Robert Spencer interview by The Arena's Michael Coren on May 2, 2013
Robert Spencer is a regular guest on Michael Coren's The Arena. He was on last night to discuss his new book, the Boston bombings and other Islam-related news.
His new book is titled Not Peace But a Sword: The Great Chasm Between Christianity and Islam. It is clearly an important book. I am sure the erudition and study of Spencer will bring more knowledge to the fore-front.
But, I've said before that it is not enough to go on this disorganized, arms-outstretched mode of dealing with Islam in the West. And sure enough, during the interview, Spencer defends "dialogue" between Christians and Muslims, although he does makes some kind of disclaimer that Muslims are not interested in dialogue, but in subjugation of non-Muslims.
Michael Coren gives him a lead with:
Those people who say well all religions produce extremism. It's not the religion, it's the people who misinterpret it. You make in an extremely informed way the argument that no I'm sorry, I'm sorry, these religions are very, very different.Spencer replies:
And people who engage in dialogue - that's what this book is about - between Christians and Muslims should be informed. I'm not saying that there should be no dialogue, but they should be aware of the contempt in which Christianity is portrayed in the Koran, and how that then informs their dialogue [I couldn't decipher this last word].As I wrote about Pamela Geller, and her confusions and contradictions, Spencer, who would like nothing else than a "dialogue" with Muslims realizes that they have a deep-seated contempt for him, nonetheless revels in the same kind of wishful thinking as Geller, and would actually venture out to meet these people who have this deep contempt for him as mandated by their holy book.
What kind of lunatic is that!
I found the list of chapters in Spencer's new book (at this source - pdf file).
They are:
1. Time for an `Ecumenical Jihad'?The (first) striking think about these chapters is that every single one of them ends with a question mark. Which of course leads to the second (more important) striking thing where Spencer looks like he's trying to join these two religions, despite his agreement with Michael Coren that the two religions are "very, very different"2. Three Great Abrahamic Faiths?
3. The same God?
4. The Same Jesus?
5. Are We All Muslims Now?
6. A Common Desire for Justice?
7. A Shared Sexual Ethic?
8. An Honest Desire for Dialogue?
Epilogue
Appendix
One senses that he really wants "a shared ethic" and that Christians and Muslims worship the same God, and that we are all Muslims (as in we are all black, or all poor, or all women, which is a way of raising up who one perceives to be a "victim" and equalizing him.
In his confused way, he must realize that it is Christians like him who have "an honest desire for dialogue" and not the hard-headed, Koran-mandated Muslims. But, there is no harm in wishful thinking, or is there?
Of course there is. It is a recipe for dhimmitude at its best, and annihilation at its worst.
The prominent spokesmen against Islamic incursions into the West these days are Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer. Other spokesmen like Sam Solomon, Bat Ye'or, are keeping a low profile. I think their silence is their realization that more books, and more conferences, and more speeches in a synagogues are not going to going to improve anything. At least I hope that is what their silence means, and that it is coupled with founding a new strategy.
How many more books can we read, and how many more dramatic presentations can we participate in, before the Islamic message becomes clear?
We know enough already, and if not, as I've said, there is a myriad of available information that we can tap into. I think it is time to retreat, to consolidate this information, to form concrete, organized and effective measures to fight against Islam's incursions.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This Amazon.com reviewer has read and reviewed the book. I don't know who William Garrison Jr. is, but his notes make for an interesting read.
Chapter 1. Time for an `Ecumenical Jihad'?
Mr. Spencer counters the 1996 book "Ecumenical Jihad", in which its author Peter Kreeft heralded: "The age of religious wars is ending". Mr. Spencer notes that today's on-going lethal Islamic jihad attacks against Christians from Nigeria eastward to Pakistan. Mr. Spencer claims "this religious bigotry, hatred, and violence are legitimized by holy writ: The Qur'an and other Islamic texts and teachings" (p. 19) - he proceeds to cite chapter [sura] and verse [aya]. And exemplifies how hundreds of thousands of Christians have and are fleeing Islamist-dominated Middle Eastern countries. Mr. Spencer quotes the Muslim sources commanding death for those apostates [murtadd] who convert to Christianity. Subtopics: `A tradition of persecution', `The silence of human rights groups', & `Saladin: myth versus reality'.
Chapter 2. Three Great Abrahamic Faiths?
Mr. Spencer explains that while the Bible identifies the "10 Commandments" that were revealed to Moses [Musa], none is stated in the Qur'an. Pertaining to the Jewish Exodus, the Qur'an informs us that Sabbath-breaking Jews were transformed into "Jew-apes" [gird] - a concept that does not appear in the Bible (p. 43). The author details the differences between how the Bible reveals the "original sin" of Adam & Eve, whereas the Qur'an rejects this concept. Mr. Spencer states how Muslims believe that the original Islam-oriented Bible was "corrupted" by Jews & Christians to lead people away from `the Straight Path' [al-sirat ul-mustaqim] of Islam.
Chapter 3. The same God?
Herein Mr. Spencer questions why the Second Vatican Council concluded that the Judeo-Christian "God" is the same as the Muslim "Allah" (p. 54). He reviews why Muslims do not believe that Jesus was the son of God, why they deny the Trinity, and why "Allah is not a `Father'". He notes that Pope Benedict XIV, in 1754 "reaffirmed an earlier prohibition of Albanian Catholics giving their `Turkish or Mohammedan names' in baptism" (p. 57). Mr. Spencer proceeds to explain how Muslims view Allah, and discusses some Islamic views regarding `free will' versus Allah's powers (pp. 69-76).
Chapter 4. The Same Jesus?
We read that Muslims respect Jesus [Isa] because he is mentioned as a prophet in the Qur'an. Mr. Spencer reviews the issue "then why aren't Muslims Christians?" and how Gnostics may have influenced Muhammed to proclaim that Jesus was not actually crucified (p. 87). Mr. Spencer details various inconsistencies that he perceives are within the Qur'an. More importantly, the author explains how Muslims perceive that at the "End of Days" [qiyama] the true Islam-oriented Jesus [Isa] will return to save mankind from Christianity by destroying it! (p. 100).
Chapter 5. Are We All Muslims Now?
Mr. Spencer argues that "Islam treats Christianity as a perversion of the original teaching of Jesus.... This robs Christianity of any legitimate manifestation; to Islam, all Christians are essentially apostate Muslims" (p. 103). Pertaining to the prophet Abraham [Ibrahim], the Qur'an stipulates: "Abraham in truth was not a Jew, neither a Christian; but he was a Muslim..." (Q3:67), in fact, the Quran rules that all of the prophets [nabiyyun] mentioned in the Bible were all Muslims.
Chapter 6. A Common Desire for Justice?
In this chapter Mr. Spencer disputes Westerners who "think the Islamic world has something to teach today's decadent West. Yet although it is obvious that Christians should learn `the absoluteness of the moral laws and of the demand to be just and charitable,' it is far less clear that Muslims have these laws to teach, or believe them themselves" (p. 116). The author lists numerous examples of whereby the Muslim Prophet Muhammed (al- insane al-kamil) himself engaged in either various violent military campaigns or personal crimes against those who disbelieved him.
Chapter 7. A Shared Sexual Ethic?
While finding some commonality regarding sexual ethics between Christians and Muslims, Mr. Spencer opined: "... and there are other apparent moral similarities between the two religions, [but] the Muslim understanding of marriage and sexual morality differs so greatly from Christian understanding that it renders those similarities void of meaning.... What's more, Islamic morality allows for practices that Catholicism abhors, including contraception, child marriage, polygamy, female genital mutilation, and even sexual slavery of non-believing women." (p. 139).
Chapter 8. An Honest Desire for Dialogue?
In this section Mr. Spencer discusses various attempts to bring about "discussion" between the faiths, let alone "assimilation" of Christianity and Islam, and explains why the two cannot be married.
Epilogue
A transcript of the Nov. 2010 kind, erudite and spirited debate (more of a polite discussion) between the author and Mr. Peter Kreeft regarding whether or not peaceful coexistence is possible between Muslims and Westerners.
Appendix
Lists "Some Fundamental Differences Between Islam and Christianity" regarding (1) The nature of God, (2) Jesus, (3) e revelation, & (4) the Moral Law.
Alas, no attribution is given to the book-jacket's designer; again, I am impressed with its cover depicting an old curved dagger [khanjar] with Muhammed's name engraved three times upon it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted By: Kidist P. Asrat
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------