Is Islam Peaceful?

Or Is the god of Islam the same as the God of Christianity?

Christianity was born with the set of norms that allowed you to give your live for your fellow man
but you could not take a life. The first 300 years of Christianity saw many tens of thousands
giving their lives for their faith. Even after Christianity became the Roman Empires official
religion in the early 300s using violence was not easily accepted.
This is contrasted to Islam, which was born of violence. Muhammad had his first visions
allegedly from the Gabriel in 610 AD. By 622 AD, Muhammad was forced to move from Mecca
to Medina because he had alienated most of the leaders of Mecca. Muhammad angered by the
princes of Mecca, made his followers into armed robbers of camel caravans and since he was
successful he credited it to his god. Over the next eight years he conducted several battles and
finally conquered Mecca in 630 AD.
Muhammad also wanted the friendship and approval of the Jews in Medina. When the Jews
wouldn't agree with his theology and politics he banished the first tribe in 624. In 625, after
suffering a major defeat from the Meccans, he banished the 2nd, of 3, Jewish tribes from Medina.
He kept all their properties. After a victory, over the Meccans in 627, he authorized the
slaughter of all the Jewish men of the third and last Jewish tribe. He sold the women and
children into slavery and kept all the properties. Documentation of these historical facts can be
found on pages 70 to 79 in Answering Islam The Crescent In The Light of the Cross, by
Norman L. Geisler; 1993.
Then Islam continued to spread aggressively by conquest, through the use of the sword, for the
next 450 years. So the birth of these two religions are at opposite extremes. Christianity
honored life and Islam took life if one didnt convert. Even today many of the Islamic controlled
governments deliberately persecute Christians and Jews or passively allow such persecution.
Muslims will typically assume that Allah is the same as our God. They claim Abraham and other
prophets as their own; even Jesus is one of their prophets. It is just that they are the most
complete religion.
Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. They believe Jesus Christ is merely a
prophet. Christians believe in the Trinity, Muslims believe only in one God Allah . These are
mutually exclusive claims exerted by both religions. If we hold that our God the Father has a
Son Jesus Christ and their God does not have a son, there is room for few answers as to the
sameness of this God.
1. If both assertions are true then we have a god of confusion. Jesus names the god of
confusion Satan. In this case both faiths would be serving Satan.
2. If both assertions are true then we have a god of contradiction. This would mean we both
serve a god of irrationality. It would be a god that is unstable and insane. Neither religion
would hold this to be true.
3. One faith is following God and the other is simply in error. Jesus either is the Son of God or
he is not. If he is the Son of God Christians are following the truth and Muslims are not. If
Jesus is not the Son of God Christians are not following the truth and Muslims may or may
not be following the truth.
Is Islam Peaceful?

11/25/01

Is Islam Peaceful?

11/25/01

Statements 1 and 2 lead to a god who is toying with us or a god who is sick. Neither is a useful
conclusion. Number 3 is the only rational conclusion. Jesus is either the Son of God or he is
not. If Christians are right then Muslims are in serious error. If the Muslims are right then
Christians are in error.
Throughout the centuries Muslims have attacked the validity of Christianity. It would be fair to
say that they have launched more reasoned arguments against our faith than any other religion
has. In one of his books Norman L. Geisler has successfully refuted over 800 arguments Islam
has launched against Christianity. Proving the truth of Christianity disproves the validity of
Islam. In summation Christianity stands up to the test and Islam does not. Jesus Christ is the
Son of God and Islam follows a god who doesnt hold this to be true.
Today our president has stated that Islam is peace loving. While it is probably true that the
majority of Muslims are peace loving people, (the same can be said of people of all faiths) it is
not a true statement to say that Islam teaches only peace. It is equally important to recognize
that the Islamic holy warrior is also following his religion just as honestly as is the peace loving
Muslim. He is just doing what his prophet Muhammad did.
Mr. President please be straight forward to the American people about the nature of Islam. And
please refrain to giving approval to prayer to Allah. You may well be acting as an example to
ignorant Americans to pray to demons. It is one thing to acknowledge the right to practice
different faiths in this country, it is quite another to implicitly endorse those faiths. Honoring both
God and Evil at the same time is a contradiction in our faith and a dishonor to the only true God.
God Bless you and God Bless America,
Mark B. Nemzek

Is Islam Peaceful?

11/25/01