Jesus and Muhammad in light of the Orlando shooting.

On June 12, 2016, a mass shooting terrorist attack and hate crime occurred inside Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, United States. Fifty people died, including the gunman, who was killed by Orlando police after a three-hour standoff.

The name of the murderer was Omar Mateen. Many claim that Omar was not a Muslim. However, according to telegraph.co.uk, the IMAM of the mosque he used to attend spoke out concerning him:

“The imam of the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce, where Omar Mateen prayed four days a week, said there were rumours that Mateen was very aggressive, but that he was unusually quiet at the mosque and did not appear to have a single close friend in the community.”

As we see, there is no denying the fact that Omar was a practicing Muslim. The question, however, is whether his actions walked in harmony with the ways of Allah and his prophet, which we will see within this post, actually did.

This post was originally meant to display unto the readers that if Muhammad was here today, he would stand in full support of the actions performed by Mateen in Orlando. However, within the last couple of days, the Muslim community has taken upon themselves the task of attempting to rid themselves and their religion of the blame which arose from the murderer’s hands. The problem is, they have done this by means of attempting to demonstrate that Jesus also taught such things which would stand in support of the Orlando shooting as well. Hence, I will quote to you both the teachings of Jesus and Muhammad to see which one of these truly supports and discourages the tragedy brought forth on June 12, 2016.

The things we are going to look at within this post are the following:

-How Muhammad ordered Muslims to treat Homosexuals

-How Jesus ordered Christians to treat Homosexuals

-How Muhammad ordered Muslims to treat the unbelievers

-How Jesus ordered Christians treat the unbelievers

As we know, the Orlando shooting was performed in a gay bar/nightclub which was filled with those who were part of the homosexual community.

Within the following verses, we are going to see what Muhammad told the Muslim community to do with those who are guilty of sodomy (homosexuality):

Abu Dawud (4462) - The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Whoever you find doing the action of the people of Loot, execute the one who does it and the one to whom it is done.".

Note: The individual who is named Loot is actually Lot whose story we are all familiar with. According to both the biblical and qur'anic narrative, the people of loot committed sodomy ( homosexuality). These people were known for this sin. This is what the Quran and Muhammad call “ the action of the people of loot”

Abu Dawud (4448) - "If a man who is not married is seized committing sodomy, he will be stoned to death.“

al-Tirmidhi, Sunan 1:152 - [Muhammad said] "Whoever is found conducting himself in the manner of the people of Lot, kill the doer and the receiver."

If Muhammad was here today, would he stand in full support of Omar’s actions? YES

Now, within the following verses, we are going to see what Jesus told his followers to do and what he did with those who are guilty of sodomy (homosexuality):

Note: In actuality, Jesus never speaks about homosexuality within the gospels. However, what we find within the teachings of Christ is that ANY SIN can take us to hell, including anger, insults and adultery. In other words, no sin is greater than another with the exception of blasphemy against the holy spirit. So in order to prove that Jesus stood against the killing of homosexuals or any being for the reason of him/her performing a sin, we are going to look at verses where Jesus:

-Does not kill a sinner who is worthy of death

-Commands us to love EVERYONE

-Does not prescribe a death penalty or justified murder for any wrongdoing, even for the unpardonable sin.

(John 8:2-7):And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. 

(Mark 12:30-31):And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Note: Many come to the conclusion that the word neighbor means someone who is in the same religion as you. However, Jesus gave us the definition of who your neighbor actually is. The answer is ANYONE and EVERYONE. Jesus does not give a detailed description of a specific type of person who fits within the category of a neighbor because a neighbor is a general term referring to humanity as a whole. This parable which provides the definition of your neighbor is found within the 10th chapter of the Gospel of Luke verses 26-37.

You can read the parable here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+10%3A26-37

Within the Greek, the word for neighbor is πλησίον. This word means

-near

-nearby

-a neighbor.

When we look at Merriam-Webster's dictionary, we see that the definition of a neighbor also includes FELLOW MAN:

-a person who lives next to or near another person

-a person or thing that is next to or near another

-Fellow man

Jesus viewed the word neighbor through the lens of our common residence which is EARTH. We all live within this planet, hence we are all near. We are all neighbors to one another.

In view of all this, we can conclude that the second commandment is to love EVERYONE despite their sin, race and color. This command also includes HOMOSEXUALS. We do not love homosexuals by KILLING THEM, but by being nice to them and teaching them the gospel.

(Mark 3:28-29):Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.

Note: The reason why I use this verse in support for Christ standing against the killing of homosexuals is because there does exist ONE sin which is greater than homosexuality and all other wrongdoings. It is called blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Logically, we would assume that the death penalty or the justification of murder would depend on the severity of the sin. But, what we see here is that the ONLY unpardonable sin which exists in the world is NOT punishable by death, but of everlasting fire. No death penalty was brought forth by Jesus for such a wrongdoing. Hence, it is logical to conclude that if the greatest sin (blasphemy against the holy spirit) is not worthy of a death penalty or of murder, then homosexuality within the eyes of Christ would ALL THE MORE not be worthy of murder or the death penalty.

If Jesus was here today, would he stand in full support of Omar's actions? NO

The Orlando shooting was done in the United States. Within Islamic communities, the states is known as being a nation of the disbelieving seeing as the majority of individuals are Christian. Also, the probability of some of those in the night club in Orlando being Muslim are VERY LOW.

Within the following verses, we will see how Muhammad treated the unbelievers and how he ordered his followers to treat them as well:

Muslim (1:33) - the Messenger of Allah said: I have been commanded to fight against people till they testify that there is no god but Allah, that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah

Bukhari (8:387) - Allah's Apostle said, "I have been ordered to fight the people till they say: 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah'. And if they say so, pray like our prayers, face our Qibla and slaughter as we slaughter, then their blood and property will be sacred to us and we will not interfere with them except legally.“

Quran (9:5) - Then when the Sacred Months (the Ist, 7th, 11th, and 12th months of the Islamic calendar) have passed, then kill the Mushrikun (see V.2:105) wherever you find them, and capture them and besiege them, and prepare for them each and every ambush. But if they repent and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), and give Zakat, then leave their way free. Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Note: Notice that the only way which the unbelievers can escape murder is by paying the Islamic community a sum of money...

In order to further prove that this whole idea of killing the blasphemer or unbeliever is found within the Islamic belief system, here is a discussion I had with a Muslim who threatened to have me killed for simply believing that Jesus is God. 

If Muhammad was here today, would he stand in full support of Omar’s actions? YES

Now, within the following verses, we are going to see how Jesus treated the unbelievers and how he commanded his followers to treat them as well.

(Matthew 5:46-48):For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Note: Within this verse, we are called to universal love. Also, notice how we are NOT ordered to ONLY salute and welcome our brothers. Within the biblical narrative, the word brother refers to your brother in Christ. In other words, it is someone who is in the same religion as you, in this case, Christianity. Loving everyone and saluting the unbelievers is the OPPOSITE of killing them.

(John 6:64-68): But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

Note: Notice that in the midst of Christ, there was people who did NOT believe in him. Furthermore, what we see is that many of Christ’s disciples committed APOSTASY and STOPPED following him. Did Jesus command them to be killed? Did he command them to be fought until they submit to Christ? the answer is NO.

(Matthew 5:43-44): Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Note: Jesus did not only command us to love those who are not part of our religion, but he also went as far as to tell us to love those who do WRONG to us, IE our enemies both within and without of the Christian religion. These do not sound like the words of one who is a supporter of slaughtering unbelievers.

If Jesus was here today, would he stand in full support of Omar’s actions? NO