Well said

This will be my last post on the Christianity/Islam conversation...at least for awhile. And I'll keep this one short.

In the July issue of Christianity Today (one of the benefits of being employed by Christianity Today is having the opportunity to read their issues
earlier than the general public...), Philip Yancey's column on the final page is called, "It's Not About the Crusades," and not so surprisingly, he summed up the current Christianity/Islam situation better than I could.



His final paragraph says this:

"Christians and Muslims face opposite challenges. We in the West have something to learn from cultures that do not push religion to the margins, that see faith as affecting all of life, and that look to religious leaders for guidance on societal and ethical issues. Meanwhile, Islamic nations have something to learn from the Christian West, which has found liberal democracy to be the best way to protect minorities' rights as nations become increasingly multicultural. Not to learn those lessons leads to disaster, as is playing out in the 'clash of civilizations' right now."


So apparently Philip Yancey thinks Christians could learn something from Muslims, too. (I wonder if he's been reading my blog...) His suggestion that Christians could learn something from Muslims who see "faith as affecting all of life" really got my attention. How many Christians, myself included, see faith in this way?

What would it take to make us change? Less television? Less time on the internet? Less time thinking about what we want, what we like, what we plan to buy, what we wish we could afford, where we'd like to visit, and so on?

I don't know.

But the next time Philip Yancey finds inspiration in my blogs, he could at least give me some credit.

Catch you on the Burnside...or something

If you know me well, we've probably talked about Blue Like Jazz. If we're good friends, I've probably purchased it for you. (Kim, I haven't forgotten that you were the one who originally forced me to read it. Thanks for that.) For those of you who also like BLJ and its author, Donald Miller, I want to direct you to a website.

I recently discovered (thanks, CT) that Donald Miller created an online literary journal, The Burnside Writer's Collective. Emphasizing social justice articles, reviews, and a little bit of sports, it's worth checking out. The journal is still developing (I think), so readers can also expect better things to come.

Miller rarely has time to write on BWC, but the articles suggest some ideological similarities between the staff and the journal's founder. Articles are updated every Monday. Here's the link:

http://www.burnsidewriterscollective.com/

Let me know what you think.

-Thanks for Reading

The ugly side of Islam...and Christianity

In recent posts, I wrote about an aspect of the Islamic faith that I think Christians should emulate. I also tried not to accuse Muslims as a whole for what the Jihadist factions have done. But the reality is, there are Jihadist Muslims, and they are dangerous.

These groups of violent Muslims are the uglier side of Islam. But don't be fooled into thinking Christianity doesn't have its own extremists. I would like to give a few examples of the extremists on both sides.

Starting with Islam:

I won't go into detail about Al-Qaeda, or September 11. Those details are well-known.

If I were to focus on the violent actions of Islamic extremists in the MIddle East, I would have too much material for one post. Instead, I want to focus on an article I read recently about how Hamas (the "Islamic Resistance Movement," and an Arabic acronym for "zeal"...thanks, Wikipedia) is trying to brainwash kids into fighting against Jews and the United States. And believe it or not, they're using an imitation Mickey Mouse to do it.

The mouse is named Farfur, though he looks like Mickey's twin. Quoting from an article on FOXNews:

"On the weekly program 'Tomorrow's Pioneers,' Farfur and a young girl name [sic] Saraa' tell children to pray five times each day and drink their milk, while urging the children to 'resist' the 'oppressive invading Zionist occupation.'"

That's good vocabulary for kids, right? Can you imagine a six-year-old talking to you about the "oppressive invading Zionist occupation?"


The Mickey clone also says, in a "squeaky" voice, "'We, tomorrow's pioneers, will restore to this nation its glory, and we will liberate Al-Aqsa, with Allah's will, and we will liberate Iraq, with Allah's will, and we will liberate the Muslim countries, invaded by murderers."

The FOXNews article concludes with a suggestion that the brainwashing is working. I'm not sure exactly what this final quote means, but I get the disturbing gist of it:

"Poems and songs submitted by young viewers contain violent imagery. 'Rafah sings, "Oh, oh,"' one caller says as Farfur mimes carrying a rifle. 'Its answer is an AK-47.'"

The link below contains the article and a video of Farfur. The video contains these troubling quotes, among many others:

"Until we win, with the will of Allah, we will resist until we win."
"We will win, Bush! We will win, Sharon! Ah, Sharon is dead. We will win, Mofaz! Mofaz left. We will win, Olmert! We will win! We will win, Condoleeza!"

Read the whole article here.

That article disturbed me more than the numerous stories of Muslims carrying out "Allah's will" by slaughtering others. As brutal as some of those stories are, I was more saddened to realize that kids are being brainwashed into believing they need to act (and to do so with Ak-47's), that they need to kill and destroy...and to do so because Allah wants them to. To top it off, they use a counterfeit Mickey Mouse, no longer just a playful character created to amuse children, to promulgate their propaganda.

I would have the right to be more outraged, however, if Christians weren't just as guilty.

Christians reading this will be thinking "We're not AS guilty...We don't do stuff like that." You're right, YOU probably don't. But the average Muslim isn't a Jihadist either. And if we're going to try to associate all Muslims with the acts of some, then it must be reciprocal; Christians must also be associated with the actions of their "brothers."

Here are a few examples of Christianity's extremists.

This first example also needs no explanation. But consider Christians who blow up abortion clinics and kill doctors who perform abortions. How is this different than Islamic extremists blowing up buildings and killing people because of their beliefs?

The Ku Klux Klan is another example of Christian extremists. If you don't think they are a Christian group, know that their primary goal is to "Reassert America's White Christian heritage." Among other things, they also wish to return prayer to schools. Are they misguided? Yeah. Do they consider themselves Christians? Yep.
(Source: http://www.mamkschools.org/hommocks/socialstudies/8th_grade/kkk/kkk%20today.htm)

But the main group of Christian extremists I want to talk about is a church congregation from Kansas. They might not be as violent as the abortion-clinic bombers or the KKK, but somehow they manage to be even more hateful.

They belong to the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. This church's web address indicates many characteristics about its members, including their adherence to faulty theology and tactless expression, their affinity for inappropriate language, and their penchant for aggressively hateful rhetoric. That's a lot to squeeze into one web address, but this church did so by making this their home page:
www.godhatesfags.com

This is the group that pickets funerals, calling these outings "Love Crusades." Even though all they do is spew hatred. This is the group that specifically pickets funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq, often with signs that say the deceased is in hell. This is the group that says "God hates America" and "Thank God for Katrina."


Their website, if you check it out, is the most hate-motivated thing I've ever seen. I almost feel bad including the link, as if I'm promoting them or their disgustingly false doctrine. I'm not promoting them, and I don't see any advertisements on their site, so I don't think they earn any revenue based on internet traffic.

And like the abortion-clinic bombers, like the KKK, these hateful church members claim to promote Christ.

Whether it's conquering and killing "with Allah's will" or shouting "God hates fags!" the result is a blight on the faith these assailants claim, be that Islam or Christianity.

I think it's too easy for Americans to start thinking all Muslims are an enemy. It's true some Muslims (Bin-Laden, anyone?) will cry, "Death to America!" But is that so different from the "Christians" in our country screaming, "God hates America!"?

I'm a Christian, and I don't believe in Allah. But I try to remember that most Muslims aren't an enemy. They are just people who need Jesus. And I would place those members of the Westboro Baptist Church in the same category: they are people who need Jesus.

Aren't we all?


--Thanks for reading

Christianity vs. Islam Part 3

This is my third (and final) post on this subject, but I want to let the reader know that I'm still trying to figure this out. So if my words don't sound very definitive, it's because I'm still searching for understanding.

This is where my deliberation has brought me so far:

I think most people want to sacrifice something. They want to contribute. Christianity, as it is often presented, doesn't ask for anything other than belief. (The requests for money come later.) But when people choose to commit to something, I think they want the result to be something tangible.

And this finally leads me to Islam.

Here are some basic requirements of the Islamic faith:

Muslims must:

1) Pray 5 times a day facing Mecca.

2) Observe the "Zakat," which is essentially mandatory tithing.

3) Fast from dawn to dusk during the month of Ramadan.

4) Go on a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once before they die.


At first glance, Islam clearly demands more than just belief from its followers. And I think these requirements might appeal to people who feel like their life is missing something.

Now, I don't think this argument applies to those who have felt called by the Holy Spirit, by those who have felt God's presence. Because I think these people understand the realness of the Christian God. And their commitment (I think) will stem from this understanding.

But as for that person who feels their life is missing something... Let's pretend this person goes to a Christian church and hears a message about "all you have to do is believe." And they think about it for a moment and decide they don't believe yet. Furthermore, they had been looking for something to tangibly fill their time, to fully establish their new commitment. And "just believe" doesn't do it. But Islam on the other hand demands five prayers facing Mecca every day. That's tangible. This person can convert to Islam, and they can do their best to fill a void in their life by doing all the things required by Islam.

And they can be proud of their commitment, proud of their devotion, proud to have something tangible to prove their new faith.

I'm not sure this is how it works, but I think it's possible.

*****

In the May issue of Christianity Today, Mark Galli examined the expanding religious freedoms in Vietnam ("A New Day In Vietnam"). While his article emphasized the hope that exists now that the Vietnamese government has eased away from its history of religious persecution, I found my attention drawn to one sentence in his article:

"Dac Lak, a center of persecution just a few years ago, is now the center of church growth."

Galli was just showing how much has changed, and how positive the change is. But I think this sentence is also evidence of something bigger. I think it suggests that people want to commit to something that demands sacrifice, something that goes beyond belief.

A persecuted church can't preach a "just believe and everything will be great" message. If they do, it will still sound like this: "Just believe in Jesus, and you'll get to heaven...but be prepared to endure hell on earth first."

And there's no doubting the commitment necessary to exhibit faith in the face of adversity.

So what am I saying Christian churches should do? Institute mandatory prayer times and a journey to Bethlehem? No. Am I saying that we would be better off if all Christian churches suffered persecution? No.

I just think we need to quit putting a smile on every message from the pulpit. Some of Jesus' messages were pretty intense, and they weren't just about how great everything would be if we believe in him. As I wrote before, when we preach "just believe and be saved" messages, I think we sound like we're hiding something. And this might turn people away. I think this same message might also deter those who come to church looking for a tangible commitment to fill a void in their life. And they might turn away before they actually experience the realness of a relationship with Jesus.

I think we can learn something from Islam, a religion that demands commitment, a religion that doesn't try to plaster a happy face on every message.

Instead of the fake, "nothing but daisies and roses" messages, I think Christians should proclaim this message ad infinitum: "If you believe, you will be saved...but that's just the first step. It's a long journey after that. It won't always be easy; It won't always be happy. But the Church is designed to help us travel this narrow path together. For better or worse, it will be an adventure. And it will be worth it."

--Thanks for Reading

Christianity vs. Islam Part 2

I already regret my title for this mini-series comparing Christianity and Islam. It is the "versus" that I regret because I don't want to perpetuate the belief that we are (as my dream in the previous post probably did suggest) at war with Muslims.

As a country, the United States is at war with those Jihadist factions who threaten lives of innocent people. Okay, fine. But this is different than waging a holy war against another religion, something I'm pretty sure Christ didn't call us to do. Perhaps we are called to campaign for truth; I like that idea. But too often we criticize, complain, slander, and malign ideas of other groups with the claim that we are exposing falsehood. And even when these intentions are good, the result (I believe) would be more desirable if we shared the truth without launching attacks on the beliefs of others.

I'm not saying we should promote or even tolerate (I hate the way this word has been stripped it of it's true meaning, the way too many people now believe intolerance is always wrong) differing beliefs. I'm saying, as Christians, our focus shouldn't be on maligning other beliefs, but instead we should extol the virtues and truths of the Christian faith.

And that is why I regret the "versus" in this title. But with that error already made, I couldn't have a Part 1 without an encore. In this encore, my goal is not to enhance any tensions existing between Christianity and Islam; Rather, I want to compare the two mammoth faith systems, focusing specifically on what Christianity could learn from Islam.

And I believe Christianity has a lot to learn from Islam.

In his "Great Commission," Jesus says, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)

I especially want to emphasize the part that says, "Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you." Because as Christians, even when we are doing our best to "make disciples of the nations" or at least of those in our nation or our neighborhood, how often do we stress these things?

Instead, in many American churches, a visitor will hear the same happy message: "All you have to do is ask for forgiveness, invite Jesus to live in your heart, and you'll go to heaven."

Heaven, apparently, is the ultimate goal. And to gain admittance, potential Christians hear that they must sacrifice nothing. Instead, as the music plays, all they have to do is come forward and pray. No sacrifice necessary. But an eternal reward. Guaranteed.

And then we wonder why people don't believe.

I was raised in a church, but if I hadn't been, I wouldn't believe that crap. Say a prayer, sacrifice nothing, and live forever in heaven? C'mon, where's the small print?

Some of you might be saying "There is no small print! That's all there is to it!"

I love Jesus, okay. Dedicating my life to serving him is the best decision I'll ever make. But I'm telling you, there is small print. And it's only small because we (as Christians, and as churches) have made it small. We emphasize an eternal reward, peace, happiness, sometimes even financial success (which is another matter entirely), and we put on a big, happy face. Often a big, happy, fake face.

Jesus' approach was just a little different.

In the sixth chapter of John, a massive crowd is following Jesus because of the miracles he has performed. (He had just finished feeding 5,000 men, and who knows how many women and children, with two fish and five loaves of bread.) To increase the numbers of his "congregation," all Jesus has to do is keep doing what he's doing: miracles, free food, and all sorts of other happy stuff.

Instead, he tells them the truth: "I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life" (47). Sounds like the same message we hear in churches today, right? If we believe, we get. No strings attached and no sacrifice needed. But Jesus isn't done;
"I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you" (53).

Hmmm. Sounds like our part of the deal doesn't end with "belief."

At the end of this lesson, (John 6:66), the Bible says, "At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him."

He wasn't trying to grow his numbers. He was simply sharing the whole message. Sort of like he does in Mark 8:34-35, when he says, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it."

Again, he's demanding his followers do more than just believe.

Maybe you're thinking, "But the followers deserted him? Is that what we want to do in our churches? Drive people away?" Yes, if they are driven away by the Truth. These followers who turned away were following Jesus for a magic show and free food, and when he got serious about what it means to be a Christ-follower, they decided they weren't interested. Show's over, time to go home.

And I suspect that the followers who stayed with Jesus, because of his message, became more devoted, more committed. As they heard Jesus say that following him would be more than a magic show, they decided, "Yeah, we want that."

Jesus told the truth and forced people to make a decision, to commit. He didn't try to lure potential followers into his fold by promising only happy things; he didn't neglect to mention the the commitment he desires for us.

But how does any of this relate to Islam? I'll tell you in the next post.

--Thanks for Reading