Thursday, August 16, 2007
SAY WHAT?!?!?
This is not a bashing of my Catholic brethren, but I am curious:
When did it become ok to interchange Allah for God in the Christian church?
That is like calling my uncle JOE when his name is ED. Two different entities; two different names. Read more here, here, and here if you think I am kidding.
On an "oh, I see now" note: this is from a bishop in the Netherlands. With all the moral relativism here in the United States recently, I am a little surprised that this did not come from some pastor or priest on the "left" coast. (that would be those that are of the "Can't we just all get along?" "I don't want to offend my neighbor." crowd)
Labels: complete absurdity
13 Comments:
It never became such. At least with God. We are to worship the Lord God only, and not the fashionable Baals of today.
John,
As we once conversed on your blog, and this is no offense to Catholics or any other Christian denomination, but the truth regarding any man that speaks against Christ. Jude stated: "Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ." Jude 1:3-4
As it once was, so it is once more.
PAX
JD
It is indeed. False teachers were not left behind in the 1st Century.
This discussion has gone back and forth for quite some time on various blogs. "Allah" is an Arabic word that, roughly translated, means "God". Allah is to Arabic what Eloyhim is to Hebrew. It truly is a language thing, not a Baal thing. He is still the Lord, but the only indication we have that His name is "God" is our English translations. It is the same difference between Christ (Greek) and Messiah (Hebrew), but neither changes the substance of who He is and neither is "wrong" or indicative of a Baal thing.
Michael,
Now this will open a bigger can of worms, but do we worship the same God as Islam does? Do we really? With that logic, what is your stance on Mormons? (rhetorical question)
I think the bigger picture is a church calling God by another name due to political motivations rather than faith motivations in an attempt to appease a group of people that may cause trouble and then spread the lies that it is ok.
That is my whole issue with these comments.
PAX
JD
Understood, JD. I think I got your point and I was pretty confused as to what the Norwegian was getting to. Still, I see too much of attempts to somehow discredit Islam and not enough attempts to live as Christ tried to teach us to live.
I agree that there is a difference between the God Christians pray to and the God Muslims pray to - that much is clear, and much of what is said here still stands about how we shouldn't blur the distinction.
There is, however, a cultural and linguistic issue at stake in this conversation as well. Michael's point is also important, especially for Christians who speak Arabic.
Take this translation of John 1 from Bible Gateway (Arabic Life Application Bible):
http://www.biblegateway.com/
passage/?search=John%201
&version=28
The Arabic word that is transliterated as "Allah" is all over it - but it is a linguistic issue here, just like the Spanish word for the same passage is "Dios" (and "Senor" is used for "Lord").
BTW, JD ... thanks for dropping by my blog and your kind comments. Grace and peace to you and yours in Texas!
Micahel said:
"Still, I see too much of attempts to somehow discredit Islam and not enough attempts to live as Christ tried to teach us to live."
Yes, I see it too, for the same reason that others criticize radical Christians. The radical groups in each seem to get the most airplay and attention, but are usually the minority in either group. That attention brings about the negative feelings for each.
Kevin,
I see your point about Arab Christians and Spanish. In those cases, it makes sense for that use of Allah or Senor. Problems arise when you are trying to change the concept of God and names based less on culture and more so due to some sort of political appeasement. If his parish has a majority Arab Christians, go for it, but don't make statements like, "Shouldn't we all say that from now on we will name God Allah? ... What does God care what we call him? It is our problem." It may be our problem, but ask a Muslim to call Allah God, or Jesus, or Yahweh and see what they would say about that.
Oh, and thanks for stopping by. Your tempered responses are always appreciated,
PAX
JD
JD said:
"Problems arise when you are trying to change the concept of God and names based less on culture and more so due to some sort of political appeasement."
... Agreed.
Peace,
Kevin
I think the bishop, like a lot of Europeans is scared and hopes that by pandering to Muslims he'll somehow be spared. It won't work.
Dymphna,
That seemed to be part of it, but I am sure the "progressive thinking" of most Europeans may have had something to do with it either.
PAX
JD
The difference is more than language, and it cannot be reasonably argued that a Muslim worships God simply because Allah is the Arabic word for God.
I could not, for example, set up an idol of a Smurf in my house, sacrifice blueberries to it, say that it created the world out of a walnut, call it God and it still be God.
John said:
"I could not, for example, set up an idol of a Smurf in my house, sacrifice blueberries to it, say that it created the world out of a walnut, call it God and it still be God."
You could if you were looking for a one way ticket to the loony bin, but I do see your point in the context of this discussion.
PAX
JD
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