"If they would hear and follow Jesus' teachings, then they would halt their anti-Islamic diatribes," Parham said. "The Sermon on the Mount is crystal clear about peacemaking, loving enemies, doing good to others, striving after God?s kingdom and practicing discernment. Regrettably, fundamentalist Christians ignore the Sermon on the Mount, because it is not a manual for war-making, which is at the heart of Christian crusades."
Jesus said that peacemakers are blessed. Unfortunately, this generation has been cursed by having religious warmongers with international megaphones who insist on turning up the volume and vitriol of rhetoric that demonizes all Muslims indiscriminately. There is nothing Christ-like about Graham and Robertson's rhetoric toward Muslims.
They are putting stumbling blocks in the way of generations of Muslims who have yet to hear the gospel as "good news" and not as hate speech. Jesus said it would be better for Pat and Franklin to put millstones around their necks and jump into the sea.
8 comments:
Those last two paragraphs there in your post are pretty good stuff. Very insightful. Besides the skandolon that you mentioned, the Girardian idea of mimetic doubling comes to mind. Graham/Robertson believe there's a world of difference between them and the people they oppose. But, from an outsider's perspective, they look an awful lot a like. For all their high falutin' religious talk, it's just violence and retribution back and forth. The only difference I see is that Franklin/Graham are insulated in American democracy and the people they oppose are not.
It would be nice if these people would stop atributing their positions of war based on the "Prince of Peace" and place it where it belongs at the feet of Zeno, Epictetus, Marcus Arelius, Keynes and Nitzche.
Tell me something, is this post really about peacemaking? Are you building bridges or simply scoring points against your perceived enemies?
If there was ever a time to "fight for what is right" it was when the guards were coming to arrest Jesus in the Garden, yet His last words to the entire community - His final Comandment as it were, was "Put down your sword!"
They all ran away.
Pax Christi
Mr. Prescott,
I don't believe that either Mr. Graham or Mr. Robertson are advocating violence against Muslims. Rather, they both ares speaking out against the system of belief, Islam.
You are correct in stating that Christians should not demonize Muslims (and if pointing out differences in religions is demonizing then we've redefined that word, also). It is wrong to do that. After all, we are all sinners and Christ died for all of us. But I think that Graham and Robertson are wanting to speak truth and illustrate that Christianity and Islam are not the same. As Christians, they believe that belief in Christ leads to salvation and belief in anything else leads to hell.
I think the question really boils down to this: is that which leads people away from Christ evil? Graham and Robertson believe that anything that leads people away from worshipping and glorifying God through Jesus Christ is wicked. I think the Bible agrees with that.
Kevin,
That there are wide differences between Christianity and Islam is well-known.
Robertson and Graham both have a responsibility to work to defuse violence between faiths -- not fuel it.
They need to discuss differences face-to-face with Muslims and stop making it more difficult for those who do.
Here's a link to more information.
Hi!
"Blessed are the peacemakers..." Christ was not talking about having peace within oneself, He was referring to making peace with others even as the world is in chaos. If a Christian is not trying to "make peace," if their comments and actions are not to that end, then they are in the wrong and they are disobedient.
Too many Christians today view Christ's words as too simplistic. They have a "superiority" complex. They search for interpretations that lend credibility to their own needs and desires.
Today, my pastor preached from the beatitudes, specifically, "Blessed are those who mourn..." He talked about all facets of mourning, personal mourning, mourning for those less fortunate, etc. There was one very glaring omission. He never mentioned the war, nor the mourning we should be doing for our own sons and daughters who have either died or been injured. He never mentioned the mourning we should be doing for the victims on the other side. They've lost sons and daughters also. Many not even involved in the fighting have been killed or injured. Should we not mourn for them? We have never been given permission to not love our enemies.
I'm sure someone out there who reads this will think me unpatriotic. I don't believe that to be true. But, if given the choice, I'd rather be unpatriotic than unChristian. The two are NOT one and the same!
God Bless,
TammyJo 58
Bruce,
First, your comment's link just pointed back to this post. Something seems malformed.
Second, while I don't know about Robertson, Graham's quotes were quite deliberately phrased to be about Islam not about Muslims. He is trying to moderate his dialogue and prevent an us vs. them mentality. Arguably he isn't doing it very well although I think you also represented his comments poorly in this post.
Third, don't you (and I for that matter) have an even greater responsibility to work towards peace and spiritual unity between, say, fundamental, evangelical, and mainstream Christians? Is the rhetoric of this blog any better in that respect?
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