow Christians we do not worship the god of Mohammad....we need to understand that our words mean different things when we speak
Trust but verify...
There is a time for peace and a time for war, we are at war, yet we put a deadly asp in our shirt, for the sake of tolerating asps, while we fight. Not very smart. There are claims that 80% of mosques in the USofA preach some elements of radical fundamentalism. There are entire lists of charities that collect the wealth of America to send to terrorists organizations, yet we mutter on about diversity and sensitivity, with no common sense in sight.
I suppose in the purist sense we should kiss the hand holding the knife to our childs throat as it slashes and then smile sweetly while we die. But if we are not up to doing that, right here and right now, in our immediate future, this week, next week, then we need to start thinking smarter. Think I am over reacting? New York was an over reaction, the Pentagon was an over reaction, the immediate future, laid out before us by media and government, will be an over reaction on the part of our enemies, and both media and government trumpet that it is not a matter of if, but when, and in the immediate future. If we are to believe what they say, being an adult, I have no problem with what needs to be done to insure our survival.
Like God told Abraham, send Ismael away, let me worry about him.
The theological tower of babble does not specify which God you wish us to understand!
This is a problem that Christians MUST deal with. There is too much political correctness existing with Christians these days. We are not one in the Spirit with all other religions, and somehow the differences mustn't be ignored for the sake of unity. YET, we are all one nation---We are all Americans. In that sense, we can unite.
A sticky wicket.
How does he know that since there were no Muslims on the planet in Christ's time. Is this another guy who communicates with supernatural beings? - Tom
Nevertheless, all the faith in the world will not make a false god real, nor give it the power to help and protect those who foolish commit themselves to serve it.
Even those who believe so much as to give up their lives in suicide attacks, cannot by their commitment alone, save themselves or their own souls from eternal damnation.
On the other hand the true God of the Judeo-Christian religion, rules as God Almighty regardless of how seriously anyone takes Him and doesn't need the faith of anyone to validate His infinite and eternal power and authority.
He will uphold and defend those who believe on Him, no matter how weak their faith, and save them for His own name's sake.
Faith in a false God cannot be compared in anyway to faith in the One and only true God.