Question: Compared with your condemnation of a peace-loving religion whose followers have done so ...

Question: Compared with your condemnation of a peace-loving religion whose followers have done so much good in the world, I prefer Robert Schuller’s loving approach. He has preached in several mosques and has had a Muslim imam in his pulpit and on his worldwide program, “The Hour of Power.” He acknowledges that Muslims worship the same God and have a common faith with Christians. Shouldn’t we try to find common ground and work for unity rather than to tear others down as you have so often done? And isn’t it rather hypocritical for you to throw stones at Muslims for having fought wars in defense of Islam and Allah when the Israelites took over Canaan with the sword and the Crusaders killed Muslims and Jews?

Response: Islam’s fierce warriors did not merely fight “in defense of Islam and Allah.” They carried Islam with the sword outside Arabia by conquering Iran, Iraq, Syria, et. al., all the way to the border of China, and in the other direction across North Africa, took Spain and were turned back in France as they tried to take over all of Europe. This series of aggressive, expansionist invasions with force of arms was an act of defense? If you believe that, then we have nothing to discuss.

Israel did not try to convert with the sword anyone to faith in Jahweh. “Faith” forced upon anyone is not faith. Nor were they com- missioned by God to take over the world. They were given a “promised land” of limited area with defined borders (Gn 15:18-21) and this was only because the wickedness of its inhabitants was so great that God in His righteousness had to wipe them out, as He had done to all mankind with the flood.

The Crusaders were not Christians but Roman Catholics who fought to take for Rome the land God gave to the Jews. They did so believing the unbiblical promise of Pope Urban II, who organized the first Crusade—similar to the promise of Paradise for jihad’s martyrs—that if they died in that venture they would go straight to heaven. This was the only real assurance of eternal life they could have as Catholics. The Crusades were carried out in direct disobedience to the Bible, to Christ’s commands and to His example and that of the Apostles. But Muslims employ violence to spread Islam in obedience to the Qur’an, to Muhammad and to Allah and following Muhammad’s example. The Crusades were the very antithesis of Christianity, whereas jihad is the very heart of true Islam and its long established method for making “converts”—a huge difference!

I am still praying, as I have for years, that the true nature of Islam will be exposed to the world. Islamic nations are now declaring vehemently that Islam is a peaceful religion which does not condone terrorism and stands for freedom. Perhaps that will embarrass Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia to open its borders, to allow some freedom, to relax its cruel hold on its citizens—at least to the extent that the gospel may enter and those people who have been held in the iron grip of Islam will be allowed to come to a decision concerning faith and God which is not imposed upon them under the threat of death.