Florida Pastor Challenges Islamic State Leader To Renounce Islam, Embrace Christianity

A Florida pastor has reportedly challenged members of the Islamic State jihadist group to a battle of biblical proportions, ultimately demanding that the leader of the al-Qaeda offshoot renounce Islam and convert to Christianity.

The Rev. Bill Keller of St. Petersburg, Florida recently uploaded a video to the internet, challenging the leader of the Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, to renounce Islam and convert to Christianity.Keller is the founder of LivePrayer.com.

"I will come to Iraq, Syria, any location you desire," Keller says in the video, as reported by WND. "We will each take an unblemished animal, cut that animal into pieces, put those pieces on wood, but not set fire to the wood. Once prepared, you have one hour's time to call on Allah to rain down fire on your offering. If at the end of that hour Allah has still not answered your pleas, I will call upon the one true God of the Bible [...] not just to bring down fire on my offering, but yours as well."

"If your god Allah does not answer you [...] you will resign as the leader of ISIS. You will retire from your life of terror. You will encourage your followers to live in peace and I will be free to return to the United States." 

"If your god Allah answers your pleas by fire [and] my God does not, I will renounce the Christian faith, and you're free to kill me or do whatever you like," Keller added.

According to WND, Keller's recent challenge to the Islamic State is similar to the Old Testament story of Elijah challenging prophets on Mt. Carmel.

The U.S. has been participating in airstrikes in Iraq to weaken the Islamic State, which has been conquering several cities located in Iraq's north. Recently, the Islamic State uploaded a video to YouTube showing the beheading of American captive James Foley, and threatening to kill more kidnapped Americans.