Fury:

I am a part of a Christian message board at which I recently read a post entitled: "BEWARE OF MUSLIMS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD!!!" Curiously and a bit disturbed, I read the following:

"Hello my family of believers. I have a hypothesis that the Islamic citizens and inhabitants of the United States are like fleas on a good dogs body! I wish that they would be deported because I know they are trying to sabatouge our country. I think that if they are willing to be suicidal bombers which is unthinkable to the rational mind, that they will do a lesser extreme such as poisoning our drinking water and secretly blowing up our infrastructure. I know this by the discernment of the Holy Spirit that as time goes on there attack will grow exponentially. So please take what I have said seriously and we should reason with others. I would love to talk to a senator about this and maybe you would too! Israel and the United States must fight terrorists as allis forever! The US and Israel must not be destroyed but, preserved with cautious and vigilent living. People who are muslims are taught to hate us and to destroy us, as seen in the news. They can't put a nice face, but we can't trust them after 9-11-01. I do think that the it seemed inhumane when we did this to the Japanese citizens, but it's better that they be warned and controlled than our great country destroyed piece by piece! Just think of how many muslims and Mosques we have within the US especially and abroad. It is shocking because these decieved ppl think that we are infidels and of Satan when they are the ones who are. They will make viruses, plant bombs, and just think a muslim woman could be pushing her baby in the carriage, and there is dynamite strapped to the bottom, all she has to do is push the detenator and perhaps 50 or more Americans could die! We have to do something because time is running out... GBU and please respond my family of Christians!"

I immediately messaged him, clearly greaved by this bulletin post and the only response I got was another public startment of anti-muslim nature:

"I recently reviewed what I wrote originally and I realize that It came across, to some people, as racist or hateful. I want all of you friends of mine to know that I would love for us to try and reach muslims for salvation, but we must not forget their capabilities! In my discernment muslims of this nation are attacking and are willing to attack us in anyway they deem best. The reality that some muslims are irrational enough to KILL even themselves, certainly points to the range of their loyalty to the cause of killing Americans and Jews. If they don't value their own lives, they will not stop to consider ours. Please Selah! Yes I love the idea of us loving them in order that they might be saved, and of course, some will and we must make an effort to make salvation in view for them. But of equal importance is their ability to attack our families, whether it be by polluting our water, spreading disease, or simply the hateful vibes they give off. Oh yes and their favorite form of attack bombing and destroying infrastructure. Their are in my estimate atleast 10 million of them in the U.S. and what happens if 100,000 of them become radical terrorists? We saw in 9-11-01 what they capabilities are and their intelligence! The man power who carried that mission out must have been no more than 50 individuals. My point is to say beware of peculiar situations, especially harmful ones, and question they causes. And by all means try to vigilently share love and the gospel with muslims!"

Forgive my aggrivation at this, but I felt as if the true issue was dismissed. After a conversation with a dearly committed friend to Muslim ministries, I decided that it was time to call out the issues at hand. So here is where I respond. My post was accurately named "Beware of Christians in your neighborhood!!!" and it reads:

"Friends, I urge you with deepest warning to beware of your neighbors, hide your children, and don’t trust any strange invitations to their traps know as “Vacation Bible School.” These are some of the most dangerous individuals that you could meet. They are responsible for the genocide of the thousands in the past: Inquisitions, Crusades, yep, it was them.

The problem is that you never know when you’ll run into one. They’re crafty and disguise themselves as normal people. Don’t be fooled, they’re out there. You never know when you will be blindsided by a Christian - who will quote you scripture about how evil your hair, tattoos, piercings, video games, and/or hamster are and that they will cause you to burn in the flames of hell unless you drop to your knees and trade your t-shirt for a suit and tie (Jesus can’t hear you unless you’re wearing a suit, you know - the book of Jubilation 4:27 says this clearly)... THEN repent and you might be saved from eternal damnation.

They will hit you with how things have always been done within the walls of the church, will attend whenever the lights are one, yet go about with spreading murderous gossip and slander in the name of “expressing concern for prayer needs, naturally,” living in total contrast with the actual teachings of Christ.

You never know when a Christian might strike! It could be a man, woman, or child! Don’t be fooled! Don’t trust anyone! They’ll take over our country if we’re not careful... it’s time to fight back!

That’s right. I, a pastor, am telling you to beware of Christians.

Every once and a while... more often than not, I find myself wondering just who we are. When I look at North American Christianity, I see a lack of love for God and our fellow man which Christ said that EVERYTHING in the law and prophets fell under. If you love God, you’re not going to compartmentalize your life - allowing Him only to be involved in your religious life and where ever you are currently having a problem. If you love others, you aren’t going to discriminate based on a person’s ethnicity, creed, background, RELIGION, etc.

Recently, my heart broke as I read a statement made by a Christian about the Muslim community. On behalf of the dozens of friends that I have who are committed to reaching them for Christ, I want to thank you for making our job more difficult by proving that we are the racist, unloving, narrow bigots we can be viewed as. I know that stuff like 9-11 was absolutely terrible... inexcusable... but, *gasps* forgivable? I want you to look at the history of the church universal... in the name of Jesus, how many people have been killed? The Crusades, Inquisitions, the Manifest Destiny, abortion clinic bombings? Ring a bell?

I am not anti-Jesus... I am not trying to besmirch the name of Christ. I just implore the general Christian community to stop and take a look at ourselves. Before we point a finger at the extremists, let’s take a look at our hearts and see if we are being true, Christ-followers or are we being stereotypical, North American, ignorant Christians?

This is not my way of trying to be offensive, but this is my indignation about how far we have strayed from Biblical Christianity. It makes me sick that I’ve heard more people tell me that they’ve found genuine love and acceptance outside of the church than inside. It turns my stomach that I can think immediately of dozens of people I personally know who have turned Christ because of Christians. One of them straight up told me, “I will start going to church as soon as there aren’t any Christians there...”

Jesus told us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. He said that if someone asked for your cloak, to give him your tunic too. He said to turn the other cheek, forgiving not just 7 times, but 70 times 7. He said that in this world we would face persecution and troubled times. Yet, He told us to love God like nothing else and to love your neighbor (even your most hated enemy) with the same care and concern as yourself.

So why do I take this opportunity to say all of this? Because it’s time that we straighten up and flight right. Is God too small to protect us and watch over us in the middle of whatever attacks of terrorism or anti-Christic activity may come? If you answered yes, get a bigger God.

He promised never to leave or forsake us, no matter how many planes fly into buildings, no matter how many human bombs explode, no matter how many hot, metal shells drop from specifically aimed guns.

'The single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and get on with their lives. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.'

Be part of the solution, not the problem."