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'Muslims can convert to Christianity here!'
Islamic leaders blast 9/11 church sign as 'adding fuel to the fire'

"Muslims can convert to Christianity here!" read the sign Monday in front of the Congregational Church on Laurel Road.

It was an invitation that the church's pastor, K.C. McCay, admitted he didn't expect anyone to accept.

But coming on the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, it was bound to stir a response.

And it did.

"If church leaders are really interested in saving people, they would find much less offensive ways to do it," said Ahmed Bedier, director of the Tampa chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. "Religious leaders are adding fuel to the fire. It's a shame."

The group plans on taking photos of the sign to document the incident, as it did in 2003 when a Jacksonville minister posted a sign stating that the Prophet Muhammad advocated violence.

McCay, who has been a pastor at the church for five years, said 9/11 never entered his mind when he placed the message on the road-side marquee.

Instead, he was responding to a Texas man, whose name he said he did not remember, who recently called on Christians to convert to Islam.

McCay said he doesn't expect any Muslims to take him up on his offer.

The church, which was founded by his father in 1977, has between 50 and 100 members, depending on the time of year. It is a conservative church that views Christianity as the only path to God.

"We will not vary from that," McCay said. "If Muslims want us to water it down, that might be all right for you, but we're not biting."

But Janet Onnie, chairwoman of the Venice Interfaith Community Association, said McCay's sign did more harm than good in the effort to bring people together.

Celebrating the commonalities between Islam and Christianity is a better way to bring people together, she said.

"You have to ask yourself what Mr. McCay thinks this will accomplish," Onnie said. "It seems childish and doesn't contribute to a dialogue."

Samar Jarrah, a Port Charlotte resident who has written a book about her experiences as a Muslim in the United States, said McCay took the wrong approach.

"Visiting a church will not make me convert. It will, however, give me a chance to meet my fellow brothers and sisters, the People of the Book," she said. "Maybe the church could be more helpful in spreading faith by inviting atheists."

But McCay did seem to find some support.

As he discussed the sign with a reporter Monday afternoon, a handful of drivers honked their approval as they drove past the church.

The way I see it is if a Christian went to a muslim country, he wouldn't be given an invitation, he would be told to denounce Jesus Christ or have his head chopped off.

Why then if Christians cannot live freely in a muslim country does America continue to allow mosques to be built up on OUR land in OUR country. ???

Amen Sister Maria!!


Water down the ONLY way to God? NO!

What commonalities.... ?



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I believe the day will come when even here in our own Country they will try to make us forsake Jesus. We are in the midst of a great battle right now, not just the war on terror, or the war Christians are facing here at home with agencies such as the ACLU, and other agencies that want to demoralized our country and desensitize our citizens, but a big spiritual war is going on right now. It is obvious.

That is a good point. Many claim that their are commonalities but when a person looks at those closely you can clearly see that there is nothing but complete opposition.



Actually sister the war that we have going with the ACLU, CAIR, etc is all a part of the spiritual war. It is all tied into together.

Amen brother, and that is just what we can see with the natural eye.

Can you imagine what is going on in the spiritual realm right now ??

If a person looks at what is happening in the physical world one can get a foggy view of what is happening in the spiritual realm. There is a lot of battling going on but we know the outcome of it already.

Amen Brother. Thank God for His faithfulness, and His loving kindness, He never does anything without telling us about it. So it's not like we are in darkness, no!! we are in the Light.

AMEN!

Amen to many things said in this thread, and I must say that many of the comments are very thought provoking. Numerous things caught my attention, but I only want to mention a few that I think many Christians think about often.

1 - There is absolutely nothing in common between Islam and Christianity. JESUS CHRIST is the only way, the truth, and the life. Some have mentioned that if we allow Christian prayers in schools - we would also have to allow Muslim prayers in school. We should not be timid when we tell the truth and say that America was founded by Christians and for Christians. Looking at history, this is an undisputed fact. We would not allow Muslim prayers in schools for the same reason why we would not allow prayers to satan in school. It's only been over the last 50 years of our existence that anyone has ever questioned the founding and purpose for America and many other countries in this part of the world. Our founders put Bibles and Christian education into every classroom, and it hasn't been that long ago that folks like the ACLU got it removed. As a country, we are not ashamed of the Gospel of the Grace of GOD, GOD'S WORD, and the precious truths of two words that the devil hates to hear - JESUS CHRIST!

2 - YES! - There is a tremendous battle going on between good and evil all over the world. I can't think of a time where this was more obvious. The forces of evil are out in the open and trying to get approval. Nothing is in the closet these days, and the things that used to be in the closet are being forced on decent people to recognize and approve of. I won't make a list of these things, but everyone will have a fairly large number of things that they recognize as pure evil that they will never accept or approve of. They are even using the courts to force approval of many evil things, and those things will never be accepted as normal or respected. BUT, some of these things have been accepted as normal and respected in some places, and that is evidence that the moral fabric of our societies are being stretched and broken.

3 - YES! - Christians know what the final outcome will be, but we all know it will get much worse before JESUS CHRIST comes to pour out HIS Wrath on evil. Regardless of what Christians do, things are going to get much worse. BUT, that doesn't mean that we shouldn't keep trying and keep standing up for the things of the LORD. GOD will not pour out HIS Wrath on Christians because there is no condemnation for those who belong to JESUS CHRIST. HOWEVER, I must make the point that doesn't mean that many Christians don't deserve punishment and wrath for many of the things that they do or don't do. The fact is that Christians will be removed from this earth at GOD'S appointed time, and JESUS CHRIST Himself will bring the entire world under HIS feet and subjection. It will be a time of horror for evil, and JESUS CHRIST Himself will claim HIS Earthly Throne. These are the Promises of GOD in the Holy Bible, and they will be fulfilled perfectly at GOD'S appointed time. Christians already know that GOD has the power to do whatever HE Will in Heaven and on earth. GOD has shown great patience and mercy in the time that HE has allowed mankind to accept HIM, and the time of reckoning grows nearer by the day. HIS patience will end, and HE will come with a terrible swift SWORD! As children of GOD, our highest priority should be to share the GOOD NEWS of Salvation and know that hosts will still accept JESUS CHRIST as Lord and Saviour before it is too late. BUT, the time might be growing short, and the rejection of CHRIST by people will most definitely result in eternal punishment.

Love IN Christ,
Tom

John 14:6-7 NASB  Jesus *said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him."

Amen Brother Tom, as God Himself says in His own Word, I will not forever strive with men. Too many people are thinking they have forever they have till next year or next month or even next week or tomorrow.

What people don't realize is that their very next breath depends upon the will of the very One they have rejected.

It was a wise saying "Do not put off till tomorrow the things you can do today" Seeking the Lord and accepting Salvation through the Blood of Jesus is the only thing that should be done NOW, this very second.

Convert from Islam to Christianity killed 
Refused to join crowd chanting verses from Quran during lunar eclipse

Somali Christian sources report Ali Mustaf Maka'il, a 22-year-old college student and cloth merchant who converted from Islam to Christianity 11 months ago, was shot and killed in the Manabolyo quarter of Mogadishu.

According to a report from the Barnabas Fund, quoting a Christian source inside Somalia, the gunman was loyal to the Union of Islamic Courts, the Islamist organization that took power in Mogadishu in early June and now controls much of southern Somalia.

The report states the gunman shot Ali in the back Sept. 7 after he refused to join a crowd chanting Quran verses in honor of the lunar eclipse. Solar and lunar eclipses are significant in Islam and are accompanied by special congregational prayers. The Union of Islamic Courts confiscated Ali's body for 24 hours before delivering it to the grieving family, the report said.

The Barnabas Fund comments: "It seems that under the new Islamist rulers, who include hard-line jihadi elements, the tragic history of persecution and martyrdom for Somalia's tiny Christian community is set to continue and most likely to worsen."

The group reports that in July there were unconfirmed reports three Christians had been shot and killed by Islamists as they returned home from a prayer meeting.

In October 2005, an evangelist and house church leader, Osman Sheik Ahmed, was shot dead by Islamist radicals, Barnabas said. Also, children of Christian Somali refugees in Kenya have been kidnapped by Muslim relatives and taken to Islamic institutions in Somalia for 'rehabilitation.'"

The Barnabas Fund pointed out the leader of the Union of Islamic Courts, Hassan Dahir Aweys, promised to implement Sharia, or Islamic law, in all areas he controls.

According to Sharia, the group explained, apostates – those who leave Islam for another religion – must be killed. Union of Islamic Court leaders even have threatened to kill as apostates Muslims who are lax in their prayers, claiming this is commanded by Sharia. Several Muslims have been flogged publicly for drug-related offences since the union took control.

The Barnabas Fund report states more then 99.5 percent of Somalis are Muslims and regard Christianity as a foreign religion of their historic enemies in Ethiopia and of their former colonial masters the Italians and the British.

It adds: "There is a long history of conflict between Muslim Somalis and Christian Ethiopians, so anti-Christian sentiment runs deep. Most Somalis take it for granted that a true Somali is a Muslim and converts to Christianity must be traitors. These prejudices, widely held by Muslim Somalis, seem to be used to justify violence against Christians, both indigenous and expatriate.

The group says the inherent hostility toward the West and Christians has risen since the U.S.-led military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq and the recent Israeli campaign against Hezbollah.

Yes and islamic leaders are saying kill the pope and it's ok?

Yep, they're just proving the statement of the Pope to be true.