|
To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.--Thomas Jefferson
-------- Original Message --------
Several
million Muslims in countries across the Middle East hate
America. One of their complaints is that the American
culture portrayed in movies and on television is
corrupting the morals of their youths. Of course,
millions of Americans bear no resemblance to the media
version in question, but our world neighbors do not know
that. In fact, the media stereotype of Americans as a
people consumed with drugs, sex, and booze--or, equally
misguided, with materialism, self-centeredness and
entertainment, violates and contradicts Christ's call to
us as his disciples also. When I make a Muslim's
acquaintance, I think it good to point that out (while
also listening respectfully as my acquaintance explains
that not all Muslims are terrorists).
-- The chance that we will have a Muslim acquaintance is increasing steadily. Although Muslim activists claim to represent six million or more U.S. Muslims, experts say those numbers are grossly exaggerated. A 2009 Pew Report is likely close to reality in saying that 2.5 million Muslims lived in the U.S. at that time, or one person out of every 125. The ratio in the U.K. is greater by 350%. Are Muslims by definition dangerous terrorists? Absolutely not. The Qur'an calls for jihad ("struggle"), which to pious Muslims describes the ongoing struggle of each individual to do what is right and not the wrong. Terrorists who equate jihad with murder do violence to their own scriptures. As a teenager, I once observed a fundamentalist Baptist preacher leading the invocation for a large outdoor rally of the Ku Klux Klan. Scripture speaks of "our battle" and urges us to "fight the good fight," but whatever wickedness is done by the KKK, armed militias, or hatemongering "preachers" cannot rightly be blamed on the Bible or on genuine Christianity. Nor is it fair to put upright, reverent Muslims in the same class with murderous zealots who misuse the Qur'an for their own purposes. (continued)
Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org |
- [RC] Fwd: (gracEmail list) behind Muslim hostility (2) David R. Block
