It might even get them to read some of the Old Testament.

Maybe they could consider having one of the fine folks from Jews for Jesus (or one of their teaching DVDs) explain things in a manner which shows the Old Testament as a pattern for the N.T. Particularly, Messiah concealed in the O.T., and Messiah revealed in the N.T.

Mike Evans, Alice Springs

Yes Matthew, if we are to take Muslims seriously and with respect, then we should acknowledge that for them there can be no compromise or syncretism either. So why should it be expected of Christians?

Also thanks Mark, you raise a lot of good points in your comment. And yes, Tash and Aslan cannot be joined, as Murray reminds us with the Isaiah 42:8 quote: “I am Yahweh; that is My name. My glory I will not give to another, nor my praise to graven images.”

That is the verse I shared with the head of the National Prayer Breakfast last year when they had that ghastly Muslim/Christian dialogue taking place at the nation’s capital at what was supposed to be a Christian event.

Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

www.youtube.com/watch?v=09WjFwe8pUk
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne0MdUyJ1GU

There is quite a bit written up on these blogs:
atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/
www.jihadwatch.org/

Can you imagine if this would happen if it was a girl in a Christian family who became a Muslim? The blindness and double standards of the media and others is staggering. Hands up those who heard it on the news earlier this year about the Muslim guy who setup and ran the TV network ‘Bridges’ in the US specifically to show the nation there how ‘tolerant’ Islam was – and hacked off his wife’s head in his office? That’s right – not reported in the mainstream news. Imagine this if the guy was Christian.

www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=32179
michellemalkin.com/2009/02/14/the-barbaric-muslim-beheading-in-buffalo/

As an aside, it is interesting that after the recent weekend protest march on the Capitol, there is talk of the destination of the next marches – one, or even all of the major TV networks. People are beginning to see through the filtered and skewed versions of news they get. Confidence in the media is at an all time low and still sinking. The protest march was easily one of the biggest – if not, the biggest – ever in Washington D.C., and crowd numbers were sometimes almost hilariously underreported (ie. 1-2 million as 60,000 or less) or it was just ignored, because too many pictures would obviously give lie to that kind of ‘journalism’.

www.jillstanek.com/archives/2009/09/photos_of_dc_te.html
factreal.wordpress.com/2009/09/12/912-tea-party-march-on-washington/
newsbusters.org/blogs/p-j-gladnick/2009/09/14/leftwing-blogosphere-dreams-bizarre-conspiracy-theories-explain-away-d

Also, an excellent read about the current state of mainstream media here:
spectator.org/archives/2009/09/15/media-malpractice-tom-brokaws

I absolutely implore people to avail themselves to a cross-section of alternative news sites like Bill’s to get a bigger picture of what is going on in the world today. One thing you will almost certainly learn – the willingness to live in harmony with Muslims is not reciprocated – the goal of Islam is world domination with little or no rights whatsoever for those who do not to bow to Allah. Jesus came with outstretched arms and asked people to “Follow Me”. Mohammed will wait until he is strong enough and just kill you.

www.thereligionofpeace.com/

Meanwhile Obama sends Muslims a ‘Happy Ramadan’ video message, but made a mockery of the Christian blessing at his inauguration, did not attend the National Day of Prayer, and literally bowed to Muslim heads-of-state. If he is not a closet Muslim, he is content in ignorance and is dragging his country down with him. (But thankfully not many Americans want to apologize for their Constitution as the most successful attempt in the history of the world to secure men’s freedom.) Obama is to Islam as Chamberlain was to Hitler. Interesting that both hate(d) Jews.

I used to respect Campolo, but this and the gay marriage acquiesence thing with his wife is about 300 stops too far for a Christian leader. I consider McLaren an apostate, pure and simple – his ideas on the atonement, for example, make a mockery of the sacrificial work of Jesus, literally the only hope in this world. The best rule of thumb with him is to listen if you must and assume the opposite is true; he is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Christians should be aware there are plenty of books on the shelves of Christian bookshops that are far from helpful. But we have been warned already:

“Watch out for false prophets…” Mt 7:15

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Mt 10:16

…and for good measure, consider the report card Jesus gives on the 7 Christian churches in early chapters of Revelation. I see nothing from my Lord and Saviour about following ‘interfaith’ practices, indeed he told us to be very careful who we listen to. He didn’t hang on a cross and shed his blood for it to mean so little. One day the report card will be about my life – as Larry Norman used to sing “I wish we’d all been ready.”

Life was filled with guns and war,
And everyone got trampled on the floor,
I wish we’d all been ready
Children died, the days grew cold,
A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold,
I wish we’d all been ready,
There’s no time to change your mind,
The Son has come and you’ve been left behind.

Tash-lan indeed, Louise! (The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis, in case people aren’t aware of what we’re referring to here.)

Mark Rabich

Less snarkily, where does this urge to reconcile the irreconcilable come from? If I, as a Christian, take my faith seriously, then I must also take the faiths of others seriously. Which means that I must give full weight to the differences in core doctrine.

Matthew Asnip

Homosexuals clearly don't realize how great they have it here.

Philip Daniel

Barry Koh