Christians and Muslims

Lauren and I have this discussion about the horror happening today brought on by Islamic terrorists. He says, It's their religion. It is violent. I say, But Christianity has had its own violence, too. There is violence in the Old Testament. The Crusades were violent. I say most, or at least many American Islamics want peace.

Now, I think there are two things going on here. Secular thought and religious thought - two universes, in a way, even though there is really only one. There are Christians who want peace and there are Muslims who want peace. Neither of these have to be religious. They are just seeking a moral and peaceful way to live. And within this same world, there are those who will take Islam and Christianity to wage terror on the world. They do not want peace. They do not want God. They want power, annihilation, evil, destruction, control.

Then there is the religious realm. I can't speak to the Muslim way of life, but I expect they are reaching to God for their everyday needs and showing a worshipful obedience to what they know because this is how you live a good and satisfying life. I can't speak to how God sees them.  I think there are Christians like that, too. I can't speak to how God sees them (or us). God handles people the way He handles them. It is not up to me to say what God does. And then there is Jesus and John 3:16, and there is self sacrifice for the Lord, there is loving God with all our hearts and minds and loving our neighbor as ourselves, where we come to the realization that He matters more than we do.

I believe Christianity goes to the very heart of God. I believe Jesus is The Way, The Truth, and The Light. I choose Jesus as the one who brings me to God.

Not well said, but a start to my understanding what I think and believe.