Zach Conrad

Editor’s Note: This is in response to Zach Conrad’s column on Nov. 6, 2001 titled, “Christianity and Islam: can both religions be right?”

“He is on the path of life who heeds instruction, But he who ignores reproof goes astray.”-Proverbs 10:17

After further research, I found I had misquoted Mohammed saying, “To make others believe in Allah and his Apostles and to participate in a jihad (holy war)” as a response to what would be the best deed of a Muslim, next to believing in Allah. In Al Bukhari vol 1:25, an ahadith of Islam, Mohammed stated only, “To participate in Jihad in Allah’s cause.” I have already written my source to inform them that I have been unable to find the same statement they wrote was not to be found. I do know what it feels like when others twist the Bible or misquote it. As a result, I agree that Mohammed did not share a missions approach to Islam in that text. However, there is a missions movement within Islam. A simple search on the Internet will yield such mission agencies.

Furthermore, I regret stating, “Another difference is that the God of Christian belief is loving and, at the same time, just, which does not fit the character of Allah.” I know that Arabic speaking Christians use the name of Allah as God. I was not building a point on the basis of semantics. I am not a scholar on Islam and did not spend the time to complete my thought on this nor give any basis for this claim. I was trying to point out that the God of Christianity is characterized by love.

“Yet Muslims are hungry to hear that God is more than just omniscient and omnipotent. They want to hear that He loves them personally.” I do know former Muslims who have given their life to Christ and they would say this. However, I did not give a basis for this statement. Therefore, I was wrong for giving a generalized statement without backing it up.

I should not have tackled an issue that by no means could be handled in 400 words. I regret the inaccuracies about Islam in the article. I should have sited my sources and backed up my statements.

However, all this said, I will not retract my main statement that there is a difference between Christianity, Islam and Judaism and they cannot all be true, unlike what pop media would have us believe. That was my main point.

I apologize to those who were offended by the article with its inaccuracies about Islam.

E-mail comments to Zach at [email protected].