Yes They Really Are That Foolish: Islam and the Religious Left

You can tell a lot about a church or a church leader when the secular left media praises them and spotlights them. And when the hyper-secular left Melbourne Age runs a glowing story about one such Christian group, you know that is a group to avoid, big time.

The Age managed to create a story out of nothing, simply to push an agenda. The newspaper always has good things to say about Islam, and bad things to say about biblical Christianity. So if it can find a lefty trendy church group doing Islam’s bidding, they are happy to run with it.

The article in question was bad – real bad. It was typical Age “journalism” pushing typical leftist agendas, with typical clueless Christians giving Islam a free pass while attacking other Christians. The article began this way:

Michael Boss, a Christian man from the City of Casey in Melbourne’s expansive south-east, had what he thought was a good idea. He would ask all 105 local Christian churches – Casey is Melbourne’s new bible belt – to pledge “friendship” with Muslims to help stop “the growing problem of Islamophobia”.
A three-paragraph statement went out to all the churches. All of them – the Catholics, Baptists and Anglicans as well as the many Pentecostal and Evangelical churches booming in Melbourne’s most populous local government area where a third of all residents are born overseas. They were asked to sign the statement and send it back.
Only one of the 105 replied.
That was the Hampton Park Uniting Church, a place that gives away lunch once a week to the needy including many of Islamic faith. Reverend Mat Harry says: “It was a no-brainer. It took us two minutes in church council to decide it was a good idea. You have to stand up for what you believe in and racism is not acceptable.”
Mr Boss, who is involved with the Facebook group Casey Against Racism, has now defected to Reverend Harry’s church, leaving the Pentecostal congregation he worshipped at in protest at what he calls the “prosperity theology” and “militant faith” rampant in the Pentecostal and Evangelical communities.
The “reconciliatory” statement read, in part: “We, as Christians who have been called to love our neighbours as ourselves, unite strongly with the Muslim community against racism and bigotry. Muslims are not our enemies. Christians and Muslims are brothers and sisters.”
The letter went out last year and Mr Boss says he was “embarrassed” by the response from the Christian churches and so hasn’t wanted to talk about until now. He says he helped set up Casey Against Racism during the heated (and successful) campaign against a mosque being built in Narre Warren.

religious_leftSo here we have a complete nobody who would have remained a complete nobody, but the Age decided he was worth an entire story: all because he rails against other Christians while extolling Islam. We expect the Age to pull such stunts, but we don’t expect those who claim to be Christians being so utterly uninformed and ignorant.

The errors here are many. How many millions of times do we have to inform these clueless wonders and their media supporters that Islam is NOT a race? It is a political ideology presented as a religion. People of all races are Muslims. So to be concerned about Islam and its penchant for jihadist violence, misogyny, tyranny and opposition to freedom and democracy does not make one a racist – it makes one morally and mentally sensible.

And the manifesto was a real doozey. The three-paragraph statement put out by Boss reads in full:

We, as Christians who have been called to love our neighbours as ourselves, unite strongly with the Muslim community against racism and bigotry. Muslims are not our enemies. Christians and Muslims are brothers and sisters who have been living peacefully together in the City of Casey for generations.
We reject totally Islamophobia and all other forms of racism, xenophobia and discrimination which are totally against the teachings of the gospel.
We reach out a hand of fellowship to our Muslim neighbors in Casey and wish to let them know that they are not alone. We support them in their struggles and join them in speaking out strongly against religious discrimination in all forms, specifically the growing problem of Islamophobia.

Good grief. And this was a toned-down version of the statement as the article states. I would hate to have seen the un-toned-down version. As usual, the religious left is as full of sloppy and fuzzy thinking, as it is empty of moral clarity. So let me try to bring a little light to this situation.

As I have said so often, all Christians should understand that God has created at least two major institutions to deal with life in a fallen world: the state and the church. The former deals with protecting its citizens, punishing evil and maintaining order.

The latter deals with sharing the gospel, offering the forgiveness of Christ to individuals who turn from their sin in faith and repentance. Both institutions are crucial here. But the religious left keeps getting things muddled here. Churches are not in a position to keep Muslims out of a country or pass laws which protect the citizenry.

That is the role of the state. And every nation has a right to have and maintain borders, decide who should be allowed in to the country, and deal with those who seek to do harm and cause bloodshed. The state should do all it can to defend its core values and principles and keep its citizens safe.

Individual Christians can support the role of the state to maintain freedom and democracy while also reaching out to individual Muslims with the gospel. It is not a question of picking one or the other: we are to do both. The state has the right to protect us from external and internal threats while the church has an obligation to reach out to others with the good news.

But the religious lefties seem blissfully ignorant of all this. Indeed, they seem ignorant about their own faith. Since when is a Muslim who denies the basic Christian teaching that Jesus is the son of God a brother or a sister? How in the world can someone who denies the very heart and soul of Christianity be described as a member of the Christian family?

This shows just how far gone these religious leftists are, biblically speaking. They have long ago jettisoned the gospel and replaced it with a mushy ecumenicalism and compromised Chrislam. And the fact that a Uniting Church was the only one to run with this nonsense and to become the home of this lefty is not at all surprising. We expect such from so much of the Uniting Church.

And one can discuss briefly the statement about Boss “leaving the Pentecostal congregation he worshipped at in protest at what he calls the ‘prosperity theology’ and ‘militant faith’ rampant in the Pentecostal and Evangelical communities.”

As to some Pentecostal and other churches running with the deplorable prosperity gospel I happen to agree: I too dislike it as being biblically and theologically bogus. But what exactly does he mean by “militant faith”? If he means biblical Christians who take their faith seriously, who know that we are in a spiritual war, and who seek to win their lost neighbours for Christ, including Muslims, then I am all for such a militant faith.

Indeed, we need more of it. As mentioned, Islam is utterly inimical to the very core teachings of Christianity, and it is a false religion leading its followers to hell. We Christians need to speak the truth in love to Muslims, and not go on about how we all worship the same God (we don’t), but point out to them the uniqueness of Christ and their need of a Saviour.

And note how similar the religious lefties are to the militant homosexual activists and other radicals who use all the emotionally charged buzz words – in this case: bigotry, Islamophobia, xenophobia, discrimination. Um, to be concerned about blood on our streets because of jihadists screaming “Allahu Akbar” is not being bigoted, Islamophobiac, xenophobic, or discriminatory. It is called being sane.

But the left loves throwing around this mud – it beats dealing with facts, arguments and reason. Just demonise your opponents by calling them names and hurling abuse. This is standard leftist operational procedure. But it is a real pity when people claiming to be Christians do the same.

In sum, should Christians in the West welcome, reach out to, befriend, evangelise and pray for their Muslim neighbours? Absolutely. But should Christians in the West remain ignorant about creeping sharia and stealth jihad? Should they turn a blind eye to Islam’s war on the West, on freedom, and Christianity, on women, and so on? Absolutely not.

Being deliberately clueless and naïve about a political ideology which has declared its hostile intentions is not a sign of Christlikeness or godliness. It is a clear indication of foolishness and stupidity – things we have far too much of already from the secular left. We do not want Christian lefties offering us more of the same.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/churches-in-melbournes-biblebelt-refuse-to-support-muslims-20170421-gvpqb7.html

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21 Replies to “Yes They Really Are That Foolish: Islam and the Religious Left”

  1. The only positive in all of this is that 104 churches didn’t respond! Why doesn’t Mr Boss get a little more informed on what is happening worldwide regarding our real Christian brothers and sisters who are getting tortured, killed, persecuted and unjustly treated for simply proclaiming Jesus Christ is Lord, mostly at the hands of Muslims (but not exclusively). Yet he worries about how the poor Muslims may be having some perceived difficulties fitting into Australian society so we bend over backwards to massage their poor injured little egos as they once again play the victim card. Yet the real victims are Christians. How many Muslims have been murdered in our society by Christians or Australians for that matter? Yet how many Australians have lost their lives at the hands of so called lone wolf (Muslim) attackers? Mr Boss is a dhimmi of epic proportions. The best thing he could do for the Church is keep his biblically ignorant, unhelpful and basically stupid notions to himself, alternatively, get on his knees and repent for his folly and seek out some good biblical teaching so he can amend his defective understanding. Unfortunately, in my experience, I won’t hold my breath for the latter!
    Always love your stuff Bill, thanks for keeping us so well informed – soldier on!

  2. Hey Bill,
    I guess this one was hidden from many eyes.
    OR
    TOO hard to deal with.

    i’ve forwarded it on to my Christian friends & Facebook
    You may need to re-post as this is way TOO important to let lie.

    Blessings,
    Melinda

  3. Hi Bill, I’m stuck at home for the next couple of weeks with a lower back injury, so I’ll be “feeding” on all your new postings. Clueless and naive are the perfect labels to describe this deplorable situation in Casey. If in theory we could ask John The Baptist for his take on the situation what would he say??? [Brood of snakes] comes to mind. Christian love and acceptance without the balance of truthful reality is a dangerous way to live. Once again Bill, my commendations for all the research you put in to compiling this article, regards, Kel.

  4. How many nobodies do the ABC and SBS try to promote to celebrity status simply because they agree with their dogma and can be used to bypass the democratic controls and promote their lies?

    What gets me is when they call completely reasonable people “extreme right wing.” What could possibly be more extreme right wing than saying that women have all the rights and the unborn have zero? What could be more extreme right wing than Islam? What could be more extreme right wing than preventing parents from teaching their children properly about sex? What could be more right wing than preventing people having a vote on whether it is right to redefine marriage into something meaningless and irrelevant to morality and something that destroys its purpose as a vehicle for respect for the natural family and parent’s and children’s actual rights? What could possibly be more extreme right wing than forcing people into promoting immorality?

    How do they continually get away with this nonsense? How is it possible they don’t see the hypocrisy?

  5. Thanks for this article, Bill. We have to put the truth of God’s word before the compromising messages of religious leftists.

  6. Hi Bill, this is the first time I’ve read or seen one of your posts. I’ve never heard of you before. I came across this post while checking out another page. I find this post to be VERY informative, well researched, eye opening and a must read for every true believer in Christ our Lord along with others who have been miss informed. I think you are spot on in this post and I am very pleased to have a brother in Christ who is driven to bring forth the truth. I will pass this on to all my friends. May God bless you and your family for all your efforts.

  7. Dear Charles Robert Depue, welcome to Bill’s blog family. Bill writes on a wide range of topics both religeous, political, and social justice to name just a few. Recently he passed the 4,000 article milestone. I personally have found Bill’s search engine on his previous articles archives to be of enormous benefit to me personally. Many many years ago, Bill was one of my lecturers at Richmond Temple where I was a Dip Th student. He challenged my theology then, and he is still doing it today. Charles, I think you’ll become impressed as I have been with the diligent study & research Bill puts into each and every article that he publishes. Kind regards, Kel.

  8. Bill I ditto all the above comments.

    The Christian voice must not be silenced by such sloppy dribble from the Age which sadly many professing Christians, because a little truth wrapped in a lie is so effective, will swallow whole.

    Boss said he only had one response and I wondered if that meant ‘just one positive response’ or none of the 104 churches bothered to write back. It would be a mistake if they do not respond with why they could not respond. The premise of the agreement was false. It is not about promoting ‘Christian love’ but stopping speech and critical thinking. Islamophobia needs to be batted back as an imaginary word every time it is used. The door must always remain open for free debating and critical thinking or we face another dark Age.

    Love your articles Bill!

  9. Thanks for continuing to highlight such issues, Bill.
    I wonder, did any of the other 104 churches respond, pointing out the unbiblical and foolish error of that proposed action? And did any of the members of Hampton Park Uniting Church oppose this “outreach” to the Muslim community? Very sad if none did.

  10. I also did not know about this website until relatively recently and am greatly encouraged by the articles you write, Bill. Plenty of food for thought and as others say, so well researched and sensible but above all, Biblical. Perhaps you might like to give us your comments on the Mars mission some day, Bill, when you have time.
    Thanks again.

  11. An activist (in the good sense) evangelical Christian songwriter once penned this lyric concerning the news media:

    “A Christian can’t get equal time, unless he’s a looney committing a crime.”

    After reading this blog article today we might try this lyric:

    “A ‘christian’ can get equal time, if he’s a lefty and culturally blind!”

    Thanks again for the expose’, Bill.

  12. Thank you Bill. As always a frank and balanced article, keeping your readers up to date with what is happening. Whilst I am not surprised by either what church ‘signed up’ or the ‘reasoning’ of the man who was featured in the Age article, I cannot help but be saddened by such ignorance in the lives of people who claim to be Christian. Signs of the times???

  13. Wonder if the response by the 104 churches might have been more positive if edited like this:

    We as Christians who are called to love our neighbours as ourselves, unite strongly with the Muslim community against racism and bigotry. We totally reject religious discrimination against Muslims and all other forms of racism, xenophobia, and discrimination, which are totally opposed to the teachings of the Gospel. We reach out to our Muslim neighbors to let them that they are not alone. We support them in their struggles and in speaking out against religious discrimination in all forms.

    These edits remove, among other things, the “I” word, and the “brothers and sisters” references.

  14. Thanks Sue. But no, not quite. He would still be pushing unbiblical religious moral equivalence, he still would be utterly clueless about the very real threat that Islam is, and he still would be ignorant of the importance of free and democratic nations defending their core values and way of life. Indeed, he still would be using the vacuous leftist buzzwords and his use of them is all one-way traffic. Had he said something like the following then I might have taken him a bit more seriously:

    “Every year tens of thousands of Christians are killed, mainly by Muslims. Islam has declared war on Christianity, and is determined to see all Christians submit to Allah, become dhimmis, or be killed. In most Muslim majority countries Christians are not allowed to build churches, circulate Bibles, or freely worship there, and those Muslims who dare convert to Christianity are put to death. Until Islam renounces its war on Christianity, halts its anti-Christian bigotry and hatred, and allows for genuine religious freedom, we cannot see Islam as in any way, shape or form being a legitimate religious/political entity. And only when Muslims personally embrace Jesus Christ as God’s Son, Saviour and Lord can they be called brothers or sisters.”

  15. Hi Bill, I found your response to Sue McKeown’s reply very factual and also very sobering to read. You stated, and I quote; “Until Islam renounces it war on Christianity, halts its anti-Christian bigotry and hatred, and allows for genuine religeous freedom, we cannot see Islam as in any way, shape or form being a legitimate religeous/political entity. And only when Muslims personally embrace Jesus Christ as God’s Son, Saviour and Lord can they be called brothers or sisters” unquote. By the Grace of God, we should do all we can to lead individual Muslims to Christ. In all reality, I believe that the Devil has far too much of a strangle hold on Islam as a whole for there to be an international change in their theology and ideology. Bill a very sobering response but also very necessary. Regards, Kel.

  16. Reaching lost souls is the responsibility of the Church (US) and she has been given a harvest of multi ethnic peoples to reach out to due to our generous immigration policy here in Australia. Seeing that the government are so determined to make Multiculturalism work with Muslims as well we have a special challenge on our hands. We have an opportunity to rescue them from Islam and bring them to the light and power of Christ Jesus.

    What may look a difficult task is actually not so and that is aided by their dedication to the Quran. They hold the Quran to be sacred and perfect coming to them from Allah. So when the Holy Bible contradicts the Quran Muslims of course assume the Bible must be corrupted. By leading Muslims to verses in the Quran and showing their confirmation in Christian Scripture they will begin to see things in a different light. They will see that Jesus is God’s Son, must be God, that He did died, that He arose from the dead, that He will resurrect all the dead at his command and become the judge. They will also see that they have been deceived and become upset about it. In the end, if they heed the Holy Spirit’s calling they will receive Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

    Let me introduce two u-tube videos on this very subject. It is a seminar hosted by Pastor David Wood and Pastor Sam in a 2hr and a 1.1/2hr video teaching students the ‘technique’ of helping Muslims come to Christ. I use the word ‘technique’ cautiously because souls are not won by technique but by revelation from God when the Holy Spirit reveals and exalts the Christ before them. The First video focuses on Christ’s Deity and the second is about the reliability of Scripture. Both excellent teaching videos in how to speak to Muslims through the Quran and Scriptures.
    I find it works well one on one but falls apart speaking to more at one time.

    Just copy and paste these addresses in your address bar.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmtNqJ5wC2g

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVPFCR4MfqM

    In the last couple of weeks the street team I work with in Melbourne has seen three Muslims come to Christ and last Saturday I spoke with another who was also being challenged by the Holy Spirit.

    Training sessions are currently being arranged for those wanting a kick start in street witnessing but no set dates as yet.

    Blessings in Christ, Keith

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