A Dangerous Trend

Over the last weeks, the internet has been filled with horrific news of violence done by Islamic terrorists.  Even before ISIS started systematically killing and destroying, random acts of terror have been occurring around the world.  Muslim believers who have killed innocent people in the name of Allah.  I recall a particularly gruesome scene where a man in England attacked a British officer with his car, then stabbed him repeatedly in the middle of the street in broad daylight.  A bystander, watching, then proceeded to video his message to the world which was in essence, "Watch out, world!  We will not stop until all the infidels are dead."  While he speaks covered in the blood of his victim, people walk back and forth past him not even noticing what has happened.  I could have nightmares just about that one incident.  And it's not the last, not by a long shot.

Less gruesome, but equally disturbing, is a video I recently watched about a Jewish speaker at a college campus speaking about what is happening around the world in regards to terrorism.  A Muslim woman stands up representing the Muslim Student Association to ask him to prove the connection of MSA to terrorist groups such as Al Queda.  He then states that one of Al Queda's goals (and other groups like this) is the annihilation of all of the Jews in the world.  He asks her point blank, "Are you for or against the annihilation of all of the Jews?"  She hedges a bit and states how he is putting her in a position to incriminate herself, but he presses her to answer.  She answers, "I'm for it."  And she says it with a smile.  I remember feeling such a heaviness in my heart after watching that.  A sadness for this world and for what is happening every day.  And I also felt a fear.

The fear I feel is probably not the fear you'd expect though.  I'm afraid that religion (meaning faith in God) is beginning to not only look ridiculous, but dangerous.  I'm afraid that all "extreme" forms of religion will become a horror to the world not because of the result but because of our unwillingness to waver.  

What do I mean by extreme?  I mean faiths that ask us to respond to a higher calling.  Faiths that demand us to walk a straight and narrow path with clearly defined good and evil.  It won't matter what the fruits of this faith are, but whether or not you will conform to society's views when necessary.  What I foresee is a day when Muslim jihadists will be considered on the same level as the Christian pastor who won't marry the gay couple.  

The tide is turning (has already turned, I believe) where we will be pressured to not stand firm because we won't want to be identified with extremists.  It makes me sad because many will not stop to check the fruit of faith to determine its validity but instead will judge all faiths according to the standards of society (that are ever changing).  My prayer is  Matthew 5:16:    "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."  Your good works matter.  They matter for the glory of the one true God.  Your acts of mercy, of grace, and self-sacrificing love show the world who our God really is and, most importantly, who He is not.  We must let the true fruit of our faith be the testimony that shows our faith is valid.  

Ravi Zacharias wrote a great book called Jesus Among Other Gods: The Absolute Claims of the Christian Message that is an excellent read on how Jesus compares to other faiths.