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A Dialogue Too Friendly for Focus on the Family?
By Jeremy | January 23, 2008
3. An attempt by leaders of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) to win friends and influence Muslims is alienating another group  evangelical Christians. I'm sorry when anyone feels alienated by those of us who try to follow Jesus' command to be peacemakers and to treat others as we would be treated, but didn't Jesus, when faced with a choice of reaching out to those considered untouchable outsiders by the Pharisees, side with the excluded? We intend no offense to Focus on the Family or anyone else in this attempt to respond in a God-honoring way to our Muslim neighbors, and hope that by better understanding our motives, you will be less alienated in the future.
Topics: brian mclaren, christianity, evangelical, focus on the family, interfaith, islam, reconciliation | 3 Comments »
January 24th, 2008 at 2:19 am
I love how Muslims ask for dialogue to get along better, perhaps Christians would reach out when so-called moderate muslims condemn muslim governments that execute muslim converts to Christianity. Or maybe when they actually condemn the 9/11 attacks, instead of the we condemn them, but. . . think of the root causes and the usual garbage they spew.
There are no such thing as moderate muslims, thats like saying moderate ku klux klansmen or moderate white supremists.
Would you agree or disagree? Yo have muslims or terrorists there is nothing in between, same with KKK or WS.
January 25th, 2008 at 11:43 am
“There are no such things as moderate muslims.”
Do you really believe that? In a diverse, global religion with approximately 1 billion followers, you think every one is an extremist or would be terrorist?
Remember that the KKK justified lynchings and cross-burnings with scripture; slaveholders justified brutality with scripture; Conquistadors justified colonialism with scripture; Crusaders justified rape, murder, and pillaging with scripture; Dark Age inquisitioners justified torture with scripture; and far worse has similarly been justified by professing Christians for centuries. Even the founder of Islam rejected Christianity despite an affection for Christ because of the way so-called Christians reflected him. Should you and I be judged through the lens of millenia of sordid and exploitative history?
It’s similarly harsh to judge one billion people based on the atrocities committed by extremists who misuse their sacred texts. Obviously, I don’t share the faith of Muslim individuals. But that doesn’t exempt them from my need to love my neighbors.
January 25th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Jeremy
even though I know you are not usually. ou can’t walk into a regular church and find a klansman.
Please read the politically incorrect guide to Islam. Fascinating read by Robert Spencer, who is a Christian and he explains what the Crusades were for and what happened.
Every example you used is not the same as what is happening with Islam. With the exception of the Klansmen those happened hundreds of years ago. You liberals, yes Jeremy you sound liberal in your response
You can walk into a regular mosque and find extremists. Sometimes the whole church is extremist. The head cleric for the grand mosque in Mecca and Medina declared a few years ago during passover “Jews drink the blood and eat the flesh of Christians and Muslims.” That is their pope. THEIR POPE, so can we not question whether the religion is one of peace?
I said that they are either a regular muslim or a terrorist. I cant say moderate. But using my example above even saying a regular one is a stretch, maybe. I am just asking a question.
Like I said would you say there are moderate Klansmen or skin heads? Are there such things?
Yes we are supposed to love thy neighbor, but questins need to be asked and people confronted.