Do Christians ever become “radicalised” like followers of other religions?

Do Christians ever become “radicalised” like followers of other religions (especially Muslims)?

We hear so much about “radicalised Muslims” in the media and we see the actions of these very people in so many places across the world – their trademark appears to be murder, either by beheadings, bombings, suicide bombings or, more recently, knife attacks on random members of the public.

The 3 great monotheistic world religions – i.e. Islam, Judaism and Christianity – all claim allegiance to the same God – the God of Abraham. He is known by different names (e.g. Allah in Islam, Elohim in Judaism) but all 3 religions claim loyalty to the same single deity.

Both Islam and Judaism are based on a lifestyle and/or law given to a great prophet – for Islam it was Mohammad and for Judaism it was Moses. Christianity, whilst based on the law given to Moses, makes a far more radical claim – it says that the lifestyle or laws that it follows was given, not by a prophet, but by God Himself, who came in human form and lived among men in order to bring this radical new approach to the God of Abraham.

So, in what Christians know as the New Testament, Jesus – Isa (the Arabic/Islamic* name), Yehosua (the Hebrew name) – is presented as God’s response to a sin ridden world. The consequence of sin is death. Jews and Muslims alike understand this principle of Divine law, thus they feel justified in inflicting death on those who break what they understand to be that Divine law. If you read the Jewish Scripture or the Old Testament, as it is known to Christians, we see God condoning this practice. When we see Muslims beheading “infidels” or cutting off the hand of a thief, we see this principle in action. So where and how does Jesus (Isa, Yehosua) fit into this picture, why do Christians find such law enforcement so foreign to their understanding of God?

Do Christians believe that God has changed? The answer is found in the opening statements of John’s gospel. “Jn 1:14 The Word (i.e. God) became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Grace. That’s the key. But grace had to be exercised within the framework of God’s unchangeable law. The truth (the law) can never change. So how does grace fit into this picture? The Christian understanding is that God allowed Jesus to bear the consequence (punishment) of the law and by doing so, introduced to humanity the way (and the only way) for man to come into relationship with God. Instead of Judgment there is grace and forgiveness, instead of hatred there is a new commandment and that is to love.

The first miracle of the giver of the Old Testament law (Moses) was to turn water into blood, a symbol of judgment. The first miracle of the giver of the New Testament (Jesus) was to turn water into wine, a symbol of joy and liberty. These two miracles describe the fundamental difference between the Old Covenant that God had with Israel and the New Covenant that God has made with all of humanity – a covenant that overrides and supersedes all others – the old was based on judgment, the new is based on grace.

The fundamental difference between Islam, Judaism and Christianity is this issue of grace. Thus when a Muslim is radicalised, he seeks to enforce the law as Islam understands it. He will do whatever it takes to impose what he understands God’s law to be. The way of Islam is to impose such law on everyone; those who fail to accept this law must be destroyed (not unlike the practice of Israel in the Old Testament), thus the death and destruction of all non compliant people, communities, cultures and nations. The radicalised Muslim believes so strongly in Divine Law as Islam understands it, that he is willing to lay down his life in order for the law to be imposed. On the other hand, the radicalised Jew tends to be more introverted, he wants to ensure that he complies with every jot and tittle of the law, and that is such a full time task that his life becomes pretty much consumed with such a task. Certainly some have taken more overt action – a few insulting videos, spitting as they pass Jews or others who are not compliant with their view of the Law, but generally the radicalised Jew is much quieter than his Muslim counterpart, far more introverted and sees his task as obeying the Law personally rather than enforcing it on others.

That brings us then to Christianity. So should Christians be radicalised and, if they should, what would that look like?

In essence, Christianity IS a radical faith / “religion”. When Jesus came, He demonstrated a radical way of life and a radical way of entering a relationship with the God of Abraham. What He did and what He said were totally at odds with the religious leaders of the day – He spoke of grace; they understood only law. That is the same contrast that we have today between Christianity and the other two monotheistic faiths.

Should Christians be radicalised? Absolutely! But a radicalised Christian doesn’t turn up at an abortion clinic and murder (shoot) people who go in. A radicalised Christian doesn’t hold up placards that tell people how the loving God that they supposedly serve, actually hates people. A radicalised Christian doesn’t call for homosexual people to be gaoled or in some way condemned for their lifestyle. True, a radicalised Christian WILL stand for life and thus speak and, when given the opportunity, vote against abortion. A radicalised Christian WILL find those who have not found God’s grace and tell them about the love, acceptance and forgiveness that is freely offered to them, regardless of who they are or what they have done. A radicalised Christian WILL stand for God’s definition of marriage (as between one man and one woman) in public debate and personal practice. The radicalised Christian will not seek to impose God’s law, rather he will present it as a choice that affects the eternal destiny of those who choose to accept or reject the gospel of Jesus Christ.

A radicalised Christian will, regardless of personal cost to his finances or reputation, display God’s love and grace and will unashamedly declare the Good News of Jesus as the only means by which anyone can come into relationship with God and have an eternal home in heaven with the God of Abraham, the one true God. A radicalised Christian will love the fellowship of other Christians, never missing an opportunity to fellowship and worship with other Christian believers and will never sow dissent or discord in the church. A radicalised Christian will preach the good news to the poor, engage to free those who are held in spiritual bondage, bring healing to the sick and comfort to the hurting people around him. The radicalised Christian will have a strong work ethic, will maintain a strong communion with God through worship and study of the Bible, which he will accept absolutely as God’s word to him. A radicalised Christian will know that he has a purpose in life and a destiny to fulfil.

When Islam is radicalised, it brings death and destruction. When Judaism is radicalised it brings isolation and a sense of superiority to the individual. When Christianity is radicalised it brings life, grace, truth and peace.

Do we need more radicalised Christians? Absolutely!

Footnote re “Isa”. The name of “Isa” in mentioned in the Koran more than any other name. Likewise, Isa’s mother (Miriam – which is the Arabic equivalent of Mary) is the only woman mentioned by name in the Koran. Isa was, according to the Koran, born of the virgin Miriam. He was a great prophet of God (Allah). Although Islam denies the death of Christ on the cross, the Koran does say that Isa is still alive and, in the end of time, Isa will return to the earth. No equivalent or similar statement is made about any other person, including the prophet Mohamed.