Muslim world needs conversion, not understanding

[concretecamper]

Comments?

ncregister.com/blog/pat-archbold/the-muslim-world-needs-conversion-not-understanding

This catholic agrees with the author and I do not take issue with anything in this article.

 

[VanSensei]

I absolutely do not agree with the author. Converting people to what our vision of the world is does not solve everything. Jesus is the way for some, but not all, and that’s how it should always be.

 

[Dorothy]

I absolutely do not agree with the author. Converting people to what our vision of the world is does not solve everything. Jesus is the way for some, but not all, and that’s how it should always be.

I don’t understand your last sentence. Jesus came for all people, and gave the great commission .

 

[Aelred_Minor]

We need to understand the Muslim world better so that we may more effectively evangelize it.

 

[VanSensei]

I’m just not fond of the idea of forcing our religious ideas on people.

 

[Iron_Donkey]

I absolutely do not agree with the author. Converting people to what our vision of the world is does not solve everything. Jesus is the way for some, but not all, and that’s how it should always be.

God:

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Given that God is the absolute truth, the end for all humanity, and that Jesus is the only way there, I’m pretty sure He’s not just the way for some.

That said, I slightly disagree with the title of the piece. I would rather say the “Muslim world needs conversion, not only understanding.” I tend to think understanding is a precursor to any real attempt at conversion (become all things to all men, sort of thing). Though I do agree that what many mean by the word “understand” is useless at best and harmful at worst.

But actual understanding, an understanding of where they are that does not compromise on what they are doing wrong and isn’t afraid to point out that, eg, hanging homosexuals is for being homosexual is generally not good (while also understanding that not all muslims do that sort of rot, and understanding where they are too), is necessary.

I’m just not fond of the idea of forcing our religious ideas on people.

Yeah, forcing is absolutely bad. But showing and convincing in non-coercive ways is good.

 

[VanSensei]

Understanding, absolutely. I feel as if the Western world is only seeing the extremist parts of Islam and greatly needs to see that there’s peace and harmony in Islam.

 

[kmcarl56]

I agree, and as soldiers in Christ, we must be in constant battle with the evil ways of the deceivers and false prophets in the world. It is our JOB as Christians to go out into the world and spread the Good News of Christ’s salvation from our sins.

Never before in history have we had such an opportunity to do exactly that! With television and the internet, we CAN reach people who we could never reach before.

There is a couple in India who were the only Christians in their remote village. They had traveled and come to know and accept Christ. When they returned, they prayed for a way to convert as many in their village to Christianity as they could. One night, they held a dinner and a meeting to tell their friends and neighbors about God and what Christ did for them. Since believing in God and following Christ, this couple had lived in abundance and were able to give to those in need. At the meeting, many of the villagers were converted to Christianity. Both the husband and wife were in tears of joy just talking about it. Their efforts have since increased the number of their local church to almost everyone in the village. Praise be to God Our Father!

We all have such a great opportunity to spread the Word of God all across the world, to every creature, far and wide. Not only that, but we have such a grand opportunity to set an example of Christianity at work, with our neighbors and friends, and with their families.

We have an opportunity to give as much as we can afford (hopefully 10%) to our local churches so that the ministry can continue to grow.

We have the opportunity to teach our children in the way that they should go as young Christians, so that their constant strife to stay in the Word will be rewarded.

…So, what are we waiting for? …for them to show up on our doorsteps and fall into our laps and cry “Hallelujah”? Nothing will happen with no effort. It is time!

 

[Michael_Mayo]

“Where are the swarms of Catholics putting their lives on the line to preach the truth to people in desperate need of it? When the new world was discovered, brave Catholics swarmed the land risking and losing their lives to preach the truth to these people.”

The history of Christians and Muslims goes way back.
How are we to preach at this point?

By our lives and by our love, kindness and personal connections.

Is Pat Archbold going over to Mulsim lands to put his life on the line preaching?

 

[Novocastrian]

“Where are the swarms of Catholics putting their lives on the line to preach the truth to people in desperate need of it? When the new world was discovered, brave Catholics swarmed the land risking and losing their lives to preach the truth to these people.”

The history of Christians and Muslims goes way back.
How are we to preach at this point?

By our lives and by our love, kindness and personal connections.

Is Pat Archbold going over to Mulsim lands to put his life on the line preaching?

One wonders if Pope Francis will follow in the steps of his namesake. The early Friars made quite a name for themselves preaching in North Africa and the Near East.

 

[Brendan_64]

Jesus is the way for some, but not all, and that’s how it should always be.

As a previous poster has said, Jesus came for all men. He gave up his life for all, not just for some. The entire world needs to be eventually evangelised. As Christians we are all called to spread the Word to help evangelise all men.

 

[Dorothy]

I’m just not fond of the idea of forcing our religious ideas on people.

Neither am I in favor of forcing anyone to agree with what I believe! Our Lord Jesus Christ instructed the apostles to kick the dust off their feet and leave if they were not welcome.

But we do need to explain what we believe and why.

 

[JHow]

Understanding, absolutely. I feel as if the Western world is only seeing the extremist parts of Islam and greatly needs to see that there’s peace and harmony in Islam.

Maybe if the extremist bits of Islam stopped attacking us we could all enjoy the aesthetic bits. If you are in the water with a shark are you thinking about the teeth, or the delicate curvature of his tail and the elegant way he glides through the water?

 

[ffg]

I’m just not fond of the idea of forcing our religious ideas on people.

This is an impossibility and is not the point. The Christian religion in general, Catholicism specifically, is one that does not mandate the listener to listen and act accordingly.

Participation is voluntary. Why? Because it is a reflection of love. You can’t force one to love, it must be freely chosen.

There is no harm in education though.

Conversion happens in the heart, not from information thrown one’s way.

The issue at hand in the ‘Muslim World’ is that education is not allowed. What was that about force?

 

[coachkfan1]

We need to understand the Muslim world better so that we may more effectively evangelize it.

The more we understand the Muslim world, the more we actually understand how difficult it would be to evangelize them.

 

[Brendan_64]

Maybe if the extremist bits of Islam stopped attacking us we could all enjoy the aesthetic bits. If you are in the water with a shark are you thinking about the teeth, or the delicate curvature of his tail and the elegant way he glides through the water?

Who is attacking who though?

Are the more extremist elements of the West not attacking muslim countries which have not attacked them?

 

[manualman]

Who is attacking who though?

Are the more extremist elements of the West not attacking muslim countries which have not attacked them?

Um, what? Could you elaborate on case of western nations attacking peaceful Islamic countries guilty of nothing more than minding their own business? I seem to be missing out on some current events.

I certainly do think the western world needs to understand Islam better. It’s certainly true that the vast majority of muslims are decent and honorable people. Duh! They’re HUMAN! The vast majority of humans are decent and honorable people. Even though fallen, people are still created good in God’s image and likeness. That goodness is terribly damaged by the fall, but not destroyed.

I’m not yet convinced that the teachings of Islam have had a net positive impact on the people of the Islamic world. In fact, I’m inclined to think the world would have been better off had Muhammed never been born. It seems to me that much of his teaching has immutably fixed Islamic culture in the 8th century in a manner that cannot be reformed. There’s an innate civilizational conflict of principles there that no amount of ‘feel good’ tolerance on our side is going to fix.

I’d say we DO need to learn more about Islam, so we can show muslims how Christ is the son of God, while Muhammed was just an flawed man.

 

[GangGreen]

We must go forth and baptize all people in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

 

[Brendan_64]

Um, what? Could you elaborate on case of western nations attacking peaceful Islamic countries guilty of nothing more than minding their own business? I seem to be missing out on some current events.

How many Islamic countries have attacked the West before we sent in the bombers? I can’t think of one can you? Iraq? No. Afghanistan? No.

What gives us the right to attack nations that have not attacked us, and kill many thousands of innocent civilians in the process?

Are Islamic terrorists guilty of killing more innocent Western civilians, than the West is of killing more innocent Muslim civilians? An innocent life is an innocent life regardless of what part of the world he comes from.

 

[ffg]

Who is attacking who though?

Are the more extremist elements of the West not attacking muslim countries which have not attacked them?

Though the news if full of garbage, one can’t really not know what is happening to Christians in the ‘Muslim World’ can they?

It’s not about the ‘west’ though that ‘Global force for good’ isn’t being lead too well.