Intriguing Hypothesis on Islam

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I don’t know that he’s right.   As with any new hypothesis–especially one dealing with the fundamental nature of a religion–we’re all hesitant and even anxious about accepting radical new ideas as true.  And rightfully so.  Anyone who comes up with a new “big idea” has to expect that idea will be avoided, ignored, ridiculed and even attacked before it is (if ever) accepted.  These attacks can be painful but they’re a good thing in that they “test” the new idea to see how much of it, if any, is true–and how much is false or idiotic.

Still, the fact that Dr. Warner’s radical hypothesis might be mistaken doesn’t prove that his ideas can’t be fundamentally correct.

I’m not suggesting that you or I should automatically believe Dr. Warner.  For example, I don’t agree with his argument that the Christian psyche has been so badly bruised by Islamic jihad over the past centuries that we Christians are innately fearful of Islam.  More, his rage (at either the weakness of Christians or the violence of Muslims) seems so palpable (to me, at least) that his presentation strikes me as a little disturbing.  Even so, on the other hand, I believe that Dr. Warner offers some valuable and intriguing insights into what may be the fundamentally violent history and foundation for the Muslim faith.

Perhaps more than anything else, Dr. Warner hints that the true nature of most conflicts and warsthat have shaped both the Middle East and Europe over the past 1,000 years has been spiritual. For example, where history books teach that “Turks” fought and slaughtered “Armenians” in a “political” struggle, Dr. Warner argues that actually Turkish “Muslims” fought Armenian “Christians” in a spiritual/religious war. The conflict was not about Turks vs. Armenians. It was about Muslims vs. Christians. The same pattern may be seen in much of history where the recorded wars are presented to us as political conflicts between nation-states rather than spiritual conflicts between religions.

Among other things, Dr. Warner argues that the fall of Rome and Europe’s subsequent “Dark Ages” were, in large measure, the result of spiritual war waged by Muslims against Europeans rather than “political” invasions by the Huns.

His hypothesis is intriguing and worth your consideration–even if you disagree.

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