islam

"Since the horrendous events of September 11, 2001, anti-Muslim attitudes have increased among most Americans. Within the Christian community, prominent spokespersons have used inflammatory remarks to feed negativism toward Islam. One television evangelist has called Islam an 'evil religion.' Another of America's best-known evangelists has gone on record declaring Islam to be wicked.

"Christian missionaries serving in Islamic countries find themselves increasingly threatened by Muslims who react to such accusations by viewing these missionaries as people who despise them. It is no surprise that in some places, Muslim extremists have physically attacked and even killed missionaries.

"On simply pragmatic grounds, we have to ask what good we accomplish with such inflammatory rhetoric. And we have to ask if those outspoken Christian leaders who claim to be committed to winning Muslims to Christ have given any consideration to the possibility that their accusations might make Muslims even more resistant to the Christian gospel.

"At just about every missionary conference I attend, the speakers talk about the need to evangelize those who live within 'the 10/40 window.' This is a reference to that part of the world between 10 degrees and 40 degrees north of the equator, which covers North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

"What evangelicals have to recognize is that the majority of the people who live within that 10/40 window are Muslims. And if we really want to evangelize them, we had better find ways to show love to them rather than wage war against them. To that end, we must critique our rhetoric about Muslims, study who they are and what they believe, and seek out common ground for a creative dialogue in which we can tell them about Jesus and His salvation."

- Tony Campolo, Speaking My Mind, pp 138-141.

...God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all.... (1 Timothy 2:3-6)

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood.... (Ephesians 6:12)

Live free! Live in Father's love!