An Open Letter to a Pastor in Florida:

Recently at the Seminary I attend, a pastor from Florida spoke. He shared about America and how we have been at war since he's been alive. The enemy he says: Islamic extremists. His message was both poilitcally motivated and filled with historical distortions. If you would like to know more about what he said then just email me or post a comment. Anyway, here's the letter I sent:

Dear sir,

My name is Bryan, and I am emailing you concerning your message in chapel at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary this past Wednesday. This email is a bit lengthy, but I hope you will read and respond.

I am a student at Southwestern pursuing a Master of Arts in Missiology. For some time now, I have been on staff with a ministry that travels the U.S. speaking to college students about God's heart for the world, and how every believer with a pulse has a responsibility in the Great Commission. With that, we invite about 50 students to come to a summer project in Pasadena, CA at the U.S. Center for World Mission. While there we study the worlds major religions and then go and visit their respective places of worship as learners. One of the religions we study is Islam.

You mentioned in your message that America has been at war since you've been alive, and that the enemy is Islamic extremism. You mentioned that it has been an unprovoked war, and then proceeded to say that it has been going on for 4200 years. You then lead us to Genesis 17 to share about Abraham being the father of many nations. After this you began to speak of Ishmael and connect him to all Arabs. (I would like to mention a side note that I have recently learned in my History of Islam class, that not all Arabs are from Ishmael, and this is Biblical. Ishmael has become the "generic" name for all Arabs like "Coke" for all soda pops. There are three lineages that Arabs descend from: Joktan [Gen. 10:25 - the other son of Heber], Hagar [Gen. 16 - gave birth to Ishmael], and Keturah [Gen. 25:1-2 - Abraham's wife after Sarah's death and her kids].) You then read Genesis 16:12 like this: "He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers." The NIV and the Holman Christian Standard Bible are the only translations that quote it this way, and they are wrong! The NIV offers another way of saying it in the footnotes, and it's actually the correct interpretation. It says, "Or live to the east/ of." It should read, "...and he will live to the east of all his brothers." Not hostility!

As you proceeded through your message you began to talk about the greatness of the Jewish people. I agree that they are a "miraculous" people, and that God chose them as His own for the purpose of making His glory known among all peoples on the earth. The culmination of all He has done, is doing and will do is in the God-Man Jesus Christ, and not the Jewish people. Jewish people do still have a role in history, and I believe God is not done with them. However, I do not believe as Christians that we should "side" with the Jews simply because they are the Jews. The Jewish people rejected the very Messiah sent to redeem them and all mankind. This Jesus is to be preached among all peoples, terrorists or not. We are Christians first, not Americans. You're message drew a line in the sand and basically said, "Whoever is for the Jews is on God's side and whoever is on the side of Arabs (or Muslims) is the enemy."

While it is true that Islamic fundamentalism has lead forth attacks on America, it is a complete contradiction of Scripture to say they are "our" enemy as believers. Paul states very clearly in Ephesians 6:12, "For we DO NOT wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." Our battle as believers in the Lord Jesus is not against Muslims, rather against the spiritual forces of Islam and all other spiritual forces of darkness in the world. Not all Muslims are terrorists, and most do wish for a peaceful existence with others. Nor are all Christians crusaders, most do wish for peace. Your message, I felt, did not encourage believers to love and pursue the millions of Muslims in our country with the life-giving and life-saving Gospel of Jesus. Nor did it promote a move to go among them all across the world and declare Christ to them. In my opinion, your message served as justification to hate Muslim extremist and blame Muslims for all the world problems among ignorant believers who think that all Islam is about is killing non-Muslims.

It saddens me that so many American believers subscribe to this way of thinking about Muslims. I fear what may happen to those who work among Muslims because of misguided statements like the one made the other day. America is not God's country, nor is God America's God. I am astounded that a minister of the Gospel would take his one opportunity at Chapel to speak a politically motivated message that has probably done more harm than good. The facts of what Islamic extremists have done is clear. So too are the facts of what American foreign policies have done. We are by no means "saints" in this world politically. I do not wish to be judged by the world through the lenses of what all American politics have done wrong. I do not believe it is right to judge the Arab world, and Muslims in general, based on the acts of the extremist minority. You quoted the Surah that dealt with killing the infidel, and then responded by saying that "our" Bible says, "Love your enemy and do good to those who mistreat you." I have one question: How are you extending love to the Muslim extremists? A message like the one presented Wednesday does not say "love your enemy," rather, to me, it says "know your enemy and get on the right side!" Our first allegiance is not to a country or a flag, it is and will always be to a King and Kingdom.

It is my hope that what I have mentioned will be taken constructively, and it is my hope that in future messages about Muslims a message of hope will resound. At present, there is much going on in the Muslim world. God is at work there, and I believe you would be amazed at where exactly the largest movement of Muslims to Christ is today. You mentioned the President of their country in Chapel. It's Iran! I would like to challenge you to go and research and see what all He is doing among Muslims in the Middle East. While the news may only report the horrible news, a minister of the Gospel can and should be the voice of hope and grace and love and peace in Jesus to the world. In closing, I feel I should let you know that I will be submitting to the President of the seminary a request that your message be removed from the website as to protect those working among Muslims. Leaders in Muslim countries use the web quite often to check up on workers in their lands. This message, if heard by them, would result in a mass exodus of kingdom workers from the Muslim world.

Thank you for your time, and as I mentioned above I do hope for a response.

For His glory and fame among all peoples,

Bryan Padgett