Posted on 01/17/2003 6:11:48 AM PST by 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
As well as become infected with the cancer of liberalism.
These rag-tops use Muhammed's teaching in the Koran as their justification for these crimes against humanity.
Ergo...
By the way, you don't hear weekly reports about Christians blowing themselves and a dozen adolescent Muslims to bits in Gaza, now do you? Why is that...?
Or is that not the issue at hand?
Religious quotes can be used to educate others to historical truth.
I can post Luther's 95 Theses, and only intend to educate (ie, present the historical facts) and not intend to proselytize.
Do you not read, are you mentally challenged, or are you simply stupid?? I think I have been consistently clear. Taking a single verse out of the bible, or Quoran is unfair.
You, and other people with similar mental capacities have accused me of defending the actions of muslums. I have not. I've been consistently insulted because of my beliefs in logic over religon, and by one intellectually challenged individual because of where I have lived. Please read, and think. For a quick refresher to illustrate the point, refer to post #62.
Imagine all you want. There haven't been many news stories about Christians persecuting Muslims in the past few decades.
On the other hand we've heard about Muslims killing Christian doctors who are helping Muslims.
Because common sense says Christ, the Messiah, had more humane and workable ideas than Mohammed? Because Mohammed had sex with young girls?
NOT!
AppyPappy: Not cringing, ducking to avoid the incoming rounds.
LOL.
Maybe al Qaeda would prefer we line up inside a stadium and take our extermination, and that of the Israelis, like good gentlemen and gentlewomen.
I see you believe in the printed word...good.
Then maybe you'll believe the printed words in the Koran promote retribution for transgressions and the printed words in the New Testament promote forgiveness for transgressions.
The Qura'n says: "If anyone transgresses against you requite him with an exactly like action and restrain yourself for Allah; and know that Allah is with those who so restrain themselves" (Surah 2:194).
Instead of posting a coherent response to my logically presented position, you reply by accusing me of that which I did not do. How very thoughtful and intelligent of you. You must be really smart.
;-/
Well, we must remember that in the countries under the iron fist of their "peaceful" religion that people are killed, Muslim or not, for speaking ill of their pedophile prophet. I dare say that most FReepers would be candidates for the death penalty under their laws. Remember what happened in Nigeria just recently.
Besides, I find it remarkably hypocritical that the very people who teach hate against Jews and Christians as part of the curriculum of their "religious" schools would presume to come to our country where we used to value freedom of speech and freedom of religion and attack the teaching of truth as hate. Of course the liberals, in spite of all their whining about the mythical separation of church and state, will no doubt side with the enemy Muslims on this to try and impose governmentally favored "hate speech" restrictions on the preaching of truth by churches.
It seems to me that Islam is being quite effective in its efforts to incite hate within our borders AGAINST us, Christians and Jews who are still, temporarily at least, in the vast majority.
But the Koran (which says retribution equivalent to the transgression is hunky-dory) is still around. And it is still being read by people who believe it is the word of Allah.
The funny thing is---the retribution by Muslims is sometimes worse than the crime. I'm not sure why adulterers in some Muslim countries are stoned.
Appears to me that the only point you've made is that you are an apologist for Islam.
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