I posted on John Piper’s response to the Pope’s speech in Germany. That generated a few good comments. (Note that I just posted a question to William Taylor Sr.)
Last weekend we had the pleasure of hosting a Muslim convert at our church. I won’t say his name in case it is not appropriate. Anyway, his thinking was that, yes, if the Qur’an is properly interpreted, it does invoke violence. Matt notes that Kim Riddlebarger points to this article as evidence that Islam is not a religion of peace. Matt Wireman offers this insightful reflection:
“After traveling to the Middle East, I can say that all Muslims are not terrorists. It is foolish to think so. That would be like assuming everyone who goes to church in the United States is a Christ-follower. [But] Just because people who call themselves Christians aren’t living consistently with Christ’s teaching, does this mean we make value judgments on the religion? No. We point to the teachings [of Islam?] and show the person that he is inconsistent [with both Islam and the truth?] and he should get his knee bowed to Jesus’ lordship. How long will it take until the imams do the same with their inconsistent parishioners?”
[bracketed comments mine; I’m not certain they reflect Matt’s thinking.]
Update: My comments do not reflect Matt’s thinking. Please see Matt’s comment. Thanks for the correction Matt!
So while the religion may teach one thing, its adherents may not practice their faith in its undiluted form. Yet that does not prove Islam teaches peace. Rather, it opens a path to evangelism: a comparison of the “fundamentals” of Christianity and Islam. Along those lines, some report that Muslim conversions to Christ are highest in regions where Sharai Law is held (i.e., where, arguably, the Qur’an is taken most seriously).