A common shared belief among those practicing the faith of Islam is that the greatest thing one can do is to sacrifice one’s life for Allah, the god of Islam. Great rewards lie in store for those who make such a sacrifice, including a number of virgins in paradise!
Big news on this date, January 9, 2015, is that the three persons responsible for what is described as a massacre in Paris, France are now dead. One was killed early on and the two brothers who eluded authorities for a while were finally cornered and then killed in a gun battle with police.
The media, as could be expected, are having a field day with this happening. They thrive on shootings and killings – you know, with an attitude that is translated, “We have to get our people on the scene with endless babble so we can outdo our competition, have higher ratings, and then make more money because we can charge higher advertising rates – after all, the name of the game is to make lots and lots of money!”
What about those who did the killing? While most will reject the idea because they want to hold on to a false assumption that Islam is a “religion of peace” the fact of the matter is that these individuals are among the most dedicated Muslims you will find anywhere in the world today!
Their holy book, the Quran, speaks much about Allah and devotion given to Allah. The Quran also stresses that only Islam is the true faith and to be strictly followed and practiced if one is to be a faithful Muslim. Christians and Jews are specifically identified as being infidels (unbelievers) and it is the goal of Islam to work toward a world where no infidels exist and Muslims are totally in control. Before that can happen, the world must be purged of all who are infidels and refuse to convert and become Muslim in faith.
The highest recognition is given to those who become “martyrs” in the cause of Islam. And there will be those in the world of Islam who will regard the three in the Paris massacre as having made the ultimate sacrifice and have gone to their rewards, including being given a number of virgins in the paradise that will be their eternal home!
An aside here – on 9/11 when four commercial aircraft were hijacked and later crashed intentionally, the Muslim who took over piloting the one that crashed near Shanksville PA was quoted in his last words as saying, “Allah is the greatest!”
But the media will give little or no attention to this issue whatsoever. It is much easier (and more comfortable) to label them as simply “terrorists” – it may cause too much difficulty to identify them as the very dedicated Muslims which they were.
There will be many who will sharply disagree with most of the foregoing statements about Islam, its dedicated followers and the ultimate goal of Islam.
It is rather easy to obtain a copy of the Quran free on the internet and download it for storage in one’s computer. Find out for yourself what the Quran teaches, and particularly how infidels are to be treated if they refuse to accept Islam and its god, Allah! I especially would like someone to explain to me what is the meaning of the command to not take Christians or Jews for friends.
Here in the states the claim can be made that Muslims and Christians live peacefully together in many places. They can be friends and close neighbors. There have been efforts to have sessions of conversation about faith, how all can “work together” to improve community, nation, etc.
However, many Muslims are similar to too many professing Christians and willing to compromise their faith. Each is a very radical faith claiming to be exclusive and allowing for no other religious expression in existence! Christians, if faithful to the teachings of their Bible and taking the exclusive claims and demands of Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, as being absolutely true, will not back down from the conviction that He indeed is the only way of forgiveness, salvation and the hope of an eternal Heaven! Further, we are under His command to confront the entire world with His claims and call – to the entire human race living in this world at any point in time!
Islam and Christianity are basically incompatible in their purest expressions. The main difference is that Christianity operates on the principle of God’s love, not forcing by threat or violence for anyone to become a Christian. Islam, on the other hand, is militant and at times very violent – the approach is, “Convert and become Muslim, or you die!” Recent beheadings taking place in some places in the world are undeniable proof of this fact!
“These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.” [Spoken by Jesus in John 16:1-3 (KJV)}.
