The abduction and forced conversion of schoolgirls by the Boko Haram sect has turned the world attention towards Nigeria. At the same time, there is atrocious war in Central African Republic pitting Christians against Muslims. Brutality, even the dreaded word Genocide, has been reported on both sides. It began on early 2013 when rebel groups composed of Muslims from countries to the north invaded and took control of the country, rampaging and killing as they marched forward, with machetes. The Christian community rallied themselves and drove most of them out. The two incidences are clear testimonies that religious wars are not a thing of the past, where one religion seeks to force its doctrines on others. However, the question is: should people be forcefully converted to a religion they don’t ascribe to? What do the Bible and Quran say about forced conversion? Are those forcefully converting others working at the behest of their religion or are they fulfilling their own personal agenda? In John 14:6, it’s written: Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” However, this doesn’t mean that Jesus, talking thus, was subtly endorsing people to be forcefully converted in order to experience the wonders of God. On the contrary, Christianity has all been about love, compassion and tolerance. There’s no verse in the New Testament that Christian faith advocated for people to be forcefully converted to Christianity. As Christians, we are aware that conversions and understanding the Word will bring happiness, peace of mind and joy never experienced. They also bring some change of attitude and people experience a whole new perspective of life. When we get saved, it’s like God removes some scales from our eyes that totally blinded us and we start to see and understand things that we had never seen or experienced before. But in our new excitement, is it right to try persuading or forcing others to experience what we are experiencing? Do you ostracize other people who have not seen what you have seen, and sermon to them to join you in your excitement? When you try to force your religion on others, the ultimate result is that you are going to lose a few relationships down the road by your overzealousness. According to SuhahibWebb.com, one of the most common, yet groundless, accusations being made against Islam is that it forces itself on others. The picture presented is that if someone does not stop Islam, it will forcefully convert everyone, even at gunpoint. It goes on to quote a verse Qur’an, 4:91 which says “…seize them and kill them wherever you find them…” has been used as evidence that Muslims are required to kill anyone who does not accept Islam. “That would mean that any Muslim who does not either forcefully convert or kill every non-Muslim he sees is not practicing Islam, though this is not the case.” Hassan Suleiman, a Muslim leader in Kimihurura says that there’s not a verse in Quran that directs Muslims to do harm to non-Muslims and those doing so are misquoting the Quran. “On the contrary, Muslims are directed to be tolerant to other faith.”
