I'm Not Worried About "The Rise of Islam"

Yesterday, I got a text message from an unknown sender, asking if I'd answer a few questions about my county (Randall County, Texas). Texts like this are common enough in a political year. I'd normally ignore them, but something (probably my naturally poor judgment) prodded me to follow the link in the message.

There were only two questions: how did I plan to vote and which among a list of issues was the single most concerning. Among the options of mail-in ballots, early voting, absentee, in-person on election day, I chose my preferred method. The second question and the list of issues it listed were mostly standard fare: healthcare, inflation and the rise in the cost of living, gas prices, immigration and border security, reproductive rights, and one that stood out among the others: "the rise of Islam." 

It was a strange thing to list among issues that are objective concerns among Texas citizens, no matter their views on them, and its inclusion hinted at which party was behind the poll. 

I feel an affinity for the adherents of Islam. Our respective doctrines may be separated by a great gulf, but I can relate to anyone whose religion is blamed for social woes by ignorant people with knee-jerk reactions; moreover, I sympathize with anyone who, like me as a Christian, sees their holy text misinterpreted, miscontextualized and villified by those with only a superficial understanding of it.

I am not worried about "the rise of Islam" for two reasons. The first being, I know that Muslim does not equal violent extremist. I'll sleep fine if my apartment complex sees a huge influx of Muslim tenants. The second being, my own faith. How pitifully weak would a Christian's faith have to be for them to live in fear of another doctrine's rise? The Christian who fears Islam bringing the world into subjection forgets that the truth of Christ cannot be diminished - Jesus says of His church, "the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). If every Christian on Earth today suddenly converted to Scientology, or deconstructed to a belief in nothing, Christ would be Christ no less.  

We'd do well to remember this when trying to legislate our faith.