For just an ever so brief moment, let’s take our fight for the faith off and take a look at the world. This will delve into unpopular topics and most will likely not agree.
The mainstream media, politicians, and people in general must learn that naming religious beliefs when talking about people is not a bad thing. For decades, western society has attempted to remove religion from the discussion and to treat people as individuals who are not defined by their faith. On the surface, this seems like a worthwhile goal because it means that we want to see people based upon what’s in their hearts rather than based upon religion, creed, gender, politics, or worldview.
In reality, it’s damaging. It hides the truth. It tells a false narrative. The killing of 21 Coptic Christians by an ISIS affiliate in Libya is exactly what it is. They were killed because they were Christians. They were killed by Muslims. Depending on the publication you read, there’s a good chance that you’ll hear that they were “21 Egyptian migrant workers” and “Libyan terrorists”. If you listen to the narrative from the White House, that’s precisely what they’re saying.
The use of religious labeling can be a negative in certain circumstances. When it comes to discrimination, for example, religion should not be an issue. Someone should rightfully be mad if they are not hired for a job because they’re a Jew, for example. There’s a need for religious tolerance that prevents violence, bigotry, and to bring people together to solve secular problems, but that tolerance should not be translated into a denial of a person’s identity with they’re religion.
I’m a Christian, first and foremost. That is what defines who I am, what I do, and how I live. After that, I’m a husband, a father, an American, and a business owner, though all of these things are secondary. Many Americans no longer put their faith at the top of their list or they’ve abandoned faith, leaving society the way it is today where people are not identified at all by their religion.
The homogenization of the various religions, particular the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, is an impossible and unworthy goal. It is impossible because the differences are at the core of their beliefs. True Christians do not believe that their God is the god known as Allah. Orthodox Jews do not believe that Yeshua was their Messiah. True Muslims do not believe that Allah is the God that Christians and Jews worship, and they believe Yeshua was a prophet who will return with Mohammed. There are similarities in the roots of these religions, but to try to bring them together to believe that everyone is basically saying the same thing is ludicrous.
It’s unworthy because it takes away from worldview that guides people. Just because I can work side-by-side with a Muslim and a Jew to solve secular problems doesn’t mean that I won’t discuss why our viewpoint is the right one. I wouldn’t expect them to hold back, either. Trying to meld it all together is an attempt to force everyone towards a middle ground where all lose the basis of their belief system.
With all of that said, there’s no room for generalizations. There are Christians who live a Biblical life, and then there’s Westboro Baptist Church. There are Muslims who do great things in this world, and then there’s ISIS. Just because the majority of Muslims do not support ISIS doesn’t mean that the group is not considered a Muslim organization. Just because the majority of Christians do not support Westboro Baptist Church doesn’t mean that they’re not considered a Christian organization. The forces of darkness come from all sides and it’s our goal to separate the truth from the fiction.
We must identify ourselves within our faith and see through the lies of others. Trying to hide the distinctions is paramount to deceit.
The post Muslim. Christian. Jew. Why We Must Use Names Without Generalizing. appeared first on Judeo Christian Church.
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