Are You Offended?

Here's another article for your consideration. Personally, I am not offended by the tag line "Jesus, a Prophet of Islam." Although I can see how a great majority of Christian believers would feel threatened by the claim. I recently met a guy named "Isa." I said "Oh, your name means Jesus." He was a little startled by my assertion, as he was encountering someone who had at least a passing familiarity with his religion and wasn't threatened by the fact that he was a Muslim.

Just because one faith's holy book has a different interpretation of who Jesus was and what Jesus did doesn't mean we can malign them with impunity. I do not accept the validity of the "Jesus story" as presented in the Quran, because there are some pretty direct contradictions to the book I hold to contain absolute truth. But I'm not threatened or offended by a billboard wherein Muslims are expressing their belief.

Inasmuch as Jesus, in his humanity, had to submit himself to the will of God in dying on the cross . . . well, the meaning of the Arabic word transliterated as "Islam" is submission. So, in essence, there is some credence to their claim. On the other hand we cannot accept the Quran on par with the Bible.

I think the best responses to this article are summarized in the following two statements.

1) Regina writes, "I'm not offended. My God is way bigger than an advertisement on a bus."

2) "Joe Stalin," who is obviously an ignorant troll, writes, "islam is a vile and filthy death cult started by the child rapist muhammad."

We can work in peace, promoting dialogue, mutual understanding, and respect. Or we can preach an equally vile and repugnant intolerance and hatred for those who espouse beliefs that do not match our own.