ISLAMIC JIHAD: WHAT IS THE ATTRACTION?
With the increasing Islamic Jihad activity in the Middle East there is a phenomenon that is occurring in many western countries. From many countries, including our own, young people are traveling to the Middle East to join the Islamic Jihad movement. Young men are joining to become Jihadist fighters and young women are joining to become wives of Jihadist fighters to raise up the next generation of Jihadists. Many of these young people were not raised as Muslims but have been converted to the religion of Islam and attracted to the radical Islamic
ideology through Internet propaganda. But what is attracting these young people to such violent, barbaric and oppressive groups as ISIS and Al-Qaeda?
Finding the answer to this question is imperative to stopping the spreading violence that is propagated by these and other Jihadist groups. This question is being discussed and debated by many in our society but no definitive
answers have been found.
It seems to me that this question is closely related to other questions that have been raised concerning young people in our society. Questions such as, why are so many young people in our society attracted to destructive behavior like drug abuse, violent crime, gang activity, cults and even suicide? The answers to such questions are never simple but I would suggest to you that our society has adopted and promoted philosophies that are encouraging these destructive behaviors. Several decades ago our society began to reject the principles of God and the Bible and replace them with the principles of Darwinian evolution.
Though the principles of evolution directly contradict established laws of science, they have become the foundational principles of our education system with the youth of our society being taught these principles in every level of public education from kindergarten to college. The principles of evolution are being propagated by our government and the media and have so permeated our society that those who challenge them are deemed to be simple minded and uninformed. Darwinian evolution begins with the denial of a Creator and the logical conclusion of the principles of evolution is that we are all products of a series of cosmic accidents with no purpose and no destiny. When young people grow up with this mindset, it is no wonder that they look to drugs, alcohol and even suicide as a means of escaping a perceived meaningless life.
As acceptance of the principles of evolution has steadily increased and church attendance and Bible study have steadily decreased. With the knowledge of God and biblical principle on the decline, it is no wonder that the youth of our society are desperately looking for something in life with real purpose and meaning.
As knowledge of the Bible declines, Christianity in our society is being reduced to little more than a family tradition and a weekend hobby. The devotion, commitment and sacrifice that Jesus demands of his followers is not often preached and even less often practiced. The abundant life that Jesus came to offer has been stifled by hypocrisy and materialism. When the young people of our society see the growing hypocrisy in the Christian religion and experience the futility of living life for pleasure and material possessions, many seek fulfillment elsewhere— many are turning to Islam. In spite of the oppressive nature, the violence and brutality of radical Islam, it is impossible to deny their devotion, their willingness to sacrifice and their deep commitment to a cause in which they strongly believe. These qualities are rare in American society.
As our nation desperately searches for solutions to the growing and spreading violence of radical Islam, we need to understand that we ourselves have created the atmosphere that encourages our youth to be involved in such activity.
As long as our nation’s predominant philosophy is founded in the principles of evolution... as long as Christianity is treated as a weekend hobby instead of the abundant life that Jesus came to offer... as long as Christianity is devoid of devotion, commitment and sacrifice... as long as Christians are willing to compromise with the worldly principles of Darwinism, humanism and materialism... as long as we continue to raise our children with the perception that life has no real purpose or meaning, we will continue to see an increase in young people turning to drugs, alcohol and suicide to escape a perceived meaningless life and we will continue to see an increase in young people turning to gangs, cults and violent religions in search of a life with meaning and purpose. -Wendell Ingram
