An Affirmation of
Biblically Faithful
Christians
We affirm the
full and equal
dignity of all
Muslim peoples in
the sight of the one
true Creator. We do
so in affirming the
complete truth of
the Bible, while at
the same time not
affirming the nature
of the Qur’an.
In the public sphere
in the United
States, unalienable
rights, as rooted in
their historical
Source, are to be
honored equally for
peoples, Muslims
likewise. This is
due not to religious
identity, but on the
grounds of a deeper
shared humanity.
Thus, to put it in
political language,
our partisan
affirmation of the
Bible leads us to
affirm the full
human dignity of
those who believe in
a text we do not
believe in. This is
to love God and
neighbor, to fulfill
the “Golden Rule” of
treating others as
you wish to be
treated.
The ethics of the
Bible are by
definition
proactive,
reflecting the
declared goodness of
the order of
creation, and its
redemption in Jesus.
The word “Gospel”
means “good news,”
it starts in Genesis
and is fulfilled in
Jesus. This is
Theology 101 for
Christians.
Therefore, as
biblically faithful
Christians, we
always seek to be
proactive in our
actions toward all
people. The Gospel
empowers us to give
to those who would
take from us, love
those who would hate
us, and bless those
who would curse us.
And as Jesus said,
“For God did not
send his Son into
the world to condemn
the world, but to
save the world
through him.”
The poet,
Heinrich Heine, a
German Jew who
converted to
Christianity, wrote
in 1820: “Where
books are burned,
they will, in the
end, burn people,
too.” Prophetic of
Nazi Germany.
So, here are
seven questions for
those who would burn
a copy of the Qur'an:
-
How can such a
proposed action be
other than one of
reactive fear, not
one of proactive
confidence?
It is foreign to
the Gospel.
-
Is not the burning
of the Qur’an seen
by Muslim peoples
as bad news, and
thus a hindrance
to Muslims
grasping the Good
News in the lives
of Christians?
-
Is not the burning
of the Qur’an an
act of accusation
and condemnation?
The name of Satan
in the Hebrew (ha’satan)
means “the
accuser” or “the
slanderer.”
-
Does not the
burning of the
Qur’an thus burn
Muslims in their
very souls?
-
Does not the
burning of the
Qur’an by
professing
Christians thus
slander the name
of Jesus Christ?
-
What happens if
people are killed,
injured or
persecuted as a
result, if
properties are
burned or damaged,
due to an inflamed
Muslim world as
images of a
burning Qur’an
flood the
internet? Who will
be ultimately
responsible?
-
Jesus, in the face
of his enemies
during Passover
Week, embraced
their toughest
questions in
public assembly.
Is not the burning
of the Qur’an the
opposite of such
confidence in
communication?
For Christians
who embrace the
proactive confidence
of the Gospel, we
seek out the
toughest questions
from Muslims in
public assembly,
among equals in the
sight of the one
true Creator, where
the Bible and the
Qur’an can be looked
at side by side.
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