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Robert Spencer’s latest (“Religion of Peace?: Why Christianity Is and Islam Isn’t”) was released one week ago today. On Friday, I had the pleasure of listening in on a conference call with the author and a few other bloggers. Spencer said that he’…

New Vent: Michelle interviews Robert Spencer about Religion of Peace: Why Christianity is and Islam Isn’t

Robert Spencer’s 7th book, Religion of Peace: Why Christianity is and Islam Isn’t, is released today. Michelle talks with Robert about why he wrote the book and more.

I don’t know if anyone has pointed this out but the title of Robert’s book has a question mark after the word “Peace”

A minor point but it should be corrected.

You make good points, but also miss the point. The point isn’t salvation versus damnation, but the civilized and humane versus a**holes.

Christians have no corner on the peace market. And besides, the peace of Christianity has nothing to do with world peace, but rather who has accepted the free gift of salvation, and even then, unfortunately there is room for continuing to be an a**hole and still a Christian (though maybe not for long).

Peaceful ideas and premises can be found in religion and in no religion. As C. S. Lewis points out at the end of The Abolition of Man, there is a “tao” (a golden rule) found in all the major religions … yes, even Islam. It’s the golden rule that Spencer needs to put up against the Muslims he has in mind and Christians as well.

So, yeah, it is pretty pointless put Christianity up against Islam for the world peace award, especially in light of the manner in which Christian conquered North America. If that’s an example of Christian peace, I’m not sure I want it.

Christ’s teachings were for his own (“those with ears to hear …”) every bit as much as Mohammed’s were for his own. The question is: whose are the truth? Obviously Christ’s, and here is where Spencer’s argument ought begin, not only on behalf of Christianity, but on behalf of the Western Civilization he wishes to preserve.

However, I simply cannot agree with Mr Spencer’s premise regarding Christianity here. By conversely proclaiming Christianity to be a religion of peace draws a line in the sand – that this war is not The United States vs Islamic Terrorism, rather it is a war of Christianity vs Islam. It is true that the vast majority of Christians are peaceful and loving human beings. However, as I am often told by Christians themselves, we are not to judge Christianity by Christian behavior, but by the doctrines presented in the Bible. I maintain that any religion, belief or creed that includes a salvation premise, an elect few who will attain that salvation, and a majority who will be damned, cannot in any way be called a ‘Religion of Peace’.

History is rife with lessons. Religious people who have power will go to no ends to ensure their place into Eternal Paradise and avoid Eternal Damnation. Schemes for mass conversion, intimidation, war and terror are the inevitable outcome. Christianity had their turn for cruelty when Papal and Protestant authorities had political power. Catholics burned Protestants and Episcopaleans. Protestants burned Catholics. etc etc. Thankfully, those days are over. But now we are seeing the same thing from Islam.

What is at stake? I believe the common theme, the core central thread in Religious violence, is Eternal salvation and Eternal damnation. Belief in the cruel and barbaric concepts of Eternal Heaven and Hell can ultimately never produce peace.

Matt 10:34. Jesus was absolutely correct here.

>He does not hold a gun to anyone’s head like the IRS, or State tax guys do.

No, it’s worse than that: he holds over people’s heads (by appealing to their relationship to God) his fantasies into what God plans on doing to the world based upon our behavior today, particularly with regard to geopolitical decisions Israel must make and where “America” stands accordingly. And he does in the name of Christ and under the authority of a major Christian denomination. That is, according to Hagee, God forbid Israel (and by implication, the US) make a wrong move that might contradict his and others’ “Biblical” prophetic interpretations.

This is not the Gospel — and yet the Gospel is what he, as a commissioned Christian pastor is called to preach — and it puts a giant burden on people whose ideas of God often go no deeper than the faux theology of Hagee, Benny Hinn, Pat Robertson, and the rest of lot of them. They are Christian scam artists (wittingly or not) who place financial burdens (asking someone to give to the Lord’s work is not simply a matter of appealing to his or her free will idea of charity) on their followers, backed by the pressure of cosmic judgement: “we” must do this or else.

I repeat: it is a favorite pastime of Christians to see how things fit into Bible prophecies.

Isn’t that precious. Some play Monopoly, others collect antiques, but John Hagee makes stupid and possibly deadly “Biblical” predictions about Israel and the Jews.

There are alternatives to dispensationalism. You might do a google search on “amillenialism,” for instance, to get an idea of one alternative (though I’m not necessarily advocating it, except to say that it is far more historical and orthodox than the bizarre teachings of pastor Hagee).

I can not figure out why I would care how anyone “gets rich.” How does it hurt you that others find him worthy of their financial support? He does not hold a gun to anyone’s head like the IRS, or State tax guys do. I am forced to support people who by their behavior get all kinds of diseases, and do many, many, things I do not think is wise. I don’t hate them I don’t rail against them; I simply try to show them where they are wrong. If they don’t accept that, I go on my way and try to show kindness and love.

I repeat: it is a favorite pastime of Christians to see how things fit into Bible prophecies. Many of us, “have a newspaper in one hand and the Bible in another.” I really cannot see how that hurts you. If you find it heretical, then show us the error of our ways, we will usually listen, then agree or disagree. Not a problem.

Quran: Surah 004: Ayah 089
Take not friends from their ranks until they flee in the way of Allah. Seize them and slay them wherever ye find them.
________________________________________________

Bible: Exodus 20 or Deuteronomy 5; The 6th Commandment:
You shall not murder.

Any Questions?
LegendHasIt on August 14, 2007 at 2:04 PM

I hate to break it to you, LegendHasIt, but President Bush told me that Islam is a religion of peace. So your quotes MUST be wrong. He wouldn’t lie to me, would he?

I’m sure you’re a sweet and loving Christian who only wants what’s best for the world. I’m not sure the same can be said about John Hagee. Dispensational sensationalists like John Hagee typically make false prophecies by simultaneously opening the Bible and the New York Times to see what God has in store for the world today. They get rich off of it because it makes for great, yet sinister, entertainment.

Israel can use all the allies it can get, but it doesn’t help when Senator Lieberman or David Horowitz fete this man and call him “Moses” and things like that. It only encourages him and does nothing for the Body of Christ, which should be your first concern as a Christian.

If you haven’t noticed troubling (not to mention heretical) things in Hagee’s writings, then I think you haven’t read carefully enough.

I have nothing but admiration for the guy and his mission. Bless him and other blogs that try to get this message out about our true enemy.

Moreover (and this is what’s really f-ing sick about Hagee) is that he and his ilk believe they will be raptured before all hell breaks loose (the God-ordained hell that they so look forward to, or “anticipate” as entagor puts it) in Israel. Hagee and his Left Behind basket cases believe that any sort of peace in the Middle East will be the work of the Antichrist, and by implication therefore, anything smacking of work toward peace in the Middle East, between, say Israel and the Palestinians, is not to be trusted.

So basically, when Hagee asks his minions to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” he’s really asking that they pray for all bloody hell to break loose over there.

Thanks, but no thanks.

Drum on August 14, 2007 at 4:53 PM

Drum: I am puzzled, why do you care what we believe about the rapture? When we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, that is EXACTLY what we mean. Quite honestly we pray that “The Rapture” will be held back, so that more can come to know Jesus the way we do. You cannot find any quotes by John Hagee to back up your own hateful words. They are not there! We do not think that way at all. I am trying to figure out why you would say things that are never said, or even thought by most Christians. It seems your own hate blinds you. It seems you want to impute those vile and hateful things to those of us who really don’t hate even our enemies. The hate seems to be coming from you. Why do you care why we support Israel? Our Lord was a Jew and he loved his people, and we love them to. Trying to figure out what the Bible says about the end times does not equate with wishing them on any one. I am not sure about what I believe about the “End Times.” I am sure that what I do or any other Christian does will not speed them up or slow them down. God has his plan and he will stick to it. It is interesting to us (Christians) to try to figure it all out. But it isn’t a deal breaker either way.

Amazing. So how does one find if a politician is “in sync” with God? Martin Luther said he’d rather be ruled by a wise Muslim than a stupid Christian. Was he wrong? I mean, surely a wise Muslim is out of sync with God. Can I listen to a great musician and enjoy him if he’s out of sync with God, or will I be cursed?

Drum on August 14, 2007 at 6:07 PM

You’re just playing word games with context now. If you can’t tell when someone else is out of sync, then you’re probably not in sync yourself.

If we continue down our current path with our foolish reactions to Muslim agression with respect to false arguments about Christianity, we’re very well going to find out if Martin Luther was right about being ruled by Muslims.