J. Matt Barber
Islam and liberalism: twin 'Beasts of the Apocalypse'
By J. Matt Barber
Mankind's enduring "culture war" is nothing new. It first began in a garden long ago and today has reached a fever pitch worldwide. The battle lines are drawn, not so much between conservative vs. liberal, as many presume, but, rather, between biblical vs. unbiblical, truth vs. deception. In its most distilled form the culture war signifies the worldly manifestation of an otherworldy spiritual battle between good and evil.
African Cardinal Robert Sarah, a man many view as a potential future pope, recently made news by boldly drilling down into this reality. During the Vatican's ongoing Synod of Bishops, Sarah noted that the "idolatry of Western freedom," which he described as "atheistic secularism" (aka modern liberalism), and "Islamic fundamentalism" represent twin threats to the world, not unlike Nazism and communism. Atheistic secularism and Islam, he observed, are "almost like the Beasts of the Apocalypse."
"What Nazism-fascism and communism were to the 20th century, Western ideologies on homosexuality and abortion and Islamic fanaticism are to today," noted Sarah. "Certain keys allow us to discern the same demonic origin of these two movements: they both advocate a universal and totalitarian law, they're both violently intolerant, destroyers of families and the Church, and openly anti-Christian," he concluded.
Indeed, while there are exceptions, the "progressive" left is overwhelmingly anti-Semitic, anti-Christian and pro-Muslim. Liberals and Islamists, such as those belonging to the American-Islamic terrorist group CAIR, as well as Obama's pals in the Muslim Brotherhood and Iran, have forged a bizarre and notably incongruous sociopolitical partnership I call the "Islamo-'progressive' axis of evil." The only explanation for this, as far as I can tell, is best illustrated by the maxim: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
The common enemy, of course, is Christ Jesus, who is Truth.
Whereas Cardinal Sarah clearly recognizes the existence of this "demonic" Islamo-"progressive" axis, it seems, and distressingly so, that the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Catholicism's official doctrine, does not. While, on the issues of abortion, sexual sin and natural marriage, the Catechism is deeply rooted in Scripture and, as such, taps the living waters of Truth, on the problem of Islam, it has, conversely, tapped the fiery pits of hell.
On, "The Church's relationship with the Muslims," the Catechism states: "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."
Where to begin. Rarely does one find so many mistruths packed into a single sentence.
First is the troubling assertion that, "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator." Wrong. Even the demons "believe there is one God" (see James 2:19). The plan of salvation includes, exclusively, those who at once acknowledge the Creator and have faith in His only begotten Son, Christ Jesus. Says He: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (see John 14:6).
Islam expressly denies both the deity of Christ and that He is the Son of God. Any religion that denies Christ, the Messiah, as the Son of God, is a false religion. Any false religion that worships a god without the Son worships a false god – an idol of its own making.
Islam is idolatry. It is a false religion.
And Allah, a false god.
While, as the Catechism suggests, Muslims "profess to hold the faith of Abraham" and "adore the one, merciful God," the fact remains that they do neither. The "faith of Abraham" foretold the coming of Christ, the Messiah, who is, in fact, the "one, merciful God" incarnate. Not only do Muslims deny Christ, they persecute, under flame and sword, His very body – the Christian faithful.
A central tenet of Islam is to convert, enslave or kill the infidel. An infidel is anyone who is not Muslim or, depending on who's doing the killing, belongs to a different sect of Islam. Those who fall into that minority category tagged "moderate Muslim" are also infidels or "idolaters." "When the sacred months are over slay the idolaters wherever you find them," commands Surah 9:5 of the Quran. "Arrest them, besiege them, and lie in ambush everywhere for them."
Islam is about control. The word itself means "submission." It is a socio-political pseudo-religion based upon the incoherent scribblings of one man – the "prophet" Muhammad, a warring tyrant who, as even the Quran concedes, was a murderous misogynist and pedophile. This unholy book is loosely plagiarized from the Bible's Old and New Testaments – scriptures that, by contrast, were seamlessly transcribed over centuries by roughly 40 men under the direct and divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Islam is Christianity's photo-negative. While Christianity brings eternal life to those choosing to surrender to Jesus, who alone is "the Way, the Truth and the Life," Islam brings eternal death to those who surrender to Allah, who is "the best of deceivers" ("[A]nd Allah was deceptive, for Allah is the best of deceivers." [see Surah 3:54]).
It's worth mentioning here that the Bible similarly calls Satan a deceiver. Revelation 12:9, for instance, explains that he "deceives the whole world." Even though it is often claimed that Muslims, Christians and Jews "worship the same God," nothing could be further from the truth. Allah is not God. Allah is the deceiver, and insofar as Christianity, true Christianity, spreads peace, love and truth – Islam, true Islam, spreads violence, hate and deception. Allah is definitely real. He's just not God. Though he wanted to "ascend above the tops of the clouds" and "make [himself] like the Most High" (see Isaiah 14:14), Allah, most assuredly, is not God.
And so, the "best of deceivers" cares not whether we worship the idol of self, as do the secular-"progressives," the deceiver himself, as do the Muslims, or some other false god. The deceptive one cares only that we deny God the Father, Christ His Son and the Holy Spirit, three in one.
Those who refuse will face persecution, even unto temporal death.
But those who refuse will likewise face salvation, even unto eternal Life.
© J. Matt Barber
October 20, 2015
Mankind's enduring "culture war" is nothing new. It first began in a garden long ago and today has reached a fever pitch worldwide. The battle lines are drawn, not so much between conservative vs. liberal, as many presume, but, rather, between biblical vs. unbiblical, truth vs. deception. In its most distilled form the culture war signifies the worldly manifestation of an otherworldy spiritual battle between good and evil.
African Cardinal Robert Sarah, a man many view as a potential future pope, recently made news by boldly drilling down into this reality. During the Vatican's ongoing Synod of Bishops, Sarah noted that the "idolatry of Western freedom," which he described as "atheistic secularism" (aka modern liberalism), and "Islamic fundamentalism" represent twin threats to the world, not unlike Nazism and communism. Atheistic secularism and Islam, he observed, are "almost like the Beasts of the Apocalypse."
"What Nazism-fascism and communism were to the 20th century, Western ideologies on homosexuality and abortion and Islamic fanaticism are to today," noted Sarah. "Certain keys allow us to discern the same demonic origin of these two movements: they both advocate a universal and totalitarian law, they're both violently intolerant, destroyers of families and the Church, and openly anti-Christian," he concluded.
Indeed, while there are exceptions, the "progressive" left is overwhelmingly anti-Semitic, anti-Christian and pro-Muslim. Liberals and Islamists, such as those belonging to the American-Islamic terrorist group CAIR, as well as Obama's pals in the Muslim Brotherhood and Iran, have forged a bizarre and notably incongruous sociopolitical partnership I call the "Islamo-'progressive' axis of evil." The only explanation for this, as far as I can tell, is best illustrated by the maxim: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
The common enemy, of course, is Christ Jesus, who is Truth.
Whereas Cardinal Sarah clearly recognizes the existence of this "demonic" Islamo-"progressive" axis, it seems, and distressingly so, that the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Catholicism's official doctrine, does not. While, on the issues of abortion, sexual sin and natural marriage, the Catechism is deeply rooted in Scripture and, as such, taps the living waters of Truth, on the problem of Islam, it has, conversely, tapped the fiery pits of hell.
On, "The Church's relationship with the Muslims," the Catechism states: "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."
Where to begin. Rarely does one find so many mistruths packed into a single sentence.
First is the troubling assertion that, "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator." Wrong. Even the demons "believe there is one God" (see James 2:19). The plan of salvation includes, exclusively, those who at once acknowledge the Creator and have faith in His only begotten Son, Christ Jesus. Says He: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (see John 14:6).
Islam expressly denies both the deity of Christ and that He is the Son of God. Any religion that denies Christ, the Messiah, as the Son of God, is a false religion. Any false religion that worships a god without the Son worships a false god – an idol of its own making.
Islam is idolatry. It is a false religion.
And Allah, a false god.
While, as the Catechism suggests, Muslims "profess to hold the faith of Abraham" and "adore the one, merciful God," the fact remains that they do neither. The "faith of Abraham" foretold the coming of Christ, the Messiah, who is, in fact, the "one, merciful God" incarnate. Not only do Muslims deny Christ, they persecute, under flame and sword, His very body – the Christian faithful.
A central tenet of Islam is to convert, enslave or kill the infidel. An infidel is anyone who is not Muslim or, depending on who's doing the killing, belongs to a different sect of Islam. Those who fall into that minority category tagged "moderate Muslim" are also infidels or "idolaters." "When the sacred months are over slay the idolaters wherever you find them," commands Surah 9:5 of the Quran. "Arrest them, besiege them, and lie in ambush everywhere for them."
Islam is about control. The word itself means "submission." It is a socio-political pseudo-religion based upon the incoherent scribblings of one man – the "prophet" Muhammad, a warring tyrant who, as even the Quran concedes, was a murderous misogynist and pedophile. This unholy book is loosely plagiarized from the Bible's Old and New Testaments – scriptures that, by contrast, were seamlessly transcribed over centuries by roughly 40 men under the direct and divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Islam is Christianity's photo-negative. While Christianity brings eternal life to those choosing to surrender to Jesus, who alone is "the Way, the Truth and the Life," Islam brings eternal death to those who surrender to Allah, who is "the best of deceivers" ("[A]nd Allah was deceptive, for Allah is the best of deceivers." [see Surah 3:54]).
It's worth mentioning here that the Bible similarly calls Satan a deceiver. Revelation 12:9, for instance, explains that he "deceives the whole world." Even though it is often claimed that Muslims, Christians and Jews "worship the same God," nothing could be further from the truth. Allah is not God. Allah is the deceiver, and insofar as Christianity, true Christianity, spreads peace, love and truth – Islam, true Islam, spreads violence, hate and deception. Allah is definitely real. He's just not God. Though he wanted to "ascend above the tops of the clouds" and "make [himself] like the Most High" (see Isaiah 14:14), Allah, most assuredly, is not God.
And so, the "best of deceivers" cares not whether we worship the idol of self, as do the secular-"progressives," the deceiver himself, as do the Muslims, or some other false god. The deceptive one cares only that we deny God the Father, Christ His Son and the Holy Spirit, three in one.
Those who refuse will face persecution, even unto temporal death.
But those who refuse will likewise face salvation, even unto eternal Life.
© J. Matt Barber
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(See RenewAmerica's publishing standards.)
