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Ten Reasons a Good Christian Can't Be a Good American: Reasons 8 Through 10

Submitted by Ken Watts on Thu, 01/28/2010 - 12:48

SO FAR WE'VE EXAMINED seven of the the ten reasons that a good Muslim can't be a good American, listed by a recent propaganda email.

"So unless you think that a dictatorship or Communism are American ideals, it is impossible to be a good Christian and a good American."

In each case a little common sense makes it clear that the reason applies just as much to a good Christian as it does to a good Muslim.

And in each case a little more common sense makes it clear that the criticism doesn't really hold for either Christians or Muslims—that nothing about their religious faith actually keeps them from being good Americans.

Today we take up the last three "reasons", beginning with number eight:

  1. "Intellectually - no. . Because he cannot accept the American Constitution since it is based on Biblical principles and he believes the Bible to be corrupt."

    "He" doesn't believe the Bible to be any more corrupt than a Christian believes the Koran to be.

    On the other hand, the claim that the American Constitution is based on Biblical principles is hogwash, pure and simple.

    It is based on some principles that can be found in the Bible and in most other human traditions, including Islam, because they are fundamental human principles—things like justice, or fairness, or honesty.

    On the other hand, it is not based on all biblical principles.

    If it were, we would have a king or dictator, ruling over a theocracy—or, if we read between the lines in parts of the the New Testament, a communistic state.

    So unless you think that dictators or Communism are American ideals, it is impossible to be a good Christian and a good American.

    Of course there's always the possibility that American Christians don't allow these facts about their scriptures to undermine their devotion to democracy and freedom anymore than American Muslims do.

    Need I say "common sense"?
  2. "Philosophically - no. . . Because Islam, Mohammed, and the Quran does Not allow freedom of religion and expression. Democracy and Islam cannot Co-exist. Every Muslim government is either dictatorial or autocratic."

    This ties into the previous charge.

    And again, for closely related reasons, one can make the same claims about Christianity.

    The punishment in the bible for being of the wrong religion is death by stoning (followed, according to many Christians, by an eternity in the flames of Hell).

    Reasonably harsh.

    The punishment in the Bible for uttering heresy, a form of free speech, is also death by stoning.

    And if anyone suggests that that doesn't count, because those are in the "Old Testament," consider just how important Christians think the Old Testament is:

    The Ten Commandments (from the "Old Testament") which many Christians have fought court battles to put up on the walls of government buildings, begins with commands as to which God—their God, of course—to worship.

    So we must draw the conclusion that "democracy and Christianity cannot co-exist."

    Or we might consider the possibility that the American approach to government is neither dictatorial nor autocratic precisely because people of deep, but differing, religious convictions agreed to keep religion out of government.

    And we might appreciate the fact that those people include many American Christians today—just as they include many American Muslims.
  3. "Spiritually - no. . . Because when we declare 'one nation under God,' The Christian's God is loving and kind, while Allah is NEVER referred to As Heavenly father, nor is he ever called love in the Quran's 99 Excellent names."

    Another one that needs a little unpacking:
    1. "The Christian's God is loving and kind..."

      ...and so, presumably, would not approve of this email, which is a tissue of distortions aimed at getting one group of patriotic American citizens to view another group of patriotic American citizens as a threat.

      Beyond that, which "Christian God" is the email talking about?

      The God who has promised to come back to rule, as dictator, with an iron rod?

      The God who condemns people to hell for not guessing which God is the right one to worship?

      The God who commanded that people be stoned to death for the exercise of their religious freedom and freedom of speech?

      The Christian God has a history of cruelty as well as love, as does the Islamic God.

      So, can a good Christian be a good American?

      Spiritually - no.


      Of course, on the other hand, it's possible that the average Christian (or Muslim) is more focused on verses about God's love and caring than on verses about God's cruelty.

      Common sense.
    2. "Allah is NEVER referred to As Heavenly father, nor is he ever called love in the Quran's 99 Excellent names."

      The intended implication is that Allah (which, by the way, is just the Arabic word for "God", used by Arabic Christians, Jews, and Muslims) is somehow less good or caring than the Christian idea of God.

      Allah is, however, referred to—in the 99 excellent names—as:
      1. Merciful
      2. Compassionate
      3. Protector of all
      4. The Creator
      5. The Forgiver
      6. The Provider
      7. The Bestower of Blessings
      8. The Just One
      9. The Forbearing One
      10. The Appreciative
      11. The All-forgiving
      12. The Nourisher
      13. The Preserver
      14. The Generous
      15. The Responder to Every Need
      16. The Loving One (ahem!)
      17. The Truth
      18. The Protecting Friend
      19. The Source of all Goodness
      20. The Guide
      21. The Light
      22. The Creator of Good
      23. The Patient One

        So it would seem that there isn't as much difference on that point as the propagandist who wrote this email would imply.

Those are the ten reasons, given by this piece of propaganda, that good Muslims can't be good Americans.

Not one of them stands up to common sense.

The conclusion to the email gets even nastier, if that were possible, but we'll deal with that next time.

Next time, who really
isn't a good American...