Thursday, May 22, 2008

All Is Not One. Non-A Is Not Equal To A.

ABC News reports the following:

"Despite his call for the U.S. to win the "hearts and minds of the Islamic world," Sen. John McCain recruited the support of an evangelical minister who describes Islam as "anti-Christ" and Mohammed as "the mouthpiece of a conspiracy of spiritual evil."" (Read whole story here.)


The Orthodox Church teaches the following:
Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is antichrist (1 John 2:22),
Anyone who says Jesus is merely a man is antichrist (1 John 4:3)

Islam teaches the following:
1.God (Allah in Arabic) is a monad, there are no Father and Son. (Quaran 4:171)
2.Islam teaches that Jesus (Isa in Arabic) is a created being, created exactly like Adam, thus a mere human being. (Quaran 3:5-9)

Therefore, Mohammad and all Muslims are antichrist.

I hate to be pedantic, but, come on ABC. This is a simple syllogism. Orthodox Christians, indeed, all people who believe the New Testament, have to reach the same conclusion about Islam and Muslims: They are antichrist. This should not be a surprise. The surprise would be finding a Christian who says otherwise.

Paisley, "McCain's spiritual advisor" did say some other things that I am not so sure about, such as America being founded, in-part, to defeat Islam. I don't know what his source is for that, and it is something I have never read or heard before, so I am doubtful.

As for the threat posed by Islam, it is evident in history, the Quaran (the book allegedly revealed to Mohamed), the Hadditha (the sayings of Mohamed), and current events. Islam is murderous. About that Paisley is correct. But, honestly, I don't know the best course of action. But I do know that the course of action the Orthodox Church takes should be different from the course of action the various worldly powers take. It is not the Church's business to kill Muslims, though any state that wants to remain free ought to do exactly that. But why even have a two pronged approach? Why should the Church and the worldly powers both act against Islam?

Well, the worldly powers, the states of the world, have a duty to self-defense and defense of their people. Islam is a military and political agenda as much as it is a religion. As a military and political agenda it is a threat to all non-Muslim powers. But that military and political struggle is not the Church's job should not be forefront in any Christian's mind, unless that particular Christian is an officer of a state trying to protect itself from Islam.

The Church, as a rescue operation, the Ark of God's Salvation, is charged with fishing for men. Our vocation is saving men from the abyss of wrong belief and enmity with God, and bringing them onto the dry land of right belief and peace with God. It is not our job as Christians to oppose Islam, per se. It is our job, as we work with our bishops, to live and preach Christ. Which means, it is our job to say Islam, Buddhism, and Unitarianism, Hinduism, Mormonism, Materialist-Atheism and every other religion are anti-Christ. All is not one. Non-A is not equal to A. We say that because it is true. And we invite people, always in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, to be baptized into Christ, who is the Truth.

As for McCain, well I don't know if I can vote for him. I don't think he is quite pro-life enough for me. I need to find out more about his position on stem-cell research. (I've never voted for a pro-abort. I never shall.)

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