Jihad and suicide bombers, Osama bin Laden and terrorism: That image of Islam, prevalent in the West, may not be representative of the majority of Muslims in the world.
But neither is it a false image, says Archbishop Cyril Salim Bustros...
Archbishop Bustros, the eparch for Melkite Greek-Catholics in the US, gives Americans a thumbnail sketch on the relation of Islam and Christianity:
Although Islam calls itself a religion of peace, the peace it preaches is the literal interpretation of Islam, which means "surrender to the will of God."
"The peace in Islam is based on the surrender of all people to Islam and to God's power based on Islamic law," Archbishop Bustros said. "They have to defend this peace of God even by force."
Islam also is an "absolutist faith" that merges religion and politics — quite a different understanding from the Western concept of separation of church and state.
"In the Islamic conception, there is no separation between God and Caesar. Caesar is governing in the name of God," Archbishop Bustros said. Consequently, "they don't differentiate between the West and Christianity."
(Hat tip to CWN.)
I am not sure what more Christians can do at this juncture of history to make our Moslem brethren feel more loved and comfy? These kinds of analyses remind me of a guy who is getting pummeled by a bully, but who gets yelled at for being the thug.