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Jesus taught religious freedom
Through the ages, terrible atrocities have been committed
because of religious intolerance. Religions have been
persecuted, and religions have persecuted others. Such
atrocities are almost always related to political power.
Millions have been murdered.
During the first few centuries after Christ, Christians were
severely persecuted and murdered by pagans and Jews. The
pagans were offended because Christians refused to worship
the pagan gods and the emperor. The Jews viewed Christians
as heretics.
The Christians did not retaliate because Jesus taught His
followers to love their enemies and to do good to those who
hate them (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:27, 35).
From the seventh to the eleventh century, by force of
arms, Muslims spread their religion around the Mediterranean
from Asia Minor, along the northern coast of Africa, and into
Spain. Church buildings were destroyed, church leaders were
murdered, and Christianity was exterminated where Muslims
gained political power.
With regard to unfaithful Muslims who “wish that you
should disbelieve as they disbelieve,” the Koran commands1: “If
they turn their backs, take them, and slay them wherever you
find them” (Chapter 4:89). With regard to “unbelievers”
the
Koran says: “I shall cast into the unbelievers’ hearts terror; so
smite above the necks, and smite every finger of them!”
(Chapter 8:12). Another translation of the Koran interprets this
more graphically: “Therefore strike off their heads and strike
off every fingertip of them”2 When a peace treaty with idolaters
expires, the following is commanded: “slay the idolaters
wherever you find them, and take them, and confine them, and
lie in wait for them at every place of ambush” (Chapter 9:5).
Some Muslims try to soften these teachings, but it cannot
be denied that through the centuries, and also at the present
time, these passages in the Koran have been used to promote
and justify much persecution, war, terrorism and murder.
The establishment of worldwide Muslim totalitarian
government is a tenant of Islam.
From the eleventh through the thirteenth centuries,
Crusades were organized in Europe in an attempt to conquer
Jerusalem by force of arms. Thousands of Muslims were
murdered and their villages were destroyed.
The Crusaders called themselves Christians but they were
not Christians. They did not follow the teachings of Jesus at all!
At the time of the Reformation, the Roman Catholic
Church used the Inquisition to murder those who opposed its
authority. It was a capital crime to read the Bible without the
permission of the Church.
In 1536 William Tyndale was strangled and burned at the
stake in Vilvoorde, Belgium by Catholic authorities. His crime?
Publishing the Bible in English and exposing false doctrines of
the Roman Church.
When Protestants came to power in certain countries, they
sometimes persecuted Catholics and other Protestants who did
not agree with them.
On October 27, 1553, Michael Servetus was burned to
death at Geneva, Switzerland at the instigation of John Calvin.
In the twentieth century many religion-related atrocities
were committed.
Six million Jews, men women and children, were
murdered by the Nazis by shooting, in mobile gas vans and at
mass extermination camps. The Nazis also exterminated
gypsies and people with physical defects or mental illness.
Seven hundred thousand Muslims were evicted from their
homes in Palestine and forced to spend the rest of their lives
impoverished in refugee camps in the desert.
Conflicts involving religion in Europe, Africa, the Middle
East and Indonesia resulted in the murder of millions of
innocent people.
Atheistic communism persecuted and murdered countless
believers of all faiths in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America.
Jesus taught tolerance and religious freedom.
All persecution is contrary to the doctrine of Christ.
Although apostasy is to be refuted and false teachers are to be
expelled from the church, Christians are not to persecute
others or use coercion to prevent others from practicing their
religion.
Once when Jesus and His disciples were traveling to
Jerusalem, they were refused lodging in a Samaritan village.
“And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said,
‘Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from
heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?’ But He turned
and rebuked them, and said, ‘You do not know what manner of
spirit you are of. For the Son of man did not come to destroy
men’s lives but to save them.’ And they went to another
village” (Luke 9:54-56). Christians may not use Old Testament
examples to justify violence. The teaching of Jesus is on a
higher plain, is of a different spirit.
Not only does Jesus teach against persecuting others, we
are not even to forbid them: “Then John answered and said,
‘Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name,
and we forbade him because he does not follow with us.’ But
Jesus said to him, ‘Do not forbid him, for he who is not against
us is for us’“ (Luke 9:49, 50 //Mark 9:38-40).
Some have misapplied this passage to teach that we
should fellowship false teachers. But Jesus did not condone
what this person was doing. He simply taught religious
freedom. We are not to ‘forbid’ others.
Paul explains: “Some indeed preach Christ even from envy
and strife, and some also from good will: The former preach
Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add
affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that
I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only
that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is
preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice”
(Philippians 1:15-18).
Some who are now Christians in Flanders, first started
studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses. Others who are
now Christians, first studied the Bible with Mormons. As they
continued studying the Scriptures, however, they rejected the
errors of these groups, and learned the truth of the gospel.
Although false teachers are not to be permitted to teach in
the church, it is not our task as Christians to prevent them
from proclaiming their beliefs in general. It is our task,
however, to refute their false doctrine. Religious freedom does
not mean that we must remain silent in the face of religious
error.
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according
to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but
mighty in God 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” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
Christians combat false doctrine by preaching the truth.
We refute false arguments and capture the thoughts of men by
preaching the Word of God. Rather than being overcome by
evil, we overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21).
Although we can sympathize with oppressed peoples who
mistakenly think force of arms can set them free, it does not
work. Jesus said: “Put away your sword, for all who draw the
sword will perish by the sword” (Matthew 26:52). You cannot
overcome evil with evil. An attempt to do so only multiplies
evil.
Jesus showed us how to overcome evil with good by going
to the cross and rising victorious from the grave to become
King of kings and Lord of lords. He tells us to take up our cross
and follow Him (Matthew 16:24).
The most powerful weapons on earth are not guns and
bombs, but words. If you want to have influence for good,
learn to speak and write well. And, of course, the most
powerful words of all by far are the words of God.
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper
than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul
and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
Christians are proponents and defenders of religious
freedom. Our weapon is the sword of the Spirit, the Word of
God (Ephesians 6:17). Unchristian teaching is to be refuted,
but true followers of Christ do not persecute others or prevent
them from practicing their religion. Amen.
Roy Davison
Footnotes:
1 These quotations are from “The Koran Interpreted, A translation by A.J.Arberry” considered to be one of the most scholarly and unbiased translations of the Koran into English.
2 As translated by M. H. Shakir.
The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982, Thomas Nelson Inc.,
Publishers unless indicated otherwise.
Permission for reference use has been granted.
Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)
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