Weakest Link in the War on Terror

I have almost finished Brother Andrew’s book, Secret Believers. I would recommend it to any Christian who supports the war on terror.

The book is about Muslims who convert to Christianity in Muslim-dominated countries. They face horrible persecution. In a Muslim country, a Muslim can do just about whatever he wants to a Christian, and the police will either help the Muslim or do nothing. They burn homes, commit murder, kidnap and rape and enslave Christian women, and steal from Christian businesses. No one cares; the only restraint is in the hearts of the Muslim aggressors. They only refrain when they get tired of aggression.

Remarkably, many converts choose to remain in their native countries. They want their compatriots to have what they have, and they risk their lives to offer it. American conservatives often talk about the concept of dhimmitude, in which non-Muslims are tolerated but treated like second-class citizens, with reduced rights and privileges. What most of us don’t realize is that dhimmitude is substantially better than what most Muslim nations provide in practice. Dhimmitude would be an improvement.

The cruelty with which these Christians are treated is amazing. Fathers try to kill their own children. Christians are ruthlessly beaten by their own families. And the change from loved one or friend to enemy takes place instantly. One day you may be a pampered rich Muslim girl with expensive clothing and pricey creature comforts, and the next day you may be a prisoner in your own room, covered with bruises and cuts and aching from broken bones.

And it’s not rare; contrary to what naive leftists tell us, it’s normal in Muslim society. Compassion and understanding are unusual. In fact, many Muslims are afraid to refrain from persecuting Christians.

I saw a video of a convert on the web. He said something strange. He said Muslims were good people, but they had no love in them. Clearly, the comment doesn’t make sense. He was trying to be charitable. How can an entire society be that cold? Is it possible that this religion takes the baseline compassion which is normally present even in atheists, and somehow depresses it?

It looks like we’re right when we say Islam is dangerous and results in horrific suffering. The testimony of converts confirms that. We haven’t slandered anyone by saying Islam is cruel. On the other hand, Secret Believers confirms something else. It confirms that we have to keep trying to reach these people. Many of them are miserable because of their unrewarding, demanding religion, and when they get a glimpse at what Christianity really is, they jump at the chance to convert.

These people are so hard to reach, though. How do you do it without being martyred? It looks like one way God is solving the problem is by direct action. A surprising number of converts say they became Christians because they had visions or dreams of Jesus. If you Google this phenomenon, you’ll find all sorts of unrelated, independent reports of such events. That tells me God can find a way when Man lets him down, but it also tells me we’re not doing our job. If we’re going to drop bombs on these people and depose their leaders and send terrorists to Guantanamo, we should also be working to put them in touch with God. Military action without a corresponding spiritual offensive is immoral.

There are things we can do. Muslims are able to receive Christian broadcasts, and they work. And we can send Bibles overseas, and we can donate money to ministries that reach out to Muslims.

Many converts say the Bible is what got them hooked. One convert in Brother Andrew’s book said he was a member of a fanatical organization called the Muslim Brotherhood, and his leader told him to read the Bible so he could refute it, using the Koran. And he was expected to confirm the 26 (I think) alleged Biblical references to Mohammed. Instead, he found that the references either didn’t exist or applied more naturally to Jesus. He was finally driven over the top by a vision of Jesus, but the Bible is what drove him initially. He ended up working inside his country, helping spread the Gospel. He was eventually kidnapped, tortured, and murdered. That’s how strong his devotion was.

You can’t depend on the stick to do everything. I think that’s the point. Somewhere in the process, you have to offer the carrot. Military action is invaluable, but compared to conversion, it does a poor job of turning enemies into allies. I have to wonder if our Guantanamo results would be better, if we sent missionaries in before resorting to waterboarding. Experience has shown that many Muslim fanatics are fatigued by their faith, and they are surprisingly susceptible to the Gospel.

Maybe the best thing is to ease off on the venom and ridicule and to try to offer encouragement instead. Muslims are fanatical about pride and repaying insults, so we probably aren’t doing ourselves much good by humiliating them. I am going to keep that in mind in the future. It’s unfortunate that it took me so long to come to that conclusion.