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December 1, 2002, Vol.1, No.21. Part 6 on Islamism
Does Christianity Teach Violence? Keith Sharp S.F. Mahmud, Muslim historian, writes of the First Crusade (1096-1099) thus: Priests worked everywhere rousing the people. The cry rose from every pulpit that the Holy Land must be rescued. The Pope to whom Emperor Comnenus of Constantinople had appealed was dead, but another Pope as strong as Gregory VII, was now in the papal chair. This Pope, Urban II, put the case of the Byzantine Emperor before a combined session of all the clergy at the Grand Church Conference, first at Piacenza (1095) and again, later in the same year, at Clermont. Here the Pope made a great speech which succeeded in rousing the entire Christian world....
The leaders of this Christian army were Godfrey of Bouillon, his brothers Baldwin, Count Raymond of Toulouse, and the representative of the Pope, Adhemar of Puy.
.... Count Raymond ... took the coastal town of Maarrat al-Numan and in a brutal manner killed its population of about 100,000 Muslims. It was a great outrage.... At last on 7 June 1099, the Crusaders’ army stood before the walls of Jerusalem, the holy city of the Christians. The siege lasted five weeks and on 15 July 1099, the Crusaders entered the town. So vindictive were they that they killed much of the Muslim population of the town. (Islam. 156, 158) From the viewpoint of Muslims, with the Crusades as a bitter memory, one would conclude that Christianity teaches, promotes, and engages in the most extreme and unjust acts of violence. But the Muslim historian makes two crucial mistakes, one based on the other and both very understandable. He equates Catholicism with Christianity and accepts the Catholic notion of Christian holy places. Jesus taught that the place we worship God is irrelevant; what is important is how we worship Him (John 4:19-24). For Christians the "holy city" is the "New Jerusalem," God’s people, His church (Revelation 21:2-3). No earthly place, whether land or city, is holy. Ultimately, our holy land and holy city are heaven (Hebrews 11:13-16; Revelation 22:18-19). Does Catholicism equal Christianity? Catholics assert: The Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the "rock" of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church and instituted him shepherd of the whole flock.400 "The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of apostles united to its head."401 This pastoral office of Peter and the other apostles belongs to the Church's very foundation and is continued by the bishops under the primacy of the Pope. (Catechism. Par. 881) This claim is the basis of Catholicism. If papal pretensions can be proven fraudulent, Catholicism collapses. The chief Catholic proof text for papal authority is Matthew 16:16-19: Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. ‘And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ (All biblical quotations are from the New King James Version unless otherwise specified.) Does Matthew 16:18 teach that Simon Peter is the rock on which Jesus built His church? If so, in the same figure of speech, Jesus portrays Peter as both the foundation on which the house is built (verse 18) and the doorkeeper holding the keys to the house (verse 19). A mixed metaphor indeed! The prophet Isaiah foretold that the Lord would "lay in Zion a stone for a foundation." (Isaiah 28:16) The apostle Peter himself stated that Jesus Christ is this stone (1 Peter 2:4-6). The rock on which Jesus built His church is the truth Peter confessed, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Peter had no more authority than the other apostles (2 Corinthians 11:5). Furthermore, in order to be a successor to an apostle, one must be an eye-witness to the resurrection of Jesus (Acts 1:15-26). The last such witness was Paul (1 Corinthians 15:1-8). No one on the earth today is qualified to succeed an apostle of Christ. Thus, my Muslim friend, do not be deceived by Catholic pretensions. The Pope is not the Vicar of Christ, and Catholicism is not Christianity. The Crusades were promoted by deceivers who had grotesquely mutilated Christianity. When Pope Urban II rallied the Crusaders by exclaiming, "God wills it!," he really meant, "The Pope wills it!" Another concept that is very important to Christians causes Muslims to erroneously equate Christianity with violence. Islam knows no division between church and state, religion and politics, spiritual and civil. The leaders of Islam who came soon after the Prophet’s death - Abu Bakr (632-634), Omar Ibn al-Kattab (634-644), Osman ibn Affan (644-656) and Ali (656-661) - are known as the "Orthodox Caliphs." They embodied the ideal "of a Muslim ruler, one who combined the functions of the Head of State and of Religion; a true representative of the Great Prophet." (Islam. 42) They engaged in ghazwahs, wars of conquest for Islam, that created a mighty Muslim empire in the Middle East. In stark contrast, Jesus drew a clear, inviolable line between church and state. When the Jewish leaders asked if they should pay tribute to their hated conquerors, the Romans, He taught, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God’s." (Matthew 22:15-21). When the Roman Governor Pilate inquired whether or not Jesus was a king, Jesus replied, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." Jesus never led an army, never engaged in a battle, never planned a campaign, and never acted as a judge in civil affairs (cf. Luke 12:13-14).The civil state properly uses carnal weapons to enforce its rule (Romans 13:3-4). The Prophet Muhammad engaged personally in 27 battles and planned and sent out 38 others ("Introduction." xv). He engaged in both Jihad ("holy wars") and ghazwahs, as did the Orthodox Caliphs. A Muslim must always be ready to fight for his faith and for Allah. Jihad (holy war) is enjoined upon him, but the cause must be genuine and must truly serve Islam.... To fight for his ideals is a duty with a Muslim. (Islam. 23) In stark contrast, Jesus taught: You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever shall say, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. (Matthew 5:21-22, New American Standard Bible) You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:38-48). Jesus’ example is consistent with His teaching. When Peter struck Malchus the servant of the Jewish high priest with his sword to defend His Master, as the Jews led by Judas arrived to arrest Jesus, Christ commanded His disciple, "... ‘Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword." (Matthew 26:52) The first words Jesus uttered as He was being crucified were, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." (Luke 23:33-34). Paul, an apostle of Jesus the Christ, taught in like manner: Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. Therefore ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.’Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:17-21) The Prophet of Islam taught, "O ye who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are near to you, and let them find harshness in you, and know that Allah is with those who keep their duty (unto Him)." (Qur’an. Surah IX. Verse 123) Muhammad practiced what he preached, and so do those who follow him as a prophet of God. The Christ of God taught, "love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you...." Jesus practiced what He preached, and so do those who follow Him as the Son of God. Which religion is peaceful, Islam or Christianity?
Works Cited The Bible, New American Standard Version. The Bible, New King James Version. The Catechism of the Catholic Church. http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/ccc_toc.htm/ Mahmud, S.F. A Short History of Islam. Karachi: Oxford University Press. 1988. Pickthall, Muhammad M. The Glorious Qur’an Text and Explanatory Translation. Mecca: Muslim World League. 1977. The Glorious Qur’an. "Introduction." Mecca: Muslim World League. 1977.
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