How the world does not get it. They are now acting as if this comment by Pastor Parsley is similar to Wright’s conspiratorial racial views. I have already written about how they did not understand Wright either, but this is even more ridiculous. The phrase in the headline is easily provable truth from the scripture, not to mention the church fathers (had to throw Chris a bone). Recognizing evil is a rare characteristic in our world. maybe it has always been. Look for the next story to hit the headlines, “Pastor says Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.”
(Of course, I should say, Rod Parsley and I have very divergent views on most things, but on Islam being evil, I must give him the ecumenical high-five)
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McCain Pastor: Islam Is a ‘Conspiracy of Spiritual Evil’
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| By BRIAN ROSS, AVNI PATEL and REHAB EL-BURI |
| Despite his call for the U.S. to win the “hearts and minds of the Islamic world,” Sen. John McCain recruited the support of an evangelical minister who describes Islam as “anti-Christ” and Mohammed as “the mouthpiece of a conspiracy of spiritual evil.” |
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Phil,
The clipped article is very interesting. However, i am not so sure that I want Pastor Parsley being my spokesperson on something being evil when I see so many false and dangerous teachings in his own ministry.
Do I think radical Islam is dangerous? Of course. But two things strike me as being concerning. First, how is “truth” being communicated? To me, how we communicate something affects the very message we are trying to get across. Second, while I believe that those who practice Islam are sadly practicing a false religion – there are many followers who do not buy into the radical, fundamentalist version of it. That doesn’t make what they believe any less false, but simply labeling a group of people in a general way seems to do more harm than good.
That would be akin to non-Christ followers saying that all Christians must believe like Rod Parsley concerning Islam and other biblical teachings because he is the “mouth-piece” of “God” right now (at least in his mind and according, i’m sure, to many in the media). Truly, God help us.
Thoughts?
Tom,
I am sure you and Jim Wallace founded it very interesting fodder to shoot at the right. 🙂
As I noted at the bottom of my post, I disagree with this guy on most everything. but I think in our attempt to be tolerant and our attempt even to be less offensive, we often fail to call evil evil. What the is a nice way to call Islam evil? I understand the practical difference between a radical terrorists and liberal American Islamist. For the safety of us all, I wish there were more of the latter and less of the former. But, they both are evil. Evil is anything that does not flow from the one true God, and all forms of Islam fit in that category.
Perhaps it is because pastors and Christians alike have been so scared to call evil evil that the media has such a distorted version of the truth. If pastors particularly will not teach that Islam is evil, how can the mostly secular media even begin to understand the differences between Christianity and Islam, between good and evil.
Tom, I know you are always concerned with how to say the truth and it always gives me cause to think about what I am saying. But we can not allow the question of how to speak the truth to become the very reason we do not speak it at all. All too many people use this reasoning to simply be silent. And all along, the world perishes.
Phil,
Thanks for your quick response. I can tell you are hard at work today! 🙂 First, and most importantly….it is Wallis! 🙂
I know you are not implying that everyone who pauses to think about how truth is spoken does not end up not saying the truth. But that is an important point i want to reiterate. We are called to speak truth in love. What was Rod Parsley’s motivation? He said that 9/11 was a wake up to a call to arms (or something very similiar). Jesus didn’t call us to arms, but to overwhelming love.
In this article I saw a lot of “calling to arms” “being silent no more” “radical muslims”, etc. and nothing (repeat, underline, etc.) NOTHING about God’s passionate, deep, profound love for these people though they believe something false and some are involved in some evil aspects of it. This is sad.
This is my point. So he has called evil, evil. Okay. But in a wonderful opportunity (the news article) he completely blows it. He spoke, but he enflamed and enraged rather than lovingly, beautifully speaking truth. That distortion of God and Jesus is not the problem of or conspiracy of a “liberal” media but rather was given by a careless, unthoughtful, and unloving response by someone claiming to speak on behalf of God and truth.
I may not respond for a bit, off to work….some of us have to work today. 🙂
Theological contemplation is my work. 🙂 But, feeling the guilt of your comments, I will go back to something much more boring. I will comment later and perhaps others will join.