Stage In The Sky

Recently, the boxer known as Gervonta “Tank” Davis converted to Islam and took on the name of Abdul Wahid. Some people claimed he was doing it for clout. But I dunno. Even as a Christian, I’d be lying if I didn’t say there are some enticing reasons to convert to Islam.

Points Discussed 

• Christians Give Christians a Bad Name 
• They Defend their Faith 
• Muslim Women Respect the Men 
• They Embrace the Patriarchy 
• Men Need Purpose 
• Brotherhood 
• Test of Faith 

First off, I want to make it clear that the purpose of this essay isn’t to talk bad or disrespect Muslims or Islam. The crux of this post, as is with most of my essays…is to call upon other Christians to repent.  

Now right there, you might be scratching your head a bit. If we call ourselves Christians, why do we need to repent? I thought that being a Christian means that we have already repented. So, what gives? 

Christians Give Christians a Bad Name: 

Plainly put, Christians have given Christians a bad name. It’s kind of like being on a high school football team where you work hard and dedicate yourself with the goal of winning a championship. But most of your teammates are all slacking off and they make fun of you for practicing so hard, because they’re only in it for the girls, parties, and clout.

Would you still want to be on that team, when you’re constantly losing? When it seems like you’re the only one who cares about winning, while the other teams foster a culture where they respect hard work and dedication?

Disclaimer, I’m not talking about “all Christians” or even all churches. But let’s be honest. In America right now, the mainstream perception of Christianity is a joke. It “seems” as if most people do not take the Bible seriously.

Why is that important?  

Well…I suspect that deep down, most men want to live with honor. Everyone has a conscience, a sense of morality, right and wrong. Even gangsters and criminals have a street code, lines they won’t cross. A lot of ungodly people have made themselves their own god, developing their own personal constitution of do’s and don’ts. I believe this is a human thing. A human instinct.  

Ben Shapiro himself once said in an Atheist debate, “I believe it’s a human condition to want to worship something. If you don’t worship God, who/what do you worship?” 

The problem with Christians is that they “claim” to worship God, but through their actions, they demonstrate that they really worship other things, like celebrities, themselves, or the ever-changing culture.  

It’s really difficult for a man who wants to live with honor, who wants to believe he’s doing something right…to follow or be associated with such a group because it comes off as weak and spineless. You’re not standing firm in what you say you believe. 

How many times have we heard, “I believe you should do whatever you want as long as it makes you happy.”  

Is that the Christian way? Because what if having sex makes you happy, but you’re not even married? What if you want to embrace your feminine desire to live life as a woman even though you were born a male? What if you want to cheat on your spouse because your heart longs for another? 

The perception of Christian in modern day America is that we’ve embraced this foolish notion of “tolerance and acceptance” so much so that we’ve compromised on our Godly principles in favor of worldly ones. In essence, we’ve come to care more about doing what’s good in the eyes of other humans, more than what’s good in God’s eyes. 

For men who want to live in honor, this is not good. Compared to modern Christians, Muslims do seem to talk the talk and walk the walk.  

Personally, I’m not sure how true it is whether Martin Luther King Jr. was a serial adulterer as the popular notion suggests. But I do know of other Christians who have shattered the illusion that they lived by their faith. The late Ravi Zacharias comes to mind, as it has come out that he did commit adultery multiple times. 

Here, I have seen people argue that the Prophet Muhammad had sex with underage girls. But even there, you have Muslims rising up to… 

They Defend Their Faith:  

I don’t know the Quran. I can’t speak with authority about any scriptures to justify, disprove, or repute the claims about the Prophet Muhammad. All I know is that despite that negative claims, there are around 1.8 billion Muslims in the world.  

And the perception is, if you attack their faith, they’re known to rise up and defend it. Christians these days seem to care more about defending their sin, more so than defending why it’s a sin in the first place. 

Here, we know it can get a bit dicey. On StageintheSky, we keep it honest because everywhere else, we have to keep our thoughts to ourselves which allows lies and misunderstandings to permeate the void where truth should be.  

Ever since 9/11 there has been a stigma of fear surrounding Muslims. And while people want to say that’s bad…as a man, I’m not afraid to admit that this is extremely enticing! Which could mean my heart’s not in the right place. It may be a flaw of mine.  

Right now, there a lot of black boys growing up in fatherless households who join gangs on the streets or in prisons SOLELY because that gang has a stigma of fear.  

Fear gives you power. People treat you differently. They’re careful about not offending you. They go out of their way and inconvenience themselves just to keep you happy. That is enticing.  

From 9/11 to terror attacks at Charlie Hebdo in 2015, Muslims have made it clear that they are not above unleashing violence and death on anyone who criticizes or attacks their faith. 

Here, you’ll have people mock them by saying, “this is supposedly the religion of peace.” But I bet you won’t say that to their face. 

Meanwhile, Christians are constantly dragged and attacked in the mainstream media. Tampa Bay Rays players were ridiculed for standing on their religious beliefs and not getting involved with Pride events. Chris Pratt is just one step away from getting kicked out of Hollywood if he ever does anything wrong because he stands on his Christian faith.  

Because most people know that Christians, true Christians, will turn the other cheek and preach forgiveness, that God will get their vengeance (Romans 12:19), people have no problem ridiculing and attacking the Christian faith. 

This is self-evident when it comes to how degraded America’s in terms of accepting debauchery and immorality. Wickedness and the glorification of money, fame, and materialistic things is rampant. Hollywood has played a big part in normalizing all of this and anyone who speaks up is called a Bible thumper, or right wing, or conservative, which lumps us in with a whole bunch of people that the mainstream has judged to be the undesirables.  

If you’re a man who grew up constantly having to watch your back, who suffered from discrimination, racism, and being treated a certain way because of the color of your skin, it is very enticing to join a religion that 1) is respected by the mainstream culture, 2) commands fear from that culture and 3…Muslim Women seem to respect their men. 

Muslim Women Respect their Men: 

I have the above video queued up to 8:50 in where Melanie King explains exactly what I’m talking about. I know there are good Godly Christian women out there who respect their men, but on a whole, even personally speaking…I’ve run into way too many black Christian women who have embraced feminism and reject the scriptures about male headship.

Right now, if you’re single and looking for a spouse in America, you’ll probably notice this undercurrent war of Men vs Women. A big reason why a lot of people aren’t getting together is because Modern Women want to live a type of lifestyle that might conflict with the kind of lives Men want to lead. 

The Culture, Hollywood, and Politics are all in favor of what Modern Women want. Women can have preferences, but if men listed theirs, they’re shamed for wanting women who are fit, feminine, and friendly. Women are encouraged to have boundaries and never accept the bare minimum, but Men are told they’re insecure if they do the same. 

Men are told to get with the times and adapt. And even when you have rational thinkers who point out how Feminism has done a lot of damage to today’s relationships (see video below), their solutions are pointless because it comes from the speaker’s personal opinion. It’s the very definition of righteousness that comes from “self.” 

The problem with people giving us solutions that come from what they personally perceive to be right and wrong, is that you have no authority. In the end, it will boil down to “everyone is free to live however they want, and who do you think you are that we should do as you say, just because you’ve pointed out bad things that may or may not happen.” 

My solution is simple. In my world, the issue isn’t Men vs Women. It’s people (men and women) who live by Bible Standards and those who Don’t. If Men and Women put their trust in a higher power to solve these problems that Modern Culture have created, we’d have more marriages, more families, and even a stronger nation. 

In the Christian faith, if you lived by the Bible standards the way you claim, you’d acknowledge and accept that as a wife…you are supposed to submit to your husband’s headship. The man is supposed to be the leader, the head of the family.  

If this is the first time you’ve ever heard this, I encourage you to click on this link, I wrote a whole essay about it where it’s written in four different books by two different authors that wives are supposed to submit to their husbands. 

I’d argue that before the turn of the 1900 century, even back before Christians could read the Bible for themselves…this would have been a no-brainer. Men and women are different. It makes sense why we’d have different roles within the family and society at large. Men were indeed the leaders of the community and the country and it made sense. 

Not just because the laws and men were landowners, but generally speaking, Men are bigger and stronger which makes us better suited for the role of hunter gathered, and the ones to take up the role of protecting and providing for the family.  

I believe women accepted and respected this, thus it was easier to submit to the person who just risked his life to protect you and the family from a group of bandits terrorizing the ranches. Yes, ladies and gents, before technology and electronics, it was easy to appreciate and understand why men were in charge. 

Right now, a popular sentiment among black women in America is that “Men need to step up and protect our black women.”  

To which, I’d respond. “Okay cool. Where’s your husband? Where’s your family?” Because that’s their job. Why on earth would you expect some man who you’ve never even met to step up and risk his life for you just because you have the same skin color. 

It’s not just me saying this. Recently, other women have begun speaking out on this issue. It will never make sense to place so much responsibility on men, while stripping away their control and silencing them from telling you what you can and can’t do regarding your safety.  

That’s illogical. It’s like children telling their parents to shut up and not tell them anything, while still expecting their parents to step in and save them, blaming them for any hurt or catastrophe the incurs.  

The difference between Christian women and Muslim women is that it appears that more Muslim Women live by the standard/code they proclaim. A lot of ladies who call themselves Christian are also liberal, professing Leftist ideals that go against the Bible teaches. The reason why Muslim women wear hijabs and head coverings is to express modesty and faith, to protect women from evil eyes.  

If you’re a husband who loves his wife and daughters and wants to reduce the chances of some stalker, sexual predator who doesn’t care about the law from picking off your women, it is enticing to go to a religion where their women aren’t advertising their bodies for everyone they happen to pass by. 

If your man tells you to cover up or to wear something less revealing, it’s probably not to oppress you or exert control. It’s probably because HE KNOWS how men think and he wants you to reduce the image of you being an easy target. 

Right now, a lot of black women in America have been pushing the strong and independent mantra. That they don’t need no man and you can’t tell them nothing (unless it’s another woman, as demonstrated with women scolding Simone Biles for doing the pursing). 

A lot of these ladies claim to be Christian. While we do see more Muslim women rising up to become Feminists, they don’t seem to be the majority. The “perception” is that Muslim women seem to… 

Embrace the Patriarchy:  

As I alluded to in my last point, Men are supposed to be in charge of the household. This isn’t because men seek to dominate and control everything, nor does it have anything to do with culture or how much money he makes. The decision of who’s supposed to lead comes from a higher power, not humans. We’re supposed to be in charge because this is what God tells us to do.  

Even in the church, Men are supposed to be the leaders. In 1 Timothy 3: 1-7, it lists several qualifications for the office of overseer. Some of those qualities include: 

• – Husband to one wife 
• – Sober minded 
• – Self-Controlled 
• – Not a drunkard 
• – Not a Lover of Money 
• – Managing his own Household well 

At 1 Timothy 2: 11-15, the Apostle Paul writes: 

“11 A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 15 But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.” 

Thus…that Patriarchy, that society has convinced an entire generation to believe is evil…it’s not. This is what God has instructed. Men are supposed to be in charge.

That doesn’t mean Women can’t have an influential role of authority (there a plenty of good God-fearing Sunday school teachers and administrators). But I am saying that the top person in charge is supposed to be a man. 

In my essay about the Hillsong Church Documentary, I mentioned how there are lot of Christians who rebel against God’s word on this issue. One of the ladies attending that church talked about how it was discrimination that a woman couldn’t be a pastor.  

Technically, she may be right. Ladies, I’m here to tell you that there are a lot of roles that the Bible says are meant for men and women. If you’re a woman who wants to do a male role, but people of the Bible say you can’t because you’re a woman…that does seem like discrimination.  

Now what? Because if you really think about it, it’s also discrimination that the wicked have no place in the Kingdom of Heaven. It’s discrimination that “the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6: 9-11) 

There is only one path to salvation and that is through Christ alone. That discriminates against every other religion and deity out there. The choice is yours whether or not you accept God’s word on the matter.

I think the reason why a lot of people hate these teachings and embraced the idea that the Patriarchy is bad, is because they’ve come to care more about what humans think, than what Jehovah God thinks. (Jehovah is the English name of Yahweh, the grand creator of all things) 

Even as a Christian, when I see how other Christians care more about pleasing humans over God, it makes me unbearably sad. I can’t respect the way they live. Doesn’t mean I hate them. We hate the sin, not the sinner. But there are SO MANY who take great pride in their sins, who stand on stupid immoral ideologies and have invested in them so heavenly that there is a great difficulty to repent. 

I don’t see the same thing happening with Islam. Instead, what I see are strong examples of male leadership. This is enticing because… 

Men NEED Purpose:  

What’s the point of being alive? Why do we exist? Is it really just to have fun, enjoy the pleasures of life, get all the sex, fame, and money you want, go sight-seeing, experience new adventures and then you grow old and die? Is that it? Is that enough? Is that even what we’re supposed to be doing? 

To be clear, there is a Bible Scripture that says the fruit of your labor is a blessing. But the keyword there is your labor. There’s a work. Something you’re doing for which you are rewarded. 

While I have no doubt that there are men who are content with sitting back and not having to work for what they get…I’m willing to bet more Men want to live a meaningful, productive, and fruitful life. We want to be of use. Our value derives from our purpose.  

We need that purpose, a reason for being that’s worth working hard and fighting for. Otherwise, what’s the point? Pleasure is ephemeral. But legacy and accomplishments, especially in the eyes of God…that’s more everlasting. 

Pastor John MacArthur writes that the main point of King Solomon’s book of Ecclesiastes is to illustrate that the “only fulfilled life is one lived in proper recognition of God and service to Him. Any other kind of life is frustrating and pointless.” and I agree with MacArthur.  

If you read Ecclesiastes, you’re reading the words of King Solomon, a man who’s literally had it all. Well over 700 wives, many of whom were the most beautiful women in the world. He was rich beyond his wildest dreams. He expanded the borders of his father’s kingdom and people came from far and wide just to hear his wisdom. He was rich, powerful, had all the sex he wanted and famous. And yet he…EVEN HE saw how pointless it all was in the end. 

Someone left a comment on my Facebook page about my last essay where they sneered and said, “This guy is comparing himself to King Solomon…” 

Correct! How else are we to take the Bible lessons to heart and apply it to our lives if we don’t compare the historical figures to our lives? 

When it comes to Christianity, I can debate it with the best of them that American culture has greatly diminished the purpose of a man.

When you hear women say “I don’t need no man.” When you see the breakdown of the gender roles. When you see women openly admit that they’re looking to become mothers without getting married…and when you see other men relegated to taking care of another man’s child while being deprived of their own…Why on God’s green earth would a man seeking purpose want to be a part of this? 

Even with myself, there’s a lot of truth in the adage, “I go where I’m needed and I stay where I’m wanted.” 

I’ve literally seen and heard other people who call themselves Christians, both men and women, look down on men like me for bringing up these issues. When men are constantly mocked, ridiculed, and cast aside as the “have nots” and “undesirables” it makes all the sense in the world that they’d want to join a religion where Men DO seem to have purpose. They are respected. 

Just a friendly reminder, that I’m not saying all Christians devalue men or that there aren’t any churches or organizations that respect men. There are. What I’m talking about is the “Perception”. Perception is important, especially to those who aren’t blessed with knowledge of those churches or Christian’s existence. 

In one of my last essays about my standards, I mentioned how it FEELS like I’m the only one following the rules. A self-proclaimed Christian read that and twisted it to say, “This guy thinks he’s the only one following God.” 

Nope…that’s not what I said. And that dismissal, the haste to ridicule us for our very honest perception of reality is a huge reason why a lot of men do not speak up, they don’t talk about their feelings or what’s bothering them for fear of further emasculation. 

Thus, they internalize it. Resentment breeds and gives way to contempt. And of which stems from interactions with other men and women who call themselves “Christian.” 

The perception…is we don’t see the same kind of in-fighting among Muslims, aside from those who condemn the terrorists. What we see from Muslims is a strong sense of… 

BROTHERHOOD: 

Jason Whitlock recently did a video where he made a lot of strong points about Black People rallying around skin color, instead of what he calls “Organized Principles,” which is essentially shared values. Now, I get why we had to in the past. But in 2024, we’re about 30 years far removed from the principles used to uphold. 

Seriously, when I was a kid growing up in the 90s, I always thought Black people and Baptists were synonymous. Now, thanks to Cardi B, Snoop Dogg, the NFL, NBA, Oprah, Obama, Beyonce and etc…God is somewhere behind all of that, including whatever people think the universe will make happen for them. 

I think the reason why Men love shows like the Godfather, Sopranos, Sons of Anarchy, The Wire, where characters are part of organized crime, the mafia, or even a team when it comes to a police unit, samurai, or sports team…is that it feels good to be a part of something and respected in the culture for it.  

One of the most enticing reasons for a young man to join a gang is being surrounded by other men who are willing to stand with you and fight, whether it’s literally or figuratively. For a lot of black boys who grew up without a father, finding those older male role models in such groups is a godsend. 

I do believe that Women inspire men to do better, especially when there’s the promise of reward in the form of nurturing love, affection, and faithfulness. 

With men, we inspire each other through strength, confidence, hierarchy, and a competitive spirit where we embolden each other to be better for the sake of honor and duty. 

Diversity and inclusion is NOT our greatest strength. Shared values are. 

Living in a society where it feels like no one shares your values, there is pressure for you to conform. You feel like you’re the foolish one who’s missing out. And it’s tough to be happy for those who did break the code they claim to live by and are now benefiting from their immoral behavior, which in turn, makes you bitter and resentful. 

If no one else is following the rules and it’s just you…why would you want to be a part of such a religion?

Meanwhile you have this other religion over here where the men dress respectfully, they’re well-groomed, they walk and talk with an air of confidence and respect. They take care of their people. They take the time to instruct and mentor their young boys. They respect their roles as men and embrace the women who do their part as well. 

That…is very enticing. I think that deep down, Men crave order and structure. Peace and stability.  

In this Christian society where so many have allowed themselves to be flexible with their faith, bending rules here and preferring to live in the gray area of loving both God and the world instead of picking a side…that’s not stability. That’s not order. Everything is arbitrary based on how you feel. 

I suspect the only ones who love this system are those who hate accountability and the consequences of their choices. Because in a system like that, you can cast off guilt and shame. And in a world where there is no guilt or shame, there is only chaos and destruction, no trust, no loyalty, no honor. 

All of this is a Test of Our Faith:  

Now, notice I haven’t gone into the “Cons” of converting to Islam. I didn’t mention that Malcolm X was supposedly killed by Muslims. Nor did I discuss Wahhabism or the reported oppression many face when it comes to their controlling Muslim fathers here in America who seek to deprive their daughters of their civil rights. 

That’s not the purpose of this essay. This essay isn’t to attack Muslims. It’s to call Christians to account. Why? 

Because there will ALWAYS be things to entice Christians away from following the one true God of the heavens and the earth. Until the day Satan and his Demons are finally destroyed, they will work relentlessly to pick off the sheep of Christ’s flock. 

For me to attack Islam would be like being a Black Community leader who’s attacking the police for their racial profiling, while saying nothing against the children being born out of wedlock, the black on black violence, or the perverse influence of hip hop culture that’s plaguing the black community. 

For some reason, that just doesn’t seem right. I can’t articulate why. It just doesn’t. 

I’d much rather focus my efforts on encouraging Christians to live the life Christ calls us to live. To repent from this wicked world and strive to put God first, above their friend groups, above ideologies like feminism or diversity and inclusion, and above the love of money, fame, and pleasure. I call upon Christians to pray for the strength to endure and deny themselves. 

I believe that all these enticements and clear reasons to break from Christianity are put in place to test your faith. Because it’s easy to call yourself a Christian. It’s easy to say you love whatever. But what do your actions demonstrate? 

The demonstration can make or break other people who hear your proclamations of Christianity. So, before we get mad and criticize Atheists, Agnostics, and other religions for rejecting Christ, I’d make sure we were living by example. 

More importantly…I do think it’s incredibly sad that so many are fooling themselves by calling themselves Christians while ignoring, neglecting, and rejecting his word the Bible. I’ll leave you with Christ’s poignant words at Matthew 7: 21-23.  

“21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’