Link TV is presenting a new series called “Who Speaks for Islam?” hosted by Ray Suarez. You can watch the first episode, “What a Billion Muslims Really Think,” tonight on Link TV or online. The second episode, “Muslims on Screen,” will be aired November 1st and posted online (you can watch a preview now).
HT: Talk Islam
I’ll try to keep this brief. A question that comes to mind is, “What does the Qur’an actually teach about these issues?” The Qur’an dictates Muslim belief, not people who claim to be Muslims. Watching this reminded me of how different mainline views of Christianity are from what the Bible actually teaches. Some 75% of Americans claim to be Christians, but I would guess that less than half of that actually take the Bible as literal Truth and actually do what it says. If you asked Americans if they believed that Christ’s death atoned for their sins, the overwhelming majority would say no. They believe Jesus was a good teacher and that they can live “a good life” through good works. I would think you’d have the same problem with Islam.
Who speaks for Christianity? The majority. Is the majority right? Are they in line with the Bible? I don’t think so. So they’re probably not a good representation of Christianity.
You can get liberal scholars and leaders to talk about how, for example, most Muslims don’t support violence, but if you don’t address what the Qur’an and what Islam actually teach about violence, the argument doesn’t carry much weight.
It was an interesting video. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the heads-up. Looking forward to it!
Thank you, Don. Very important to point out…”You can get liberal scholars and leaders to talk about how, for example, most Muslims don’t support violence, but if you don’t address what the Qur’an and what Islam actually teach about violence, the argument doesn’t carry much weight.”
Don,
You have a valid point from a Protestant Sola Scriptura perspective. However, most religions do not function in this way…. “this book is our only guide.” Truth is, us Protestants don’t really function in this way either. All groups of people hold common values… and those values can and do change with circumstances. Further, at this present time, Islam is much more than a set of statements concerning God and man (the common definition of religion in the Western world). Rather it is more like a society unto itself that touches many other aspects of life. Certainly this is driven, sometimes and in some ways, by what is written in the Qur’an, but even then it is the ‘ulema who determine how to interpret it.
Peace be upon you,
Tim