Attitudes toward Muslims
I am a WELS Christian. I understand and respect that we do not believe Muslims are going to heaven. But does mean we are required to express hatred toward them and/or make bigoted and prejudiced statements about them? I do not believe all Muslims are terrorists. I don't believe all Muslim men beat their wives. Yet, I often hear fellow WELS Christians making these types of sweeping generalizations. I do not feel these statements show Christian love. I don't think the Bible directs us to make such statements against any unbeliever. Aren't we supposed to "speak the truth in love" to unbelievers? What is the appropriate response to these types of statements?
You have a correct understanding. “Speaking the truth in love” applies to our conversations to fellow Christians and those outside the faith.
When fellow Christians stereotype people of a false religion, you can remind them that those people too were the object of God’s love when he sent Jesus into the world on his saving mission (John 3:16). You can remind fellow Christians that the following Scripture passages apply also to Muslims: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people” (1 Timothy 2:3-6).
People who presently reject Jesus Christ as their Savior are outside the kingdom of God. If people die without faith in Jesus in their hearts, they will spend eternity apart from God (Mark 16:16). Compassion for the lost (for example, Romans 9:3), will lead us to pray for their conversion and to support the worldwide spread of the gospel, so that the Holy Spirit can change the hearts and lives of more and more people.
Finally, speaking God’s truth can include the identification and rejection of ungodly actions and attitudes. Our Lord did that during his ministry (cf. Matthew 23). However, we will let God be the judge of people’s hearts.
The quotation in your question reminds me of a good book that was written on this subject: Speaking the Truth in Love to Muslims. Your church library may have a copy. If not, it is available through Northwestern Publishing House. Perhaps you and others might also benefit from a Light for our path column that previously addressed a question like yours. I commend that for your reading. I commend you also for the concern you have for fellow Christians’ attitudes toward the lost.