I am a Christian Man (Response to "I am a Muslim Woman")

Self | November 21, 2001 | Jeff Head

[Jeff Head]

This letter/note is to all Muslims, and people everywhere caught up in discussion of and debate regarding the 9/11 attacks in America and what it means about those who perpetrated them or supported them. It is also in response to a Ms. Rini of Indonesia, who posted an article/testimonial about herslef entitled, I am a Muslim Woman.

I was raised to believe in and place my allegiance to God, Family and Country. In that order. My God and the One whom I worship and defer to in all things is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who died for all mankind and who will return to this earth someday (I hope soon). He is a God of mercy, compassion and love who taught us to love those who despitefully use us and to turn the other cheek and forgive others ... He also taught that there are times when men, if they do not already own one, must sell their clothing to buy a sword to defend themselves and their free will with.

I was raised to respect, cherish and defend to the death the principle of free will. I have a firm conviction that free will, exercised within moral constraint, is the single most fundamental principle associated with mankind's ultimate happiness and progress. I believe the single most conducive place for the exercise of that principle in the world (despite its faults) is the United States of America, and I have traveled throughout the world in my engineering profession and come to observe and respect many differnet cultures and peoples.

I was taught (by good parents and through my faith) a tolerance for others, a desire to share my faith with anyone willing to listen, and the understanding that not wanting to listen is a perfectly understandable and acceptable right I should respect in others and hold dear myself.

I married in my early twenties and have (along with my dear wife) raised five children (actually the youngest is twelve and not quite "raised" yet). Each of these five, with minor variations, believes as I believe ... and that is good and is one of the things (in my opinion) that will always keep America strong. I am now 45 and just visited my first grandchild, a grandson born to my oldest daughter who is raising him the same way ... so the circle of life and freedom continues.

We abhor immorality, vice and sin. We abhor the threat of force and compulsion even more.

This is because people cannot truly repent and change for the better when coersed, they must freely choose. Hence, in the Christian faith, (wiith very few exceptions) forebearance, persuasion, teaching and the voice of warning are the tools we are taught to use as opposed to secular law, force and compulsion to win the hearts of mankind. This, when coupled with the basic tennants in American society regarding free will that I already discussed have made for the freest, most prosperous and most tolerant nation on earth.

It has also, regrettably, made for a lot of vice, pornograhpy, drug culture, etc. But we continue to work on that through the means I already mentioned, and through wise (and sometimes not so wise) use of laws when those immoral or sinful activities cross the line and begin to infringe (through force or compulsion) on the rights of others.

I hope this gives people a little flavor of what is underlying in "Christian" America, at least from my perspective living in "heartland" America ... particualrly when it comes to our feelings about the horror of 9/11.

This brings me toan important understanding, that is a critical part of my own testimonial that I related earlier ... a part often unappreciated and misjudged and doubted by those (foreign or domesctic) powers and entities who would use compulsion and violence to change the heritage I just spoke of. That is this ... We WILL fight to the death to defend these principles and visit terrible, just retribution on those who try and destroy them.

So, Ms. Rini, understand that there are millions of Americans who believe God is love too and that He loves us enought to allow us to be free and make our own individual moral choices (when not infringing on others) and to seek to influence others through persuasion and long suffering.

I know there are several hundred million Indonesians and that it is the largest Muslim nation. I also know that there are good and bad amongst all peoples, parties, sects, denominations and religions. I believe your testimony about your beliefs and I wish you God's blessings.

At the same time, and this is VERY critical and germaine to the discussion, there are many, many in the Islamic faith (as we see it) who either approve of what happened in America on 9/11, or are unwilling to condemn it. Please, Ms. Rini, write a codemnation of what happened on 9/11 to supplement your remarks. That would immeasurably help most people posting on this forum and all Americans alike.

We Americans, Christian and otherwise, are very disturbed by a general lack of avowed and open condmentation, with no excuse, by Islamic clerics, both abroad and here in our own country. That is the fuel (along with the burning pyre of the WTC and the Pentagon) that is fueling many of the feelings of rightous indignation you see here.

If you and others truly believe that God is love and that He is merciful yet Just, then go with God and distance yourself from these others who will not condemn such atrocities ... because these others WILL feel our terrible retribution. Not a retribution out of revenge, rather out of Justice and a true desire to never see it happen again.

So, again, Ms. Rinin, I am a Christian man. There are millions here like me ... I am nothing special. I believe what I have related to you is something your people and Muslims everywhere need to hear and understand. Please forward it.

Sincerely,

Jeff Head

[zog]

Not bad, man, not bad at all! And you are right, we really need to see these "moderate" islamics come out with some serious condemnations of the attacks we took. A few have, most are just 'worrying" about how they appear. Well, until they appear to be AGAINST random terror attacks, they "appear' to be mad jihaders, which just ain't cool.

[zog]

WHOA NELLIE here, back up a scosh. A chip in cd players, that's used in making e-bombs? A van load? Say what? First I heard of this one. We had a thread on this just the other day. Hmm, seems like if this is trtue, the bad guys would just order a box of chips from like taiwan. hmm. Weird. Infrastructure attacks, long overdue, hmmm. more hmm.

[Eustace]

The manager of the K Mart is the sister of our friend who told us about it. I told you how to get more info. Appearantly they can be made very cheaply on the street.. Other than that, I can't answer your question as to why it's being done this way.

[Tribune7]

Keep bumpin'

[philman_36]

Sorry for any duplicates who have already seen and responded.
No need to respond. I'll just be over here nodding in general agreement.

[Texas Mom]

"Islam is a religion in which God requires you to send your son to die for him. Christianity is a faith in which God sends his son to die for you."

Attorney General John Ashcroft.

[JohnHuang2]

Jeff, a superb piece of writing, my friend! You express not only your sentiments, but the sentiments of all of us.

This easily gets my nomination for essay of the Week.

And thanks for the ping, good buddy.

May you and yours have a safe, enjoyable and Happy Thanksgiving. God bless.

I'll give this thread the "JohnHuang2" special mega-ping =^)

[JohnHuang2]

Ping!

[Demidog]

We abhor the threat of force and compulsion even more

Speak for yourself. Most of the nation loves it as evidenced by the plethora of federal agencies that tell us how to live our lives including how many gallons of water are in our toilets.

[tonycavanagh]

re : You just found someone who knows about fine wines and was ready to pop your cork! .

Blush blush blush.

Cheers Tony

[PeoplesRepublicOfWashington]

He hit the nail on the head.

[tonycavanagh]

re : I would love to have a three-year-old around again!!!

Send us your address and I will have little Geraldine in the post for you, have to make sure Mary’s back is turned otherwise I might get into trouble.

Cheers Tony

[RaceBannon]

She needs to condemn it without telling us it is our fault. Not ONE Islamic cleric who has spoken has condemned the attack without insulting us or the Jews. Tell us it is wrong simply because it is wrong. But, they cannot.

[KDD]

Muslim soldiers who die in this war receive immediate entrance to paradise where 70 virgins lay on 70 bed sheets waiting for them.

What a perverted mindset.

Why not 35 virgins and 35 "professional ladies" from the Mustang Ranch?
What cowards.

[okimhere]

Thanks for the ping, John. Are you enjoying Thanksgiving Day a LOT? I surely hope so.

Jeff, I always like to read about you and the causes you select in which to become involved. This article is excellent. I'm looking forward to receiving your first book and I hope you are already hard at work on the next ;-). Happy Thanksgiving Day to you and yours.

[KanghaRue]

The quote from Matthew 7 doesn't change the fact that the Quran explicitly forbids moon worship. Morey is not a scholar...he's a propagandist.

[Sabertooth]

The quote from Matthew 7 doesn't change the fact that the Quran explicitly forbids moon worship.

Is there anything in the Koran that changes the fact that Mohammed had a nine year-old wife?

Or that he advocated bloody jihad?

Or that Mohammed claims that Jesus was a prophet, but not the Son of God? Since it was as a Prophet that Jesus claimed His Divinity, if Jesus isn't Divine, then he also isn't a Prophet. Yet that impossible contradiction is the teaching of Mohammed as a Prophet.

Hence: If for no other reason than this, Mohammed is a false prophet.

Which brings us back to the bonfire of the Koranic Vanities in Matthew 7.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Good post.

Bump!

[Victoria Delsoul]

Thanks for the flag, John.

[KanghaRue]

Sabertooth:
Is there anything in the Koran that changes the fact that Mohammed had a nine year-old wife?

kangharue:
This isn't in the Quran :) Do you know where this story comes from? It comes from something called the "ahadith", a collection of sayings..supposedly said about or by Muhammed. These sayings were collected and compiled (the most prominent compiler, Bukhari, wasn't even an Arab) about 200 years AFTER Muhammed's death. Many of them contradict each other..and even the Quran itself. For example, there are many ahadith that talk about dogs being dirty etc. However, the Quran actually has a story commonly referred to as "the companions of the cave"..and surprise! It features a dog! The "ahadith" could be compared to the Jewish Talmud...which has some of its own rather disgusting sayings. Should I dig up a few quotes?

sabertooth:
Or that he advocated bloody jihad?

kangharue:
defensive wars

sabertooth:
Or that Mohammed claims that Jesus was a prophet, but not the Son of God? Since it was as a Prophet that Jesus claimed His Divinity, if Jesus isn't Divine, then he also isn't a Prophet. Yet that impossible contradiction is the teaching of Mohammed as a Prophet.

kangharue:
I don't know where you learned your theology, but Jesus didn't claim divinity as a prophet. In fact, I don't share your belief that he claimed divinity at all (can you prove that?)...and neither does the Quran. It really all boils down to their belief against yours.