Salim Mansur writes: Empty church discloses a harsh reality

Let me state from the outset that I am a great admirer of Salim Mansur and what he stands for in the Muslim community. He is a moderate if not secular Muslim, who along with his friend Tarek Fatah and other moderates of their ilk, struggles against the pervasive and toxic effect of the Islamists (Islamo-Fascists) on the Muslim community. It is therefore with some trepidation and misgiving that I feel myself obligated to qualify if not take issue with some aspects of Professor Mansur's article above. Mr. Mansur writes" There is among Muslims no public discussion about Jesus; nor do Muslims display reverence or understanding about Jesus and his place in history, yet they readily indulge in anti-Christian polemics. As a result, Muslims have emptied Islam of that aspect of humanity nearest and dearest to God symbolized by Jesus in the Qur’an." It is true that Jesus, or Isa as He is referred to in the Qur'an, at one time was a respected part of the Qur'ranic tradition; but, with a major caveat., in that Jesus is only regarded as a prophet by Muslims, secondary to Mohammed who Muslims regard as the final and greatest prophet.. The Qur'an claims furthermore the Jesus never died on the cross and therefore was never resurrected. Muslims deny, by implication at least, that Jesus was ever the intended Christ, ever the Savior, ever the Lamb of God and that there was no 'Death', no 'Resurrection" and therefore no 'Divinity' ; thus, in effect, belying the central tenets of the faith of Christianity. I must therefore qualify Mr. Mansur 's wish that modern Muslims pay more respect to Jesus, with my contention that even in the best case scenario where Muslims might show some respect to Jesus, that they still get it grossly wrong. Only a Muslim or other non-Christian, like Mr. Mansur, even with the best of intentions, who implicitly denies the divinity of Jesus by referring to Him as simply Jesus, demeans Christianity. For Christians, on the otherhand, Jesus is the Christ. His full accreditation which only Christians will acknowledge, is Jesus Christ, Son of God, the Alpha and the Omega and the Light of the World. Anything less than this acknowledgment is an insult to God and a demeaning of Christianity and Christians everywhere. http://www.torontosun.com/2012/07/06/empty-church-discloses-a-harsh-reality?utm_source=addThis&utm_medium=addthis_button_facebook&utm_campaign=Empty+church+discloses+a+harsh+reality+|+Columnists+|+Opinion+|+Toronto+Sun#.T_hgxtQuRo8.facebook