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VOL VI  NO. 6  JUNE 2005

REV. ROBERT KELLEY

 


Christianity & Islam: The Same? - Part II

 

Rev. Robert Kelley is the founder and president of Open Door Communication Ministries, Inc. and pastored the St. Mark Baptist Church of Portland, Oregon at the time this was published. 

 

(Editor´s Note: This is part two of an article refuting the destructive lie that Christianity and Islam are essentially the same religions.)

 

The reality of the invisible war between God and Satan is the reason the apostle Paul commands Christians to "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles [schemings] of the devil," (Ephesians 6:11, NKJV; emphasis mine).  He also speaks about using not human, but the spiritual weapons of God that are mighty "For pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ," (II Corinthians 10:4-5, NKJV).

 

Every so-called religion and false doctrine of man is a satanically inspired scheme, stronghold, argument and high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of Christ!  The corrupt idea that Christianity and Islam are essentially the same is among them.  Therefore, no truly born again, converted Christian can accept or support it in any form!  Instead, however, fully outfitted with the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:14-17a), the Christian is to take up "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" and "with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit" go to war against such destructive deceptions concocted by the wicked one (Ephesians 6:17b-18a, NKJV).

 

Now, let me be very clear that though we use the language of war, straight out of the Word of God, I am not angry nor am I seeking to incite anyone else to human anger and conflict with black or any other Muslims.  The Catholic Crusades against Islam of Medieval times are a shameful blotch on Christianity and enduring proof of the craftiness of Satan even among those professing to be Christians.

 

Nowhere in the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ, His apostles or any New Testament writers are Christians told to take up arms to war against men in His cause.  No, our Lord is very direct and plain in His teaching that His followers are to love our human enemies including those who oppose the Christian faith (Matthew 5:43-48).

 

Thus, Christians in all Christ-like love, gentleness, yet zeal and power of the Spirit proclaim and give witness to the truth of Christ from the Word of God to our fellow man.  In the process, in all warfare we refute and tear down the schemes, strongholds, arguments and high things Satan has lifted up against the knowledge of Christ in order to destroy mankind!

 

Love and truth are the pure motives for which I write this article: love for my Lord Jesus Christ who saved my soul, is the truth and wills that men of every ethnicity come to Him for salvation (Titus 2:11-14); love and mercy which flows from Christ through me for my own people including those of the Muslim religion.

 

A Brief History Of The Black Muslims
While black and other historians disagree on the number of our enslaved West African ancestors who came to the New World in the 17th century as Muslims, by the 1930´s, there was a dramatic rise in interest by black males in Islam.  This was due in large part to the teaching of one Master Wali Fard Muhammad who brought the message of a divine, black self-identity and destiny to the Detroit ghetto of the early thirties.1

 

During those difficult days of America´s "Great Depression," Mr. Fard, called "The Great Mahdi (Islam´s messianic figure) who came as Allah-in-Person to those who would believe", generated a large following after three years of teaching a doctrine built upon the religion of Islam from the Middle East.2  His doctrine also uniquely blended Islam with his vision of a restoration of the black race to a place of prominence among the nations.

 

Mr. Fard´s black restoration began with his reintroduction of blacks to Islam as their "natural religion" and the "knowledge of self", "the only power adequate to deal with the white man…a devil by nature." Finally, this full restoration of black greatness according to his doctrine, would not come apart from an all out race war which was the Battle of Armageddon predicted in the Bible´s Book of Revelation.3

 

One of Mr. Fard´s disciples was Elijah Poole who had been born in Sandersville, Georgia, the son of a Baptist preacher.  He later dropped his "slave name" in favor of "Muhammad" given to him by Mr. Fard. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad took over The Nation Of Islam when Mr. Fard mysteriously disappeared in 1934.  As his final messenger, it was Mr. Muhammad´s job to finish what Mr. Fard started.4   Mr. Fard was remembered each year in the group´s "Savior´s Day" celebration.

 

  1 C. Eric Lincoln, The Black Church Since Frazier, (NewYork: Schocken, 1974), p.159-160.
  2 Ibid, p.161.
  3 Ibid.
  4 Ibid, p. 164.

 

To Be Continued Next Issue

 

 

©2005 Open Door Communication Ministries, Inc.