On Islam
I just talked Ms. Hall's ear off over in the comment box for this post. I trust she can forgive me and that the disagreement comes off as respectful and not vituperative--although I always distrust the nuances that can be applied to words. Please accept my word for it, it is intended as a respectful disagreement.
I honestly do not know what to make of Islam. I suppose I would have to have the same feelings in approaching any religion I was unaware of. I recall Gandhi's possibly apocryphal remark that , "Christianity is a wonderful religion, too bad so few practice it." Is this also a possiblity with Islam? Culturally I have been persuaded otherwise, but is that a result of the blinders I have chosen to put on? After all, I suppose if one wished to, one could find enough incidents of Christian violence around the world to claim that Christianity was no religion of peace. I don't know that this is true, but then I come prepackaged with bias in that arena as well.
The Islamic Supreme Council of America seems to represent a voice of reason and solid support for both Islam and the United States. I could be a dupe.
However, as I pointed out, as Christians we do not have the luxury of being anti-anyone. We can opposed ideas, notions, dangerous actions, idiocy, and any number of other things, but we cannot be against the people holding those notions. That is not to say that when they threaten our existence we are to stand meekly by and let them wipe us out. Nor does it say that we should preemptively take care of them (pre-emption, in my mind does not refer to our present crisis). Jesus demands that we love one another. Charity is a virtue only in so far as it is practiced toward those who oppose us and hate us (reasonably or unreasonably).
So, I say let us focus instead on the beams in our own eyes, and not be so willing to swallow the foaming-at-the-mouth media image of Islam that we have been spoon-fed. It is ironic how the media so "tolerant," "liberal," and anti-Bush could also portray so strong a negative image of Islam, while telling us that it is a "religion of Peace." Were I a little more paranoid I would say that we have a remarkable instance of the Minitruth employing double-speak.
