Dear Muslim friends around the world,
Yesterday on Easter Sunday – one of the holiest days on the Christian calendar – President Trump issued a warning to the leaders of Iran regarding opening the Strait of Hormuz. In this warning, he used expletives (often defined as curse words, dirty words, or foul, vulgar language).
Dear Muslim friends, I want you to know that I was shocked at the choice of words that our president used!
I had just experienced a beautiful Easter Sunday where we as Christians celebrate Jesus miraculously rising from the dead after his horrible death on a cross.
I had just enjoyed a glorious time of worshiping the Lord at our church and then a wonderful time with our family – eating and laughing and enjoying this very, very special day.
But late last night, I was looking at the news on my phone and saw the message from our president to the leaders of Iran on that Easter morning. It was a bad way to end such a beautiful day.
I was shocked.
I was grieved.
I was angered.
And. . .I still am.
My wife and I have been blessed to travel to 13 Muslim majority countries. I personally have probably made over 30 trips to the Middle East. I have met countless Muslim people in those countries as well as here in the United States where I live. I call many of them my friends.
One of the things that has always been hard to accept when I travel to these Muslim majority countries is that so many of the Muslim people there think that America is a “Christian” country. They think that virtually everyone in America is a “Christian”!
One of the saddest things about that is when they see Hollywood movies or watch concerts by famous singers or rappers, they think since all of those people are from America, they must be “Christians” and this must be “Christian” behavior – even if those actors or singers say or do terribly violent or immoral things.
No! This is not true!
Please hear me clearly: this is not Christian behavior. It is not what the Bible teaches. It is not what Jesus is about.
Dear Muslim friends, please understand that everything that comes out of America is not “Christian” because the majority of people who live in America are actually not real “Christians” at all.
A true Christian is one who has genuinely repented of their sins, believes in the death and resurrection of Jesus, follows and obeys the Jesus of the Bible, and has given their life to him because he gave his life for them first.
A true Christian is not perfect – not at all – they still do things wrong. They still fall and fail and sin in their words and in their actions (I do!). But a genuine Christian does not want to continually sin. They want to obey Jesus and follow him in purity and holiness because they love him so much!
Back to the main point of this blog post, which is about the choice of words that President Trump used yesterday on Easter Sunday to the leaders of Iran. (I don’t want to address the politics of the message regarding bombing and war and so forth. I’ll leave that up to others. I just want to address the president’s choice of words.)
The words the president used yesterday are vile and nasty. They are crude and impure. They are profane and vulgar.
It is forbidden for a Christian to use these kinds of words which are called, “expletives” – curse words, dirty words, or vulgar language.
We are not to call someone a “bastard.”
We are not to use the “f” word.
The Bible has a lot to say about negative, unrighteous, and hasty words:
“The words of the reckless pierce like swords,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”
Proverbs 12:18 NIV
“The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking;
the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words.”
Proverbs 15:28 NLT
“There is more hope for a fool
than for someone who speaks without thinking.”
Proverbs 29:20 NLT
“Don’t use foul or abusive language. . .”
Ephesians 4:29 NLT
The Greek meaning of these improper foul or abusive words in Ephesians 4:29 is literally “rotten” or “putrid” – “unfit for use.”)
“Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes – these are not for you.
Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.”
Ephesians 5:4 NLT
“You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world.
But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage,
malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.”
Colossians 3:7-8 NLT
James, the brother of Jesus, said about the tongue:
“Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father,
and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God.
And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth.
Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!”
James 3:9-10 NLT
Jesus himself said:
“What you say flows from what is in your heart.”
Luke 6:45 NLT
“The words you speak come from the heart – that’s what defiles you.”
Matthew 15:18 NLT
“And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day
for every idle word you speak.
The words you say will either
acquit you or condemn you.”
Matthew 12:36-37 NLT
The president could have issued a strong and severe warning to the oppressive leaders of Iran – it is, after all, a time of war – without using expletives which are not befitting the office of the presidency as well as the Christian holy day of Easter.
Finally, regarding the president’s usage of the words, “Praise be to Allah,” someone who is not a Muslim should not say them in a way that is insincere, unkind, careless, thoughtless, demeaning, and condescending.
Those of you who know me, know that I am not a Muslim. I am a follower of Jesus. I try my best to be a biblical Christian. I make no apology for my absolute conviction that Jesus is the only way to paradise. But as a Christian, I would not use words like, “Praise be to Allah,” to mock the faith of Muslim people (which is how I interpret the president’s usage of it).
Jesus would never use dirty as well as mocking words like President Trump used yesterday.
They are not biblical.
They are not Christian.
They don’t represent me.
But most of all, they don’t represent the Jesus of the Bible that I love and follow.
Thanks for reading, and as always, I love you, my Muslim friends.
PS – I need to pray for President Donald Trump, not just criticize him. It is glaringly clear to me that he needs Jesus and he has said himself that he doesn’t think he will go to Heaven. Believe me, I don’t want him – or really anyone – to die without putting their faith in Jesus alone for the forgiveness of their sins.
PPS – I don’t want to be a self-righteous hypocrite. I am not a perfect man in the words that I use every day. Truly I have failed miserably, especially when I have allowed anger to control me and hurtful words have exploded from me on occasion like a volcano. I have absolutely no excuse for those words I have spoken in anger which have deeply wounded other people. I take total responsibility for them. I thank God that we can seek forgiveness from those we have wronged with our words. And also, when we go to God in Jesus’ name and seek forgiveness, we can receive it because of his grace (1 John 1:9). This is my closing prayer. . .
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