*Sightings *9/13/2010

Franklin Graham on Islam and Violence

— Martin E. Marty

*Aestas horribilis,* Queen Elizabeth might call the summer just past, or
those who care about civility in religious discourse and interfaith
relations might judge it to have been. While *Sightings* took August off,
forces, agencies, and voices of prejudice and, frankly, hate-mongering, did
not.  ¢â‚¬Å“Protest mosques, ¢â‚¬   ¢â‚¬Å“Restore America, ¢â‚¬   ¢â‚¬Å“Burn Qur ¢â‚¬â„¢ans ¢â‚¬  and many more are
keywords in our internet memory. One set of these keywords is so
illuminating and nearly normative that it merits comment before we enter a
new but not necessarily more promising season. I refer to the pronouncements
of evangelist Franklin Graham on Muslim genetics, competition for souls,
Islam as killer, and scriptures.

Genetics first: There is no need to repeat Graham ¢â‚¬â„¢s bizarre charge that
Islam is passed through the genes of a father to a son. Scholars of Islam
find that idea nowhere in its teachings. Conversion-expert Graham should
understand that one becomes a Muslim the way the born-again in Graham ¢â‚¬â„¢s
tradition become Christian: by making a profession of faith and a commitment
through word and action. We won ¢â‚¬â„¢t go into the political dimension of this
issue with reference to Graham ¢â‚¬â„¢s subject, the President of the United
States, because, as long-time readers know, *Sightings* does not  ¢â‚¬Å“do ¢â‚¬ 
Presidents.

Competition for souls, second: Graham ¢â‚¬â„¢s work is often positioned along lines
crossed in Africa, where Muslims kill Christians and Christians kill
Muslims. There is little point in going into  ¢â‚¬Å“Who fired first? ¢â‚¬  or  ¢â‚¬Å“Who
killed most? ¢â‚¬  In religion-based warfare, there is never really a first and a
second; there are only debates about first and second. Graham has chosen to
attempt conversion in the second most tense area known to the two faith
communities. Without doubt, there is ugliness and murder, but we picture
militant Muslims speaking of Christians the way Graham speaks of Muslims.
Call it a draw. (By the way,  ¢â‚¬Å“the undersigned ¢â‚¬  is a Christian who sees a
place for evangelism.)

Islam as killer of Christians, third: Graham has repeatedly charged this
year that Islam, which he frequently calls  ¢â‚¬Å“a very wicked and evil religion ¢â‚¬ 
is mandated to kill, and that it kills. He does not qualify his remarks, as
the word  ¢â‚¬Å“very ¢â‚¬  suggests and even though he is often cautioned about the
possible lethal consequences for Christians and Muslims if things get more
heated. Historians have no difficulty finding Muslims in killing modes. The
problem is that historians also find Christians in killing modes, from most
years of Christendom, when the sword advanced Christianity, down into our
own time. Think of the Christian justifications in World War I. Think
Christian killing Christian in Rwanda, Northern Ireland and elsewhere.

Fourth, scriptures: It is easy to find passages in the Qur ¢â‚¬â„¢an and other
classic Muslim texts in which Allah ¢â‚¬â„¢s people may or should kill to advance
God ¢â‚¬â„¢s cause. Isolating these chunks of the Qur ¢â‚¬â„¢an which are by now most
familiar to Americans calls for overlooking Islam ¢â‚¬â„¢s many peace-promoting
texts. And it also means overlooking parallel biblical texts. There are far
more pictures in the biblical texts of a warrior God licensing and, yes,
commanding  ¢â‚¬Å“omnicide, ¢â‚¬  the killing of men and women and children who stand
in the path of God ¢â‚¬â„¢s people. Yes, all that was long ago. Now, you will never
(at least I never) find Jews or Christians who think that killing people of
another faith is a scriptured mandate for them.

Let ¢â‚¬â„¢s hope and work for a less horrifying autumn.

Martin E. Marty’s biography, current projects, publications, and contact
information can be found at www.illuminos.com.

———-

*Sightings* comes from the Martin Marty
Center
at the University of Chicago Divinity School.

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