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It's important to see clearly in the midst of the incredible amount of cultural confusion today, especially when faith leaders like the pope make statements that leave many of the faithful scratching their heads. Last week, the pope invited Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb to the Vatican—the highest figure in Sunni Islam (Al-Ahzar Mosque in Cairo). As the pope put it, "[T]he meeting was the message."
Now, when it comes to civil discourse, a meeting like this can accomplish good things. But when it comes to Christian doctrine, a meeting like this can confuse the masses, unless there is abundant clarity, which the pope did not offer. Not only was Pope Francis not clear, he even twisted the meaning of Scripture to relegate Christ's Great Commission in Matthew 28 down to Islam's command of conquest. In his words, "It is true that the idea of conquest is inherent in the soul of Islam, however, it is also possible to interpret the objective in Matthew's Gospel, where Jesus sends His disciples to all nations, in terms of the same idea of conquest."
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