Corrupted Democracy and Twisted Christianity in America

One major contribution in the February 11, Christianity Today magazine article entitled The Son and the Crescent was that it was strongly in favor of using terminology about the Risen Messiah in Scripture translation that is culturally sensitive to Muslims. In my mind the author was exceptionally insightful in his observation. One contributor stated that he "speculates whether factors other than theology, exegesis and missiology could explain the impasse (between the two oppobing points of view).The current controversy is fed more by general attitudes to the Muslims' world among the Western Church stemming from the geopolitical situation, e.g., fear, rejection and aggression."

Another contributor says that "There is a battle in the U.S. church whether to respond to the Muslims world with fear or faith and fear is winning."

I personally agree with both these two men's observations that the aggressive criticism of the terminology in use by the more culturally sensitive Scripture presenters to Muslims is at the least a partial cover-up for a deeper spiritual problem. But I personally probe even deeper than either of these two men who in the spirit of unity and brotherhood are being careful to attempt to not offend or rock the boat. I personally feel that critics of Muslim sensitivity to Muslims and Muslim friendly Scripture need to be strongly confronted similar to how Paul took on a racist Apostle Peter in Galations Chapter 1.

I suggest we can take an even more serious and needed lesson from the out spoken Apostle Paul in Galatians. There he comments about racism whether we like the word or not and human relations. This anointed Apostle did not presume to beat around the bush or to mince words when he confronted the wrong Apostle Peter when it came to his passive aggressive attitude toward the new concept of the Christian Community. Welcoming Gentiles into the Christian community, at that early time when it was still predominantly Jewish, was difficult even for Peter though he had experienced three visions from the Risen Christ himself about accepting non Jews into the new brotherhood of faith in the now Risen Messiah. Yet Christ Himself had been unable to permanently break through Peter's strong prejudices against non Jews that he had built up over a life time. As a result, we read in the New Testament Book of Galations 2:11-16 that Paul strongly opposed Peter right in front of other shocked brothers. Paul told him in strong terms that he was unequivocally wrong about the way he and Barnabas were being racist toward non Jewish believers. Additionally they were also being absolute hypocrites. Though he never mentioned the term Son of GOD, I know that he let Peter know in very certain terms that both he and Barnabas' racism was exceptionally displeasing to the Risen Christ. Furthermore, based on the Spirit of the way that both the Messiah and Paul were not reluctant to call a spade a spade with out-of-step Peter, to the extreme extent that Jesus himself called Peter Satan/Shitaan for favoring the things of man over the things of GOD.

So I will also dare to say that these objectors to culturally sensitive Scriptures are absolutely wrong. They are being hypocrites. They are favoring the things of man over the things of GOD. Furthermore, they have let down and opposed their Risen Messiah when they use a legalistic approach to the Scriptures in order to throw Mercy toward Muslims into the sewer. It appears that if they themselves would have been Jews living in the Messiah's time, they undoubtedly would not have allowed either a man born blind or a paralytic to be healed by the Messiah on the Sabbath day. And they just may have been themselves shouting "Crucify him!" to Roman governor Pilate about the Messiah along with some other extremely legalistic and hateful men.

But I will add this comment to these scholarly men's defense. Instead of having been influenced by their concern, mercy, sympathy and compassion of the Old Testament.Prophets, I think that these critics, without realizing it, were more influenced by the apathy and repession of emotion and sympathy of the Greek Stoics. I think that they have missed the fact that the grandeur of GOD implies the capacity of GOD Himself to experience emotion. I also think that these scholars who are so opposed to attempting to eliminating culture stumbling blocks are unaware of the degree that the Jewish and Catholic Scholastics of the Middle Ages had a strong commitment to the anti-biblical and anti-Hebrew Prophets' concept of absolute immutability – the fact that there cannot be supposed change in GOD. Therefore, the Greek influence was that since passion and sympathy are supposedly a change in GOD, that this change to passion and sympathy in order to accommodate Muslims's belief in the Risen Messiah must be seen by these critics as incompatible with GOD's true being. So a wrong philosophical position by these uncompassionate men is more important to these men than compassion and mercy. Because to Greek philosophy, being is the ultimate. But to the Hebrew Prophets, GOD is the ultimate and not being. To the Biblical Prophets the chief concern was to heal people's relationship with GOD and with each other so there was much anguish and emotion and not intellectualism in the Prophet's pleadings for man to reconcile with GOD. So it has been a temptation for some scholars to sub-consciously fashion an idol from their scholarly learning and actually deceive themselves into thinking that it is GOD and the Muslim that he is serving by his rigid, less theological and more philosophical, anti-biblical construct. But in reality it is his twisted theological/philosophical construct that he is serving and worshipping and not GOD.

Additionally, he is confused and arrogant to virtually demand that the Muslim who is interested in potentially following the true Risen Christ, follow instead a politically correct Risen Christ. So the Muslims are forced to believe he is to follow correct words that the scholars and other scholars demand that he accept. This is disgraceful and is exceptionally dishonoring and displeasing to ALLAH's Risen Christ and also to the Qur'an's Risen Christ. What these critical, often well trained seminary scholars fail to recognize is that the anti-compassion, anti-Hebrew Prophet, rational scholasticism that they have been exposed to in their background has retarded their thinking and ability to process GOD's sympathy, more that they realize or are willing to admit. They have apparently forgotten that scholasticism had its earliest roots in Greek philosophy and not in the inspired insight of either the passionate, caring Hebrew Prophets or in the insights of the inspired New Testament writers and evangelists.

I am strongly suggesting that these contemporary critics of sympathy for the Muslims objections to certain terminology are stumbling blocks. Thus, their fervent appeal to scholarship does not justify their severe critical attitude. Rather, much of their criticism is deeply rooted in pre New Testament stoic and scholastic Greek concepts. Their unbiblical and even anti-biblical, often strongly Greek constructs have a great influence on their emotions, conclusions and rationale toward the present day sympathetic, Christ-like approach to communicate with Muslims that few of the critics are willing to admit. This is both against ALLAH's Will and is having tragic consequences. But this anti-biblical unfairness and insensitivity to Muslims has the audacity to hide behind supposedly reputable scholarship.

For instance, both the Greek Philosopher Plato and Aristotle allowed their anti-sympathy rational to influence their intellectual but somewhat anti-compassion scholasticism as did the middle age Greek Scholar Peter Abelard. I sadly speculate that when the Spirit of GOD soon sweeps through the Middle East and brings about a fresh and correct understanding of An-Nisa 4:157 and 4:158 so that Muslims do realize that the Qur'an does truly teach that the Qur'an's own Messiah did both die and rise as Al-Im'ran 3:55 and other verses in the Qur'an teach, so that the Risen Messiah is soon recognized as being present among Muslims, that the following will quite possibly occur.

That those servants of the Risen Christ who have tirelessly labored to share ALLAH and the Qur'an's living Christ with words that communicate rather than using words that set up road blocks to understanding the living Christ that Isa al-Messiah will be overwhelmed with joy for the Muslims that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) faithfuly led from polytheism to the One ALLAH, so that Muslims were more prepared to trust in His Living Messiah. However, in a sad contrast to the Messiah's joy, those many Pharisee want-to-bes will be overwhelmed with virtual dread that millions upon millions of sincere Muslims will be present in thousands of mosques with thankfulness in their hearts to the Qur'an's Risen Messiah. For these faithless men do not have sufficient faith in GOD to believe that the living ALLAH actually chose to place in the Qur'an verses about His Christ-Isa, Al-Messiah that would finally engender great faith in ALLAH's and the Qur'an's Risen Christ.

You may reasonably ask: But Abu Toma, how can you speak with such certainty that such a joyous turning by Muslims to the Qur'an's Risen Messiah will actually soon occur. My answer is that there are five different specific events and several other events that actually occurred personally to me where each of the five confirm that an overwhelming wave of faith in the Qur'an's Risen Messiah will soon occur. However, for the sake of space I will only relate two of the five which both involve poems.

My lovely gift from the LORD, Jean, and I spent seven of our 38 married years in Lebanon, Jordan and Saudi Arabia with our family in the mid 1970s' where we spent much time in prayer for Muslims to increase their understanding of the Qur'an's Risen Isa-al Messiah.

In about 1977 I was driving on company business on what was known as the Christian by-pass, the hi-way from Jeddah to Ta'if, that circumvents the Holy City of Mecca. For it was not allowed for Christians to see Mecca so they were not allowed to drive through Mecca. As I was located on the by-pass directly opposite Mecca, I was praying for Mecca. But I was unable to see it on my left because of the view being blocked by a very low range of mountains. As I glanced out to the right which was sort of a combination of desert and sheep grazing land, in the distance I could see a flock of sheep. But I could see no shepherd. Then about five hundred meters from the flock, I saw one shepherd faithfully leading back to his flock one sheep that apparently had gone astray. Immediately, the following simple poem come forcefully to my mind which I named:

Soon after this encouraging spiritual experience of actually seeing a living example of the loving shepard bringing back to the flock one lost sheep, a large water truck side-swiped my small car. But I was able to keep the inspiring poem in my mind.

Then, about seven years later back in Seattle, another poem had even a much greater impact on my wife and I on the darkest day of our lives. In his office that day our Group Health cancer specialist informed us of the shocking news that a laboratory test revealed that my wife's Lymphoma had returned from remission like a roaring lion and was too far along for another remission. So he told us that she only had about six months to live. We were both devastated at the unexpected news and deeply saddened. We returned to our University District home very discouraged. Upon arriving I picked up a letter from our mail box from a friend, Dwight Watson, who did not know that Jean was ill. Because of knowing our interest in Islam, he had found the following poem in the library written by Lest and Lucile Lehmuth in Jan. 1950, printed in the All Nations Review.

The poem could not have been a greater encouragement for us to receive on such a dark day in our lives. The poem gave us a deep reassurance that our prayers for Islam to more understand their Risen Messiah would soon be answered.

Yes! This turning to the Qur'an's Messiah by a vast multitude of precious Muslims will soon occur. And it will be a time of much rejoicing for many many Muslims and Christians. But sadly, for too many Christians it may also be a day of great concern. For many Christian leaders will be disappointed that they will not be in control. But it will be ALLAH and the Muslims and the Qur'an's Living Messiah and not Christian leaders who will agree together on how to have every Mosque be even more of a Light House in the service of ALLAH. But ALLAH will faithfully provide the leadership in His time and in His way that these committed to the Risen Messiah, joy filled faithful Muslims will need and appreciate.