Ten Lies and Ten Truths (Second Edition)

by Hudson, Parker

  "Hmm. So you think you will have a better life as a Muslim woman, and that is why you converted?"

  "Yes," Diane answered, "and because we like the structure of Islam. Do certain things at certain times, help the poor, and you'll be OK. Pretty easy to understand. Follow Allah's rules, do good deeds, and you'll be all right."

  "Are you sure? Islam doesn't guarantee that. It just says that Allah might like you if you do those things. It's totally up to his whim. And what if you miss something important? What do you do?"

  "You offset it with more good deeds. Or you take an extra pilgrimage. "

  "Well, you certainly understand what we were taught from childhood, that we have to try hard all our lives to please Allah, and hope that he likes what we do."

  "Yes, I like that kind of structure."

  "You will learn a lot about structure as a woman in our country."

  "What do you mean?"

  Aisha smiled. "You will see. Besides the dress, women are always second-class. We cannot worship with our husbands. We cannot start businesses on our own. We are not encouraged to continue our education. Divorce is a terrible thing for a woman. In one way we are equal to men: we can vote, but since there is only one party and one ruling group, our votes are as worthless as the men's."

  "You don't make it sound very inviting," Diane frowned. "Is that why you're leaving? Because of the inequality?"

  The flight attendants arrived with the beverage cart. After they moved further down the aisle, Aisha sipped her coffee without answering for a few moments. Finally she lowered the cup to her lap and turned slightly toward her American neighbor.

  "No. I guess you get used to all that. I think it is worse in some Muslim countries. Better in others. No, the reason we are leaving is because we are being persecuted for our faith. As I told you, we have lost everything. We are threatened. Others have been beaten. Did that happen to you in America when you became a Muslim?"

  "No. Of course not." Diane patted her hand. "What happened to you sounds terrible. I had no idea. But, again, surely that is a tiny minority of extremists, not true Islam."

  "Actually, persecution is the true teaching of Islam. The 'structure,' as you put it, has no place for Muslims who convert from the faith. Were it not for the fa9ade of Western laws in our country, the Koran itself says that we should be killed."

  There was more silence. Finally, Diane asked, "Given all of that pressure, how and why did you become a Christian?"

  Aisha smiled. "Because for the first time in our lives we heard about love. I mean about God's love. His love for us. You see, the Koran has 99 descriptions of Allah, but none of them is love. He is all-powerful, aloof, judgmental, all knowing. But not loving. According to the Koran, Allah made us and we are his servants. He would never want a friendly relationship with us. So when we heard on the radio that God loves us and wants a relationship with us, it was very new and exciting."

  The plane suddenly encountered turbulence and Diane froze. She turned and looked out the window. Everything appeared to be all right. She turned again to her companion, but continued to grip the armrest between them. "On the radio?"

  "Yes. It's against the law to talk about Christianity in our country except inside the few churches that the government allows to exist. There are no Christian books in the library or bookstores, and of course, nothing about Christianity on the state run television or radio. We first heard about God's love on the short wave radio, and then we studied it on the Internet. It was like a whole new world for us. We wanted to tell others, but we were afraid."

  Now Diane leaned forward. "Wait a minute. The Christian God is not just about love. He is also judgmental, just like Allah. I know all about those rules. Look at the Ten Commandments.

  Look at all the rules in the Old Testament. There's no difference."

  Aisha's smile turned into a grin. "Oh, yes, of course. He made us, so He naturally has rules for us to live by, for our own good. But here are the differences, the things that spoke so deeply to my husband and me. God the Father, unlike Allah, longs for a true relationship with us. He walked with Adam and Eve. He is the joyful father running to meet his prodigal son. Allah would never do that. God wants us to be in fellowship with Him.

  "But here's the most amazing thing. God made a way of deliverance for us when we fail. In Islam, failure means to try harder, to do more, and to hope that you can please Allah. You never know. You just try and try. But God has instead provided the way out of our failures, our sins. He loves us so much that He had his son Jesus die in our place, for the things you and I have done that separate us from Him. So that we can return to Him. So that we will spend eternity with Him. We can't possibly do that ourselves. Allah wants us to keep trying, like it's a game with a score, but we never know if we've scored enough. God instead lifts us up in His arms, loving us because, if we repent and believe, Jesus has already done what we can never do."

  Diane leaned back in her seat and looked out the window again.

  Aisha continued, a smile lighting her face. "That's why we're so excited. God loves us! Allah never did and never will. Isn't that incredible?"

  "I...guess."

  "And that frees us. Persecution is bad, but it's not the end. I pray that my husband gets out and joins me. I want to grow old with him. But even if that doesn't happen, I know that God loves both of us, that He has a plan for us, and that we'll see each other again in heaven. We're free to love...to love everyone, even the ones who persecute us."

  Diane shook her head. "You must have been told about a different Christianity than I grew up with."

  "Why?"

  "Well, I guess there was some joy ...in my mama's church. But then there are all the rules against everything from dancing to drinking to buying stuff on Sundays. And that 'All men are created equal' line, as long as you're not a woman or black. And white Christians owning slaves, and big rich churches turning away the homeless. I just get sick of all that."

  Aisha listened and frowned slightly. "Forgive me. I have never been to America, so of course I don't know. But those things sound like what people do, not what Christianity teaches. Or what Jesus himself would do."

  "It's all the same."

  "Again, forgive me, but I have to disagree. In America I think that people have failed to live up to the teaching of the faith, that we are all created in the image of God, and that we should love each other as God loves us. In our country, the teaching itself is that Allah wants us to keep trying to please him, and to do so we have to live according to rules and laws that have nothing to do with love. In your country, the ideal is there, like a beacon, to turn you back to a relationship with God-that is uplifting. In our country, the ideal is a long set of rules that can never be changed-that keep people down. So it's not the same. God is not Allah ...thank God!"

  Diane shook her head again. "You have faith like a small child. But it's not that simple."

  Aisha nodded. "Maybe it is. I know that you will see for yourself what I have been talking about."

  "And I think that you will see the hypocrisy in America." "Yes, probably. And I will try, with God's help, to shine the light of His true teaching into those situations." "Good luck."

  Aisha lowered her eyes, then looked up at her companion. "Diane, for your sake, don't try to change anything in my country."

  Diane looked at her and frowned.

  "And keep your American passport with you. You may decide that Allah is not who you think he is. If you decide to return to God, you won't be able to do that where you are going."

  "I-uh-okay. Thank you."

  The engine noise reduced as the plane began its descent. Diane looked around quickly and then tightened her seatbelt.

  "We will be all right," Aisha said. "God is in charge of this airplane, and of everything else."

  "I hope so. And I hope that your husband is able to join you soon. Could...could I have his address, in case we can help?"

  "Yes, but I don't recommend that you visit him. It c
ould make life very difficult for you there."

  Diane frowned again. "Just for talking to him? We'll see about that."

  Lie #4: God and Allah are the same.

  Truth: Though both faiths are monotheistic, Allah is an aloof creator who rules over people with random and unpredictable judgments, meaning that his followers must obey rules and do good deeds to earn his benevolence. God the Father is not aloof, but instead created us to have a relationship with Him and loves us so much that He gave His only son Jesus to atone for the sins of all who believe. We cannot earn this salvation. We are not saved by keeping rules or by our own works, but by His grace.

  http://www.kenboa.org/?s=islam

  http://www.answeringislam.org

  http://www.cwfa.org/the-real-war-on-women-is-happening-in-the-middle-east/

  Genesis 16

  Luke 15:11-32

  Acts 17:22-34

  Spencer, Robert. The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades). Regnery Publishing, 2005.

  Spencer, Robert. The Complete Infidel’s Guide to the Koran. Regnery Publishing, 2009.

  Ben Abraham, Isaac. Islam, Terrorism and Your Future. Cedar Hill Press, 2002.

  Geisler, Norman L. and Saleeb, Abdul. Answering Islam: The Crescent in Light of the Cross. Baker Books, 2002.

  Bawer, Bruce. While Europe Slept. Random House, 2006.

  Darwish, Nonie. Cruel and Usual Punishment. Thomas Nelson, 2009.

  For the latest updates go to parkerhudson.com/blog. There are also posts on Islam at this link and at this link. Please enjoy the Archives by Category and Tags.

  Notes:

  5

  The Vote

  "There they are," Dylan said to Ashley, as they hurried into the international arrivals area at the Los Angeles Airport.

  Smiling broadly, Ashley hugged Judith, her old friend from Australia. "It's so good to see you!"

  Ten years earlier, before they were married, Dylan and Ashley Ibitson had been American graduate students in Oxford, and Judith had been Ashley's Australian roommate.

  "You don't look a day older." Dylan smiled as he shook Thomas' hand.

  When Judith and her Oxford boyfriend, Thomas Gurling, were married in Australia two years after graduation, the Ibitsons, also newlyweds, had flown out for the wedding. In the intervening eight years and two children apiece, the couples had not been as close. But now the Australians had arrived in the U.S. so that Judith could attend a conference at the start of the new year.

  "Only you two would fly on New Year's Eve," Ashley said, as she hugged Thomas.

  "Fares on the hyperplanes are going up in 2035," Judith explained, "so we decided to spend a couple of extra days with our favorite Yanks. We hope you don't mind having us."

  "Of course not! We love it. I just wish you could have brought Jonathon and Amy."

  "They'll be just as happy with their grandparents. And Mom and Dad are used to taking care of Jonathon," Thomas said. "So, how are you two?"

  "We're great. Let's get your luggage to the car. We're on a bit of a tight schedule," Dylan added, as he reached for one of the suitcases.

  "The Vote?" Thomas asked. "Yes."

  "That's another reason we wanted to arrive today. We've read about it for years, but we wanted to see how it works in action, so to speak."

  With a suitcase in each hand, Dylan headed for the exit. "It's always interesting. Hopefully we'll make it home in time for you to see it all."

  "Lead on," Judith said, as the four friends continued to the car.

  Ninety minutes later the two couples were relaxing in the lbitsons' den. The Gurlings had unpacked and freshened up, handed out gifts to the kids, and been shown the latest improvements to the back yard landscaping. Now, drinks in hand, the four friends were seated around the television/family computer in two comfortable chairs and a sofa.

  "How are Jonathon and Amy?" Ashley asked.

  "Amy at three never stops asking questions," Judith replied. "And she certainly knows how to get her way with her father."

  Thomas smiled. "And Jonathon, now that he's six, is doing well in school, even with his Mosaic Down's Syndrome."

  Ashley nodded. "We were so concerned about him when he was born."

  "Yes. Jonathon has certainly taught us patience that we didn't know we had. And love."

  They spent the next thirty minutes catching up on family and old friends. As four o'clock approached, it was inevitable that The Vote should come up.

  "So," Thomas said, leaning forward from the sofa and putting his drink on the coffee table in front of him, "How does it actually work?"

  Dylan glanced from the TV to his watch, and then back to his Australian friend. "In about ten minutes the process will start, as it does every New Year's Eve afternoon. We'll vote instantaneously on, I don't know, maybe twenty or thirty issues that will then be implemented for 2035."

  "Who decides what will be voted on?" Judith asked.

  Ashley responded. "During November and December anyone can place an issue at The Vote website. The rest of us review the proposals and add our support for nomination. If an issue receives more than five million endorsements, it will automatically be on The Vote. Then everyone starts to research the subject and to talk about it. It's really quite well done."

  "I see." Thomas retrieved his drink and sat back next to Judith. "And whatever the majority decides today is then the law for at least the next year?"

  "Yes," Ashley replied.

  "On any subject? I mean, aren't there some issues that are just so obvious that they don't need to be voted on?"

  "Maybe so. What was it, Ashley, eight years ago?" Dylan looked at his wife, for confirmation. "Yes, eight years ago we instituted this system to answer all of the confusion and garbage from one judge saying this, and another panel of judges saying that, and one legislature doing this, and Congress doing that. It was a huge mess. No one knew what was right and what was wrong, what was legal and what was illegal. Now the whole nation decides, every New Year's Eve, which laws to change, or leave unchanged, and then we all know exactly where we stand. No more confusion. No more gray areas. We're all governed by what the majority thinks is true and best."

  "But aren't there some, I don't know, absolutes? Things, like, say, theft and murder, that don't need voting on?" Thomas asked.

  "You Australians are obviously out of touch." Ashley smiled and passed the mixed nut tray. "Most of us in America have known for years that there are no absolutes. Everything is relative to each person's-or each society's-time and place. Long ago people used to say that America was founded on principles of absolute truths, but we know that America was really founded by men and women who just wanted to be free to create their own individual destinies. That's what we've designed The Vote to do. It lets us freely decide, as our society evolves, what is right and what is wrong, for us. For our time and place. It's a wonderful system."

  There was a pause. "I see," Thomas finally said. "So what's on the ballot this year?"

  Dylan put down his drink and picked up a folder from beside his chair on the floor. "I downloaded the voter's guide for today's Vote. It lists all the issues. Here's one. There's a proposal to raise the ceiling on legal theft from $250 to $500. Ashley and I don't like that one. We think $250 is plenty."

  "You mean anyone in America can steal anything worth

  $250 or less, and it's legal?" Judith asked.

  "Yes," Ashley replied. "We passed that a few years ago to help homeless people and to unclog the courts. The limit is per event. And of course, there can't be any violence associated with it. Just simple theft."

  "You mean every day I can take $249 out of the cash register where I work and no one can complain?"

  "Well, yes. But you wouldn't do that, Judith," Ashley said. "Why wouldn't I?"

  "Because you're a person who understands right and wrong.

  Like most of us."

  "But you just said that you're voting on what's right and wrong, and if it's not wrong to take up
to $250, why wouldn't I?"

  "Because you just know that it's not right." "But-"

  Dylan turned to face the large screen interface. "Oh, they're starting. Ashley, is our terminal online and logged in?"

  Ashley glanced at the steady green light on the small box to the left of the console. "We're on."

  "Good. There'll be a brief introduction by the President, and then we'll start The Vote."

  The President briefly praised the nation's annual opportunity for renewal and moving forward in the New Year. When she finished, the electronic voting began. Each issue was put on the screen for five minutes. Qualified voters could vote at any time. There was a fifteen-second warning that time was running out, and then The Vote was finished. All the results were given together at the end of The Vote, to encourage people to engage on all of the issues.

  Ashley and Dylan each had a keypad connected wirelessly to the console. They turned in their chairs to face the large screen, and Dylan said, "OK, here we go."

  The first issue came up: "In order to promote a better and healthier nation, The Birth Score should be raised from 105 to 110. Yes or No?"

  "That's a tough one," Ashley said. "What's The Birth Score?" Judith asked.

  "Oh, it's the grading system they use to determine who is viable. There's one at birth and another one after any serious illness or injury if you're over age 65." Dylan answered.

  "Viable?"

  "Yes." Ashley turned to face her guests. "You know, they can do almost instant genetic testing now at birth, and even months before. Points are assigned for every imaginable trait of the fetus and the social condition of the parents, and if the minimum is not reached, then the baby is aborted or terminated."