UI – Part 553 – Un-Offendable

Sensitive Muslims

Discussions as to the sensitivity of Muslims, primarily the spokes-persons, or outspoken militants of a political Islamist nature, who react immediately to any criticism, even discussion or debate so labelled, make clear how readily Muslims can be offended. 

Political Islamists, Jihadists, call out to all Muslims to join the reaction, often in the form of a fatwa, to rebel against any expressions that question the validity of Islam.  All too often it appears the only defense they have is to be on offense.  In that regard from the pages of the Scripture of Islam those that oppose Islam, in any way, even when asking a question, cause ‘mischief’ and threaten Muslims, enable the Islamist to go on the offense.  Justification is provided to override any consideration of peace or a safe-coexistence by the ‘mischief’ caused.  The Islamist is now free to attack the heretic or infidel, ‘fighting,’ for Allah, using any means, including violence.  For that there is no shame, no guilt, no sin. To me this is nonsense. 

Sura 5.33 – “The recompense of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and do mischief in the land is only that they shall be killed or crucified or their hands and their feet be cut off on the opposite sides, or be exiled from the land. That is their disgrace in this world, and a great torment is theirs in the Hereafter” (English translation – Mohsin Khan). 

What are these Islamists hiding?

Those who have faith generally feel comfortable in their own skin.  They are not ones, as the Muslims, that take up arms against those that disagree with them.  God is their protector.  

We live in an evil fallen world.  It all started in the Garden. Sin caused humans to begin the process of decay to then die physically, spiritually and eternally.  No longer right with God man became lost in a wilderness that was as a maze, the exit of which is very difficult to locate.  The example provided in the Bible book Genesis is of a free human, naked and without shame, sinless.  When that changed, when the humans disobeyed God, suddenly they felt exposed.  They were overcome and sought cover, action, was taken to hide their nakedness.  From a world of light they fell into darkness.  Paradise had to be left behind; the gate to re-enter closed.  It is the same ‘paradise’ that Muslims are by their Scripture seeking to attain after death. 

There are those who believe in God, recognizing their sinful nature, find forgiveness in God’s Grace, and plot a new course, reborn into the light, as a community of followers.  God’s love warms their souls, a power so strong it energizes the spirit bringing hope and joy into their lives.  From an old world into a new they can step with confidence knowing where they are going.  Obstacles in their way, hurdles of persecution, even from the dais of Emmy Awards Presentations, cannot deter them. They are vulnerable, yes, as they have exposed themselves, revealed their sin nature, their weaknesses, but they have been made strong by their faith in God and his saving graciousness.  They know, have been made aware, that at the culmination of their walk the gates to an eternal life await, to be opened upon their arrival, as paradise rests on the other side.  In my book, The Wonder of Terra, that place is Vale.  From Earth to Vale for those who believe.

The Christian has been informed, by the Word of God, that they will be persecuted; it is to be expected.  Just as Christ was.  They are to turn the other cheek, continue to love their neighbor, even their enemy.  That does not mean they are to simply appease the evil storms that may gather.  They can join forces as necessary to stop the spread of a monster focused on personal self-aggrandizement and a destruction of a world safe for all mankind.  God never intended there be exclusive factions, as that could only be a result of Satan building armies to battle God for not giving him his place on an equal plane.  God is well aware of the nature of mankind, yet makes it possible, for those so chosen, to be with him forever. 

 Chosen

Muslims may or may not be chosen.  How do they know?  First they come to grips with the fact they are tempted; they sin.  Where did their sin nature come from?  Was it Muhammad, a mortal, a self-proclaimed-Prophet, imperfect, militant, with uncommon sexual proclivities, and with vengeance in his heart to those that opposed his views?  Was it Allah, the god of Islam so stated by Muhammad himself, although indirectly via the angel Gabriel during drug induced (Qat probably) respites in caves whereupon he received ‘revelations?’ The ‘revelations’ were revealed to his Companions, followers rewarded with a portion of the spoils of caravan raids, such as coin, women and children.  The bulk of the proceeds of Muhammad’s marauders was to be used to fund his campaign against Mecca. An army of Muhammadians was formed (to become Islamists from a historical perspective).  Muhammad evolved to expect those not in his control to be the crowd that funded the life-style and objectives of those who having once agreed to work with Muhammad could never stop.  They became enslaved, trapped, in the web of deception, hatred and vengeance, that engulfed Muhammad’s every action.  Apostasy, leaving Muhammad’s camp. seeking freedom, or feeling chosen by a different god than Allah, resulted, when captured, in a sword or special knife wielded to smite the apostates neck from his body.  This practice continues under the aegis of Islam.  It is a dark world Muhammad created with borders, barriers erected, to prevent those born into, or having joined, from seeking comfort in a freer environment or one of their own choice. 

Followers of Christ

Those chosen by God, those that feel the presence of Jesus, those that become aware of God’s love and forgiveness, those that understand and see the sacrifice of another by accepting punishment for our sins (yours and mine), realizing the magnitude of what God can and has done to make man right with Him, reversing the death cycle begun in the Garden, will no longer be Muslim, atheist, Jewish, or anything other than a follower of Christ.  The scales on their eyes will fall as did Simon’s and they will see light, a brightness that no longer causes them to hide in the shadows. Persecution will not change how they feel, what they believe.  Persecution will not provide justification to kill a non-believer, secularist, or another human who may be a critic, even in opposition to what they believe.  There is no reason as God is on their side. 

Hiding What?

There are those who are offendable.  There are those who are un-offendable.  

What Muslims are hiding, particularly the jihadists, the political Islamists, those who have progressed past being just a cultural Muslim, is their lack of complete confidence in what they have accepted, the ideology they live by, the example they have either chosen or been indoctrinated, brainwashed, into accepting as their example.  They take up arms to defend, to fight, as a bully, his only means to garner control.  It is not respect they seek; it is respect they demand, their insecurities aside, using coercion as necessary. They hide their sin, their shame, their guilt, their lack of independent thought, their lack of freedom, and their inability and weakness to step out of the darkness willingly.  

Advice From Within

From Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”  Every human’s soul speaks daily to them, a voice from within, so it seems, but in fact an etherial transmission, as a whisper breathed from God, revealing the truth.  It is the truth to which one can choose to adhere to or to ignore.  God’s love is an ember glowing within every soul able to ignite the spirit once awake to the grace of the Lord.   A reality born in the death of Christ, difficult to comprehend, a miracle of unfathomable grace, accepting punishment for our sin, large or small, is a barrier, more a wall over which light shines on the other side.  The light is made visible, the barrier easily negotiated, when the ember becomes a flame, God’s love felt as a strong embrace of forgiveness.  It is freedom from the guilt and shame of how easily we are able to accede to temptation, and how difficult the pleasures provided by Satan are to avoid.  Like a dieter confronted with copious amounts and varieties of ice cream, sweet cakes and candies, and not able to even have a taste, not even one.  Just a taste is a sin, disobedience. The most difficult to digest is Christ as God, once dead, buried, and after three days appearing to many, to in a short period ascend to join the heavenly, as an advocate for those who believe.  Humans were made to know God, through Jesus, made man and living among humans, the son of man, the son of God, as only God could do.

Muslim, as do so many humans, hide the truth, made known to them in the Word of God.  The ember within can be made a flame, just as eyes are opened when morning comes and sleep is ended.  They are offended when confronted with their own restrictions, as if they do not exist.  It is men that made Islamic Law, Sharia Law, not God.  God’s Laws are known, in a book even Muslims respect, the Bible, with particular emphasis on human rights, equality and love of neighbor. Yet to control a faction Muhammad took it upon himself to make his own laws, to provide the Scripture by which his adherents are to be obedient and guided, which deny human rights of all, equality and love of neighbor.  When confronted with these obvious common considerations Muslims become offended.  They obey man’s law and not god’s law, Muhammad’s composition and not god’s Word. 

Mischief

There will always be mischief, even as the Quran defines. It is unavoidable.  It is temptation.  It is criticism.  It is debate. It is differences of opinion.  It is the pursuit by one of a path different from another’s, while encouraging them to join, to follow, to consider, to be open minded.  None is intended to be offensive, just another point of view.  This to a Muslim is proselytization, which is considered an aggressive action against Muslims to which they can respond, calling it defense, in a manner that includes ‘fighting,’ ‘violence,’ even killing those speaking of their own belief which is not Islam.  The reason for such a reaction, as called for in the Quran, is to avoid hearing of another path to ‘paradise.’  But it is also a reflection of personal insecurity.  It is a means or method of control, of keeping Muhammad’s army entrapped by heredity or having once made a choice (even if for reasons of financial gain, as a soldier-or-war) from leaving. 

Muslims doth complain too much, and too often.  They are offended, even to the extent of labeling themselves, falsely may I add, a race.  It is not racism when someone debates the path laid forth for a Muslim as having uncommon requirements.  It could simply be a request for explanation. But the problem as I see it, and I too can be called an Islamophobe, having an objection to Islam as a religion, is an inability for a Muslim to properly define and understand the tenets of their own ideology.  They believe in god, an etherial being beyond our reach, but not as a savior of all mankind.  It is a one step process, yet when Allah forgives it is not without conditions, and it is not without the need for future forgiveness.  Christians were forgiven once and for all, atonement for sins, acknowledgement of a sin nature, understood and heeded, in thanks too for God’s Grace on the cross. 

Grace and Peace