LESSON 42
UNACCEPTABLE APPROACHES OF SOME CHRISTIANS

Besides knowing the principles of dialogue and mission, it is important to repudiate some attitudes towards Muslims which are fairly common among Christians.

1. Fight them!
—This view, "fire for fire", is heard frequently enough. It is an Old Testament approach to one's enemies, but not consonant with the New Testament. See Lesson 37 on the question of violence and self-defence.

2. There is no salvation for Muslims.
—See Lesson 34 for the Church's teaching on this question. Note that the Church only says that the possibility of salvation is open to everyone. Since we do not know who actually receives God's grace, some preachers say that, to be safe, we should presume that non-Christians have not accepted it. This is contrary to the papal statements we have quoted. Rather, the need for evangelization should be based primarily on the need to provide non-Christians with "the fullness of life", and secondarily to provide them with life if they do not have it. Even so, in the process of evangelization there should be "respect for the religious and spiritual situation of those being evangelized, respect for their tempo and pace.., their conscience and convictions, which are not to be treated in a harsh manner" (Paul VI, Evangelii nuntiandi, 79).

3. Islam and Christianity should have no quarrel about the Trinity, since the three persons are simply different manifestations of God, God seen from different angles.
—This is the ancient heresy of modalism, which denies the real distinction between persons. See Lesson 39 for explanation.

4. The Qur'ân affirms the truth of the Bible and the divinity of Jesus.
—Many Christians would like to read the Qur'ân with Christian lenses, eliminating any contradictions to Christian teaching. The arguments they offer are quite ingenious and sometimes have solid grammatical or logical foundations, but this approach runs contrary to the common understanding that Muslims have had of these texts for centuries; they will not accept a novel interpretation coming from an outsider.

5. By their very religion Muslims are disposed to fatalism, violence and sexual liberty etc.
—The most that can be said of this common prejudice is that there are enough ambiguous passages in the Qur'ân which, quoted in isolation, can support such a view, and the behaviour of many Muslims (in burning churches, discriminating against Christians, the violent persecution of Christians in Sudan etc.) would give credence to it. But there are passages which support an opposite attitude, and there are many Muslims to be found who live accordingly.

6. The Devil inspired Muhammad.
—Those who advanced this hypothesis assume that Islam is mostly or wholly erroneous and evil. Yet the divergences between Christian and Islamic beliefs should not obscure many beliefs held in common. A theological assessment should do justice to these and, in recognizing their truth, recognize God's considerable care and guidance for the adherents of the Islamic religion. This was the approach of Vatican II and many papal statements. On the other hand, the Qur'ân—rightly or wrongly—has been understood and used by millions of Muslims to contradict and shut their own and others' ears to the fundamental truths of Christian revelation. The Devil is "the Father of lies" (John 8:44). So the Devil can be seen as behind Muslim opposition to Christian revelation. Yet the Devil's influence is mostly restricted to a social bondage which sustains ignorance and prejudice. Most Muslims follow what they sincerely think is God's will and cannot be charged with formal complicity with the Devil.

7. Also unacceptable is interference with Muslims' right to worship.
—But the worship of both Muslims and Christians should not infringe on the rights of others, for instance by disturbing noise over loudspeakers, especially in the night. Similarly, while people have a right to preach their religion, they do not have the right to compel others to listen.

QUESTIONS

  1. Discuss the question of violence in Islam and Christianity.
  2. Outline the theological presuppositions and practical guidelines for evangelization among Muslims.
  3. Discuss statements you have heard or read tending to say there is no real difference between Islam and Christianity and they are both equally divine religions.
  4. Evaluate statements you have heard or read making Islam into an "evil empire".
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