Muslim friend first to send me a Christmas e-card

[Montalban]

For those reading this, don’t you think it’s the exception either! Muslims acting this way is quite the norm.

The point is that there are good people all over the world. A workmate wished me a Merry Christmas before the short break. I don’t in anyway see that this is because she’s
a) a woman
b) Turkish
c) Moslem

She’s simply being a polite person. Labelling her any of the above is in fact to be a bigot.

To make an issue that a "FEMALE TURKISH MOSLEM did this is to make it sound incredible that such a person would be capable of doing such.

Imagine how it would sound if someone said “I saw a woman the other day, and she helped someone with directions”. You’d be saying “So what?”

It’s a kind of racisim at work here too. It’s like saying we have a picture in our minds about Turks, and that I’d be making a statement about her actions to prove that Turks are people too, capable of kind acts.

Her Turkishness is not an issue. Likewise in the example in the OP, the issue of being Moslem is irrelevant. It would only be relevant if that person did that act out of some part of their Islamic faith, (which I showed by way of what they believe is in fact against Islamic belief).

 

[exoflare]

The point is that there are good people all over the world. A workmate wished me a Merry Christmas before the short break. I don’t in anyway see that this is because she’s
a) a woman
b) Turkish
c) Moslem

She’s simply being a polite person. Labelling her any of the above is in fact to be a bigot.

To make an issue that a "FEMALE TURKISH MOSLEM did this is to make it sound incredible that such a person would be capable of doing such.

Imagine how it would sound if someone said “I saw a woman the other day, and she helped someone with directions”. You’d be saying “So what?”

It’s a kind of racisim at work here too. It’s like saying we have a picture in our minds about Turks, and that I’d be making a statement about her actions to prove that Turks are people too, capable of kind acts.

Her Turkishness is not an issue. Likewise in the example in the OP, the issue of being Moslem is irrelevant. It would only be relevant if that person did that act out of some part of their Islamic faith, (which I showed by way of what they believe is in fact against Islamic belief).

I wasn’t talking about the OP there; I was talking about the guy being forced to convert to Islam before he got married…

 

[Ma.Eugenia]

Hello!

Thanks everyone for replying to this thread. Forgive me for my late reply, as my computer access has been severely affected by the Dec. 26 earthquake off Taiwan which has severely hampered internet access in my country—especially Yahoo, which is where I stored my password (so I couldn’t post a reply here as I didn’t memorize my password, even if I had access to this site).

Anyway, I think, Happygal (who is from Southeast Asia like me) and I are a bit like-minded in that we think it is possible to have true friends from different cultural and religious backgrounds.

I think it is a blessing for me to have been given the opportunity to get to know people of different culture and faiths as It opened my way of thinking in a big way.

The way I see it, if we have a “You stay on YOUR side-I stay on MY side” –kind of attitude, how do we get along in this world if we shut others out just because they’re different?

I believe that early Christians were able to spread their new faith by having an inclusive attitude towards those who were different, i.e., theGreeks, the Romans, etc. History would have been a lot different had they rejected others outright just because they didn’t belong with the Christian community.

I believe that Christ showed us the way how we should treat those who are different. Example: The inclusion of the gentiles in the plan of salvation.
The instruction for us to love our enemies, do good to those who persecute
us.

I’m proudly Catholic. I try to know as much as I can about my faith. To me, knowledge is an armor to self-doubt that may arise from having friends of different faiths. So, concerns that I might get drawn to the faiths of my friends can be put to rest.

Some of those who replied raised concerns that having close friends with Muslims (or other faiths) may lead a person to leave the Church.

I agree that it is possible, especially for those who have a weak understanding about Church teachings/history (Ex: a non-practicing Catholic), as I have dealt with difficult questions like that from my friends. To me, it is important for Catholics with friends from other faiths to have first a good background knowledge about our Church and our faith in order to be able to speak the truth about it to our non-Catholic brothers and sisters with pride.

Still, I believe that there are good people to be found in other cultures and faiths, even though I do not agree with their beliefs.

God bless!

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!!!

 

[inJESUS]

Ok so the question is : did that Muslim guy do a nice gesture because of his faith or because he is good-hearted? In Islam Christmas is not celebrated even though they believe Jesus was a prophet. But they don’t celebrate it because :

1- it’s not taught to celebrate it
2- it’s about Jesus, who is God and the incarnation, which is kufr to them

So i think that in Islam, it’s wrong to congratulate a Kafir for his Kufr and i conclude that the Muslim guy did it on his own and not by following his religion. The guy is good-hearted, and that’s the OP’s intention i guess.

 

[Ma.Eugenia]

Hello again!

Actually, this particular friend who sent me the e-card is female.

I have male and female Muslim friends, mostly from other countries, who I met here and we keep in touch though the internet and we eat out whenever they are here to have some friendly chat.

Originally posted by InJESUS
Ok so the question is : did that Muslim guy do a nice gesture because of his faith or because he is good-hearted?

I think, you are right, she gave me the Christmas e-card because she is a nice and good-hearted person.

 

[Valke2]

The Pope is fallible outside the area of faith and morals.

YOu are also falliable. So who should a Catholic follow. The Pope or Catholic2?

 

[catholic2]

YOu are also falliable. So who should a Catholic follow. The Pope or Catholic2?

In the final analysis, outside of faith and morals, you should follow what you determine the truth to be for you after prayerful meditation and insight. Inside of faith and morals, then let the Church guide you, always recognizing what Jesus taught us, that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life; and that no one goes to the Father except through Him.

 

[swariffin]

I am amazed at th thoughtfulness of my Muslim friend, who despite our religious differences, sent me a “Merry Christmas” e-card.

I feel blessed to have friends of different religions (Protestants, Muslims, Buddhists (though I don’t know any Jew—I know they are also good people), who look beyond what separates us–and still see a friend in me as I see a friend in them.

God bless you and your friend Eugenia, that was a very positive sign from them. Whatever their religion are, we are bothers/sisters in the name of humanity. Wish that all of them have the same view.