Christianity and Islam: Enemies Forever

This article is the last in a four-part series appearing in this space.

... "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?' He said to them, 'An enemy has done this'... The enemy who sowed them is the devil..."

                                                                      -- Matt 13:24-28; 39

Jesus warned that the devil has planted weeds ("tares") in our midst, and that God will not remove them until Judgment Day, at which time they will be burned in the "furnace of fire." Weeds grow in the midst of the good seed, siphoning off water, nutrients, and sunshine. They will ultimately be burned, but meanwhile, Christians must deal with them.

Muslims are weeds growing in the midst of the kingdom of God. We have discussed in earlier articles how Islamic society has been a great failure wherever it has appeared. We have examined Islam's false claims and recounted the life of Muhammed the Terrorist. In this article, as we look Islam squarely in the face, we will see how Islam is the enemy of Western civilization in general, and Christians in particular.

The world has always hosted cruel, tyrannical regimes. It has never been difficult for a wicked despot to enroll members of the fallen human race, frequently in the name of religion, always by appealing to the base instincts of men.

Islamic nations provide today's best examples of such regimes. They are universally wicked, intolerant, and violent. The Koran calls for Muslims to wage endless jihad against all non-believers, and especially the "people of the Book", that is, Jews and Christians. Muslims teach their children that "whatever is kuffar [non-Muslim], it is okay for you to hurt or steal from that person."¹

A Gallup poll in February of 2002 showed that people in Muslim countries disapprove of the American action to destroy terrorist strongholds in Afghanistan. A majority of these described the United States as "ruthless, aggressive, conceited and arrogant."²

A recent Associated Press article matter-of-factly began:

          Jerusalem - A Palestinian suicide bomber detonated a powerful
          explosive Saturday in an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of
          Jerusalem, killing at least nine people and wounding more than 30.
          The attack targeted worshippers pouring into streets following
          sundown prayers at the end of the Jewish Sabbath.³

In yet another example:

         JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself
         up on a bus packed with schoolchildren and office workers during
         morning rush hour Tuesday, killing 19 people and wounding more
         than 50, police said.⁴

To a Muslim, there is no negotiated peace. There is no peace at all, until all of the world's Jews and Christians are dead or converted to Islam.

Political Implications

The implications for Western foreign policy are clear, although it appears that only the United States, and perhaps Great Britain, have the awareness, the moral grounding and the stomach to confront the world's greatest enemy since communism. Yet whereas the communist leaders were willing to move in the direction of peace, Muslims only view peace initiatives as opportunities to further their "holy war."

When American Secretary of State Colin Powell met with PLO Chairman Arafat, he returned home empty-handed, but Arafat gladly basked in the attention, which provided a sense of legitimacy to a rogue regime whose main raison d'etre is the destruction of Israel. While world leaders call for "peace in the Middle East", they most often intend for Israel to offer more concessions. Yet no amount of concessions will ever bring peace. From the Muslims' point of view, it is a fight to the death.

In the weeks following the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, President Bush declared war on terrorism and whatever nation aids terrorists. As rhetoric gave way to the thorny challenges of action, the President found it expedient to accept help wherever it may be found, including Islamic regimes that themselves promote terrorism. Foremost among these is Saudi Arabia. Also included are Iran, Pakistan,  and Egypt.

In the long run, nothing will be gained by siding with those who are ideologically committed to our destruction. Instead, when we "tolerate" radical Muslims, the pressure is off them to reform, so they continue to aid terrorists. On the other hand, if we clearly establish a zero-tolerance policy for terrorism, then these nations will need to decide whose side they are on.

Jesus said, "He who is not with Me is against Me." Jesus openly declared who His enemies were, as we also should. 

Personal Implications

Some months ago Franklin Graham, and more recently Pastor Jerry Vines, spoke out against Islam. Although their comments raised hackles among the "can't we just get along" set, they were both absolutely correct. There is good and evil in the world. There is right and wrong. Christianity is good and right. Islam is evil and wrong. So what should be the stance of the Christian toward a Muslim who may be his coworker or neighbor?

Again, Jesus gives us the example. Time after time, his approach to sinners was to love them, but also to speak the truth to them. No one ever gets to heaven who does not know the truth. There is no truth in Islam. When speaking to a Muslim, a Christian must make it clear that the two belief systems share no common ground. We speak the stark truth to the Muslim not out of hatred, but out of love and concern for his immortal soul. He may reject the truth, but if he does, he will stand on his own on Judgment Day.

The true enemy of the Christian is not the Muslim, but the devil, who has created the lie of Islam and uses it to keep Muslims in spiritual bondage. Above all, we must pray for these, "whose minds the god of this age has blinded," (2 Corinthians 4:4) that their eyes may be open to the truth. Then and only then can there be a lasting peace between us.


¹ "Where Two Worlds Collide", Washington Post, February 25, 2002.

² "Muslims' View of 9/11", Agape Press, February 27, 2002.

³ Greg Myre, Associated Press Writer, http://www.yahoo.com, March 2, 2002.

⁴ Michele Gershberg, Associated Press Writer, http://www.yahoo.com, June 18, 2002.Jerry Vines, Franklin Graham, foreign policy, President Bush, Colin Powell, Arafat, PLO, jihad, Mohammed, Islam, terrorism, terrorists, Muslims, false prophet, Christianity, Christians, love, hate, hatred, Muhammad, God, Jesus, bccddde, cddeeef. Jerry Vines, Franklin Graham, foreign policy, President Bush, Colin Powell, Arafat, PLO, jihad, Mohammed, Islam, terrorism, terrorists, Muslims, false prophet, Christianity, Christians, love, hate, hatred, Muhammad, God, Jesus, bccddde, cddeeef. Jerry Vines, Franklin Graham, foreign policy, President Bush, Colin Powell, Arafat, PLO, jihad, Mohammed, Islam, terrorism, terrorists, Muslims, false prophet, Christianity, Christians, love, hate, hatred, Muhammad, God, Jesus, bccddde, cddeeef. Jerry Vines, Franklin Graham, foreign policy, President Bush, Colin Powell, Arafat, PLO, jihad, Mohammed, Islam, terrorism, terrorists, Muslims, false prophet, Christianity, Christians, love, hate, hatred, Muhammad, God, Jesus, bccddde, cddeeef.