Jay Smith regularly debates with Muslims at Speakers’ Corner in London’s Hyde Park.

The hundreds in attendance at CC Missions Conference 2010 in Murrieta, CA, sat riveted. Many frantically took notes as Jay Smith quoted statistics, Bible passages, and Qur’an references with breathtaking speed. “Radical Muslims,” declared Jay, “are the people I like to work with the most—mainly because they’re just like me.”

Jay explained that Islam and Christianity both include radicals, moderates, and liberals. Radical Muslims—the ones who tend to commit the violence—are also, he contended, the ones who take the Qur’an seriously. Radical Christians such as Jay likewise take the Bible seriously—and therefore serve others in love. Radical Muslims model their lives on Muhammad; radical Christians on Jesus Christ. The outworkings are different though the tenets the same: Radical Muslims and radical Christians both look to their Scriptures as authoritative and to their central hero as their exemplar.

Citing surveys, Jay said radicalism is growing markedly among Muslims worldwide. This escalation is demonstrated by a surge of terrorist activity, including 2001 shoe bomber Richard Reid, Heathrow Airport’s 2006 liquid bombers, and the subway bombers of July 2005. “There are 149 young men in Belmarsh Prison in London who have been caught making bombs, transporting bombs, or trying to explode bombs. Every one of them is Muslim. All except four are British citizens.” Jay said radical leader Omar Bakri Muhammad introduces Jay to audiences with the words, “This is my favorite Christian, but this is the first man I will kill when Islam comes to Britain.” Jay noted that while the U.S. has seen less radicalism than the U.K., 9/11 displayed the threat. “We’ve got a real dilemma. How are we going to deal with this growing radicalization?”

You can find the complete article in the Spring 2010 issue of Calvary Chapel Magazine. To subscribe click here.