YIN/YANG

from Midwest Conservative Journal by The Editor

Hanging out with the Episcopal Organizaton’s House of Squishops this week, Chris Epting took the opportunity to engage in that favorite Episcopal recreation. Thanking God that he is not as other men are:

The morning was spent in presentations on the complexities and yet necessity of Christian-Muslim dialogue since over 60% of the world’s population are adherents of these two religions. As we approach the 10th anniversary of 9/11 prejudice, fear, and misunderstanding of Muslims seems only increasing in the United States and all speakers emphasized the need for us to counter this reality.

So often we hear “where are the moderate Muslim voices” to counter Al Quaida, the Taliban, etc. Today we were asked “Where are the moderate Christian voices to counter Glenn Beck, Franklin Graham and the other fear mongers who regularly demonize all Muslims for the sins of the extemists. Good question…

Eppie? Let Mr. Ben Kwashi of Nigeria describe some of his encounters with his Islamic neighbors over the last several years.

In February 2006 a band of people reportedly hired to kill me came to my house. Believing that I was there although I was in another country, they tortured my wife, Gloria, from 1:30 to 3:30 a.m. They left Gloria half-dead and blind. Our son Rinji was left unconscious and our little boy Nanminen had a broken mouth. Through the miracle of medical science, Gloria healed thoroughly and regained her sight in five months.

The next year the attackers were back: this time they met me. They took me downstairs to the field outside my house, where they were going to kill me. They changed their minds and decided they would rather kill me in my bedroom. They brought me back to my bedroom and I pleaded with them for an opportunity to pray. They agreed and I got on my knees to pray. A few minutes later my wife was holding my hands in prayer.

A few more minutes later my son Rinji walked in. I screamed at him, “What are you doing? Why are you here?” He said, “Daddy, they’ve gone.” We got up and brought the whole family together and we praised the Lord until the police and the soldiers came, and throughout the day it was a song of praise.

We have witnessed the massacre of Christians; the destruction of churches, Christian businesses, and property; and the disruption of normal life, time and again. But in all this we remain undaunted for the gospel.

I know that I will die someday — how I do not know — but until then I am fully persuaded beyond any doubt that I have a gospel to proclaim. I have a gospel worth living for and a gospel worth dying for.

Know something, Eppie? When Muslims are in the majority in a country or a region, the simple fact of the matter is that they are some of the most intolerant and occasionally murderous people in the world. It is not fear mongering and it is not demonization to point that fact out.

I’m sure you know many wonderful, peaceful, civilized, western Muslims and I’m sure that many of these are heartsick at the sorts of crimes people who read Korans commit. While even some of these peaceful western Muslims sometimes display a lack of concern for the feelings of non-Muslims(see the Ground Zero Mosque controversy), I have no doubt whatsoever that they are basically fine people.

But the fact remains that in too many places around the world to count, when the Islamic religion dominates, non-Islamic lives are worthless. That fact may offend western Muslims but it is still a fact nonetheless.

Look around the world, Eppie. Moderate, peaceful Islam is not winning. It might have a shot if those Muslim friends of yours would quit playing the victim, quit telling Americans how peaceful Islam is and start telling radical Muslims how badly they have corrupted the Mohammedan religion.

But they’re not doing any of that. What’s that tell you, Eppie?