Information and Reformation

After I posted Discover the Networks’ “The Muslim Brotherhood’s Strategic Goal for North America” on my Facebook page, one of my friends--a friend in real life--pointed out that Christianity has history of conquest and forced conversion as well.

I don’t mean to pick on my friend, but I felt it necessary to reiterate my response here (edited):

[In order for an individual to examine the tenets of his/her faith], one must look at the foundational work establishing that faith.

Before the Bible was made available to the everyday Christian, the Church leadership--meaning the Catholic Church--dispensed doctrine interpreted in whatever manner it saw fit.  After Johannes Gutenberg, the Bible was made available to all who could read it.  It is no accident that Christianity was radically transformed and Reformed after that.

The same is happening to Islam with respect its adherents and its doctrines.

One of the Founders of these two religions commanded his followers to love God with all one's heart, soul, strength and mind and to love one's neighbor as self; the other commanded his followers to convert non-believers at the point of the sword or make them pay the unbelievers' tax.

As each set of followers have become more and more familiar with the foundational doctrines of the two sets of religious belief, they have begun to behave more and more in accordance to those doctrines: one set has become less totalitarian almost to the point of zero and the other more aggressive and violent.

The Bible and the Koran are objective documents with historical contexts readily available in this information age.  It is up to the individual to make himself/herself familiar enough with both--if desired--in order to come to a cogent conclusion.

My friend mentions the genocides committed in the name of Jesus. Of course, the crimes of the prior millennium’s Christian missionaries are well-known and acknowledged:

Christian missionaries of Europe fell into error and sin back when they were bent on converting the natives of all lands--not by the act and desire of leading others to Christ, but by making Christianity about something other than Him, His Sacrifice, Resurrection and the purpose thereof.  The missionaries bound up Christ in themselves and their own ethnicity.

[Edited also.  I can’t help myself.]

Those crimes do not take anything away from the quality of the Gospel; they only speak to the quality of the human beings preaching it.  Again, were such missionaries following the Bible or ignoring the inconvenient parts when they trampled non-Christian cultures?

This subject reminds me of my assertion that it’s necessary to be able to analyze information rather than simply to gather it.  The will and ability to do this has become essential—not just to "win" an argument, but for personal and national survival.

Keep watch.

Comments

[Ric Locke]

My trackback doesn't appear to have worked.

Short answer: things change, including attitudes.

More here.

Regards,
Ric

[ItalianMama]

Following in your same vein, Islam predates Christianity (albeit not Judism) yet CHristianity over time has learned and is continuing to learn from its mistakes while the Islamists appear to be embracing theirs - ie: embracing the more violent aspects while most Christians are attempting to correct their previous more violent or aggressive behaviors. That's not to say we are by any means perfect (otherwise why would look to Grace and Mercy?) but our hope is to become so - we do so via love and forgiveness. It's just that love and forgiveness do not mean we have to stand there like a battered wife or child and take it more and more - rather we now look to a Protector to give us the moral fortitude to stand tall and say "No Enough!" And we look for the strength to not have to then be violent while we resist.
BTW - love your posts!
ItalianMama

[A Proud Veteran]

Islam pre-dates Christianity? I was taught that Islam was the late-comer - after all, doesn't it acknowledge the existence of Jesus?

[DaveO]

@ItalianMama,

Proud Veteran is correct. Islam came along approximately in 610 AD when Allah began sending revelations to his Prophet. Jesus is acknowledged as second only to the Prophet.

@Baldilocks,

Good post - the current form of radical Islam being the fundamentalist reform movement which began in the early 20th Century. Where I would offer criticism of this post is your not mentioning the Hadith which effects the understanding of the Koran by most Muslims.

[DonS]

One point:

The Spanish Catholics used rape, forced conversion, and conquest in South and Central America (Mexico in 1518, Peru IIRC 1524, etc).

By contrast, the English settlers at Jamestown were directed to treat the natives well, and establish good relations. They did not rape, force conversions, etc. In some cases (mostly under John Smith) the English used corersive methods of obtaining food. The first major violence between the indians and the English was the surprise attack of 1622, when the indians attempted to kill all the English. The English then responded with total war upon that specific tribe.

Of course, the Spanish were particularly fanatical Catholics, but the contrasts between the reformed church and the unreformed church are at least partly for the difference IMO.