We already know that a large percentage of Americans have a negative perception of Islam. What seems new is that 47% of Protestant pastors agree with Franklin Graham—son of Billy—that Islam is an evil and wicked religion. Three out of four pastors think that Christians and Muslims pray to different gods and four in ten say that the religion is fundamentally evil.
While tolerance is said to be a Christian virtue, while turning the other cheek is a fundamental principle and while love whether called charity or mercy is an underlying Christian value, in the minds of these pastors these precepts do not appear to apply to Islam. What is also disturbing is that pastors are leaders and in a position to influence others. The irony is that the same ignorance and prejudice that is impugned to Muslims when it comes to their view of the United States, Christianity and Western culture seem to be having sway over these pastors. For whatever reasons, they do not seem to be practicing what they are—or ought to be—preaching.
May 2010
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Practicing And Preaching
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Is That The Way It Is?
Nicholas Sarkozy, the President of France is suggesting a law that would ban all face covering veils in public places, a law that would even apply to visitors. As such wealthy Saudi women shopping on the Champs Elysee would have to have bare faces. There has been much criticism from Muslim groups, but not enough to keep the law from being considered.
Next door in Germany the northern state of Lower Saxony the Christian Democrat party appointed the daughter of Turkish immigrants as minister of social affairs, a first. Aygul Ozkan is a lawyer and a Muslim. In a recent interview she is quoted as saying that crucifixes do not belong in state-run schools anymore than Muslim headscarves. The comment caused an uproar, so much so Ms Ozkan had to disavow it. Crucifixes, critics said, are part of the Christian Democrat party tradition.
Is that the way it is: When the uproar comes from a minority faction within the culture it is easily explained away or overlooked, but when it comes from the majority then it prevails?