I admit there are times when I ask myself whether I am really covering a religion. Faith can be so amorphous, and it can be difficult sifting out feelings and opinions from some transcendent relationship with a higher source. Anyone can start a religion, after all.
The mind is a remarkable and mysterious place, and its common for folks to be convinced that a thought or a dream or a vision was Gods voice. Thats been enough for all sorts of religions to spring up through the course of human history. Some, of course, took their direct communications with God and created holy books.
When do great ideas amount to God speaking and the impetus to launch new religion of truth? There are plenty of opinions as to what religions are true and what ones are false and toxic and laughable, or unworthy of being labeled a legitimate religion.
Now the provocative Pat Robertson, on The 700 Club religious TV program, has stated that Islam is not a religion. It is a political system, meant on bent on world denomination, not a religion. It masquerades as a religion but the religion covers a worldwide attempt to exercise power and to subjugate the world to their way of thinking.
And Christianity doesnt? Christianity doesnt exercise power? It doesnt want to subjugate the world to its way of thinking? Doesnt Matthew 28:19 say, Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. So Christianity can troll for new believers but Islam cant?
Media Matters, a monitoring organization of media, provided the transcript of Tuesdays PTL program where a news clip featured Princeton scholar and author Bernard Lewis talking to the Christian Broadcasting Networks Chris Mitchell about a news account of Iran installing centrifuges at its uranium enrichment facility. Mitchell introduced Lewis, a more than 90-year-old man who takes a long view of history and has been warning American and the West about the motives of Islam.
Lewis compared what is faced with Islam to the two dominant 20th century struggles against Hitler and communism, that two world views Islam and Christianity claim holding to truth. Where you have two religions with the same self-perception, the same sense of mission, the same historical background and the same geographical area, conflict is inevitable, Lewis said. And the conflict has been going on for more than 14 centuries; the crusade and counter-crusade, and jihad and counter-jihad, conquest and re-conquest, sometimes one side winning, sometimes the other side winning.
He characterized the U.S. as the only obstacle to the worldwide triumph of Islam. He said such Muslims as Osama bin Laden see a showdown with the U.S. as the final stage in the cosmic struggle between the true believers and the unbelievers and the misbelievers. The interview closes, and Robertson talks with his news anchor about the segment. Well, the 78-year-old televangelist said, weve been saying it, but it looks like the political correctness in our society wont let you say it. They make fun of people who speak out boldly against Islam. Then he made his statement that Islam is not religion but a political system that wants to control the world.
They want a caliphate as they had once before; they want all people to be subjected to Sharia (Islamic law) and to live under their rules and their domination. It is every bit as insidious as communism, perhaps more so.
Then Robertson tries to explain why the alarms arent being heard. But to say, Well, its a religion, and you should leave a religion alone, thats just not the way it works. Then he called for clear-cut thinking warning that things more horrible than anything you can imagine would come to those of no faith. You better understand that Christianity is the way to freedom and not to slavery.
Thats amazing rhetoric and reckless talk. It presupposes that Western Christianity is ripe for the taking, never mind that Islam, the planets second largest religion by followers, is widely distributed, but mostly in nations woefully lacking military or economic wherewithal. How could Christians fear that their superior message could be trumped by Islam if there have a world of discriminating people? The Muslim population in the
U.S. is regularly inflated by Islamic groups. Of course, its preposterous to suggest Islam is a political movement cloaked in phony religious clothing. We have known enough Muslims, attended their worship gatherings and heard their sincere message.
The Islamic extremists dont rule the day and it insults the vast majority of Muslims in
America, at least, to lump them with communists, Nazis and other insidious forces.Its just more rubbish from Pat Robertson and does nothing to bring about understanding and accommodation and peace among religions
Excellent post, Lawn. I think religious leaders should be held accountable for inciting fear & hatred - no matter which religion they are from. Osama Bin Laden (who is not a recognized religious leader by any means!) certainly does not speak for all Muslims, just as Pat Robertson does not speak for all Christians. Our only hope for world peace lies in more mutual understanding, respect, & tolerance for each other as God’s creatures - put on this Earth to do His bidding - which in my opinion is to adhere to the Golden Rule. Amen.