Should One Be Ashamed of Jesus or of Muhammad?

As someone who came from the religion of Islam, I used to be ashamed of Jesus and of speaking about him. And I told no one about this. For I knew how those who spoke that name were regarded. Just as a Christian regards someone who speaks of Muhammad as a prophet, so a Muslim regards someone who speaks of Jesus. But a verse woke me up; it enabled me to strip off this evil spirit. I too had come out of Islam, and although I did not feel toward Christians the hatred that Christians feel toward Muslims, when the name “Jesus” was mentioned I did not feel much sympathy either. In truth, whoever the person may be, God could certainly not want us to have a hostile spirit. As I researched, read, and learned, a tremendous sympathy toward Jesus came along with it. Yet even so I was ashamed and embarrassed to say his name openly. For this reason, just as I struggled against many of my bad habits, this too was such a bad habit, and I needed to struggle against it. See what Jesus says on one occasion:

“For whoever becomes ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of man* will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and that of his Father and of the holy angels,” says Luke 9:26. (*The coming of Jesus and the end of the wicked)

What a logical saying, and just as fitting. If a Christian says he does not believe in the Quran, this is understandable, yet it is still a sin. But if a Muslim says he does not believe in the Holy Scriptures, this is not understandable and is twice a sin. Even if a Christian were to say, “I found no hint about the Quran in the Gospel,” that might perhaps be an excuse; but what will the Muslim say? What excuse do they have? If he says, “those books were altered,” then it is said, “the Quran was altered too.” As though we knew something and are making the claim! Does God have the power to protect one but not the power to protect the other? Is there such nonsense? Moreover, does not the book he himself says he believes in, that is, the words in the Quran, hold sway over that person? For this reason, let us break the chains of slavery that have wrapped around us since our birth, of which we are not even aware, and, as free people, let us research God with an impartial faith.

Above all, in writing this book I have taken care to keep it very brief and not to go into elaborate details. These subjects are, as I said, merely a speck. Otherwise a person could, if he wished, write very long books about each single subject. My aim is not to bore you. I wrote this book to encourage you, to prompt you to research. I have always spoken of being free, of standing on our own feet. And in our relationship with God this must certainly be done. In other matters, however, the Holy Scriptures write clearly that God Himself wants us to be respectful toward states, governments, and law, and to obey them as long as this does not come into conflict with God’s commands. Since a certain period has been granted to all of them by God, what do we suppose we will gain by rebelling against them? Will we found a better state or country than they? No. We will be no different from them, and we may even fall into a far worse condition. Rather than changing countries, nations, states, laws, armies, and the world, let us strive only to change and correct ourselves. And when we think we have accomplished this, which is a struggle that will last a lifetime, then again we should strive not to change others but only to help them. Our educating people and encouraging them toward what is good must not be with a threatening, anger-filled aim. On the contrary, just as we would warn someone we love, someone dear as our own life, in order to save them, in that way, with humility, love and understanding, gentleness; we should try to do it not in a way that will drive those people away but in a way that will help them be saved. (2 Corinthians 5:20; 1 Timothy 5:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:22-26; 4:1-5) The experience we gain with each person will surely be different. Let us not do this work at times when we feel no love within us. On the contrary, let us set aside time to struggle with those feelings. Also, we cannot help those people with hatred. Moreover, these differing feelings we have toward people must not affect us. In trying to be good, let us not be foolish and senseless. This has been my very greatest problem. Let us not deceive ourselves with things whose outcome is plainly evident, seeing them with our own eyes, and fall into the notion that God will work miracles, as it were, with our hands. I had believed with all my heart that every person who learned the Holy Scriptures would love God. Yet I saw that I was greatly mistaken. On the contrary, I saw that many people who learned these things, who gained knowledge about God, unfortunately came to resemble Satan even more. For this reason, let us know our limits. In trying to draw others out, let us not, as the apostle said, “fall into the same pit ourselves.” Despite these realities, let us look not to conceal those words but always to be warning, enlightening, and informing. The work of judging is not ours, but God’s.

Be sure to read the Holy Scriptures and the Quran. Take care to have a good and correct understanding of what is written there. God has placed this ability within every person. Whether little or much, He has surely placed it. Let us ask Him for understanding, ask for wisdom, ask to be good. If you believe, He will give it. Make use of the opportunity you have for these things. For it will not always be easy for us to find this opportunity.

“Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more certain is it that your Father who is in the heavens will give good things to those who ask him?” (Matthew 7:6-11) said Jesus Christ.