You're walking down the street to the corner store to get bread and milk, and all of the sudden you hear, "Allahu Akbar!" Your immediate reaction...duck under cover. You're watching a movie and the sound of the Muslim "adhan" starts playing. Your immediate reaction...roll your eyes and wonder when the killings will begin.
Ever wonder why? Ever do anything more than wonder? Perhaps research the beliefs of the said religion? This isn't going to be a lecture of tolerance and acceptance of other religions and beliefs, as you all very well know my stance on organized religion. However I will take a moment to explain the two phrasing mentioned.
Allahu Akbar translate to God is great! and an adhan is the Islamic call to worship. What we need to dig deeper into isn't what the two mean, but what they represent and how they have been manipulated for purposes other than their original intent. It's a marvelous thing to praise God. Everyone should praise Him. But when extremists say Allahu Akbar, it isn't for the purpose of truly praising the one God, but to instill fear. Fear of death. As their actions following the praising of God is full of death and destruction. How sad that two very opposite concepts have been connected this way: the concept of praise for God and the concept of death. How very sad indeed. As for the adhan, it was initiated for the purpose of informing believers of the faith to come worship at the appropriately allotted times as dictated. Now it represents malice to the outsiders, as it has made it's way to be connected with terrorist actions.
Why associate God with your terrorism people? Why in one breath give praise to Him and in the next blow up a building full of His children? Why call people to come worship when the next moment you are blowing up another's place of worship? Think over these simple questions. Simple but frightfully honest and thought provoking questions. Did you forget that God is Peace? For He has said;
"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You." Isaiah 26:3
"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in body; and be thankful."
Colossians 3:15
"The Lord will give strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace."
Psalm 29:11
"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
John 14:27
So then why are you blaming God for your decisions. Why are you pinning your treacherous murders on Him. Why are you making claims of servitude when you miss the greatest of His commandments of, "thou shalt not kill." How can you attest that these killings are directed by the one God, when He commands that; "...you shalt love thy neighbor as thyself..." Mark 12:31
Why hold God responsible for your own recklessness. Why say that God will grant you heaven after your infidelity.
Why? Why I ask of those out there who at this very moment are conspiring to shoot someone down, or are planning an insidious mass murder, and/or are taking the Lord's name is vain. Why should you be forgiven for such actions? My God in heaven sees all and nothing is nor can be hidden from Him. His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Amen.
