Steve Dace (55:26)
That's true. He might come after you for copyright on that one. Yeah, but that's clever. All right, more on Islam. Okay. So I met, you guys, know, a couple weeks ago, was speaking out in D.C. at Jim Dement's Conservative Partnership Institute. And they had me come and do a Friday night program for some congressional aides and conservative activists from all over the capital and congressional aides from right there up on the Hill. And one of the ones I met, his name was Muhammad Ali. And he was there and nice young man and heard my comments about concerns about the spread of Islam within the culture and how you're hearing a lot more about that from our moms especially, and how Chip had just been on our show, Chip Roy from Texas, and he said he. The number one issue he got asked about out on the campaign trail running for AG in Texas was about Islam. And. And so Muhammad Ali sent me this follow up note. He says, as a Muslim American who identifies with many of the values and principles on the right, where do I fit in the movement when some of its prominent figures say that Islam is incompatible with Western civilization? And thank you again for taking the time to come and speak for us and for being willing to engage with the question. So I think this is a very important question that we need to answer. Okay. And I would actually argue we don't really share any values fundamentally in common. And if we did, then there would be reciprocation, meaning that the places where your worldview dominates when it is the most centered on its religious fundamentals would look very similar to the places where our worldview dominates when the same occurs. Except that's not the case, and it's never been the case. And that's why these two worldviews have been in conflict for 1400 years. Because fundamentally, when they are observed in a way that puts the first things of each side's worldview first, they're not compatible. And this is why when you look at the United Arab Emirates, probably the most modern contemporary Muslim country in the world, you still see women wearing headdresses there. You still see limitations there that would be unthinkable here, even in our current diminished state where we are becoming increasingly godless as a people. So I would argue, Muhammad, that for. For us to have values in common would require one of us to amend our understanding of our existing belief systems. And with all due respect, that someone's probably going to have to be you. Because my worldview commands me to give you an accommodation that yours does not command of me. My worldview says that though you are estranged from the one true God of the universe and lack the atonement for your sins that comes only from Christ, that you are made in the likeness and image of God every bit as much as I am. Your worldview denies that we're made in the image of God, in fact, so my worldview says we both are. And my worldview reminds me that without the grace of Christ, I also was his enemy. I also, I also was bound for an eternity apart from him with my sins unatoned for. And therefore the chasm that exists between me, a sinner, a helpless sinner, mired in total depravity and the holiness of the one true righteousness, triune God of the universe cannot be bridged by my own efforts. But it's a, it's a, it's a trail blazed in blood from a savior who sacrificed himself to. To pay the penalty I should have paid and died the death I should have died. And so my entire worldview begins with that. Yours begins with he never even died, let alone rose again. So we don't have a lot of fundamental values, I would argue now, because I. My. One of my values though, is to love my neighbor as I love myself. Even though you and I are on opposite sides of eternity according to my belief system and yours too, by the way. That's not a one sided street. Your. Your belief system also thinks I'm on the wrong side of eternity. So we, I guess we could share that in common. I guess from, you know, opposite sides of the street, we both think the other one is on the wrong side of eternity with God. But my worldview commands me to remember that without the grace of Christ, therefore I would go down the same exact paths. And I was on those paths before the grace of Christ came into my life. And so therefore, provided that you are not attempting to impugn on my ability to, to believe, think and act as a follower of Christ Jesus, because I have to. I have to love God first. That's the first greatest commandment, right? To love the Lord your God all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Right? Okay. So if you, if you're, if you are pursuing policies and if you are pursuing a culture that gets in the way of me doing that, well, that takes precedence over love my neighbor as I love myself, because that's second. But as long as you're not doing that, then I will love you as I love myself. I'll give you the freedom that has been given to me, provided you're not using your freedom to impugn on that which God says is right. And then that's where we can find things in common. I'm also guessing you'd rather live here than literally any other nation on earth dominated by Islam. I'm guessing that's also true. Which then begs the question as to, well, why would make this place better for you as a Muslim than the other Muslim nations in the world? And that, I'm sure that's the case, because otherwise, why would you be fighting to preserve values you think we have in common? So I don't think we have a lot of fundamental values in common. I don't. I. I think there's no way to access values for us to have in common without one of us making a significant attempt to water down what they believe. And then I think if one of us is willing to do that, then we can find other places where we do have some things in common from there. And in the meantime, provided that you're not getting in the way of. Of me following after the. The law of Christ, well, that same law then also commands me to love my neighbor as I love myself, and I'm able to extend the same grace and mercy to you that was extended to me. We love because he first loved us, and he makes the rain fall on the just and the unjust alike. But that. That path doesn't exist in your worldview. And you literally don't seen that, see that completely lived out in any culture that's ever been dominated by your worldview ever. And that's just a fact. And that's probably. And you know that, which is probably why you live here. Thoughts?
