Kill 'em All!!!

Over the past several years, in light of the events of September 11, 2001, this has become the unfortunate mantra of many people directed at the islamic community. To be honest with you, it was the call of nearly every American, including myself, in the few weeks/months right after the attack on our country. Being a very proud American it seemed to me to be the right thing to do. "They started it" and we need to finish it. In the world's view that is the answer, but should that be the case for me as a Christ follower?

Before you think "oh great, another guy who wants to just roll over and let them run all over us", please allow me fill in some blanks. Personally, I do not believe we should roll over and play dead. We need to defend our country and I support our President, no matter who he is, and our troops 100% in any time of war, therefore I support victory for our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Our brave men and women are fighting for our freedom and they should be allowed to finish the job they set out to do, not be pulled out early in defeat because of politics. I also support "taking out" the leaders and members of terror organizations who have declared war against our great country. If you declare war against us, then you must deal with the consequences.

So if that's the case, then why do I say the mantra of "Kill 'em all" is "unfortunate"? I think it is unfortunate because we are dealing with a lot of people who live in circumstances we as Americans could never fully understand. You see, in America we are free to worship who or what we want, where we want and when we want to. In the Middle East it is a completely different story.

Over the past few years I have been taking mission trips to the Middle East with my church. The first time I went my family was scared, and even though I tried to hide it from them, so was I. All we hear on TV is how much they hate Americans and think we are all "the great Satan". What I found to be the truth is they absolutely LOVE Americans and envy our freedom. So, what do you think is the number one question from people we encounter in the Middle East? "Can you get me to America?" In their countries the government is run by islamic law called "sharia" (شَرِيعَة). This means the quran (الكريم) and hadith (الحديث) are the law of the land so you either follow them or you have consequences up to and including death. Islam is very much a religion of force and has been that way from the very beginning when Muhammad had his "revelations". Simply speaking badly about Muhammad is a sentence of death when sharia is followed.

Couple that with the fact that the quran is the text book used in school to teach children to read and write and now I have a question for you. If you knew you and your family would be targeted if you do not profess the government's religion, what would you do? Really think about this. Christians, Jews, hindus, budhists, baha'i and all religions other than islam are literally illegal in your country. If you convert to one of them, you may wake up one day and your children, spouse, parents or all of them have simply disappeared. Your business is ransacked and your home set on fire in an attempt to kill you. You cannot have any form of identification because that is only given to muslims so you cannot get a job, do any banking or conduct any kind of commerce. Would you even think about being anything but muslim in that country under those circumstances? My guess would be that, as is the case in these countries, 99% of you would not even consider anything other than islam. Now consider the fact that the quran doesn't say these rules only apply to to islamic nations, but they apply to the entire world...by force if necessary.

Hopefully this helps you begin to see what the free world is up against. There is a huge region of the world where the scenario I listed above is the actual law of the land and it calls on true followers to spread it across the world. So if we don't "kill 'em all", what else can we do?

We can CHANGE THEIR HEARTS.

When our teams go to the Middle East, we are not running around on the streets, passing out tracts and trying to convert people to Christianity. What we do is show people the compassion of Christ through our actions. Our teams have done things like set up a computer lab to help people learn new skills and find better jobs, help with construction work on some churches, visit orphanages to create relationships with people and show them love. Our leader who is from the country we serve always tells us "remember, when you meet people in the streets of the city and in the impoverished areas we serve, you represent 1000 Americans to them and, since they believe EVERY American is a Christian, you represent Christ to them without saying a word.

You see, the teams are dealing with every day people who, like most people here who call themselves Christians, are really only muslim in name. Most of them are illiterate so they cannot read the quran, much less follow it. As an American, everywhere you go the people flock around you trying to say hello or shake your hand. They want to know all about you so you already have an "in".

So instead of believing the media hype, go over and show the people of the Middle East the love of Christ. If you can't go over there, there are plenty of people here who need the same love. Remember, Christ loved everyone, even the people who crucified him, all the way through the last breath he took here on earth and beyond after his resurrection.

If you would like more info on how to relate with muslims, check the book "Unveiling Islam". http://www.amazon.com/Unveiling-Islam-Insiders-Muslim-Beliefs/dp/0825424003/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218081071&sr=8-1

If you are going to have a relationship with someone from a different culture you need to learn what is offensive to them. Things like never greeting anyone with your left hand, what your friends are allowed to eat if you have them over for dinner. The book I mentioned will help you understand the culture. I hope to see you there, sharing love with people across the globe.