Church's sign has Muslims outraged -''Jesus Forbade Murder. Muhammad Approved Murder. Surah 8:65.''

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[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

[CCWoody]

For one thing, you would find out that the Bible says that if you can't win them with love, cut 'em with the Sword and cut 'em deep, til you see the Blood...And that's what this pastor is doing... > ~ Iscool

Chapter and verse, please!

Woody.

[VOA]

Yes, he is entitled to free speech, but there is also the issue of slander.

Truth/Accuracy is one of the legal defenses to the charge of slander
(at least that's what I've been told).

After watching the FrontLine/World episode on the Muslim riots over one sentence
by a journalist, and the joys of Shari'a law...it's time to make sure this sort
of medieval, retrograde culture doesn't infect this country.
Just my opinion, but I'm sure some Islamic would want to sue me for it,
but more likely would just go ahead and kill me for this sort of blasphemy...

[Savage Beast]

"Jesus Forbade Murder."

The sign should say: "Jesus Forbids Murder."

[A2J]

And for those that think this "unGodly" pastor is a little harsh and that Jesus loves all religions, you need to do a little more study...

I never said that Jesus "loves all religions." Obviously, He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, but it doesn't excuse the tactics of the pastor who is supposed to be ready to embrace people from all backgrounds in order to bring them to Christ. His sign will not do that and may even drive Christians away from his church.

For one thing, you would find out that the Bible says that if you can't win them with love, cut 'em with the Sword and cut 'em deep, til you see the Blood...And that's what this pastor is doing...

Please quote book and chapter from the Bible where your "studying" has produced such rubbish.

[Hodar]

You illustrate my point. Faced with logic, you cannot do anything but attack me. Nice job. I'm so impressed.

[Dave S]

The argument of "well there are some good Muslim's, they are not all like the perps of 9/11" is sheer bullshit. Its like saying in the 1940's, in Germany, that there were some "good" Nazis...lets only rid the earth of the bad ones.

A more accurate analogy would be that there are no "good" Germans. Do you know for a fact that all arabs, even Muslim arabs are believers of the crap that Muhammad preached. More than half of the Christians in this country dont have a clue what Christianity is about. All most believe is that Christ died on a cross and if they are good they will go to Heaven when they die. Beyond that most only know the bible stories from Sunday School. Do you believe the average Muslim is more devout than the average Christian?

[Hodar]

And that is a fair comparision. I'll even go further and say that you can judge a civilization by their actions. Contrast the actions of Muslim countries (slavery, torture, corruption, education, etc) to Christian countries.

[A2J]

To compare it to the Bible is incredibly unsound, and it only an attempt to appear to be "multicultural" and "tolerant" (or an attempt to discredit Christianity).

There is NO comparison between the Koran, which was written by a man with no Godly inspiration and the Bible which is clearly inspired of God. However, the Bible does admonish us to respect the fact that not all men have knowledge. Respect nevers leads to the trashing of another's foundations but the loving comparison of the lives that are genuinely changed by the Gospel with the attempts of man (Koran).

[Agamemnon]

If you think Jesus came to earth to preach hatred, death and world domination (like Mohammed did), you're sorely mistaken.

And my post deserved this kind of answer? Where did I intimate that Jesus preached "hatred?" You must have an ax to grind or some other unspoken agenda here.

The Jesus of the "let US make man in OUR image..." Creation is the same Jesus of the NT. Re-read The book of Hebrews. Jesus of the OT is not odds with Jesus of the NT. It is unwise for one who calls himself a Christian to try to draw a distinction.

[Dave S]

Except that abortion clinics and gay bars aren't bombed by "Christians". They are bombed by pro-lifers

I'm sure the pro-lifers here will take offense that you dont consider them Christians.

[CCWoody]

You illustrate my point. Faced with logic, you cannot do anything but attack me. Nice job. I'm so impressed. ~ Hodar

Hodar's "logic": Those who would espouse their religion, faith or superstitions upon the public, are to be more feared than terrorists at large.

Gosh, what you are really saying is that unless nobody can see or know that you have any type of faith then they are more to be feared than mass murders who crash planes into buildings. Obviously, you have already ripped the 1st Amemdment right out of the Constitution. Nice job!

Woody.

[nightdriver]

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.''

So how does that jive with what the hijackers did on 9/11?

The moslem world had quite a celebration over it. Does that mean that the moslems WANT to kill all mankind?

[js1138]

when anyone takes a single verse, and uses it out of context, it can be unfair

If it is out of context, then why aren't Muslims in general speaking out against those who defile their religion by committing murder. Where was CAIR when some lunatic shot the doctors in Yemen? Where is CAIR when there are discussions of women's rights in Aaudi Arabia? Where is CAIR when Muslims in London hold up banners saying "We will convert the world or destroy it"? Where the Muslim voices protesting Muslim totalitarianism?

[Morrigan]

I think sometimes people fail to understand that this is not an issue of "My God is better than your God." Muslims hate us because they hate us, plain and simple. They hate anything associated with the West, it doesn't matter if you are Jewish or Christian. If you are an American, you are a target, and it doesn't matter what God you pray to at the end of the day. This is why they are so dangerous, IMO. They just hate, blindly, and don't care if they die or suffer because of it. Their hate has consumed them to the point that they no longer care.

And I tend to agree with the poster that likened today's Muslims to yesterday's Germans. They are exactly like them, and people don't want to face it. Americans have a habit of taking people and things at face value. You can't do that with Muslims. So, while we can't round up Muslims in America, or kill every Muslim that walks the earth, you have to protect yourself by staying far, far away from them. I don't patronize Muslim establishments. I don't go to gas stations that use ME oil. If there are Muslims or Arabs in a restaurant I go to, I turn around and leave. I am not going to risk the lives of myself and my family on the weak premise that not all Muslims want to kill us. You can't trust Muslims, period. Just the fact that they BELIEVE something as screwed up as the Koran points to a major mental malfunction.

[js1138]

typo. should be

Where are the Muslim voices protesting Muslim totalitarianism?

[BureaucratusMaximus]

Do you believe the average Muslim is more devout than the average Christian?

Yes. Their actions speak louder than words.

[Just mythoughts]

One could conclude that Christ was not in this church, and this is merely a publicity stunt to stir up emotions, and fill the collection box. Might call it self-serving.

Wonder if this guy ever read IPeter 4:17 "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Sounds like God will clean His own House first, and He doesn't sound to happy with some of them.

[HarryDunne]

I'm missing your point.