islam is a religious faith, not a living breathing entity, just like christianity. so the only actual enemy you can attack is a person who is muslim. the problem there is that people are complex, and attacking them is NEVER a black and white issue. i believe the desperation that drives suicide bombers originates from a primitive culture locked into a cycle of poverty, not in islam. look deeper.
... i hope that someday both islam and christianity will grow out of 'holy wars' and such. ...
NO BRIAN,
Islam is not just like Christianity. Christianity is not a
religious faith. It is relationship to Jesus Christ, the only Son of the only true God, YHWH. (Now, it may be that various sects that are nominally "christian" may
be religious "faiths".)
Islam is the following of Allah, for whom Mohammed was the Prophet. Make no mistake, this "Allah" is
not Jehovah (YHWH) God but one of the gods of the Arab people (Ishmaelites) in the days of Mohammed. This god happened to be the principal god worshipped by Mohammed's family. Mohammed and his ilk were obviously successful in making Allah pre-eminent in Arabia. From there, Islam was spread throughout the Middle East, etc. by fierce armies using violent coersion (threat of beheading, etc.) This
is the history of Islam. This
is condoned by the Koran.
This coercion M-O of the Muslims may have been, to some degree, used by some "christian" sects (Roman Catholic, etc.) but is in no way supported by Scripture. In the Old Testament, Israel was commanded to kill those who had polluted the land promised to Abraham. This was
never to be a way to
coerce conversion but rather to bring an end to demonic defilement. Conversion, either to Judaism or Christianity, must always be a response of faith in the ones being converted.
"To open their eyes, [and] to turn [them] from darkness to light, and [from] the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me." Acts 26:18
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:" Eph 2:8For the Muslim, holy war (Jihad) is physical elimination of the "infidel" (esp. Jews & Christians). For the Christian, holy war is a spiritual battle that constantly rages, but on our part,
never includes physical intimidation of another but rather is engaged in by living a life faithful to Christ in prayer and preaching of the gospel to the lost.
Both Brent and Fighter are correct to recognize Islam as a/
the stated enemy of true Christian believers and Jews. Have you heard the pronouncements of
many Muslim clerics against Israel, the US and Christianity?
PS, Brian - I did not realize how far you were from biblical faith. I will pray that you return to your former profession and receive the grace of God so that you may find Christ as the only basis for faith.