Religious rhetoric and hypocrisy

I would like to object to the subject matter of two recent Post articles: one relating to Franklin Graham and another on Islam.

First of all, Islam is considered by most theologians to be an Abrahamic faith — that is, issuing from the Abraham of the Old Testament. Muslims consider Abraham to be their founding patriarch. American Christians need to guard against turning the fight against terrorism into a religious conflict because this would prove that Muslim extremists are right, and that America is against Islam itself. The last thing we should do is turn this into another crusade. One cannot “convert” another to his or her way of thinking. Conversion comes from the heart.

However, to leave the Christian faith in favor of Islam because of hypocrisy is also wrong. Though much of the Islamic faith is peaceful, Muslim cultures in many Middle East countries condone honor killings and female genital mutilation. They jail rape victims as fornicators or adulteresses. If this isn’t hypocrisy, then I know of nothing that is.

Hypocrisy is anywhere you search to find it, and we need to keep our agenda clear and not muddle it with religious rhetoric. Yes, Christianity and Islam are different faiths, and yes, Christians must always follow the Great Commission and bring Christ to the world. But this conflict will only deepen the divide between our faiths if we bring religion into the fray. Americans are fighting for the freedom to choose and be who we want to be without fear, violence and hatred. That is our noble cause.

— Kelly Stuard-Will

Salisbury