Islamophobia is on the rise in America–and, sadly, particularly in the Christian community. It’s whispered in gossipy comments about our President (“you know, he’s a secret Muslim”). It’s present in scary-music You Tube videos that go viral as they attempt to inform us about massive Muslim population growth (some manipulation of facts included). And it was especially present in the reprehensible op-ed piece by Gary Cass, recently published by Charisma News, “I’m Islamophobic, Are You?” Charisma was shamed into taking the post down, but one had to wonder why a mainstream Pentecostal website published it in the first place.
Cass’s piece is still readable on his own website, but I have chosen not to link to it. In his piece, he argues that all Muslims want to kill non-Muslims. He says that there are only three possible solutions to dealing with Muslims in America. First, conversion, but he argues that God hates Muslim Arabs, and although there might be one here or there who come to faith in Christ, “History does not record a mighty move of God in saving masses of Muslims. I believe the scriptures militate against mass Muslim conversions.” Since conversion is out, Cass argues that the next alternative is “D.A.M.N.: Depart All Muslims Now.” But since most people’s beliefs about Muslims are “irrational and stupid,” Cass argues this is not likely to happen. Finally, since he has discarded options one and two, Cass argues, “The only thing that is biblical and that 1400 years of history has shown to work is overwhelming Christian just war and overwhelming self defense.” Then he tells his audience to buy a gun and prepare their family. Finally, he closes his piece with this horrifying language:
We will have to face the harsh truth that Islam has no place in civilized society. Muslims cannot live in a society based on Christian ideals of equality and liberty. They will always seek to harm us.
Now the only question is how many more dead bodies will have to pile up at home and abroad before we crush the vicious seed of Ishmael in Jesus name?
Wow. Just wow. I have heard plenty of veiled Islamophobic beliefs, but this is so blatant and aggressive that I can hardly believe it was published by a mainstream publication. I would not be shocked if some radicalized Christian takes this his post as a mandate to kill and terrorize Muslims here in the U.S.
I want to stand against this kind of hateful, dangerous nonsense which goes completely against the spirit of faithful Christianity and utterly misrepresents the God who we serve. Here are 4 reasons why Christians absolutely must take a stand against both blatant and veiled Islamophobia.
1. Love your neighbor.
No one likes to be characterized by their worst representative. Imagine if all Christians were judged by those who shoot abortion doctors or by the Crusaders or by Fred Phelps. Does the presence of violent so-called Christians mean that Christianity is inherently violent? In the same way, it’s unfair and untrue to argue that “every Mosque in America is conspiring to kill you.”
As Christians, our number one mandate is witness to Christ (more on this below). We absolutely discredit our witness and align ourselves with the forces of evil when we engage in bearing false witness and fear-mongering. Consideration and respect rather than aggression is a witness to Christ. God calls us to love our neighbor. We do this by being willing to see our neighbor as a real human being, not a two-dimensional bogeyman. We do this by being willing to put ourselves in our neighbor’s shoes. What would it be like to be Muslim in a country where lots of people are afraid of you and hate you? Wouldn’t it be terrifying? Hate crimes against Muslims are a real thing, and they’re motivated by ignorance.
What if, instead of proclaiming jihad against Muslims, we got to know them? What if we chose to know them as they really are? What if we dared to let them know that we are their friend, and they have no reason to fear us? Just try to argue from Scripture that that is not a Biblical response to our neighbor in our midst.
2. The blessing of the “other.”
As sinful human beings, we are geared toward fearing the “other.” Someone who is different from us can be frightening.
But, Biblically, we are not called to fear the other, but to realize that we have much blessing to gain from the presence of the “other.” We see in the story of the Good Samaritan, the one who is of a despised class and ethnicity (and religion!) turns out to be the one who blesses one of God’s chosen people. When we dare to love and know people, we so often find out that we become the ones who are blessed.
What surprises might we find if we get to know Muslims? How might we learn from them? How might their friendship enrich our lives?
3. The mission field at our door step.
I’m not arguing that we make our Muslim neighbors a project (I will love them whether they convert to my faith or not), but I do argue unapologetically that God loves Muslims, and Jesus died to save them too. Enough of this nonsense about God hating Arab Muslims. It’s time to remember that we Gentiles were also outside God’s covenant, but as Paul says, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13). God longs to bring every person who is far away from Him near.
It is desperately frustrating to see the self-centered Church of Jesus in America missing an incredible opportunity that God has brought to our doorstep. It used to be that if you wanted to be a missionary, you had to travel to a far-away land. But God has blessed us by bringing the mission field to our doorstep. If we respond by turning inward, resorting to hate and violence, and trying to protect our comfortable little world, I honestly wonder what God will say to us on Judgment Day. I really do. The goal of the Christian faith is not to protect what I have, but to reach out to demonstrate and speak the Good News to our neighbors. We are all missionaries, and God has brought the world to our doorstep. What a blessing!
4. Love your enemies.
Someone will argue, “But what about Muslim extremists? There are certainly some of those hiding in our midst. And those people are dangerous!” Look, I’m a realist. I know there are some people here that want to do us harm. It’s a fringe element, but there are some. But here’s the thing: we do not get a pass to fail to love our neighbor just because our neighbor has declared himself our enemy. We don’t get a pass on loving members of ISIL or AL-Qaeda. Rather than a Satanic call to “crush the vicious seed of Ishmael in Jesus name,” Jesus gave us this call:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.–Matthew 5:43-48, NIV
Of course, nations must sometimes intervene and engage in just war against those who terrify and destroy the innocent. But our call as Church must not be conflated with some warrior mandate. Our call as Church is to sacrificially love and bear witness.
I hope at least one person reading this post will be willing to reject fear and hatred and turn to their Muslim neighbor with the embrace of God’s love. Let’s reject our self-centered, comfortable American Church and dare to reach out to those who are good and those who are bad. Let’s dare to know them. Let’s give thanks that these precious people who God loves are now in our midst. And let’s show them that we think so.
photo credit: Photosightfaces via photopin cc
Rebecca Florence Miller 
Thanks for your thoughtful, balanced response, as usual! I enjoy your writing so much Rebecca!
Rebecca,
Saw this linked through Facebook. I agree with you and part of loving and understanding is being informed. The reality is that many Muslims are like many Christians, they don’t know what the holy book says. As Christians we should make sure that if our heart is full of fear of “the other” we should first, be in the Word and in prayer and then read and try to understand the Koran. There are many areas in which a person can speak about how Mohammed wrote of Jesus and clarifying the differences between what he wrote and what the Bible says. This can happen in conversation and it may open for them the faith that we love and hold so dear, but it may also help them to be a greater voice against extremism. Lutheran Hour Men’s Ministry has a great two part study on Islam that is lead by a knowledgeable former Muslim that converted to Christianity and he lays out much of what the Koran says as well as what some of the more extreme views that come from writings outside of the Koran by other early Muslim theologians and their interpretations of the teachings of Mohammed. It doesn’t call for appeasement which is often dishonest in its approach, but it does help in being able to be a positive witness. We should not celebrate in the suffering of anyone nor should we desire to be the bearers of it, unfortunately the negative witness seems to get the news. Muslims, I don’t believe, will be saved if they are a “good Muslim” anymore than a Christian will be saved by their good works, it is only through faith in Jesus Christ we are saved and if we are killed in being a positive witness to one who desires to kill us, what harm has been done? Maybe in our death if we are reflecting Christ the one who is killing us may see Him and in our death they may come to salvation and be of greater witness than we ever could spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ farther than we could in life. This is not saying I desire to die or put myself in a position to be martyred, but my prayer is that if faced with death because of my faith that to the last breath that my witness would be strong. It’s amazing how many miss the fuller history of our faith and fail to see that more Christians have died for their witness in history for the perpetuation of the faith than have killed those who wish to destroy our faith and how we forget the witness of Stephen as stones were cast because of his faithful witness. May our lives be reflections of Christ and our deaths be in faithful witness whether it be of natural causes or brought upon us with great suffering. Peace to you and your family. Thanks for this.
In Christ,
Chris
Thanks for writing this piece. It fits in almost perfectly with what a group of us were talking about after church on Sunday – we’re going through James, and the sermon this week was on James 2 (Do not show favoritism) and the story of the good Samaritan was used as an illustration. We were talking about how our behavior in the world makes our favoritism clear, which is why the church is so segregated, why so many feel unwelcome even to walk into the doors of a church. We’ve created a situation with Islamaphobia that extends to outright prejudice towards any people of Middle Eastern descent, regardless of their religious affiliation. Would the Middle Eastern Christians that are being persecuted right now be welcome in our neighborhoods without an immediate and visible caveat about their faith? Could they walk into our churches and be met with love and comfort, or would they be met with misunderstanding and fear?
I felt blessed by reading this article. God bless Rebecca so much!!!
Good blog post. The Christian theology/ethics is well stated. I do however have one quibble. I am no Islamaphobe but, I take issue with bullet point 1. While there are a tiny minority of radical fundamentalist Christians who, in misguided zeal, are willing to do violence in the name of Christ, this hardly compares to the thousands of radicalized Muslims across the world who do indeed want to force Islamic rule upon others or kill them. This is reality and while most of these radicalized Muslims live outside the US there is a legitimate cause for concern, which is not entirely self serving or about hate. What we as Christians do with this concern and yes sometimes fear is another matter which your post addresses. I do think the communication lines between Christians and main stream Muslims need to open up so, there is more understanding between faiths. Also we as American Christians have lived a relatively persecution free life especially when compared to Christians in the Middle East or China which we unfortunately feel entitled to.