The story was making the rounds of the Internet. Probably still is. One of the latest versions carried the subject line “MUSLIMS ATTACK CHURCH OF CHRIST IN LUBBOCK.” That’s the kind of story that will get people’s attention. Images of robed Middle Easterners bursting into a church building in the heart of the Bible Belt. Religious persecution. A hint of what is sure to come with all that is going on in the U.S. today.
There were three minor problems with the account of this incident:
- The attack didn’t happen in Lubbock.
- It wasn’t a church of Christ that was attacked.
- The attackers weren’t Muslim.
What actually happened was three convicts decided to disrupt a church service in a prison. It wasn’t a religious act, nor a political one. It was the act of a few prison malcontents; hardly an unusual happening. It scared some of the Christians and they jumped to conclusions about those that interfered with the assembly.
There is an e-mail going around written by Wayne Horton with an accurate account of what happened. It reads, in part:
I got this email last week. The prison about which they speak is the Price Daniel Unit in Snyder. I was there in the late 90s as their Chaplain. I am the one who recruited the men who go there form Greenlawn. They are good men. But they made a mistake. The guys who did that were NOT MUSLIM. They were three guys from medium custody and they just came to cause trouble. It frightened the Green Lawn guys because they’d never seen that behavior before.
The Greenlawn elder who wrote the email has apologized to the prison officials and the Muslim prison community. I repeat these guys were not Muslims.
There is so much fear among Christians of the Muslims, this is not going to help. Please contact everyone you’ve sent this to and tell them the truth. Call Greenlawn and speak to Jack Cummings. He will tell you it was NOT muslims.
A Volunteer is the safest person on a prison compound. This was just a bad-acting medium custody trouble-maker. Every other inmate in that Chapel would have protected Jack and the other volunteers.
Now, in case anybody wants to accuse me of trying to protect Muslims, I’m not. I believe – same as you – that it is by the name of Jesus ONLY that men are saved and no muslim has trusted Jesus so no Muslim is saved.
We just don’t need any more animosity between us. We need to be able to talk and study honestly with them.
My guess is that it won’t be passed around nearly as much as the inaccurate story. People rarely put the same effort into spreading the truth as they do in spreading mistruth.
So here’s my suggestion. If you received this story or if you receive it in the next few days, contact the person who sent it and ask them if they’ve read the corrected version. If not, share it with them and ask them to send it to whomever sent them the misleading one. And ask them to send the correction to everyone they sent the false story to.
I don’t have any illusions of actually stopping this story. It will probably show up in sermons and blogs for years to come. But maybe, just maybe, we can remind people to be responsible with what they forward. If you discover its not true, I think you have a moral obligation to send out a retraction/correction. As Christians, we need to stand for truth.
Tim, the problem is most “Christians” like a good lie as well as the next person. why have they not addressed the lies about our new president and his attempt to help those who need help. because they didn’t vote for him, and it is more fun to contribute to the lie, by forwarding, or keeping silent. As you may recall they started out by calling him a “Muslim” , now it has evolved into Hitler. and I don’t see any “Christians” on the net disputing this. a lie is a lie whether it is about a church or a president. why not use your suggested response and correct these people. I am tired of calling them “Christian” , like the good Samaritan, when we see a wrong we should try to right it, if we just walk on by we are contributors.
Tim, thanks for getting the true information out.
THANKS!
Tim,
I would love to read your personal thoughts about the legitimate story, especially, with regard to the apocalyptic overtones it sends. You share yours and I’ll share mine?
Sure Tammy. Thanks for visiting The Kitchen.
Doug, I’m not sure what you’re referring to.
I never did get that email, but I imagine I will at some point. I know people, as we all do, that will forward every good story or political statement that comes into their inbox. Thanks for sharing the truth. I almost look forward to getting the false story so I can share the real one. :)
Thanks Tim,
Isn’t it amazing that we chase the sensational even when the truth is so much better. I too had not heard this yet, but I am sure I will. Thanks for the heads up.
Lisa, don’t worry, if it’s not this story, you’ll get another distorted one sometime.
Danny, I think we especially take stories that feed into some agenda we want to push.
Tim,
I get the impression that what happened at the jail in Lubbock has excited fear and fervor about a Muslim takeover of the country. After we heard about the events in Lubbock here, a mere hour and a half away, people genuinely fearful.
Of course, to many the country is “going to hell in a handbasket” thanks to Obama. Persecution of Christians in a jail setting sends many the message that more is to come, and that Obama in particular wants this kind of thing to happen because he’s secretly “a Muslim himself.” In the end, the fear is that the Muslims are going to takeover the country.
I happen to think that the events in Lubbock are positive. First, violence in the name of religion will only help to delegitimize Islam. Second, I think we need some difficulty to test us. We’ve got it so made here in the states that conviction amounts to how boisterous you can be, not how solidified in your faith you are. I think the early church flourished, to a great degree, because of the difficulties it faced at the hands of Jews and Romans.
We are fortunate to live in a free country, and I appreciate it immensely, but my citizenship is elsewhere. I can be a citizen in God’s kingdom anywhere. The heavenly country should be our primary focus, not the preservation of an earthly one.
That’s what I meant by my query.
Aw, got you.
I do not equate the well being of the United States with the well being of the kingdom of God. Over the last 3 years, I’ve spent time with Christians in 9 different countries. By far, the place I found the most vibrant, healthy church was in Cuba. They probably have the least freedom of those in the group, as freedom is measured in this world.
So largely I agree with you.
Grace and peace,
Tim Archer
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Over reaction or not the Muslims DO intend t destroythe US, Obama and the Dems DO intend to change our country into a socialist state even if it doesn’t work, especially if they get to do it. Just because some well meaning people panic doesn’t mean Christians love a lie. You ain’t seen nothing yet. Wait until the Lockerbie bomber becomes the next suicide bomber or Bin Ladin gets his hands on a Nuclear Weapon. Where were you on 9/11? Where will you be next time? Maybe too close to ground zero. ? Thats all we need, another liberal wacko figuring things out for us. Get on your bicycle and ride Daddy ride. Maybe they need to let poor old Charlie Manson out; hasn’t he suffered enough? Does it make you “Feel good”?
Viva “Global warming” I’m in th A/C biz!! (or is it “Climate Change “?
“Summertime maybe”) probably nonsense.
Thanks Tim, you’ve done a service with this article. I’ve had a number of people send me the Muslim attack article. I wish I had your post to send to them at the time!
Are there violent Muslims in the world? Yes. Violent Christians? Yes. Violent Jews? yes. Every religion or ethinic group has its violent strand. To isolate one group and make it THE demon is to blind our eyes to our own propensity to sin. We don’t have a lot of control over what someone else might do to us; we can, at least, begin to clean up our own act if we so choose. That’s harder, though.
Excellent thoughts Warren. I had similar thoughts about how a group of rude and rowdy “Christians” could easily give all Christians a bad name. Think about some of the white supremacist groups that consider themselves Christian.
Grace and peace,
Tim Archer
When my Dad received this email, the only place I could find the clarification of this story was at your site – I couldn’t get the church’s own website to load up. Thank you for having this available so that I could help him with the “reply to all” and also send out the information to others. The letter really seems to have made the rounds!
Michelle Maddocks
Brampton, Ontario
Glad it was helpful Michelle. Thanks for visiting The Kitchen
Grace and peace,
Tim Archer
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Donny,
You ask “Where were you on 9/11? Where will you be next time?”
My Answer: I was in Christ on 9/11 and if there is a next time, I will still be in Christ. Therefore I do not fear terrorism, the future of the American Government (or any regime), or any other power and ideology because they all are defeated under the crosss of the crucified and resurrected Jesus of Nazareth who reigns as Lord and Messiah.
Grace and peace,
Rex
In response to laymond’s post. I seem to recall Bush being compared to Hitler as well. I didn’t see any liberals disputing this either.
Amen Rex. Fear should not lead us to trust in men, but to put our trust in God.
Grace and peace,
Tim Archer
Lynne,
I’ll quote myself, something I posted in today’s comment section:
Grace and peace,
Tim Archer
Tim,
First, thanks for setting the record straight. I only came to this site because someone else took your advice and tried to set everyone straight who may have received the wrong story.
Second, I wish you had addressed more of Donny’s post than his question. It seems to me that statements like “Muslims DO intend t destroythe US” (sic) should not go unchallenged. Good American Muslims died in the WTC on 9/11, along with Christians, Jews, etc.
Donny’s statement only fuels the fires of hate and intolerance. A more accurate statement (eg. “some fanatical Muslims want to see America punished by Allah”) is both truthful and non-incendiary, and yet compels us to protect ourselves against such fanatics.
Randy,
That’s a good observation. I think it’s one of the reason many have worked so hard to label President Obama as a Muslim. The syllogism would follow:
(1) Muslims want to destroy the U.S.
(2) Obama is a Muslim
(3) Therefore…
Fact is, religion is more often an excuse for violence rather than the cause of it. If we can mask our violence in the flag of religion, it becomes more tolerable to more people. This has been done not only by terrorists using the teachings of Islam, but those using Christianity, Judaism, …
Grace and peace,
Tim Archer