Seeing Good Things In Other Religions Like Muslims Helps Build Friendships

[HeraldtheNews]

When we as Christians reach out to other religions with the love of Christ we can build friendships by seeing things we have in common and positive things in their religion as well as seeing ways our own faith can grow and reach out to all people.

For instance, many Muslim women wear natural modest long dresses which is something many Christian women wear. And many Christian women also wear hair coverings similar to Muslim women.

Also black Burka's (black clothing) is something that some Christian women also have worn, such as nuns, to set them apart from non-religious women, and as an expression of humility and repentance.

Muslims also have great respect for their holy scriptures and have traditional holy days and fasting similar to some Christians, as well as discipline that builds character and humble reverence for God as they understand Him through their scriptures.

 

[Dooms]

When we as Christians reach out to other religions with the love of Christ we can build friendships by seeing things we have in common and positive things in their religion as well as seeing ways our own faith can grow and reach out to all people.

For instance, many Muslim women wear natural modest long dresses which is something many Christian women wear. And many Christian women also wear hair coverings similar to Muslim women.

Also black Burka's (black clothing) is something that some Christian women also have worn, such as nuns, to set them apart from non-religious women, and as an expression of humility and repentance.

Muslims also have great respect for their holy scriptures and have traditional holy days and fasting similar to some Christians, as well as discipline that builds character and humble reverence for God as they understand Him through their scriptures.

I agree. Faith in God should be a force that unites people across religions.

 

[SpoonJuly]

I agree. Faith in God should be a force that unites people across religions.

Unless those in other religions worship a false god as Muslims do.

 

[Dooms]

Unless those in other religions worship a false god as Muslims do.

Worshiping a false god and poorly worshiping God are two different things.

 

[Gregoryp]

Unless those in other religions worship a false god as Muslims do.

and they deny the sanctity of Jesus, saying he is just a mere prophet. Stay right away from false teachers and worshippers of idols

 

[maxwel]

I agree. Faith in God should be a force that unites people across religions.

Mat 12:30 He that is not with me is against me;

Those are the words of Jesus himself.

That does not sound like a message of unity between religions.


Certainly we can be kind to others, and loving toward others.
But although we can love people in other religions, we can't have much unity with people who are "against" Christ, who are, by their words and actions, essentially his enemy.

It is ok to be loving toward someone, and still sharply disagree with them.
It is not contingent upon us, or even wise, to try to "unite" with everyone.

I think some bad philosophy from popular culture has done a good job of creeping into the church.

.

 

[Smooth]

I agree. Faith in God should be a force that unites people across religions.

Any force that does not point to the unequivocal divinity of Jesus Christ is not unifying and definitely not glorifying to God. Love people and pray for them, but do so being as wise as serpents and as gentle as doves.

 

[Smooth]

Worshiping a false god and poorly worshiping God are two different things.

The end result for both is the same.

 

[Dooms]

The end result for both is the same.

No they aren't. God knows the difference of intention.

 

[MultilingualMessenger]

Worshiping a false god and poorly worshiping God are two different things.

Maybe so, but Muslims worship a false god.

 

[StrugglingTilMyReward]

We're commanded to love our enemies...to welcome the stranger, feed the hungry, clothe the naked. The greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart and soul, and the next greatest commandment is like it, to love our neighbour. Yes some Muslims are hostile towards Christians, but when you fight fire with fire the only thing you get is more fire. Roman emperor Julian, known as the Apostate wrote of the wonderful things Christians did, not just for themselves...but for everyone, even Roman Pagans...and he lamented that Rome wasn't taking care of its own as well as the Christian 'atheists' (to Julian the Roman Pantheon was the true faith)

“The Roman Emperor Julian, writing in the fourth century, regretted the progress of Christianity because it pulled people away from the Roman gods. He said, 'Atheism [I.e. the Christian faith!] has been specially advanced
through the loving service rendered to strangers, and through their care for the burial of the dead. It is a scandal that there is not a single Jew who is a beggar, and that the godless Galileans care not only for their own poor but for ours as well; while those who belong to us look in vain for the help that we should render them.”

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/34...ulian-writing-in-the-fourth-century-regretted

 

[Smooth]

No they aren't. God knows the difference of intention.

Yes they are. If you “worship” God but deny Christ, you are in fact not worshipping God. Hence the end result is the same.

 

[Dude653]

Funny how every religion is the only right one

 

[maxwel]

We're commanded to love our enemies...to welcome the stranger, feed the hungry, clothe the naked. The greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart and soul, and the next greatest commandment is like it, to love our neighbour. Yes some Muslims are hostile towards Christians, but when you fight fire with fire the only thing you get is more fire. Roman emperor Julian, known as the Apostate wrote of the wonderful things Christians did, not just for themselves...but for everyone, even Roman Pagans...and he lamented that Rome wasn't taking care of its own as well as the Christian 'atheists' (to Julian the Roman Pantheon was the true faith)

“The Roman Emperor Julian, writing in the fourth century, regretted the progress of Christianity because it pulled people away from the Roman gods. He said, 'Atheism [I.e. the Christian faith!] has been specially advanced
through the loving service rendered to strangers, and through their care for the burial of the dead. It is a scandal that there is not a single Jew who is a beggar, and that the godless Galileans care not only for their own poor but for ours as well; while those who belong to us look in vain for the help that we should render them.”

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/34...ulian-writing-in-the-fourth-century-regretted

I don't think we're really having any disagreement about being loving toward others.

But I think we're having some differences over definitions.
We've been using words like "unify", "respect", and "friendship" without really agreeing on what we mean by those words.

Certainly we should be loving toward those of false religions.
But certainly there are also limits regarding which things they do that we can participate in or emulate.

We might want to define some terms at this point.

I think we're all just starting to talk about different things.

..

 

[StrugglingTilMyReward]

I don't think we're really having any disagreement about being loving toward others.

But I think we're having some differences over definitions.
We've been using words like "unify", "respect", and "friendship" without really agreeing on what we mean by those words.

Certainly we should be loving toward those of false religions.
But certainly there are also limits regarding which things they do that we can participate in or emulate.

We might want to define some terms at this point.

I think we're all just starting to talk about different things.

..

Those who believe that Christianity is the one true faith, that the only way to the Father is through the Son....and that we're commanded to be beacons and to spread the Gospel....I know of no better way to do that than by example. Personally I view Muslims as being no different from most other faiths, many followers of these faiths genuinely want to know God and to earn eternal salvation...but they think its done on a balance scale, that their good deeds and devotion need to weigh more than their sin....And so they're missing out on the joyful liberation that comes from knowing that ones sins are washed clean...that they can be born anew and thus be welcomed into God's Holy Presence.

Works are the fruit of The Spirit which comes from faith in Christ, they are not a payment on a ledger of good and bad.

 

[Roughsoul1991]

Funny how every religion is the only right one

For something to be right it must also be evidently true. To claim is one thing but to prove it, is another. Every religion makes absolute claims and objective statements that beg the hearer to test those claims.

If all contradict each other then either all are false but definently not all can be true.

 

[StrugglingTilMyReward]

For something to be right it must also be evidently true. To claim is one thing but to prove it, is another. Every religion makes absolute claims and objective statements that beg the hearer to test those claims.

If all contradict each other then either all are false but definently not all can be true.

There can be common elements still....one common element is the desire to do good. The disconnect happens when one believes that they can earn their way into God's Grace by doing good deeds, by works. But I would submit that one is not a very effective witness when one simply points out the error's in another's faith....that just entrenches their view.....but if sowing animoisity is the goal, then pointing out the flaws in Islam or any other religion is the perfect way to go about it.

Remember, most people are born into their faiths, including Christians....I'm convinced there are some Christians who, had they been born into a different faith, that they would defend it just the same way they defend Christianity, by going on the attack.

 

[tanakh]

and they deny the sanctity of Jesus, saying he is just a mere prophet. Stay right away from false teachers and worshippers of idols

Its a good thing that Paul and his followers didn't take this view otherwise there would be no Church

 

[Roughsoul1991]

There can be common elements still....one common element is the desire to do good. The disconnect happens when one believes that they can earn their way into God's Grace by doing good deeds, by works. But I would submit that one is not a very effective witness when one simply points out the error's in another's faith....that just entrenches their view.....but if sowing animoisity is the goal, then pointing out the flaws in Islam or any other religion is the perfect way to go about it.

Remember, most people are born into their faiths, including Christians....I'm convinced there are some Christians who, had they been born into a different faith, that they would defend it just the same way they defend Christianity, by going on the attack.

Each religion defines good differently and because Yahweh the one true God is evident throughout nature and morality, then there will be some truth in people's worldviews as they view reality. But when the contradictory truth claims clash then these are what separates the religions.

Muhammad and Jesus both said in their own way that they were the only way to salvation. Now no matter any agreements we have a huge disconnect that each statement must be challenged for truthfulness.

They may be born into their faith but that doesn't make it true. You may have grown up in Saudi Arabia but that doesn't make Islam true. What makes something true is does the evidence back the claim. Is there enough evidence to support the belief.

In the end only one religion will hold up to the scrutiny of research. Christianity is so much evidently true that the small things I cant see or cannot know I can easily and boldly have faith knowing all that God had shown me.

There is a time and place to show the flaws in anothers beliefs. Usually after building a relationship of trust. But there is another hidden and not so hostile way to search someones beliefs. A book called Tactics tells of how you just ask simple questions that eventually have the person questioning their own beliefs due to most people do not actually think too far or too deep on what and why they believe something.

Your just asking honest questions in order to fully understand them without assuming things. Often times they won't know why they believe what they believe.

 

[Ohm]

Mat 12:30 He that is not with me is against me;

Those are the words of Jesus himself.

That does not sound like a message of unity between religions.


Certainly we can be kind to others, and loving toward others.
But although we can love people in other religions, we can't have much unity with people who are "against" Christ, who are, by their words and actions, essentially his enemy.

It is ok to be loving toward someone, and still sharply disagree with them.
It is not contingent upon us, or even wise, to try to "unite" with everyone.

I think some bad philosophy from popular culture has done a good job of creeping into the church.

.

At risk of being told "you have no say in this", I actually find this point of view quite distasteful. As far as I can tell, the summation of biblical law is "love one another". If someone displays that viewpoint and adopts that behaviour, then regardless of their professed faith, how can they be your enemies?

Is loving someone not the exact opposite of being their enemy?

Just my two cents.