As a retired professor at Anderson University, one thing I still do is help plan courses in our Lifelong Learning Institute. I teach some of these short-term, non-credit classes. A while back, I was the moderator for a course on Islam. I was moderator, not the teacher. If I had tried to teach a course on what Muslims believe, it would have been “the blind leading the blind.” I enlisted some Muslims to lead the sessions. Some men from the mosque in Greenville and some students from Clemson University.
In scheduling the student visits, I invited them to dinner one night before the class. Then the president of the student group called to say we would have to change our plans. The day we planned to eat together was the first day of Ramadan. That is their holy season when they aren’t supposed to eat anything between sunup and sundown. That date had slipped up on the Muslim students, and I wasn’t aware of the Ramadan calendar. But the president of the group said, “We could eat after class.” I said that would be fine.
Then, the students decided to make Ramadan part of the class experience. Muslims pay strict attention to the official time of sunrise and sunset during Ramadan. That way, they know when they can break their fast. Each student brought along a bottle of water to drink just after sunset. They also brought a bag of dried dates. Each Muslim took one or two dates, and they invited us non-Muslims in the class to join them as they ceremonially ended their fast. It was a memorable moment.
After the class, I met the students at the Golden Corral. Now, most people at Golden Corral aren’t bashful about eating. If that’s true of older people, it’s doubly true of college students. I don’t think I’ve ever seen young people put away food the way those Islamic students did that night! Put yourself in their place: You’ve gone since sunup without a bite to eat. You came to Anderson University and led a class after having nothing to eat all day except a couple of dried dates at sunset.
These students weren’t like a lot of the huge waistlines you see at a buffet. But I lost count of the number of times they reloaded their plates at Golden Corral. Around the table that night, we shared human understanding along with our heaping plates. There’s just something about sharing food and table fellowship.
TRANSITION
Soon after this experience, I told about it at a state Lions Club convention. After the message, a fellow Lion accosted me. He was upset that I said kind things about Muslims. By the way, the man is a professing Christian and a fellow Baptist.
I’m proud to be a Lion, especially because of the work Lions around the world do with the blind and blindness prevention. But Lions is not a Christian organization. Lions is not a religious organization. Lions is a humanitarian organization with clubs in nearly two hundred countries around the world. We have Lions who are Jews. Lions who are Buddhists. We have Lions who are Hindus. Lions who don’t claim any religion. Lions who are Christians. We have Lions who are Muslims.
As an international organization, Lions seek to build understanding among people of all nationalities, of all political persuasions, of all religions, including Islam. That was my purpose in telling the Lions about my experience with the Islamic students from Clemson.
But my brother Christian, brother Baptist, and brother Lion lectured me for being too generous toward Islam.
You may also be wondering why I -- a Baptist minister -- was hobnobbing with these Islamic students from Clemson, unless I was trying to convert them.
I guess you could say Islam literally crashed into our national awareness on September 11th,
just over twelve years ago. Until word spread that the men who hijacked the planes were radical Muslims, a lot of Americans couldn’t tell the difference between a Muslim, a Mormon or a Mennonite. Lots of people still can’t.
So, against the background of our hazy awareness of one of the largest religious groups in the world, I want to address the question, “What About Other Faiths?” This is one of those “Questions We Keep Asking.” At least, I hope we keep asking “What About Other Faiths?” as our nation has become the home of people from all the major religions of the world.
Actually, we need to ask two questions: “What should be our attitude toward other faiths?” and “What should be our attitude toward people of other faiths?” Those are really two different questions. Closely related, but still separate issues.
Short answer to both questions:
Respect them.
But we need longer answers to both. So here goes:
What should be our attitude toward other faiths?
First, we need strong convictions regarding the main teachings of Christianity.
Baptists don’t do much with The Apostles’ Creed, but this is an ancient statement of belief that most Christians hold to be true. Listen to what the Creed says about Jesus:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
Born of the Virgin Mary.
Suffered under Pontius Pilate.
Was crucified, dead, and buried.
On the third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
And is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
The Apostles’ Creed puts most of its focus on Jesus Christ as God’s Son whose death and resurrection brings everlasting life. Belief in Jesus is the center of our Christian religion. We need to understand that as we are exposed to other faiths.
The book of First Peter, over near the end of the New Testament, challenges those early Christians to be able to explain what they believe:
but in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence; and keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are abused, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame (1 Peter 3:15-16).
This was written to people who were under pressure because they believed in Jesus as the Christ. You notice there is the reference to being abused and reviled for one’s faith. But it’s just as important when Christians live peaceably that we be able to explain what you believe.
Second, we should try to understand differences between our own faith and that of others.
Again, the central difference between Christianity and other faiths is our belief in Jesus as Christ, the unique Son of God. That belief separates us from all other religions. Both Jews and Muslims accuse us of belief in three gods instead of the One True God. Buddhists and Hindus believe in many gods.
In the case of Islam, it is also important to understand what their religion really teaches, rather than accepting half-truths about Islam.
We’ve gotten the impression that Islam is primarily a religion of war. But Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all three have violence in their histories. The Jews slaughtered women and children along with the armies of their enemies in the name of the God of Israel as they claimed their Promised Land. The Christian church during the Crusades led bloody battles against both Jews and Muslims to reclaim what all three religions call the Holy Land.
Militant Muslims get the most news coverage. But there are people in our land who call themselves Christians who are eager to slaughter any Muslim or any Arab anywhere in the world.
Another mistaken impression: We equate Muslims with Arabs. Many Arabs are Muslims. But there are also Arab Christians. Also, there are millions of Muslims who are not Arabs. The nation with the largest Muslim population is Indonesia, whose native population is Asian and not Arabic. So it is a major mistake to equate Muslims with Arabs and Arabs with Muslims.
Let me briefly mention the main beliefs of Muslims.
First, they believe in one God and that Muhammed is God’s greatest and true prophet. They look at Jesus as a prophet along with Adam, Abraham, Moses and others, but, to them, Muhammed is the greatest prophet through whom God revealed their holy book, the Qu’ran.
The faithful Muslim must pray daily, fast during the month of Ramadan, give a portion of his income, and make a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca if physically and financially able to make the journey.
In summary, then, as to what should be the Christian’s attitude toward other faiths:
We should respect all faiths, recognizing the positives of those faiths and being aware of major differences between those faiths and ours.
Now, the second and closely related question:
What should be our attitude toward people of other faiths?
If we respect all religions, it should follow that we respect the people who hold beliefs which are different from our own.
That right has not always been respected within Christianity. John Calvin and Martin Luther were the greatest names in the Protestant Reformation, but both Luther and Calvin consented to the death of Christian people whom they considered to be heretics.
I said a while ago that we should have strong convictions concerning what we believe.
The Apostle Paul emphasizes that in Romans, chapter 14, verse 5, as he says,
Let every one be fully convinced in his own mind.
Paul says we need to have carefully thought out our beliefs. But Paul also says we should not judge people who see things differently. We must leave judgment to the Lord. Listen again to some of the verses from Romans 14 which were read earlier in the broadcast:
Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God." So each of us shall give account of himself to God. Then let us no more pass judgment on one another, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
There are two matters of personal conduct Paul has in mind when he tells us not to judge one another: one concerning dietary issues and the other concerning observance of the Sabbath.
Controversy over what to eat also had two different aspects. Historically, Jews have had strict regulations forbidding the eating of certain foods. That is true today, as it was in the long ago. Traditional Jews today do not eat pork. They don’t eat shell fish such as shrimp or crab. So, Jewish Christians in Rome raised issues about things they believed should not be eaten (Moody 264).
In Corinth, pagans offered meat as sacrifices at their temples in the Roman Empire. Then the meat which was not used in the sacrifice was sold in the public markets. Some Christians felt they would sin if they ate meat which had been sacrificed in the pagan temples.
Earlier, in our passage, Paul says these questions of what to eat or what not to eat are matters of individual conscience and that neither side should judge the other:
One believes he may eat anything, while the weak man eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains pass judgment on him who eats; for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Master is able to make him stand.
Although the disagreement in Romans 14 is between two groups of Christians, can we apply the same principle between Christians and Muslims or between Christians and Jews? Can we say God is the judge between religions and not set ourselves up to judges people with whom we disagree?
In addition to the question of what is proper to eat, Paul also discusses observance of certain days dedicated to God. He applies the same principle both to food and to days of rest or sabbath in verses 5-6:
One man esteems one day as better than another, while another man esteems all days alike. Let every one be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. He also who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; while he who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
Again, it’s fine to have strong convictions in these matters. The key is one we’ve already noted:
Let every one be fully convinced in his own mind.
Just because I have a strong conviction, just because I’m fully convinced, that does NOT give me the right to force my conviction on you.
I guess we’ve moved beyond the Blue Laws hassle over which stores could be open on Sunday, but how would the principle of self-determination apply in that controversy?
How far are we willing to apply this same principle in other moral questions? What about abortion? What about stem-cell research? What about other religious convictions?
Are we willing to say, Let every one be fully convinced in his own mind and then truly let each person follow his own mind rather than impose our own religious convictions on others?
To review:
Paul says everyone should have his [or her] own convictions.
Paul says we should not judge people who do not share our strong convictions.
Then he says a third thing we have not yet noted:
We should apply principles of love and peace in our relationships with those who see things differently. Listen again to verses 14-19:
I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for any one who thinks it unclean.. . . For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit; he who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
We Christians would like to see everyone accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but you aren’t likely to win anyone to Christ unless or until you first win that person to yourself.
J. P. McBeth said we should be conscientious but not be contentious (242). Have your strong convictions, but leave the other person -- fellow Christian, Jew, Muslim, or atheist -- the freedom of his or her strong convictions as well.
Someone said of a man of strong conviction, “He would walk off a six-story building on a principle.” But I’ve also known people who were of such strong convictions, they would push you off a six-story building if you disagreed with them on a principle.
There’s one final principle in verse 22 we need to notice:
The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God.
That is a summary of Paul’s entire thought in chapter 14: Have strong convictions. Share your convictions. Seek to win others to believe in Jesus. But respect the convictions of others--whether other Christians or of other faiths beyond Christianity.
Your faith is your own. Don’t try to force your faith on someone else.
RABBI’S STORY
There’s a parable the rabbis tell of the deliverance of the Israelites from captivity in Egypt. As the story goes, God told His angels to work out a plan for bringing the Israelites out of Egypt safely. The angels led the Israelites to the sea and parted the water. Moses and the people walked through on dry land with the Egyptians in hot pursuit. When Pharaoh’s army was in the midst of the sea, the angels closed the waters, and Israel’s enemies died. The angels filled heaven with the sounds of their dancing and loud shouts of joy. When God heard the noise, He asked what this was all about. The angels told what they had done, and the Lord began to weep. The angels asked the Lord what the problem was. He said, “I am distressed that you have killed my children” (Craddock).
FACEBOOK VIDEO
A short video on the Internet follows the format of the old Candid Camera TV show. There’s a tall, young white guy, probably about twenty years old who plays the part of a customer in a deli. The other actor is behind the counter. He is a small, dark-complexioned man dressed as a Muslim.
The young actor comes into the deli and complains about “a Muslim” working there. He says, “Why don’t you go home to Pakistan where you make bombs?” And he says, “I don’t want a terrorist touching my food or taking my order.”
When real-life customers go to the counter, the young actor interrupts: “You aren’t going to let that guy wait on you, are you?”
The customer says, “Well, yeah. Why not?’
The young actor says, “He’s a Muslim. He’s out to destroy our country.” and so on.
One man says to the young man, “Not everybody’s like that. you know what I mean?”
Another man gets very angry and says, “You don’t have to carry on like that.” When he learns he was on camera, he says, “Everybody was afraid to stand up to him, but I wouldn’t have minded decking him.”
A woman customer says, “I can’t believe you. I feel like I’m in a dream right now.”
The boy says, “Did you forget 9/11?”
She says, “I’m sure that man wasn’t involved in 9/11. Are you gonna make that judgment of everybody you see who looks like a Muslim?”
The boy says, “I know what an American looks like.”
The woman says, “You know what an American looks like and they’re all white?”
The actor says, “You and I are alike. I’m your brother.”
She says, “I hope my brother never acts the way you’re acting right now.
The video does catch one middle-aged man who agrees with the young guy. After he learns he’s been recorded, the man continues his hostility toward Muslims.
But the clincher comes when a uniformed soldier goes to the counter and the supposedly prejudiced young man confronts him. The young man supposedly is going to buy some potato chips.
The soldier says about the Muslim clerk, “He lives in America. He can do whatever he likes.”
When the boy continues to argue, the soldier tells him, “Buy your chips and move out.”
The boy keeps on, and the soldier says, “Put the chips down and go buy them somewhere else. You have a choice to shop anywhere. Just like he has his choice to practice his religion and work anywhere. That’s the reason I wear this uniform: so anyone can live free in this country.”
CONCLUSION
I’m not a Muslim.
I don’t think I could ever become a Muslim.
I’m a Christian.
I believe Jesus is the unique revelation of God’s sacrificial love and forgiveness.
That revelation leaves no room for suspicion and hatred.
God created every human being in His image.
God loves every one of us.
Wherever that person was born.
Whatever the color of that person’s skin.
Whatever that person’s native language.
Whatever that person’s political persuasion.
Whatever religion that person has grown up in.
I cannot stand in judgment of those who do not believe as I do.
I must commend every person to the love and mercy of Almighty God.
From the Baraca Radio Sunday School Class, First Baptist Church, Anderson, South Carolina, September 15, 2013.
WHAT ABOUT OTHER FAITHS?---SOURCES
Revised from Baraca and Garden House June 3, 2007
J. P. McBeth, Exegetical and Practical Commentary on Romans. Shawnee, Okla.:
Oklahoma Baptist University Press, 1937.
Dale Moody, “Romans,” Broadman Bible Commentary, Volume 10. Nashville, Tenn.: Broadman Press, 1970.
No comments:
Post a Comment