Thursday, September 15, 2011

Kindness and Severity (Or, Islamic Intolerance)

The Muslim world demands to be heard. It demands respect. It demands tolerance. The Muslim world demands to be given the place of honor that it has not earned. This is not the quiet pleading of a weak, crippled beggar child who tugs at the pant legs of passersby on the street. Rather, it is the screaming of an abused, neglected, marginalized child who thirsts for attention. A child filled with violent rage, its craving grows with every new journalist assigned to cover its many heinous crimes.

The Muslim world demands airtime, even a brief flash across the news ticker, but once it has your attention, it demands more. It demands a hearing, and with that hearing an understanding, and with that understanding an alliance. It demands your respect, your cooperation, and your tolerance. It will have your tolerance, or your life. Islam has forced on the world its need to be tolerated, recognized, and showered with praise on the world stage, but behind the new iron curtain of Sharia law tolerance is nowhere to be found. One by one, Arab leaders air their grievances and demand reparations and justice only to return to their homes where they violently suppress their own national minority voices.

Nationalism is not the driving force in the Muslim world, but insecurity. The citizens of this world do not hoist high the national colors, call out for global acceptance, and aggressively defend their actions and religion as a result of nationalism, but because of an intense insecurity that plagues the entire culture. It is not praise that falls from the lips of its people, but a continual defense even when there is not the slightest hint of accusation. And arguments for this defense thrive in the realm of poor scholarship, half-truths, and misrepresented facts. I am told the world is turning to Islam en masse. I am told that all civilization hinges on Islam juxtaposed to the roadblock of what the Europeans call civilization. I am told that any of today's technological advances are the direct result of Islamic civilization. I am told that every single person on the earth is born a Muslim. The world watches on as an entire race of people labors to continually prove their great worth and value to the world. They yearn for your attention and your allegiance. The average citizen who falls prey to this pervasive insecurity utterly rejects, mocks, and abuses the very cross by which he can be fulfilled.

The great message of tolerance preached by the Muslim world is utterly empty behind closed doors. Day after day, my Muslim friends command me to enter Islam. They force on me this decision and command me to convert. No arguments are necessary, but simply my submission. The residents of my city continually clamor for my attention in matters of religion, their religion. The moment I turn the conversation to the cross, the resurrection, and the payment of mankind's sin the conversation has become unacceptable. Strong arguments for the Christian position are not met with thoughtful dialogue, but scorn. Presentations of gospel truth are not met with the question "What must I do to be saved?", but fear of the secret police. Prayer for the sick is not met with gratitude and expectant faith, but mockery and abuse.

If I may for a moment address my Muslim neighbors: your blood is not on my hands.

There will come a day when you stand before the throne of God almighty and you will not be able to claim ignorance. You will be held accountable for your rejection and abuse of the only beloved Son who came to ransom mankind. God will exchange a lifetime of kindness for the severity reserved for those cast into the outer darkness. "Behold!" cries Paul, "the kindness and severity of God."

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

"O Jerusalem the one who stones the prophets, how I would have gathered you, but you would not..."

Let your warning be given through tears of compassion.