As I was watching Fox News there was a report about how Islam was put in a more favorable light than Christianity in a New York City high school. Then quotes from a school book were flashed across the screen that said how Islam had brought beautiful art and architecture to Christendom. Next, high school young men were shown on their knees on prayer mats bowing and praying to Allah. In the background were a few young women that looked like they were covered in Moslem garb. Also, it appeared that there were a great number of students watching this scene in accepting awe.
We hear about how Islam is growing at a very fast rate in the United States and we wonder, “How could this be?” Now, I understand why. Young people are looking for respect and purpose in their lives. Many of our evangelical, conservative Christian churches offer this through the Lord Jesus Christ. Active youth are taught the reality of the Holy Bible; they feel the love of Jesus in their souls; they witness and serve in their community; even go on mission trips. When I was young I experienced this lifestyle, was a member of a great youth group that studied the Bible, witnessed, and served Christ. I even had the priviledge of being a Missouri summer missionary from Southwest Baptist University. However, most young people in our society never experience such a lifestyle.
Too many parents are tired from working all week and sleep in on Sunday, even those that claim to be Christians. They might take their children to Sunday School once in a while or let them go to VBS, which is better than nothing. However, many supposedly Christian parents are starving their children spiritually by neglecting to provide worship time for them.
As a public school teacher, I have come to realize that many of my students don’t attend church, don’t know who Jesus is, don’t know the Ten Commandments and are basically being raised godless.
Most TV programs and movies present Christianity as hypocritical and ignorant. Sexual immorality is praised and shown as an accepted life style. There is a vampire craze in most schools among the children, even in kindergarten. Some of my students wear vampire attire from the “Twilight” series of movies. The parents excuse it as a cute fantasy phase their children are going through. That is just like the satanic music that so many youth listen to. Parents excuse it as young music and say things like “We had our music, let them have their music.” In other words, it is like saying, “Let Satan teach my child the joys of vampirism, breaking all the commandments and blaspheming God.” That is irresponsible parenting. My husband and I raised our three children in church. They are all in their twenties now. They were virgins (one boy and two girls) when they married; their spouses are dedicated Christians. Our grandchildren are being raised in godly, Christian homes, and are being fed spiritually through active church attendance. Raising your children in the Lord works.
Young people look for purpose in their lives. They have a soul that hungers for spiritual food. The Islamic opportunities in high schools and universities meet the needs of many spiritually starving young people. It is great for young men because they are offered respect as a man, and in our liberal society men are put down and disrespected. Islamic young women are honored for their purity as future wives and mothers. So are Christian girls, but that is not popular in our immoral society. It is accepted that young woman and young men should be able to have sex without condemnation. After all, it is considered to be just be a natural thing for the highest form of evolved animal, as the godless theory of evolution is being taught as a fact in our public school system.
Converting to Islam offers young people not only respect and status, but it offers rebellion against parents and society. These youth can feel freedom from their parents, and can believe that they have been enlightened. It is too bad they haven’t felt enlightened by the Savior of the World, and do not feel a Christian fellowship with their parents. It’s too bad they haven’t been taught the terror of Islamic invasion of Europe several hundred years ago. It is sad that they don’t know about all the Christian churches that were destroyed and a mosque built over them. For example, the great Christian Church in Cordova, Spain, was torn down and an Islamic mosque was built over it during the invasion, as well as the mass murder of Christians. They should be told that the plan for building an Islamic mosque next to ground zero has been named “Cordova.” Does that mean the new mosque is part of a plan to wipe out Christianity in the U.S. as well as insult us by declaring Islamic victory over destroying the Twin Towers?
All the guilt should not be put on Islam. We parents, teachers, school boards and churches should be more active in teaching our youth and feeding their souls with the love of God. Boys should be taught how to be responsible, good men by adult men, who set a fine example as husband, father and Christian. Girls and boys should be taught sexual purity, and the morality of the Ten Commandments. Girls should be taught how to be pure, kind women and the value of being a faithful wife, as well as the blessings of motherhood by good Christian women. Unfortunately, this is not being done in many homes. Children are being raised by TV, movies, atheistic teachers and babysitters. The greatest thing a parent can do is raise their children in a godly home, in a good, Bible-believing church, and spend time with their children as a family. Our children are our future, they are the hope of our country. We must invest time, love and spiritual food in their lives. (Jeanne Chatman is children’s church director, Gasconade Baptist Church, and elementary teacher at Plato R5 School.)