Letters From Grandpa #125

• LETTERS FROM GRANDPA
• 125

Dearest grandchild,

Today’s letter will be politically incorrect and deemed by some to be “hate speech”. My love for you, however, compels me to take the risk.

Jesus said that we can determine the nature of religious teaching by the fruit it produces (Matt. 7:15 - 20). This is both simple and profound. My desk is made of wood. I have no idea what kind of wood it is. The door to my office is also made of wood - same situation. The best way to identify wood is not by bark, leaves, or the grain of the wood, but by it’s fruit. Anyone can tell the difference between an apple and a thorn.

There are many religions in the world and most all of them have literature explaining what they believe. Christians have the Bible. Muslims have the Koran. The Buddhists have their Sutras. The Hindus have their Vedas. The Chinese communists have Mao’s little red book, etc.

To understand their teaching it is not necessary to read every word of their literature. It is much easier and more accurate to merely visit a country where their teaching is dominate and observe the fruit it produces.

In this regard there is probably no country more Muslim than Saudi Arabia. Muhammad was born in Saudi Arabia in Mecca and it was here that he received his “first revelation.” It is the most holy city to a Muslim. One of the five pillars of Islam involves making a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in your lifetime. Here is what Wikipedia has to say about Mecca:

“In the City of Mecca, only Muslims are allowed. Non-Muslims may not enter or travel through Mecca; attempting to enter Mecca as a non-Muslim can result in penalties such as a fine; being in Mecca as a non-Muslim can result in deportation. In the City of Medina, both Muslims and Non-Muslims are allowed in.”

Here is what Wikipedia has to say about Saudi Arabia:

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an Islamic theocratic monarchy in which Sunni Islam is the official state religion based on firm Sharia law and non-Muslims are not allowed to hold Saudi citizenship. Children born to Muslim fathers are by law deemed Muslim, and conversion from Islam to another religion is considered apostasy and punishable by death. Blasphemy against Sunni Islam is also punishable by death, but the more common penalty is a long prison sentence. There have been no confirmed reports of executions for either apostasy or blasphemy in recent years.

A Saudi court sentenced a Palestinian man, Ashraf Fayadh to death for apostasy on November 17, 2015, for alleged blasphemous statements during a discussion group and in a book of his poetry.

Religious freedom is virtually non-existent.] The Government does not provide legal recognition or protection for freedom of religion, and it is severely restricted in practice. As a matter

of policy, the Government guarantees and protects the right to private worship for all, including non- Muslims who gather in homes for religious practice; however, this right is not always respected in practice and is not defined in law.”

Jesus warned of false prophets who would be like wolves in sheep’s clothing. Such false teaching is not easily recognized by what the false prophet “says” but is easily recognized by what he “does”. In this regard when someone tries to tell you that Islam is a religion of tolerance and peace, remember Saudi Arabia,.

I love you,

Grandpa Boyce