What’s the difference? The BBC edits out the reference to the Qur’an. It’s a fact our Government (and the US) needs to get its head round – The Qur’an does sanction the killing of ‘infidels’.
An unbelievably brutal attack on a soldier took place in Woolwich yesterday. The soldier (so it’s believed) was killed and the killers actually stayed to talk to passers-by and invited people to take video as they talked to the cameras. All this while the victim lays dead in the street.
I’m working my way steadily through God’s Battalion’s by Rodney Stark. The sub-title of the book is ‘The Case For The Crusades’. If you were to look for a sub-text however, there isn’t one because he lays out his aim early in the book. So we read:
To sum up the prevailing wisdom: during the Crusades, an expansionist, imperialistic Christendom brutalised, looted, and colonised a tolerant and peaceful Islam. (p. 8.)
Not so. As will be seen, the Crusades were precipitated by Islamic provocations: by centuries of bloody attempts to colonise the West and by sudden new attacks on Christian pilgrims and holy places.
The whole book then is written to redress centuries of Western condemnation. Often, the Crusades are wheeled out to justify Islamic aggression. It isn’t always presented as starkly as that but that’s clearly the meaning.
It’s a book many will not like. In order to placate political correctness I’m left wondering just how much historic revisionism has and is taking place in order to accommodate Islamic teaching.
Later in the chapter ‘Bloody Victories’ Stark writes (p. 155.) about the taking of Jerusalem.
‘The Muslim forces were overwhelmed, and a massacre began; by the morning of the 16th the city was littered with corpses. (p. 157.)’ This the sort of record that keeps being brought up by Muslims. But Stark writes:
This is the horror story that has been used again and again to vilify the crusaders. Consequently, let us pause here to consider the matter from several perspectives. First of all, it is not only absurd but often quite disingenuous to use this event to “prove” that the crusaders were bloodthirsty barbarians in contrast to the more civilized and tolerant Muslims. Dozens of Muslim massacres of whole cities have been reported in previous chapters, and the crusaders knew of such occurrences. (page 157.)
Basically, several myths, it would seem, have emerged in order to create a false impression of the Crusaders. Stark urges caution when dealing with these events. ‘Granted, it was a cruel and bloody age, but nothing is to be gained either in terms of moral insights or historical comprehension by anachronistically imposing the Geneva Convention on these times.’ (page 158.)
The past, as someone has said, is another country.
Dr James White has a new book on the Qur’an. Dr White has for some years been researching and studying extensively the religion of Islam. His new book has the title ‘What Every Christian Needs to Know About the Qur’an (Paperback)’.
There’s an excellent interview with Dr White on The Reformed Forum. From the Reformed Forum website:
Today we welcome Dr. James R. White to the program to speak about his book What Every Christian Needs to Know About the Qur’an. In the book, Dr. White presents Islamic beliefs about Christ, salvation, the Trinity, the afterlife, and other important topics. White shows how the sacred text of Islam differs from the teachings of the Bible in order to help Christians engage in open, honest discussions with Muslims.
It’s available in the UK via The Book Depository. This is a book I’ll be ordering very soon!
Download interview via Reformed Forum website link above.
Yesterday I went to the British Museum to view ‘Hajj – journey to the heart of Islam’. Frankly, expectations were mixed not really knowing what to expect. Let’s just get a couple of criticisms of the exhibition out-of-the-way – it would have greatly enhanced the exhibition to have had a guide. This might just have been peculiar to our group but a Muslim lady and a Muslim man with us also thought so, and Photography was forbidden.
One completely unexpected surprise was to find myself standing next to Princess Eugenie (The Queens granddaughter). To be honest unless someone had said I wouldn’t have had a clue.
Because there was no guide it was difficult to comprehend the significance of it all but there did seem to be a steady stream of Muslims going through the exhibition.
The exhibition just confirmed to me that Islam is a works based religion and plays to that inner compulsion that we all have to do something to win favour with God. It was also noticeable that quotes from the Koran were verses that stated the oneness of God. It was a plethora of gods and deities that Mohammed got rid of in his efforts to bring the people back to the one true God. Of course I agree there is one God. The Bible tells me so. But it also teaches He exists in three persons and I’m bound to say that Mohammed introduced people to a false God and not the true God of the Bible.
Preparations for the would be pilgrim to go on Hajj are quite extensive. For example they have to put all their house in order before going just in case they die while away. They also have to achieve Ihram – a state of purification – before entering the territory of Mecca. How this state is achieved and on what basis I can’t say. I was also told in a talk by a Muslim prior to visiting the exhibition, that going on Hajj results in all your sins being forgiven. I asked for clarification on this, and it was confirmed though they had sinned since going on Hajj. But there is a point at which a pilgrim can achieve a state of sinlessness. Again, I’m not sure what this means nor upon what basis it happens – other than going on Hajj. In other words it’s a works righteousness.
Being a practical person it was intriguing to find the Kaba has a drain pipe. I suppose it would do, though what the rainfall is out there I don’t know. Those guys, they think of everything. The drain pipe like everything else, is covered in Arabic writing, mostly from the Koran I would think. I also wondered who actually goes inside the Kaba box – the caretaker I guess.
It was also apparent that Biblical stories were completely changed to fit in with their own Koranic theology. I’d need to check some of these out, especially when Christians are accused of altering the Bible. I find this difficult to see because the Jewish scribes were meticulous in copying the texts. Of course there are difficulties of translation but we are talking here of completely altering an account. For example the account of Hagar and Ishmael concerning the spring of water. As part of their journey Muslims on Hajj practice sa’i. This is where allegedly, Hagar ran between two mountains – between Al-Safa and Al-Marwah – looking for water. The Biblical account is very different to this – see Genesis 21: 8-21.
One 'satisfied' pilgrim complete with British Museum souvenir bags
The faithful going off on pilgrimage is not confined to Islam, Christians also engage in this. I would want to make a serious qualification about the merits of going on pilgrimage. Please tell me otherwise but Roman Catholics and Muslims going on pilgrimage is a meritorious act. This in some way is deserving of God’s merit. Whereas, there is about as much merit me going to my garden shed as going to Jerusalem, Mecca or any other supposedly ‘Holy’ place. Don’t get me wrong I would love to visit these places but it would earn me nothing in the sight of God. What it is it’s despising what God Himself has done in sending the Lord Jesus.
This is the beauty and wonder of the Gospel – God Himself has done all that is required. But instead men would prefer to offer something to God. How can what we do possibly compare to what God has done at the Cross. This is why Christians – and God Himself – glory in the Cross of Christ. It is utter foolishness to those that will not believe. But praise God, people do believe and place their faith in Jesus Christ and find Him to be their all in all.
Off on Hajj tomorrow – well the next thing to it I suppose without leaving the UK. I’m off to the British Museum to see the Exhibition ‘Hajj – journey to the heart of Islam‘. This is quite special because some of the exhibits have never been displayed in this way before – to non-Muslims.
I’m hoping in time to post some reflections on the visit.
I came across ‘The Mohabat News Agency‘ recently and thought it was worth sharing a link to their site with the hope that it would have a wide readership. Who are they? In their own words:
‘We are a group of Bible believing Christians who believe in propagating the word of God. All of us at “Mohabat News Agency” have made the spreading of the good news of God’s love and forgiveness among Iranians and the Farsi speaking peoples of Afghanistan and Tajikistan our primary goal.
Mohabat New Agency, the news agency of Iranian Christians, is NOT affiliated with any Christian or non-Christian organizations. We are a team of professionals who have accumulated years of experience in the gathering, interpreting, and dissemination of news. Our experience arises from years of experience in the field of Christian news and other topics of interest to our Farsi-speaking peoples.
Mohabat News has turned this experience into the voice of the persecuted church of Iran to reach the ears of the world community.
Moreover, we are utilizing this gifting that the lord has placed in our hearts to bring awareness of what is happening in the world to our Farsi-speaking readers. Thus we can help our Christian and non-Christian Iranians raise their awareness of what goes in our world and in their own country.
Mohabat News will continue to act as a cultural and social bridge between the world community and the peoples of Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan and to better inform the worldwide Church of Jesus Christ and Christian ministries around the world about the life and the welfare of Christian minorities in these Farsi-speaking countries’
I’ll try and post News Items from them as time and memory permits.
There will no doubt be a concerted attempt at cleaning up any efforts at linking Islam with the Woolwich murder.
