I keep hoping someone publicly indicates an understanding of Islam. Tonight Fox's Monica Crowley and John Stossel demonstrated they understood the threat and the root cause of Islam.
It is disturbing to listen to individuals differentiate between "good" and "bad" Muslims. Muslims are Muslims! Like Christianity, Islam is not monolithic. There are sects and factions--denominations--within Islam and they fight themselves. In spite of this, all Muslims believe the basic--the fundamentals--of Islam. The major difference between Muslims isn't whether they are good or bad, Shia or Sunni, or whatever. The basic difference is one of commitment. Some Muslims believe the Qu'ran and are committed to it. Others see the Qu'ran as expressing a belief system in which they do not have a vested commitment.
Jihadist Muslims understand the Qu'ran when it says Allah's followers are to take Islam to the world by persuasion when possible; by force when necessary. The Qu'ran teaches Allah's followers are to eliminate anyone who does not comply. The only exceptions are Christians and Jews who are tolerated--sort of--because they are "people of a book." However, Christians and Jews must pay a special tax and they are forbidden to proselyte (evangelize). Allah, it seems, brooks no competitors! Muslims know when such limitations exist the opposing religions wither and die.
The so-called "good" Muslims are like all too many Christians. "Good" Muslims believe in Allah, give lip service to the pillars of Islam, do the bare minimum to maintain their identity as Muslims, and accept Islam as a "faith" which provides existential meaning. Americans have difficulty understanding one other basic Muslim characteristic--a Muslim is "what you are" not "what you believe." Fundamentalist Jews understand this characteristic. Catholics, Lutherans, or Anglicans--among others--where these religions are the state religion understand this characteristic. A person born in France is Catholic; that's who they are!
In the United States an American is what you are; you choose to be a Christian and you can choose to be a Catholic Christian, Lutheran Christian, or Anglican Christian or whatever. Where Islam predominates the individual has no choice. This fact confuses Americans because it is so foreign to the way they think.
A few years ago George Barna's research revealed 80 percent in America believe in God. There was no explanation of what the respondents meant by "God." The response could mean Allah, Jehovah, the Mormon god, a heathen deity, or what. Barna reported nearly 60 percent were "born again." Of the "born again" only 4 percent lived out their faith.
The same is true in the Muslim world. The bulk of the Muslim world may accept the tenets of Islam to some extent but the "born again" Muslims are Jihadists. The majority see the Jihadis as radical but when they understand their religion they know they exemplify the literal and fundamental principles Islam preaches.
Muslims and Christians clash because committed Muslims and committed Christians see their faith as the only true faith. Muslims believe "Allah is god and Mohammed is his prophet." Christians believe "there is no name given under heaven whereby we must be saved except the name of Jesus." Christians take their message to the world by preaching the Gospel and persuading people of the truth of their claim. Muslims take their beliefs to the world and force compliance at the point of a "sword."
I saw much of this when I visited Turkey. When Kemal Ataturk took control of the Turkish government he envisioned a secular Turkey. He wanted to separate "mosque and state." His approach was not true Islam. Until recently Turks were secular in public and religious in private. When we were there we did not see anyone responding to the daily calls for prayer. We were in the Blue Mosque when one of the daily prayer times came and if anyone responded I did not see them.
Why doesn't the Muslim world rise up and quell the Jihadists? Because they know the Jihadists are living the faith and obeying the Qu'ran's teaching. Why don't they get involved in the Jihad? They do! They just don't pick up weapons for the fight. They support the Jihadists with their prayers, their fortunes, and the lives of their sons and daughters. Those who aren't willing to get involved are usually too busy or too caught up in worldly pleasures. If they were Mormons, we'd call them "Jack Mormons." They are "Jack Muslims!"
There are only two ways to handle the Muslim threat. First, the church--Christians--must be willing to take the Gospel to Muslims. Doing so may be martyrdom--it did for the original Apostles. It may mean Christians must be willing to "obey God rather than man." Second, the state must protect its citizens. Doing so may mean going to war--a real war. It may means acknowledging the truth America is involved in World War III. Because of the nature of radical Islam, it may mean massive deaths. Let it be known; there are no innocent Muslims. Their system is corrupt, the ideology false, and their religion repugnant to the true God revealed in the Bible.
