Call Me Muslim Today - Here's Why

This post has been in draft form for weeks, because I didn't think anyone would much care what I have to say on the subject - until the media lit up of the violence in Paris yesterday. There's a lot I could say about this. A lot. But I'm going to say what I've been thinking about saying.

I grew up in a church that emphasized missions. We got apologetics training (basically an education in how to proselytize effectively) that included, of course, how to defend Christianity against those who would attempt to discredit it, but also some training in why other religions and atheism are wrong.

In some ways, I am grateful for the global perspective and comparative religions training this gave me at a young age. I read biographies of missionaries and began to realize that not everywhere is like my home. My sister is currently a missionary with the Wycliffe Bible Translators partly because of this.

On the other hand, some of this training resulted in glossing over possible flaws in Christian history and doctrine and then exaggerating similar flaws in other religions. As a major world religion, Islam was included in this mischaracterization. I'd like to touch on a few of those criticisms, because I'm sure I'm not alone in having heard them.

In terms of theology, one of the biggest critiques I've heard is of the doctrine of abrogation, which basically means that to resolve inconsistencies in the holy writings, the policy is that the one written later is correct. The speaker (I couldn't tell you his name now) ridiculed Islam by choosing part of the text very early, contrasting it with a later-written portion, and then stating that the doctrine of abrogation was inconsistent or foolish.

EXCEPT Christianity basically does that too, to resolve conflicts between the Old and New Testament. If there's a law in the Old Testament that we don't follow, it's typically explained that Jesus came to fulfill the law and has given us different instructions, more recently. I don't see how that's substantially different that the doctrine of abrogation. I just don't. I'm sure someone with a degree in religion could explain the exact theological difference, but for purposes of this discussion, it's not enough to discredit an entire religion.

I have also heard people refer to Islam as a cult, given that it focuses on a single leader and supposedly follows an adapted version of another religion. It's a long complicated thing, and you can read about it more elsewhere - except by that logic, Christians would be a cult too, given our focus on Jesus and the fact that we're sort of claiming to be Jewish but not really.

Another criticism: Islam doesn't treat women fairly. EXCEPT how many denominations of Christianity still don't allow women to become ministers, regulate their dress, tell them to be dominated by their husbands, say that a woman's place is in the home, blame victims of sexual violence for their own abuse, and regulate female sexuality? Kind of a lot. And how many Muslim women are accomplished, liberated, strong, independent? Both religions have successes and failures on this front. So pot, meet kettle here.

And lastly, though this is the one most relevant to this post's timing: the criticism that Islam encourages violence. Yes, a few people who claim to follow Islam do terrible things and blame it on their religion.

EXCEPT what religion does Westboro Baptist Church claim to follow when they picket military funerals, churches, clinics, etc? What religion would most KKK members claim? What religion prompted the rape and pillage of the Americas in the name of its deity? The Crusades? The bombing of abortion clinics? Hint: it wasn't Islam.

If we are going to judge religions by the worst people who claim to follow them, if we are going to let those who perpetuate violence and hate define said religion, then Christianity isn't looking good. 

I haven't read the Quran in full, though it is on my lifetime list of things to achieve. I don't have the pillars memorized, but here is a list I Googled, for those even less familiar than I am: faith, prayer, charity, fasting, and pilgrimage to Mecca. I find the first four in the Bible as well, and I know many Christians who do travel to the Middle East to learn more about their faith, share fellowship, and experience the history more deeply, also.

There is a reason that Muslims refer to Jews, Christians, and themselves as People of the Book. Yes, there are differences. Yes, some people who adhere to these religions do horrible, evil things. But I hope you're getting by now, readers, that extending one characteristic, one description, especially a negative one, to an entire group is a dangerous line to walk. I hope you're seeing that while I believe strongly in the importance of the Gospel, I cannot claim that the Christian church has always been perfect.

 The Bible would refer to Christians vilifying all Muslims because of this one incident as calling out a neighbor for a speck in their eye when we have a huge plank in our own eye (see Matthew 7).

So if you would still like to criticize Islam on this one incident, criticize me too. Criticize me for valuing faith, prayer, charity, and self denial. Criticize me for the days that I don't adhere to Christianity, don't love my neighbor as myself, don't love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, criticize me for believing that one person can change the narrative and the way we relate to God, criticize me for believing Jesus when he says that we shouldn't stone women for infidelity even though the Old Testament says that we should. Blame me for Westboro's transgressions.

I stand in solidarity with Muslims around the world when I condemn this violence. I stand to say that we should not malign Muslims or Islam because of this incident. I know many Muslims are afraid, justifiably, for their safety.  For the Christians who still aren't convinced, let me end with a line from the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10):

Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?