Fighting the Wrong Battles

The Rev. Franklin Graham

Surely, the Rev. Franklin Graham is familiar with this scripture: "No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer." (2 Timothy 2:4)

That was the apostle Paul's caveat to the early church to avoid using worldly methods to advance the Gospel instead of the power of God's Holy Spirit. Paul used a soldier as a metaphor for a Christian and a commanding officer as a metaphor for Jesus Christ.

What did Paul have in mind when he issued that warning? He had politics in mind. Though the political process was much different in Paul's day, it was a human endeavor that influenced the people through legislative power.

Paul wanted the early church to stay out of the political arena because there's no spiritual power there. Meaning what? Meaning that legislative power forces people to act and behave--often against their will--while the spiritual power of God encourages people to act and behave according to God's will.

Simply explained, people behave badly when they either don't fear or believe in God. Bad behavior entails a litany of things from murder, rape, robbery, violence, sexual immorality, alcohol and drug addictions, gambling etc. Even though we have laws that criminalize such behavior, they don't prevent such behavior. If you don't believe that, then consider how well gun and drug laws work.

When people fear God, crime and moral decadence declines. But when people don't fear God--either because they don't believe in Him or they don't believe He's omniscient--then crime and decadence explode. When that happens, the easy solution is always to pass more laws to prohibit crime and decadence. That's not a bad thing.

But that's a solution for the secular world and not for the Christian church. Evil always increases in the absence of God's presence. In order for people to be morally strong, they have to believe in and fear God. And that comes by preaching the Gospel and keeping it relevant to the world.

That's where the Christian church began to fail in the 19th century--initially in Europe--when the church began to doubt the Bible as the inerrant word of God. When that happened, the church turned away from the biblical gospel to the powerless social gospel and attempted to do God's will via secular methods.

Needless to say, you can see the results. Violence and moral decadence prevail throughout the western world. Such abominations as abortion, and lifestyles such as homosexuality and transgenderism that were historically condemned, are now glorified while gay marriage has been codified.

And such behaviors as alcoholism, drug and gambling addictions that were historically defined as bad moral choices, have been redefined as "diseases." When a moral choice is reclassified as a disease, that removes moral accountability from the equation. And evil multiplies exponentially.

Surely, Rev. Graham knows that. And yet, like many of his fellow evangelicals, he chose to fight evil through the political process, promoting candidates that claimed to uphold conservative values.

But the Rev. Graham has finally thrown in the towel after his Republican Party sold out conservatives recently by helping to pass a spending bill that funds the mass baby murderer Planned Parenthood. Here's what he said on his Facebook page: This is an example of why I have resigned from the Republican Party and declared myself Independent. I have no hope in the Republican Party, the Democratic Party, or Tea Party to do what is best for America. 

Ironically, the Rev. Graham's father, the legendary Rev. Billy Graham, made the same mistake many years ago before he divorced himself from politics and got back to evangelism. He realized that you can't change the world through politics. And his son, who's a dynamic preacher, has finally realized that as well.

Other evangelicals need to follow Rev. Graham's example and stop trying to do God's will via the ballot box. American politics is a filthy industry that's long been corrupted by big money from special interest groups and wealthy elites who use the political process to further their agendas. And one of those agendas is the creation of a godless, secular state that glorifies evil and persecutes those who dare speak out against it.

Surely, the Rev. Graham is familiar with another scripture: "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter." (Isaiah 5:20) 

That's the world we live in. And a major part of that was made possible by the Christian church's abdication of the power of God in Christ for the futility of a civilian affair called politics.

Blissful Stupidity

The pictures explain it all

Conventional wars mandate conventional armies that travel to the venues where conventional wars are fought between opposing forces. When the stronger force prevails, the terms of peace are dictated to the weaker force and everyone tries to get on with their lives.

However, the war going on between the Islamic world and the west isn't a conventional battle. Why? Because it's a religious war between those who get their marching orders from their holy book and secularists who don't believe in God. As such, it's a war that can't be fought the traditional way.

And yet that's precisely what the western world and its ignorant leaders are attempting to do. Western leaders believe that if ISIS--the current manifestation of violent Islamic fundamentalism--can be defeated in Syria and Iraq, the world will become a more peaceful place once again.

But that's a fallacy considering that the ideology that motivates ISIS and all Islamic terror groups is found in the Quran and the Hadith. And those books aren't limited to Syria and Iraq.

However, western leaders either can't or don't want to see that because recognizing the real problem involves facing up to reality. And when you recognize reality, you recognize that you have to make some extremely tough decisions.

Such as? Such as eliminating Islam from the world. Certainly, that sounds harsh and xenophobic. And yet, as the wise old philosopher once said; it is what it is. Thus, unless Islam is eliminated, the world will continue to experience trouble.

And so, if outlawing Islam sounds harsh and extremist, then how does this sound? This is taken straight from the Quran: Those who disbelieve follow falsehood, while those who believe follow the truth from their Lord... So, when you meet (in fight Jihad in Allah's Cause), those who disbelieve smite at their necks till when you have killed and wounded many of them, then bind a bond firmly (on them, i.e. take them as captives)... If it had been Allah's Will, He Himself could certainly have punished them (without you). But (He lets you fight), in order to test you, some with others. But those who are killed in the Way of Allah, He will never let their deeds be lost. (Sura 47:3-4)

Here's one from the Hadith (Sayings of Muhammad): He (the Messenger of Allah) did that and said: There is another act which elevates the position of a man in Paradise to a grade one hundred (higher), and the elevation between one grade and the other is equal to the height of the heaven from the earth. He (Abu Sa'id) said: What is that act? He replied: Jihad in the way of Allah! Jihad in the way of Allah! (Muslim 20:4645)

And how does this sound? From the Hadith: Fight everyone in the way of Allah and kill those who disbelieve in Allah. (Ibn Ishaq/Hisham 992)

Do you wonder why the Jews are frequent targets of jihadists? Here's a clue from the Hadith: Allah's Apostle said, "The Hour will not be established until you fight against the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say. "O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him." (Bukhari 52:177)

And here's one from the Quran: O you who believe! Do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever among you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people. (Sura 5:51)

Concerning tolerance of other faiths, the Quran says this: And whoever desires a religion other than Islam, it shall not be accepted from him, and in the hereafter he shall be one of the losers. (Sura 3:85)

Those are just some of the many Islamic scriptures that motivate terror groups such as ISIS to wage war against the world and commit atrocities such as beheadings, child rapes and mass murder. The recent murders committed in Paris and San Bernardino weren't committed by "extremists" who perverted Islam. They were committed by fundamentalists who were being obedient to what Islam teaches and has taught since the 7th century.

Killing off ISIS isn't going to eliminate terrorism from the world. Islamic fundamentalism is like a deadly cancer that keeps metastasizing. You can eliminate it from one part of the body, but it resurfaces elsewhere. As long as Islam exists, terrorism will keep manifesting. The only solution is to eliminate it completely.

And that won't happen in the west because the west is paralyzed by cowardice and political correctness. It's always easier to blame Islamic terrorism on climate change or on American imperialism or on something the Catholic Church did many centuries ago. But it's extremely hard--if not impossible--for some folks to place the blame where it belongs. And that's on Islam itself.

Before you can find the cure, you have to know the cause. But if you can't recognize the cause, then you might as well write your epitaph. Because you're finished.

With Friends Like These...

An unidentified Orthodox Jew with Pope Francis

With anti-Semitism spreading across the world once again like a deadly malignancy, a group of Orthodox rabbis has decided that it's a good time to bury the hatchet with some old enemies.

From Newsmax.com: More than 35 Orthodox rabbis from Israel, the United States and Europe are making an extraordinary plea for an end to the "toxic" history between Jews and Christians – and the beginning of cooperation "as partners to address the moral challenges of our era."

The rabbis have published an official document that outlines their peace offering to Christians. In the statement, they acknowledge that both Jews and Christians have a common covenantal mission to perfect the world under the sovereignty of the Almighty, so that all humanity will call on His name and abominations will be removed from the earth. 

The document also states that Jews and Christians have more in common than what divides us: the ethical monotheism of Abraham; the relationship with the One Creator of Heaven and Earth, Who loves and cares for all of us; Jewish Sacred Scriptures; a belief in a binding tradition; and the values of life, family, compassionate righteousness, justice, inalienable freedom, universal love and ultimate world peace. 

It's understandable that the Jews are reaching out to the Christians because both groups don't have many friends left in the world. Certainly, the Jews have a lot more experience with persecution than Christians have had. And the Jews recognize that the wholesale slaughter of Christians and the destruction of their communities throughout the Middle East, Africa and Asia is identical to what they've experienced throughout the world for thousands of years. 

And so, out of concern, they've reached out to Christians to show their solidarity with them. Unfortunately, they've reached out to "Christians" who've been the biggest purveyors of anti-Semitism for nearly 17 centuries. 

The rabbis, who evidently don't know the difference between true biblical Christianity and Roman Catholicism, extended their olive branch to the Vatican: We recognize that since the Second Vatican Council the official teachings of the Catholic Church about Judaism have changed fundamentally and irrevocably. The promulgation of Nostra Aetate fifty years ago started the process of reconciliation between our two communities. Nostra Aetate and the later official Church documents it inspired unequivocally reject any form of anti-Semitism, affirm the eternal Covenant between G-d and the Jewish people, reject deicide and stress the unique relationship between Christians and Jews, who were called “our elder brothers” by Pope John Paul II and “our fathers in faith” by Pope Benedict XVI. 

Vatican Council II ostensibly apologized for the Catholic Church's historical mistreatment of the Jews, going all the way back to the 4th century. In reality, the apology was a phony one that sought to distance the Roman church from Hitler's holocaust that the Catholic Church helped foment through centuries of anti-Semitism. 

Remember that Adolf Hitler, a professing Roman Catholic, qualified his murderous actions by pointing to his religion: I believe today that I am acting in the sense of the Almighty Creator. By warding off the Jews I am fighting for the Lord's work. (Adolph Hitler, Speech, Reichstag, 1936)

Why has the Catholic Church historically maligned the Jews? Because the church believes that she replaced the Jews as God's chosen people when the Jews corporately rejected Jesus Christ as their messiah. For centuries, the Catholic Church taught that God rejected the Jews and cursed them for rejecting Christ. That's a heresy more popularly known as Replacement Theology. And that's a demonic heresy that's not limited to the Catholic Church.

Did God reject the Jews? The apostle Paul provides the answer? "By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don't you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: 'Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me'? And what was God’s answer to him? 'I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.' So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace." (Romans 11:1-6)

Certainly, it's commendable that the Jews want to make peace with Christians. However, they need to know the difference between true Christians and phony ones. Although the Catholic Church says nice things about the Jews these days, that church hasn't changed her historical position. She continues to believe that she and not the Jews are God's chosen people, and that God is done with them.

And the Catholic Church believes that the city of Jerusalem belongs to her and not to the Jews. That's why the Catholic Church has refused to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital city since Israel became a sovereign nation once again in 1948.

The Jews may believe that the Catholic Church has become their friends. But she hasn't. And she never will as long as she exists. Rather, the Catholic Church used to kill the Jews with guns and knives and swords. 

But now, the church is killing them with kindness. As they say: With friends like these, who needs enemies?

Christ and Allah

Larycia Hawkins and her supporters at Wheaton College

It was Jesus Christ Himself who warned His followers that in the last days, "you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people." (Matthew 24:9-11)

While none of the administrators at Wheaton College (Wheaton, Ill.) have been handed over to be persecuted and put to death since they suspended Professor Larycia Hawkins, they've incurred national outrage and condemnation for their disciplinary action.

Why was Hawkins suspended? She claims it's because she wore an Islamic hijab (headscarf) in her classroom, while the college claims she was suspended for promoting heresy by teaching that Islam and Christianity worship the same God.

Hawkins recently posted this message on her Facebook page: I stand in religious solidarity with Muslims because they, like me, a Christian, are people of the book. And as Pope Francis stated last week, we worship the same God.

Indeed, Pope Francis, like his predecessors Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II, has proclaimed that Allah is the same God that Christians worship. Is that true? Absolutely not! The Bible declares that God consists of three persons (the Trinity): God the Heavenly Father, God the Son Jesus Christ and God the Holy Spirit. 

However, the Quran declares that Allah is a single entity who has no son: O followers of the Book! do not exceed the limits in your religion, and do not speak (lies) against Allah, but (speak) the truth; the Messiah, Isa (Jesus) son of Mary is only an apostle of Allah and His Word which He communicated to Mary and a spirit from Him; believe therefore in Allah and His apostles, and say not, Three. Desist, it is better for you; Allah is only one God; far be It from His glory that He should have a son, whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is His, and Allah is sufficient for a Protector. (Sura 4:171)

Many people believe that the Trinity was concocted by Christ's followers and can't be found anywhere in the Old Testament. They're dead wrong. Nearly 800 years before Christ appeared in the world, the prophet Isaiah wrote this concerning the Jewish Messiah: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)

Isaiah identified the Messiah as the incarnation and embodiment of God; the Everlasting (Heavenly) Father, the Wonderful Counselor (Holy Spirit) and the Prince of Peace (Jesus Christ) who is the Son of God. Only a fool would deny that the prophet was referring to the Trinity. 

Thus, the biblical Judeo-Christian God and the god of Islam aren't the same. And if Professor Hawkins believes otherwise, then she shouldn't be teaching at Wheaton College or any Christian school because she's of those end-time false prophets that Christ warned us about.

Prophets do more than reveal God's will concerning the future. They also teach His laws and commandments. A true prophet upholds the biblical teachings concerning God while a false prophet perverts those teachings. And Hawkins is a false prophetess for claiming that the the biblical God and Allah are the same. They're not.

Who is Allah? Before Islam, he was known as Al-Ilah, the moon god of Muhammad's Quraysh tribe, and one of 300 idols worshiped in the pagan Kabah temple in Mecca. Hence, Islam's crescent moon is a reminder of Allah's ancient identity.

Surely, if Hawkins studied the ancient religions of Arabia, she'd know that. As someone who's employed by a prestigious Christian college where the Rev. Billy Graham graduated from in 1943, she should know that.

And she should know how ludicrous and mendacious it is to compare the true God of the universe to a detestable pagan god. In fact, that's not only ludicrous and mendacious, it's blasphemous as well. To Isaiah, the Lord said this: "I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God." (Isaiah 45:5)

Larycia Hawkins is a good example of what's wrong with modern Christendom. Instead of being that shining beacon on a hill that calls sinners out of darkness into the eternal light of Jesus Christ, too much of the modern church has fallen into laziness and compromise with the world and its many false religions.

And Islam is a false religion that can't save anyone. Professor Hawkins ought to know that. But either she doesn't or once did but doesn't believe that anymore. If she truly believes that Muslims and Christians worship the same God, then shame on her. And shame on all those Wheaton College faculty members and students who stood by her in solidarity after she was rightly disciplined.

The Roman Catholic New World Order

Pope Francis: Preaching Marx over Christ

Islam has been in the news frequently over the past 50 years, and many folks believe that the world's destined to be governed by a caliphate.

Certainly, that seems plausible considering the demographics. Europe is quickly becoming Eurabia with millions of Muslims flooding into that continent from the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Add to that equation the declining population of native Europeans, and it seems inevitable that Islam will eventually take over Europe.

However, biblical prophecy makes no mention of Islam during the last days directly preceding the return of Jesus Christ. Though it seems improbable, Islam is destined to go away and for good.

But how will that happen? If Islam is going to disappear from the world, then how's it going to disappear? And who's going to make it disappear?

Though the Bible never reveals how Islam is going to vanish, we can examine prophecy to find the answer. First of all, biblical prophecy predicts that a great counterfeit spiritual revival is going to sweep across the world culminating with the appearance of the dreaded Antichrist. 

Let the apostle Paul explain: "The coming of the lawless one (Antichrist) will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing." (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10) 

Jesus Christ said this: "At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time." (Matthew 24:23-25)

Secondly, prophecy warns us that when the Antichrist appears and begins performing incredible miracles, the world will bow down to him: "All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s (Christ's) book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world." (Revelation 13:8)

The Bible seems to be describing a counterfeit Christian revival that will be ignited by demonic miracles and lead to the Antichrist. Furthermore, the apostle John, who recorded the Revelation in the late 1st century A.D. while in exile from Rome on the island of Patmos, described a world government that will be partnered with a global religion. And the religion that John described sounds very much like the Roman Catholic Church. 

When John recorded the Revelation, the Catholic Church didn't exist and wouldn't appear for another 250 years. And yet John revealed the headquarters of the global religion, (Rome) and he described the colors of the clothing worn by the clergy (purple and scarlet) that are the colors worn by the Roman Catholic priesthood. Is that a coincidence? If it is, it's an amazing one indeed.

But isn't the Catholic Church a has-been? Hasn't she become a proverbial white elephant over the past century? Doesn't she seem destined for extinction? Then how can she make a comeback? How? Remember the explosion of supernatural events the Bible predicts are going to happen. 

And remember that the Virgin Mary (not to be confused with Christ's true mother Miriam) who is highly exalted in the Catholic Church is also recognized by Islam, Hinduism and millions of Protestants. She's recognized by nearly half of the world's seven billion residents. And she holds the key to the coming revival. Also remember the metaphorical woman that John described in his vision (Revelation 17) concerning the global religion. That woman sounds like Mary.

Not ironically, Pope Francis has become one of the leading spokesmen for a New World Order. He's a Marxist who's been calling for a one world government and a massive redistribution of wealth. And not coincidentally, that's part of the global warming-climate change agenda that the Pope has also been promoting.

In his recent encyclical Laudato Si, the Pope reasoned that the world's salvation depends upon a global government: To manage the global economy; to revive economies hit by the crisis; to avoid any deterioration of the present crisis and the greater imbalances that would result; to bring about integral and timely disarmament, food security and peace; to guarantee the protection of the environment and to regulate migration: for all this, there is urgent need of a true world political authority.

That's a euphemism for a one world government. And the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church is calling for it. If that isn't a fulfillment of biblical prophecy concerning the last days, then what is?

Moving Toward a World Government

Negotiators celebrate a global climate deal in Paris

What does the recent climate deal that was agreed to by the world's 195 nations mean in the short term? Probably very little. But in the long term, it will radically change the way of life for the majority of the world's seven billion residents if it's implemented.

In what ways? In the way you travel, what you drive, where you work, how much you earn and spend, what you eat, how many children you can have, what kind of medical treatment you receive, where you live and how long you can live.

While that sounds like conspiracy theory stuff, it isn't. The Paris climate conference where the historic agreement was signed, isn't about conspiracies. Rather, it's about moving 195 individual nations into a one world government.

Certainly, that won't happen overnight. In fact, it may take many years. But it's coming. How can we be sure of that? Because biblical prophecy warned us that it would come in the very last days directly preceding the return of Jesus Christ.

But what's climate change have to do with a one world government? It has to do with this: It presents a catastrophic environmental apocalypse to the world in the form of global warming. The objective is to convince the world's nations that unless they get together and come up with a solution to lower the earth's atmospheric temperatures, the planet is doomed.

But why use climate change to effect a global government? Because climate change is a universal issue. It's something that affects the entire planet, not just certain regions. And so, in order to get everyone on board with a global government, you need a global crisis.

Why do the global elites want a one world government? Because they're convinced that a global government will prevent wars, end poverty and protect the environment. While those sound like noble causes, it's extremely dangerous to put absolute, unaccountable power into the hands of fallen sinful human beings. Human history is replete with the carnage of dictators who committed atrocities because they possessed too much power.

Who are these global elites? They are powerful politicians, bankers, hedge fund operators, religious leaders, business oligarchs, scientists, educators, media moguls, celebrities etc. who are convinced we need a global government. And they formulate their policies in such groups as the United Nations, Bilderbergers, the Trilateral Commission, the Club of Rome, the Sierra Club and the Council on Foreign Relations.

From these groups, the policies go out to the media and thousands of grass roots organizations that promote the climate agenda throughout the world. Dissenters are condemned as anti-science deniers.

As for global warming, it isn't happening. The earth's atmospheric temperatures have fluctuated for the past 19 years, as they likely have since the beginning of time. But despite the rhetoric and propaganda coming from political elites and their stooge climatologists, the earth isn't getting any hotter. However, since most people are too lazy or ignorant--or both--to look at the evidence or lack of for global warming, the climate change charade marches on.

One of the obvious lies that climate change propagandists are peddling is this one: "The agreement will send a powerful, immediate signal to global markets that the clean energy future is open for business,” said Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund, a U.S. advocacy group. "It makes a moral call for dramatic action, and it moves us closer to the crucial turning point when global carbon emissions, which have been rising for more than two centuries."

The world had no way of measuring so-called carbon emissions 200 years ago. So the claim that carbon emissions have been rising for two centuries is a bald-faced lie.

How do the international elites plan to implement a world government using the climate change ruse? By limiting and eliminating the sovereign power of individual nations, and transferring it to an international body that would eventually function as a world government. Concerning the United States, international climate laws would be imposed on the nation without congressional consent.

What's wrong with climate stewardship? Isn't that a good thing? Doesn't everyone want clean air and clean water? Yes, but this isn't about the environment. It's about a world government.

Nearly 2,600 years ago, the prophet Daniel received a metaphorical vision from God concerning four beasts that represented powerful empires. Here's how the prophet described the last kingdom: "After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns." (Daniel 7:7)

And here's the metaphorical vision that the apostle John received from God while he was in exile from Rome on the desolate island of Patmos in the late 1st century A.D.: "And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion." (Revelation 13:1-2)

The 10 horns represent the 10 nation groups that will eventually comprise this world government. The seven heads represent the rulers who will govern this 10 nation-group confederacy. And they will answer to a supreme ruler who will be the Antichrist.

That's where the climate change agenda leads to. It won't happen overnight. But it's going to happen. And now that the world has agreed to advance that agenda, there'll be no stopping it. The world may be celebrating now, but it won't be in the future. Not with the nightmare that's coming.

Radical Baloney

Radicals? Or fundamentalists?

Unless the western world faces up to the reality that there's no such thing as radical Islam, then western civilization is finished.

What is "Radical Islam?" Radical Islam is a horse manure expression invented by the western world to differentiate between so-called mainstream Islam and the Islam practiced by "extremists" who commit mayhem and mass murder in the name of Allah.

There are indeed two types of Islam; traditional Islam and fundamental Islam. A traditional Muslim is a person who identifies as a Muslim for cultural reasons because his or her family comes from an ethnic group that's been associated with Islam for many centuries. A cultural Muslim may acknowledge some or many tenets of the Quran, but seldom takes that book literally.

A fundamental Muslim is a person who takes the Quran and the Hadith (teachings of Muhammad) literally and is obedient to what those books teach. Such as the teachings that command Muslims to persecute and kill those who resist Islam's founding prophet Muhammad by refusing to convert to that religion. There's nothing extreme about that at all.

An extremist either goes beyond or finds hidden meanings in the teachings of a religious text. If you agree with this Quranic verse, then how could you go beyond what it says by doing what it says? "Those who disbelieve follow falsehood, while those who believe follow the truth from their Lord... So, when you meet (in fight Jihad in Allah's Cause), those who disbelieve smite at their necks till when you have killed and wounded many of them, then bind a bond firmly (on them, i.e. take them as captives)... If it had been Allah's will, He Himself could certainly have punished them (without you). But (He lets you fight), in order to test you, some with others. But those who are killed in the Way of Allah, He will never let their deeds be lost." (Sura 47:3-4)

That Quranic verse exhorts Muslims to fight in the way of Allah and kill the infidels. Muhammad implored his followers to cut off the heads of the unbelievers. Was he exaggerating? Was he an extremist? Of course not. He founded Islam and he preached what he claimed he received directly from his god. And those who commit murder in the name of Islam are merely being obedient to what Muhammad taught.

Nevertheless, there are those who count on the ignorance of non-Muslims to believe that a band of "radicals" has tarnished Islam's peaceful reputation by committing violence in the name of that religion. One of those persons is Kareem Abdul Jabbar, the famous basketball player who converted to Islam many years ago during his early days in the NBA.

Here's what he said in response to Donald Trump's recommendation to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the U.S. after the deadly terror attack in San Bernardino, California: While Trump is not slaughtering innocent people, he is exploiting such acts of violence to create terror here to coerce support. As I have written before, his acts could be interpreted as hate crimes. He sounds the shrill alarm of impending doomsday even though since 9/11, about 30 Americans a year have been killed in terrorist attacks worldwide — as The Atlantic pointed out, “roughly the same number as are crushed to death each year by collapsing furniture.” Trump’s irresponsible, inflammatory rhetoric and deliberate propagation of misinformation have created a frightened and hostile atmosphere that could embolden people to violence. He’s the swaggering guy in old Westerns buying drinks for everyone in the saloon while whipping them up for a lynching. 

And so, who's the radical here? Is it Donald Trump, for recommending that a moratorium be instituted on Muslim immigration until the U.S. can better vet those who are coming here from nations where terrorism is a problem? Or is it Jabbar, for portraying Trump as a bigoted hater because Trump sees the connection between Islam and terrorism?

Jabbar isn't the only celebrity Muslim athlete who's trying to defend Islam by painting jihadists who commit murder as radicals. Former boxing champion Muhammad Ali said this: I am a Muslim and there is nothing Islamic about killing innocent people in Paris, San Bernardino, or anywhere else in the world. True Muslims know that the ruthless violence of so called Islamic Jihadists goes against the very tenets of our religion.

True Muslims are fundamentalists, and they know that violence has been an essential proselytizing tool of Islam since its inception in the 7th century A.D. True Muslims are familiar with this verse in the Quran: "And kill them (infidels) wherever you find them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out. And Al Fitnah [disbelief or unrest] is worse than killing...but if they desist, then lo! Allah is forgiving and merciful. And fight them until there is no more Fitnah [disbelief and worshiping of others along with Allah] and worship is for Allah alone." (Sura 2:191-193)

And this one from the Hadith: Allah said, "A prophet must slaughter before collecting captives. A slaughtered enemy is driven from the land. Muhammad, you craved the desires of this world, its goods and the ransom captives would bring. But Allah desires killing them to manifest the religion." (Ibn Ishaq/Hisham 484)

That's not radical Islam. That's fundamental Islam. Anyone with even a rudimentary understanding of Islam knows that. Thankfully, most of the world's nearly two billion Muslims are cultural and not fundamentalists. But it doesn't take much for one to become the other.

And so, what's the solution? Bombing ISIS in Syria and Iraq will never defeat fundamental Islam because fundamentalism exists all over the planet. And certainly, the west will never outlaw Islam because of political correctness and cowardice. The west has a significant Muslim population that would erupt if western nations tried to abolish their religion. Besides, the west lacks the will to do that.

The only solution is to present the true Prince of Peace Jesus Christ. Only Christ can bring true peace into the hearts, souls and minds of human beings. Only Christ can end the turmoil in one's heart by bringing the peace and presence of God through faith in the Son of God.

As the apostle Paul so aptly wrote: ^"But what does it (scripture) say? 'The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,' that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, 'Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.' For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'" (Romans 10:8-13)

That's how you defeat Islamic fundamentalism. Or as Paul put it: "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds." (2 Corinthians 10:4)

And certainly, there's nothing radical about that at all.