The Islamocon never ceases nor slumbers. It merely expands its territory as we sleep! I have been saying that those of us who live in the heartland need to wake up or we will find ourselves in the same battles for our communities as taking place in Deabornistan, California, Florida, Arizona, Tennessee, just to mention a few states. The campaign to “normalize” Islam by making it appear to have some sort of commonality with Judaism and Christianity is in full force here! The latest efforts – a series of educational opportunities through churches and universities in the Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska areas.
On Sunday, April 29, the Islamocon will be be issued from the Kripke Center at Creighton University where scholars from both the Islamic and Christian traditions will explore “the passages from each religion’s sacred texts” to show the commonality of the faiths.
You can bet they will not be discussing the true history of Islam and Christians and Jews or the demands of Mohammad for Muslim dominance over Christians. Nor will they discuss holy text from the Qur’an such as:
Qur’an 005.051
YUSUFALI: O ye who believe! take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors: They are but friends and protectors to each other. And he amongst you that turns to them (for friendship) is of them. Verily Allah guideth not a people unjust.Qur’an 9: 29
Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture – [fight] until they give the jizyah willingly while they are humbled.
Christian-Muslim Study Circle
Join us as we examine A Common Word Between Us and You, a document written by 138 Muslim scholars from around the world highlighting the common ground between Islam and Christianity based on Islamic teachings. This document will be explored alongside Loving God and Neighbor Together: A Christian Response to A Common Word Between Us and You, a document signed by over 300 Christian scholars as a way of endorsing continued interaction between the two faith communities. Scholars from both the Islamic and Christian traditions will explore the passages from each religion’s sacred texts that are referenced in the documents to help shed light on how each tradition views interreligious engagement.
The study circle will be Sunday, April 29, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Harper Center Ballroom. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required (limited space is available). Register at:http://christianmuslimstudycircle.eventbrite.com.
Nor will anyone discuss the concept of taqyyia!
The opening statements in the “invitation” from the Muslim scholars lays the basis for the dialogue by asking Christians to set aside the affirmation of the Trinitarian conception of God. This is not boldly and obviously stated, but it is the clear implication in the wording of the ‘invitation.” The statement also informs us that God will love us if we sufficiently and adequately love Him. This reverses, of course, the Biblical view that God has first loved us “even while we were yet sinners.”
The points of contact between Christianity and Islam are secondary matters and are not defining. The differences are fundamental and non-negotiable. And, so long as Islamic tradition and jurisprudence holds to the doctrine of Abrogation, the Islamic worldview is called to intimidation, aggression, terror, and conquest of all other “infidel” faiths and worldviews, be they religious or secular.
If you want to understand the difference between Islam and Christianity, look at the first three centuries of each tradition and how they spread. Christianity, pre-Constantine, spread through proclamation. It had no armies or state power behind it. Islam, in the immediate wake of Muhammad’s death, went about military conquest with energies never before seen in the ancient world. This comparison is instructive.
Christian theologians have responded to the Islamic “scholars” invitation in “A Common Word . . .” by engaging in the typical craven apologies for Christianity’s episodes of violating the character of Christ. All well and good I supposes, but I know of no mutual offerings from the Muslim world.