Does 5 pillars means....

Oh. Someone replied to my thoughts about Muslim radicals dated 2006 November and I was led to a website that defends Islam. Played the video and the man in the video says, "Surrender...submit...obey...sincerity...peace". And his conclusion? Peace is in Islam....salaam or shalom in Hebrew.

I am basing this piece based on the video and I may be quoting out of context but if the video is the introduction to convince people Islam is a religion of peace, then I think it is fair for me to critique the video for what it is.

Now. Is Islam inherently a violent religion? I can say it is not. But one cannot deny that Islam was spread by the edge of the sword. If we are to go by history and see history as the evidence of fruit of a system, an organisation or a person, then it is a God given wisdom to see things and judge things by its fruit.

Are we to judge then? Yes and no. Yes because we need to judge so as to make a right choice. No to some extent, because we may not know the whole truth to make a sound judgment.

But do we really need to judge religious systems? I say yes because our eternal existence is really hinging on how we choose which God to serve.

Back to the topic.

Is it good to surrender, submit, obey, sincere and have peace? Definitely!! In the aspect, Islam has hit the right notes.

But there is a problem. Human beings.

Why?

Surrender/Submit - I find myself surrendering to God things that worries me and cause strive in my life since He himself has declared,

"Come to Him, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" Mathew 11

Problem: I always take my problems back into my system. No wonder Paul rightfully said we are to strive for Peace.

and let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also ye were called in one body, and become thankful. (Col 3:15)

Can we really surrender? Can we really give it all to God? REALLY? Does chanting 5 prayers a day really makes you surrender? Does quoting bible verses day in day out, makes you surrender in your heart of hearts?

Obey - Same problem. Do we really obey? Simply look at the 10 commandments. Just 10. Not the hundreds and thousands in the religious systems in the world. Just a measly 10.

Can we really be 'sincere' and say, hey I meet all 10, everyday, every time, every where, every waking moments of my life from birth till now.

No? Then how in the world can we say just obey and we can have eternal life? then God being God has to be fair and all our past sins still has to be judged accordingly. If not He will not be a fair God , and a unfair God is not a worthy God to follow just as a kangaroo court is not to be respected.

Sincere - Can we be sincerely wrong? I guess those jihadist who kills the innocents are sincerely wrong. I guess those marxists are sincerely wrong. If they can be sincerely wrong with the 'big' things, can we be sincerely wrong in the 'small' things. If you note the parenthesis, to God, there's no 'big' or 'small' problems, so there is no 'big' or 'small' sins. They are all sins- full stop.

Peace - Ah~! That keyword. Shalom or Sala-am. I just got to say this. A proclaimation of peace is not peace at all. An act of peace, is the declaration of peace and the only true declaration of peace is Christ Jesus. Any man made system that tries to impose peace does nothing but to bring about despair and hopelessness because that 'peace' is temporal, that 'peace' is a by product of an action or circumstance or both. It is not true peace.

True peace is devoid of external circumstances and the fruit of that peace is joy despite the circumstances. This peace is supernatural, that brings people up in the midst of turmoil, of despair, of chaos, or repression.

`Peace I leave to you; my peace I give to you, not according as the world doth give do I give to you; let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid;
(Joh 14:27)

Such a supernatural peace will let my heart be troubled. And I dare say, the world would not suffer if such a peace is embraced whole-heartedly.

But what of peace in Islam? If we are honest, that part of the world where Islam reign supreme, there isn't any peace to speak of. Even when I am in the midst of the world's largest islamic countries, there are crimes against other human beings who don't believe in islam. Why?

Peace? Really? Would a world wide caliphate really bring about peace to the whole world while those countries that have already embrace islam totally has not get itself out of the rut. Something is amiss yes?

I dare not make a judgment. But just SEE and OBSERVE and draw your own conclusion.

Want real peace with God first and then with men?....only solution, surrender and submit to the act of the cross, then your sincerity and obedience is in Christ who will put your name in the book of life.

Maranatha~!