CAN CHRISTMAS HOPE REACH MUSLIMS?

J. Grant Swank, Jr.


It’s time for you Muslims to give up killing and maiming one another as well as the so-called infidels.


Your cult is based on despair and mayhem. The more one kills, the more one gets in Allah’s eternity, that is, for the Muslim males for the Muslim females are not worth anything.


That is not very hopeful, Muslims worldwide. It is time that you come to the truth
in Christianity.


I am not referring to Gentiles. I am talking about Christian truth as stated in the Bible. There are scores of Gentiles who are not Christians. Do not confuse the two. Christians are those who live out the love of Jesus. They do no harm to their enemies but pray for their enemies, doing good to their enemies.


Now would not you, Muslims, want that for a daily ethic?


Of course there are some hypocrites in the Christian conclave. They claim to be followers of Jesus but instead they are liars for they live for self. I am not referring to the hypocrites. I am referring to the sincere, genuine Christians who know the Gospel and live it every day.


Therefore, I extend to you Muslims to read the New Testament, particularly the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They tell about Jesus and His love, His forgiveness of repented sins, His message about heavenly bliss, His mercy and grace bestowed upon His followers, His indwelling compassion and wisdom.


That is a far cry from your Koran killing and maiming verses. There is much there that has to do with pounding rocks into women’s heads, slitting their throats, lopping off ears and toes and fingers, dismembering the bodies of the so-called infidels.


Do you really want your families centered on that kind of bloodletting?


Then someone emails me to say that in the Old Testament God prescribed death penalties for certain disobedient acts. True. That was because God was building a sane society from a barbaric people.


Therefore, stiff penalties meant that Hebrews were to line up with the holy law. Weak penalties would have tempted Hebrews to be lenient with themselves, disobeying God easily.


When Jesus came, the Old Testament rule of king was long gone because foreign powers overtook the Hebrews. Therefore, Hebrews, in the first century known as "Jews," were under Roman control.


Consequently, Jesus told His followers that it was no longer "eye for eye, tooth for tooth." He said, "I give you a new law. Love your enemy. Pray for your enemy. Do good to those who persecute you for righteousness."


Therefore, Christians for the last twenty centuries have followed the love teaching of Jesus, no longer adhering to the Old Testament prescriptions for penalties for broken statutes.


Yet I get emails telling that down through the past centuries Christians murdered this public or that public. So how are killing Muslims any different than killing Christians?


No. Again, people must not confuse "Gentiles" with "Christians." Because a person is not a Jew he is automatically a Gentile. Each mortal is one or the other.


But being Gentile does not make one Christian. One is only a Christian if one
follows Jesus as Savior and Lord, living His love ethic as provided in the New Testament.


There are many church persons who are not Christians. There are many Gentiles who are not Christians.


Therefore, don’t call "killing Gentiles" "killing Christians." They are killing Gentiles—period. Christians who are genuinely Christians don’t kill, maim, steal, plunder and so forth. By their deeds they shall be known. Jesus said by our fruits we are known as good or bad. It is in the life. It is in the deed.


I invite you then to read the New Testament Gospels in particular. Meet Jesus. Find Him as your hope.