An Open Letter to Muslims

Muslims of America, of the Middle East, of the world:

I have something I want you to know.  I'm asking that you take to heart what this Christian is about to say to you.  Please read on ...

Very simply - I love you.  

Not "I love you, however ...".  Just "I love you".  We were created and put on this Earth by the same Creator - the Creator of the universe and all things seen and unseen.  We are brothers and sisters - children of that Creator.  We may disagree on whether that Creator's name is "Allah" or "YHWH, Jehovah, Adonai, God".  We may disagree about the deity of Jesus or the truth behind Muhammad's and Paul's prophecies.  Truth will bear out one way or the other.  What we think, believe or disbelieve while on this planet has no bearing on absolute objective Truth.  That's not to say that it does not matter, just that our opinions count for nothing when it comes to absolute truth.  Truth is Truth, regardless of those opinions.

• Muslim's have faith in the divine origins of the Qur'an.
• Christians have faith in the divine origins of the Holy Bible. 

One is true.  They can't both be true, of course.  That we can agree on, for certain, regardless what people outside of our two faiths think.  They are simply ignorant and are discussing things of which they have little to no knowledge.  

Here's the main point of contention (amongst many):

• According to the Qur'an, Jesus never died.  In fact that may not have been Him on the cross.  Allah likely made someone else to look like Jesus, or He never really died, or something else.  Regardless, He never died and was certainly not the son of God, let alone God or Allah himself.  
• According to Christianity, Jesus most definitely died on the cross on the day before the Jewish Passover, was placed in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, and on the third day rose from the dead and was seen by hundreds of individuals, then ascended into heaven.

Again, one of these is true, regardless of opinion or what an individual chooses to believe.  I don't believe it is the Muslim's job to convince the Christian that Allah is the one and true God and Muhammad is his prophet, nor is it the Christian's job to convince the Muslim that Jehovah is the one and true God and Jesus is his only begotten son sent to save us from our sin.  I believe it is each INDIVIDUAL'S responsibility (Muslim or Christian or neither) to:

1. Study the history (not just assume or take someone's word for it), 
2. Study the facts of the case (what can be reasonably known),
3. Think it through to a full and logical conclusion,
4. Then determine what to do with what's been discovered.  I hope that anyone who comes to an educated conclusion chooses to act on that conclusion.  The worst decision would be to do nothing.

... and so do I and so do all real true Christians.

As a Christian of only four years now, I spent 38 years of my life believing it was ALL a fairy tale ... that those of either or any faith were simply delusional.  However, after years of deep and sincere study, after ensuring I fully understood the data (i.e. the history, foundation, facts) behind not just Christianity, but many world faiths including Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and the new age spirituality, as well as some personal experiences I can not put in words nor prove, I made my ultimate educated decision.  

But I can not tell someone else what to believe.  I can not seek and study and learn for anyone else, nor can someone do the same for me.  That would defeat the purpose our Creator set out.  That purpose being a use of the mind and the heart to seek out Truth and to let the facts speak, regardless where they lead.  

Regardless of what you do with this "challenge" (and I hope you accept it), we are all here together as brothers and sisters, and we are all created - and will always remain - equal.  The God I know and His Son Jesus (with whom I have a personal relationship) instruct me to love everyone without caveat.  Part of that love is to serve others, help those in need without hesitation, AND to share the good news we have to tell (because if it is true, you have to admit that it is the best news in all of history).  Keeping it to ourselves would be the opposite of love.  It would be apathetic and uncaring of where you spend eternity not to share.  It would be cruel.

So, again, I love you.  And that is an unconditional love - meaning, you don't need to return that love.  Regardless if you hate an "infidel" like me, or simply could not care less about any Christian, we are called to love you.  That said, your experience with Christians may not have been loving.  For that, I am sorry - I apologize on our behalf.  We are all flawed.  We are all sinners.  So, it's possible that some Christians you have met may not have shown that love very well ... but that is just an example of the "flawed" state even Christians suffer from, and it is why we need to admit we can not do it alone, that we must surrender ourselves to God, and ask for His unending grace (a.k.a. forgiveness, though we don't deserve it, through Jesus).

Again, don't take my word for it.  In fact, don't take your Imam's word for it either.  Do your OWN research and - as mentioned - follow the Truth regardless where it leads.

May the love of our mutual Creator be upon you.

Much Love,

Me

Some sources of information:

• "Paul Meets Muhammad:  A Christian-Muslim Debate" by Michael R. Licona (this book is a very fair rendering of a mock conversation between the Apostle Paul and the Prophet Muhammad - read it and you'll agree)
• And here are few talks by a former devout Muslim who answered the challenge: