Tag Archives: Islam

Pushing Muslim Buttons

Posted on September 18, 2012 by

My eight-year old twin sons are masters at pushing each other’s buttons. In a matter of seconds, one small provocation can transform peaceful playtime into Armageddon.  Usually the dispute is over something unbelievably stupid, like who has the right to … Continue reading →

Posted in Islam, Religion and Morality | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Disciple or Doormat

Posted on March 4, 2012 by

I gave the following as a sermon today for my church’s “Gifts of Women” service, based on the story of Hagar and Ishmael (Genesis 16: 1-15, 21:8 – 21) and this passage from the Sermon on the Mount ( Matthew … Continue reading →

Posted in Islam, Religion and Morality, Religion and Women's Issues | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Excuse me, is that a log in your eye?

Posted on August 29, 2011 by

And slay them wherever you may come upon them, and drive them away from wherever they drove you away… (Qur’an 2: 191) One of the most common arguments I’ve encountered regarding why Islam is an inherently violent religion is that the Qur’an … Continue reading →

Posted in Celebrating Religious Diversity, Islam, The Bible | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Why I’m afraid of Fear Itself

Posted on August 21, 2011 by

On the morning of December 7, 1941 bombs from Japanese fighter planes began raining down on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The US was suddenly dragged into war with Japan and its axis partners, Germany and Italy. Less than three months later, … Continue reading →

Posted in Islam | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

What Rick Perry could learn from ancient Islam

Posted on August 10, 2011 by

This week, a spokesman for Texas governor Rick Perry made it clear that he intends to enter the 2012 Presidential race. This announcement was made just two days after Governor Perry had presided over a prayer rally attended by 30,000 people … Continue reading →

Posted in Celebrating Religious Diversity | Tagged , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Is the Bible just another good book?

Posted on March 19, 2011 by

One of my all-time favorite works of literature is The Master and Margarita by the great 20th century Russian author Michael Bulgakov. This work, which was first recommended to me by my Russian language professor in college, is a masterpiece … Continue reading →

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On Fatwas and Familiarity…

Posted on March 5, 2011 by

Last night, approximately thirty women gathered at my house to listen to the ‘faith journey’ of one young Muslim woman named Sara. This gathering, sponsored by the Presbyterian women’s group at my church, was the second in a series of … Continue reading →

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