The Face of Jihad

Copyright © 2015 by Robert Louis Tegenkamp, Th.D.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Rev. date: 06/09/2015

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CONTENTS

Introduction

1     Where I Hang My Hat

2     The Tale of a good Man

3     Infallible Proofs

4     The Proposition

5     The Almighty Speaks

6     The Face of Jihad

7     A Stumbling Block

8     Sorted Sources

9     The Opinions

10   Revealing Facts

11   American Muslims

12   Seven Reasons Why Not

13   The Rest of the Story

14   They know not what they do

INTRODUCTION

Everything you wish you Knew about Islam but Don’t

This book is produced under the Fair Use of any such copyrighted material as provided in section 107 of the U.S. Congress Copyright law—For educational purposes the author allows material in this book to be used for any purpose of education and the betterment of relationships between various cultures.

This book is written to the American population including American Islamists, Secularists, Christians and various groups sharing this nation with the purpose of understanding our differences and how we may live and work together as we occupy, preserve, and share this earth together. During the uprising of radical Isis in the Middle East during July 20014 homes of Iraqi families other than Islamists were hijacked with an ultimatum presented to the families; conform to Islam, pay a tribute Jizyah tax, leave the country or be beheaded. The families fled for their lives but were also mercilessly molested and robbed of their possessions by the terrorists on the roads leaving their homes and country where these families had lived for over 800 years.

Where is the justice in the brutality of all this horrific violence and how may we as a nation of peace aid in offering calm to this area of the world with a formula for peace before the time of no return arrives? In this read you will learn 98% more about Islam and its culture than any radio, television or newspaper commentator ever perceived. You will understand the adverse affects this calamity will have upon the future of this nation if there is no resolve. how it will ultimate affect the heritage of this nation and its future generations of American leaders and citizens desiring to simply live in peace and freedom.

Robert Louis Tegenkamp, Th.D

Dedicated to

The Christian Spirit of Love, Tolerance, and Forgiveness

T his book is non-fiction based on real life events and produced for the purpose of education and awareness for the betterment of relationships between cultures and especially that of Islam and the United States of America. This book is written to a Christian, Islamic, and secular audience. It is not recommended for children under the age of 12. However all Christian principles are quality substance for young minds developing love, respect, and tolerance. We appreciate the support of information provided by Imgurl, Wikipedia, Imgrefurl, and Muslim America Family, along with Zeegabili, Blogsport, Signonsandio, Pictopia, Bracket, Nikwallenda, Religion of Peace, Earth Open Tack, Oregon Faith Report, Apining, L.A. Times, Einshalom Press, and Wordpress.

American Muslim Pledge

Islam should have no place for violence in America. Any person calling for an act of violence in the name of Islam must be promptly excommunicated and held accountable. Any grievances must be addressed before lawful authorities. It is the religious and civic duty of every American Muslim to unconditionally condemn any act of terrorism perpetrated in the name of Islam. Any Muslim group that has ties to terrorism in any way must be universally condemned by both religious and secular American Muslims.

This read is not for the frail hearted

Fair and Balanced

Chapter 1

Where I Hang My Hat

As I look back and remember, the 2008 presidential election in the United States was all about change. Well, we got it but do we want it? Personally "I would rather have gotten a little more change in my pocket." Indeed, some change is inevitable but the change we want and the change that is on the agenda are a couple dogs of a different breed. If we had any idea of the change already occurring in our face, behind our backs in some cases, and in back rooms we might have demanded a few more answers to a lot more questions. Obvious changes undisclosed concern me because this is where I hang my hat. What exactly was so desperately needed to be changed with such urgency other than a few elected officials whose terms had expired, and like diapers, should be changed often anyway was never really explained? The surprise was the independence of South Sudan and then the peoples uprising in Cairo followed by Bengasi. These were not the changes that the 2008 administration had promised or counted on. So, when is it someone else’s turn?

Change should be something that makes us smile. Nothing remains the same as time invariably leaps through the hoops of life’s uncertainties. Yet, somehow during our past we managed to face our challenges with some grit and prescience and we resolved them. Our ability to confront and adjust to the peculiarity of life that brings with it uncertain challenges, disappointments at times, and advancement in various aspects of society are our greatest virtue. And this is the quality of our heritage that we want to remember as we journey through this exposition exploring another defining change that is upon us. Let us keep in mind the good that exist within our society as we discover at the very outset of our journey the greatest challenge ever set before us as a people. As we come face to face with the uncertainties of life that confronts us we are cautioned to consider our destiny as a people and a nation. Change is inevitable but the change we are about to experience is like nothing we have ever before encountered. America is just not prepared for the events that are discretely occurring within our borders that will one day severely alter our way of life, our traditions, and our freedoms which if not resolved will ultimately pierce the very heart and soul of this nation.

History, all wrapped up in an 800 page book on the shelf in my modest library describes an account of past centuries filled with political, social, scientific, and cultural changes having evolved from generations of many years past. Sometimes I have to sit down and try to imagine how we managed to survive thus far having maintained some sense of dignity. America, just a hundred years ago could not have imagined today’s society of technology, mutual integration, progressive socialism, and instant worldwide communication availability by a gadget held in a woman’s hand smaller than the size of her compact not to mention satellite television that has long since been trashed. Who could have imagined the social and political changes embracing same sex marriages and the enormous infiltration of our population with millions of immigrants filing in from the Middle Eastern world of Islam? I hope and pray that we may have the wisdom to intercept the impact of our current changing society.

This change that is upon us as innocent as it appears has already ignited flash fires of controversy with divisions that will eventually prove to cut and divide the basic fundamentals of a republic that has ultimately outgrown its status as the beacon of freedom and prosperity. In its short 230 years America has proven that people of all races, creeds and ideologies can live under the roof of solidarity bound together by a single principle called liberty with a strong constitution. Today, that constitution has been challenged, not in a court of law, but by an ideology of intimidation and determined oppression. We have yet to acknowledge the events that have brought us to our current position economically, militarily, financially, and politically as the presence of a silent rival moves in among us by the thousands every year. Let us consider the collateral damage already thrust upon this nation since September 11, 2001.

This new age of social-technological advancement sometimes referred to as the post-modern age is riddled with erupting opinions from just about everyone and anywhere on earth. Whether these opinions voiced today are creditable or not is of little concern to those who express them; it is what those with opinions choose to believe that matters in this supposedly electronic society. This was not true before the turn of the 21st century. During the 19th century a man’s word was his bond but not so today although a man’s opinion was taken seriously. Today we face wider boundaries where integrity is no more than a buzz word on a television commercial. Yet, the challenges before us are closer to home than we have seen in 200 years. And if I may, I will voice my opinion which I believe is reasonably creditable when I say, "Of all the suffering in the world, this past 20th century has taken the prize." I doubt that I am mistaken. Yet, for more than 70 years this is where I have had the privilege to hang my hat.

But this is just the beginning, we haven’t seen anything yet. The past is nothing compared to the coming challenges facing all of us here on this sacred soil of our beloved America, where at one time we did not hesitate to claim this nation as having been established upon the principles of Christian virtue. By the grace of God we survived two world wars. What is so very astonishing is that both of these conflicts were aggravated by the same fanatical philosophy as if we had learned nothing the first time around. And if that wasn’t enough to get us off to a bad start with its dust storms, depression, and probation repeal directly following, we had to go to Korea. There we fought off communism as we did later in Viet Nam. The only conflict that I can remember we failing to defeat was the rage of rock and roll storming the country in the small valley of Woodstock in 1969.

The High Wire Walkers

Somehow we got through all of this in time to encounter the Nixon riotous upheaval of the 60’s, the long gas lines, the 55 mile speed limit, Carter’s hostages held in Iran in the 70’s; the Reagan, Iran Contra affair and the NASA Space shuttle Challenger disaster of the 80’s; the Clinton, Reno, Waco fiasco and Hillary co-presidency of the 90’s; and the Bush 9/11 atrocity shifting our efforts towards an aggressive action against terror with the Iraqi war at the start of the new century now nearing the end of the first decade. We began the second decade of the 21st century enduring a crippling economy, the aftermath of Katrina, with the oil spill in the Gulf the size of Maryland not to mention the murky Obama health care proposal thrust upon the citizens of this nation. How all this is about to affect us in the years to come is a revelation revealed like a high wire acrobat carrying a huge balancing rod, moving ever so cautiously across a fine thin wire about to snap 1300 feet above the crowds below the previously destroyed Twin Towers without a safety net. The distinction today seen in this coming adversity moving ever so slowly but persistently is all but ready to snap in full view with spectators scattering below wondering why someone had not attempted to do something to avoid this disaster. After six millenniums of human history we still have yet to learn how to live in peace. While middle class, if there is such a thing, in Egypt revolted in the streets of Cairo during January 2011 for President Mubarak to step down allowing elections to be held later in the year hoping to establish a democratic government, President Ahmadinejad of Iran proclaimed that the protesters were inspired by Iran’s struggle against Western powers. Ahmadinejad, destine to become a nuclear power preaches the coming of the 12th Imam of Islam, Magahi he says will rule the world under Islam as a world Caliphate.

Today, a demanding challenge is set before us unlike any challenge we have experience in the past. This time there is no precedence to deliberate the situation; there is no obvious rage or conflict that invokes real interest and there are no investigative committees; there is only passive restraint within the sight of timid spectators. We have no real course of action other than becoming aware of its presence anticipating some consequences of an aftershock that will change everything that has become precious to us in this land of the privileged. This social revolution about to engage us slowly manipulating our laws, traditions, and our preferred manner of life is nothing like we as a nation, a people of character and trust, have ever experienced in the past. This subtle inclusion into our society, such as it is, not that we would trade that which we have for anything less, threatens our customs, our freedoms, our identity, and our posture as a people of faith and power. While the freedom riders of political correctness fronting this 21st century are charged up with determination insisting on political and social-economic change, factions within the political and social systems are already proposing new frontiers for this society, demanding renovation of our culture reformatting our basic ideals of life and liberty. Adversely, in their zeal, they have lose sight of the risk that they impose on the rest of us coupled with their own scheme will surely alter their individual values as well as many sheltered liberties that they also prize so earnestly. The atmosphere within these first few years of this new era, this seventh millennium of the history of man, is more startling and dreadful than anything we have experienced and now know about ourselves as human beings. We would do well to discard any preconceived ideas about how to deal with the future. Our best strategy should not be to labor over past experiences and its assorted blunders but to clear the haze from our eyes and look around us, focusing on where we are today, listening to the sounds of distant fog horns and strange voices approaching our harbors, calling for us to yield to these unanticipated incoming vessels filled with those from a distant land and culture.

We are a nation of diversity and have in our past adapted and compromised our ways of life making room for those who come to our shores from many different cultures, thus enriching this assorted melting pot of the world into the greatest people on earth. If I didn’t think so I would not bother to pass on this revelation that lies within my weary soul. Just about every manner and mold of individuals from amongst all the world’s nationalities, cultures, and belief systems are represented here in this great nation enjoying the same freedoms and opportunities together. And to beat it all, these new-comers appreciate being here more so than most of us born here as they take full advantage of their opportunity and privilege of acquiring citizenship becoming official live-in citizens. They become Americanized with loyalty, devotion, and a sense of duty pledging their allegiance to this nation and its flag that guarantees "One nation under God," becoming one more individual added to this great union proudly flaunting his or her citizenship.

I remember sitting next to a young Turkish man of Islamic heritage while I attended Western Hill’s high school in Cincinnati Ohio. His name was Theleski, a gentle person fascinated by the many different kinds of people of this country and what he called luxurious living. I can only imagine what he might have considered so luxurious about Cincinnati in 1953. To be precise, it was the freedom he and his family enjoyed since they had traveled from their home town in Diyarbakir, Southeastern Anatolia, Turkey, which is just a stone’s throw from the border of Syria. We hung out together often but after graduation we lost track of one another. I remember his family was quite different from those of my other friends. They were friendly but so much more defensive as if someone was watching them. They are fine people and I am proud to have known Theleski and his family. So, before we step into the unknown world of America Muslims we should take a quick stroll through the diversity that already exists in this society, different from the majority of Christians but familiar to all of us as congenial neighbors with their own beliefs, but just as American as anyone else. Those arriving in America from a multitude of Middle Eastern countries for the very first time are often as apprehensive about Americans as we may be about them. We notice them in the market places regularly in their customary dress and also around the neighborhood but hesitate to speak. The only solution to resolve any supposed impasse that may exist is to walk right up to them, introduce oneself with a greeting of "welcome to America and our neighborhood." But first let us look our own heritage.

JW Conversion

I remember a neighbor living two blocks away in our neighbor while I was growing up on the upper North Fairmount side of Cincinnati. The family appeared to be different from the rest of our neighbors but my friends and I had great fun hanging out with Richard and his brother Lloyd the oldest of the boys. What seemed to be odd about Richard’s family was that they never put up a Christmas tree or exchanged gifts on Christmas day. In fact they never voted on Election Day and they also had this strange ideal about not accepting blood transfusions even in an emergency. Their only explanation to me was that it was a part of their religious beliefs.

One day I discovered that Richard and his family were members of the Jehovah Witnesses (JW) religious sect. I didn’t know that there was a religious group as such until I was in my late teens. They had many beliefs that seemed strange to me but apparently normal to them and later in seminary I learned a great deal about JWs and their beliefs. After a while I was able to identify Jehovah Witnesses and talk with them. I recall a customer purchasing a fine set of eyewear from my optical store who was very out spoken about being a Jehovah witness. We immediately engaged in a conversation. Her interest in what I was saying was as intense as my interest in all that which she had to say. I explained to her that I was preparing a study of her beliefs for one of my television broadcast upon which she provided me with several books written for the eyes of Jehovah Witness leaders only. She wanted me to know the truth, the real story of her religion putting it like this, "I would rather you get it from the horse’s mouth." And so I did. She provided me with all the privileged books that are restricted from the eyes of outsiders. These teaching texts, written by Watch Tower, gave me enormous insight into their belief system that I would have only been able to imagine otherwise. The material was so informative that it helped me produce two complete television programs comparing JWs with Christianity.

As we continued to deal with the scriptures she was confronted with the great mystery of the deity of Jesus Christ as we studied John 1:1. "And the Word was with God and the Word was God." That is where we began and that is where we ended at the conclusion of our sessions of Bible discussions. I am happy to share this experience in light of the challenges facing all of us in the coming years.

A Spike in the Flesh

Nevertheless, the man Charles T Russell, founder of the Jehovah Witnesses movement, now the Watch Tower group, has not made this challenge any easier. Charles Russell produced his own version of the Bible when he created the New World Translation. After close examination, Russell’s translation is simply a modification of the old American Standard Version of 1901 taken from the English translation of the revised version of Fenton Holt and Brooke Westcott’s version of 1881. With the help of the Holt and Westcott’s Bible Charles Russell altered every scripture that referred to Jesus’ deity and reduced Him to a prophet as did Muhammad in his Qur’an. Yet, wherever the title LORD written in the upper case appeared Russell changed it to read Jehovah, which of course, is a correct translation in Hebrew even though Russell could not read or write Hebrew. Like Muhammad, Russell had minimal knowledge of Biblical text.

Holt and Westcott, Roman Catholic English professors of Cambridge University, England were Biblical scholars. During 1881 they combined the Vaticanus and Sinaiticus manuscripts of the Dewey Rheims, Roman Catholic 1583 Bible, with the Reformation Textus Receptus manuscripts of the English 1611 Authorized Version producing the first integrated version. Philip Schaff, head of the American Revision Committee took the Holt and Westcott revision and produced the American Standard Version of 1901. From this mixed innovation of various manuscripts other revisions have been produced since Russell’s New World Translation altering many doctoral text of the original manuscripts. As time went on, during the middle of the 20th century and new versions began appearing in book stores many of them compared themselves with the old 1611 King James Authorized Version for creditability which in fact, they were not. They contained many of the changes that were found in the Holt and Westcott revised version of 1881 and surprisingly a few showed up from Russell’s version. Today publishers of new versions of the Bible emphasize their differences up front with explanations assuring the reader that while the text is altered, the message is the same as the traditional 1611 Authorized Version.

The difficulty with this situation is that in today’s world these many new versions of the Bible may very well become the Achilles’ heel of our possible failure to succeed in accomplishing the challenge Almighty God has set before us. Various versions differ in language and text presenting in some occasions confusing interpretations for many new converts, especially if these converts happen to be from the Islamic Muslim world. Knowing this about the Bible is crucial as major cultural changes evolve within the social claimant of this society. The message is the same as fundamental Christians believe the doctrines clearly stated in the 1611 text. Yet, as scriptural proof texts in new versions have been simplified along with the general texts these changes have affected the distinct definition and specifics of many doctrines such of the trinity, the deity of Christ, the virgin birth, the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ, and many other significant disciplines. To simply say that these major doctrines are implied is not sufficient. Variables in Bible texts create a disadvantage when we are challenged by Islamists who are very knowledgeable in their own religious discipline and also have been briefed on the doctrines of Christianity. I recommend that every Christian have available both, his or her particular denominational version and also a copy of the old King James Bible when discussing the message of the Bible with Easterners and specifically Muslims. I suggest that we mark clearly all critical passages that represent the principles of our faith in both versions.

Very interestingly Charles Russell could neither read nor write Greek or Hebrew of any manuscripts. Yet, when he read John 1:1, in the American Standard Version of 1901 Russell changed the text to read, "And the Word was with God, and the Word was a god" a direct denial of the deity of Jesus Christ, the incarnate God. Thirteen verses later Saint John explains the context of his opening statement saying, "And the Word was made flesh (a man) and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). Russell rejected the deity of Christ even though both Roman Catholic and Protestant Bibles and most all of the new versions read, "And the Word was God" corroborating a collective belief in the deity of Jesus Christ. Yet, reading 1Timothy 3:16 of many new versions, the incarnation of Christ is challenged by revisers replacing the noun "God" with a pronoun "who" or "he." Russell had the same problem as did Muhammad and many others who claim to believe the Old Testament but then reject that which they refuse to accept in their own minds. Russell could not believe that Almighty God could care enough to come to earth in the form of a man and to make matters worse that God would be born of a virgin as was explained to Muhammad by the Christians as he labored to understand about the God of the Bible. And yet the theme throughout the Old Testament is primarily about Jesus Christ the Messiah. The Prophet Isaiah wrote, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the (physical) government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father; The Prince of Peace" (Isa 9:6). At the very outset of this study we discover that Almighty God has at least five identities listed by the Prophet Isaiah including that of a man.

This is not a prediction from just another man portraying himself as a prophet as was Muhammad but this pledge came from the lips of a proven Prophet having many confirmed prophecies. Muhammad actually had no prophecies other than a few guesses about his rampant battles against his own society that lasted for nearly 22 years. Muhammad’s revelations were called hallucinations by his own tribesmen and historians. Let us be clear, the promised Messiah predicted in the Old Testament is most emphatically not Muhammad but is the promised One, God Himself, manifest in the flesh, appearing in the form of a man, who would come to experience life as we know it and as a man save His people from sin and eventual destruction. Jesus comes not as a warrior but as the anointed One, the Prince of Peace. Isaiah’s prophecy declares that this is the epitome of God Himself as "The mighty God, The everlasting Father; The Prince of Peace." On the other hand, Charles Russell was like so many other self proclaimed prophets before him; like the Prophet William Miller for one, (photo) who predicted the end of the world in 1843. Men like this, sincere but misguided, have brought reproach upon the Christian faith with their failed predictions along with Russell’s supposed rapture of the saints in 1910 and Armageddon in 1914 all of which never happened. Russell had mistakenly identified the beginning of WW I as Armageddon even thought the battle never got close to the valley of Megiddo. According to the JWs the spiritual rule of Christ rather than a physical rule of Christ’s government began in 1918 at the end of WWI and the devil and his angels were destined to be confined thereafter. Meanwhile 144000 selected JWs from their group, called "the anointed class of witnesses," claiming to be favored by God as His true witnesses will one day usher in the Kingdom. I singled out Charles Russell from many others before him because his organization has survived their failed predictions and continue to knock on doors claiming to be the end time 144,000 witnesses specified in Revelation 7 and 14 of the New Testament. Unlike the overwhelming 8.5 million members of today’s JW movement, far more than specified in scripture, these modern day witnesses have neither a seal in their foreheads nor represent 12000 young virgin Jewish men selected from each of the 12 tribes of Israel as the Bible prescribes. Today’s JW members consist of a mixture of married Gentile women, their husbands and children. And when Islamists encounter this strange contradiction of the Bible, it has a devastating effect on the efforts of traditional Christians attempting to witness the truth of Christ and His love to the people of Islam. It is the opinion of the Christian community that JWs do not represent Christianity of the Bible. They are a sect all their own and, in fact, that is how they prefer to be recognized. Just ask a Jehovah witness and she will tell you she is a part of spiritual Israel.

The Apostle Paul, a chosen individual, a scholar of the ancient Sanhedrin, a Pharisee of the Pharisees, an extremely intellectual man well acquainted with the ancient scriptures and philosophy having become a chosen servant of Jesus Christ, called out by Almighty God Himself testified to the courts of the esteemed authorities and others of his day on many occasions, proclaimed, "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness" admitting that the mystery of godliness is overwhelmingly and extremely difficult to comprehend that "God was manifest in the flesh" which is still the case today with many skeptics "justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached