Defending Christianity in the Face of Islam

A week ago, I had the opportunity to speak to a group of private Christian high school students in a worldview class. Every student came from a Christian background and my topic was Islam. Knowing they were preparing for college, I presented some of the challenging questions they might encounter when engaging with Muslims:

• How can there be three Gods?
• Who was Jesus praying to?
• How can God die?
• Isn’t your Bible corrupted?

Honestly, these students were caught off guard. They had no idea how to respond. My heart was heavy as I realized how unprepared they were, but I was grateful that they heard these challenges from me first rather than being blindsided in college.

We know that the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). We see killings and destruction in the news—but do we realize how souls are being stolen? One of the ways this happens is through deception.

We often talk about evangelism to Muslims, but do we recognize the urgent need to equip our children? According to a 2007 Pew Research study, two-thirds of those who convert to Islam in America come from a Protestant background. We are losing our children to Islam. Meanwhile, Muslims are being trained in mosques to defend their faith and challenge Christianity. Many of them are confident in their approach—not necessarily because they have read the Bible deeply, but because they have learned how to question it.

Our children, on the other hand, are often confused. On one side, they see reports of Islamic violence; on the other, the media and Western governments insist that Islam is a religion of peace. We see examples of this everywhere—whether it’s the King of England opening Windsor Castle to Muslims for an iftar (Ramadan fast-breaking) meal, London buses displaying Islamic slogans, or a Whole Foods store in the U.S. encouraging people to “ Observe Ramadan” outside.

Yet Christians are constantly taught to be tolerant.

Meanwhile, in Canada, Muslims have blocked streets for prayer without hesitation. They are not shy about their beliefs.

As an ex-Muslim who had a supernatural encounter with the Lord, I know firsthand the kind of darkness that surrounds that religion. I thank God for delivering me from it. I wouldn’t want anyone to fall into that trap.

That said, shouldn’t we be having serious conversations in our churches and families? Our children need a safe space to ask questions and receive biblical, well-informed answers. It is time for us to rise up. As Scripture commands:

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” — 1 Peter 3:15-16