Saturday, September 16, 2006

Mr. Pope



Islam, the religion of peace, wants Pope Benedict XVI to accept his dhimmi status! They say "Accept all criticism from us, level no criticisms against us." This isn't a clash of civilizations, folks. It is a defense of civilization against barbarity. As Ronald Reagan said of his strategy during the last days of the Cold War "We win, they lose."

How can Islam expect the West to really believe they are a religion of peace when beheadings are happening and violence seems to be accepted, or at least tolerated, by all Muslims. When these kinds of protest marches start occurring after the outrageous acts of some of their fellow Muslims, then they can be taken seriously.

Either we defend ourselves against this Islamic Crusade or we will see our grandchildren either forcibly converted to Islam or living as second class citizens under the turbin.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I totaly agree with you.
One observation the expresion "Islamic Crusade" is not a good expresion. "Crusade" came from "croisade" (french) or "cruzada" (spanish), both from latin "cruciata" past participle of the verb "cruciare" meaning "to mark with a cross" (from latin "crux" - "cross"). Even if the word had aquired dark conotations, I think the best term is the "jihad" wich is an islamic term that has one meaning as military struggle. So "Islamic Jihad".

Barnabas Powell said...

Good point.

My intention was to use the word as it is used today, but I am a firm believer that words matter, so "jihad" it is!

Unfortunately, "jihad" also means "spiritual struggle" and this is akin to the Orthodox understanding of "askesis." But where "askesis" has never been understood to include violence against human enemies, "jihad" has often been used by Muslims as an excuse to kill their human enemies.

St. Paul said, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities in high places."

This ideological war will be won based on theology. But I dispair lest the too secularized West realizes this too late. A robust and substantive Christian theological response is the West's best hope, but the intellectuals in the West have spent so many years degrading the faith that they may have surrendered their last best hope in this clash of ideologies.

Barnabas Powell said...

Christopher,

Excelent point, and one I should have known, having spent some time speaking to a Sikh about his faith.

My comment harkens back to an old Orthodox saying "Better the turban of the sultan than the tiara of the Pope." This was the cry during the time of the council Florence when the Orthodox attempted reunion with Rome to get military help against the advancing Muslim Turks.

While Muslims are not as a rule turbin wearing, there are some Muslim leaders who do wear the turbin, especially those who can trace their lineage back to the prophet Muhammed. They are allowed to wear the black turbin.

Good comment. Thanks for the post.

Anonymous said...

Only part of the response is theological, the other is evangelical, but I confess I don't even know how to begin to be able to understand how to evangelize Muslims. Any ideas.

Barnabas Powell said...

But Michael, the very assertion that there should be an evangelical response IS theological.

My conviction is that there cannot be a proper evangelical response to Muslims UNTIL we have a handle on important and fundamental theological issues.

For instance, modern Christianity has lost the connection with the great Ecumenical Councils of the first millenium. It was during these Councils that Christians hashed out the theological underpinnings of the Christian Faith. Basic positions such as the doctrine of the Trinity, the Deity of Jesus, The Incarnation, the Natures of Jesus as both Divine and Human, and other doctrines that answer the fundamental question Jesus put to His disciples - "Who do you say that I am?"

It is the answer to that question that must inform our evangelism to the Muslims, because they admit to Jesus being a great prophet. They admit to the virgin birth, to the special nature of Mary, and even to the second coming of Jesus. WHere they part company with Christians is at the critical point of Jesus being co-equal and co-eternal with the Father.

But this is the stumbling block to all the children of Abraham who reject the salvific nature of Jesus Christ.

If He is God in the flesh then He is Lord. If He is simply a great prophet (even the greatest prophet) then the whole understanding of Christianity falls apart.

B