I am so under qualified to blog on this subject. But since I'm usually under qualified, I'll just do it anyways. If you have any info that would be good for all of my readers to know about, please include it.
I watched PBS tonight at work. It had some great programming on about Islam. The name of the program was America at a Crossroads. Check it out if you get a chance. One of the programs was specifically about Indonesia. Apparently it has more Muslims than any nation on the planet. Who would have thought? As I've said before, I don't have a ton of knowledge in the area of Islam, but I've always been alarmed when Christians talk about Muslims in a negative way. This must be the liberal media's influence on me making me tolerant of pagan religions and people. One time, I was on a men's retreat and a guy that was a little... I can't think of a label that isn't offensive, said that Muslims want to kill Christians. Quite a statement for somebody who didn't know any Muslims I thought. But I don't know any Muslims either... so I wondered secretly if maybe he was right.
But this program was good for me. Actually there was a program on before that by a "liberal" Muslim. It was uncanny how her language was so non-offensive to me but how many fundy Muslims felt threatened by her ideas and language. She has the audacity to say that maybe much of Islamic law wasn't really what God (Allah) wanted for His people. She specifically mentioned issues of gender and war.
Sounds familiar doesn't it? She was saying that the text itself wasn't flawed, but that how Muslims interpreted it was flawed and needed to change. She actually used the word blasphemy. A Muslim cleric (I don't really know what a cleric is, but the guy was an important Muslim figure in the U.S.-- maybe like a local pastor type) talked about how dangerous this type thinking was to Islam. She made a great case about the roots of Islam and how it was formed on education, reason, good dialogue, and religious tolerance. She said, that this is what allowed Islam to flourished before fundamentalism hi-jacked the faith.
She kept quoting the Quran and it didn't sound kooky or angry. It sounded friendly and loving. This really rankled some of the folks being interviewed. But it was good for me to watch. She kept making the statement that tolerance is different than oppression. Some Muslims were justifying horrific acts, like suicide bombings, because somebody had offended Islam or Muhammad. It was very complex and I am not doing it justice.
But I feel the same way about Christian fundamentalism. I feel like this movement worships the text rather than God and let's the sinful part of humanity get in the way of how we are to view God. For a long time, I felt like I needed to keep any views that were not the view of the masses under my hat because of how dangerous they could be for my soul or for young Christians. To 
Has anybody else had this experience? What parts about Fundamentalism are healthy for Christianity?
14 comments:
Christian,
It is hard for me to answer your question at the end because I feel I am missing context. I am not sure what issues you have questioned or doubted and come to a higher level of truth on.
I do not know about Islam, but with regards to Christianity I agree that "fundamentalism" has tried to hijack the program. It also seems to me that "liberalism" has retaliated by trying to do the same. And both seem completley useless to me.
I think there is another way. There are Chriastians all over who hold to the chief tenants of the Christian faith and who take care to be fairly "conservative" in upholding the authority of scripture and the central doctrines of the ecumenical creeds; who strive to worhip in a manner that is representative of the historic Christian Church. And at the same time such people manage to uphold the "liberal" concern of bearing witness to Christ by loving their neighbors, being active in their communities and being humble and just.
It seems to me that what passes for Christian fundamentalism is something like: "You must understand the truth how I understand the truth or you are out."
Equally unhelpful, liberalism resoponds with "we must change the truth so all can be in"
These definitions may sound trite or offensive to a fundamentalist or liberals who takes themselves seriously. But I really do believe these definitions - trite though they may be - are sufficient in describing the childish postures of both groups.
Instead of us defining or changing the truth to decide who is in; we should look to God's revelation in Christ to judge and save us.
Shalom,
Wayne
As for Muslims wanting to kill Christians, I wouldn't say that that's true of the whole faith (like you I don't know enough to talk much about the subject) but I have heard a lot of stories of Christians who have been killed for their faith in Muslim nations. I've also heard of stories of Muslims who have converted to Christianity being persecuted or killed by their own family members.
There is also a guy in my Greek class who used to be a missionary in Africa (I think in Chad). He was in a city where there was some major mosque or something and was interested in going inside of it and he was pretty much told that, as a Christian, if he went in they'd probably kill him.
I'm not bringing this stuff up to say that Muslims are evil or intolerant, but certainly there are those that are... just like there are Christians that are. Plenty of people, including many Muslims, have been killed in the name of Christianity, so who are we to judge?
You know who will kill you if you cross him?
Chuck Norris, that's who.
I think the whole "corner" on the gospel attitude by anyone is what has caused damage in our society at least. My understanding of truth, my faith, has definitely stretched when I allowed myself to voice the questions/concerns/doubts that I had and continue to have. I believe that God is bigger than these things and celebrates our ability to reason. I'll write more later, I have to quick drop what I'm doing to help You:)
Good points Wayne-- Youa lways give perspective to the things I'm mulling over in my head. Looking back at my post, I don't like how I described my faith journey in the last few years. I didn't mean to sound like I have come to some truer faith than Fundamentalists. But some of the views that I had (which many fundamentalists would hold as well) have changed. I haven't even necessarily changed my mind about certain issues, but more just said, "I know I DON'T believe that anymore".
I don't know if this is liberal or what... My take on the truth is different than bot options you described. I think there is a Truth (with a capital "T") out there. But, I don't think we will be judged if we didn't get it right. Maybe this goes to my fundamental belief that man is essentially good. If I knew of a truer way to live, then I'd believe that. I honestly believe that what I believe to be the truest of options. Just like everybody else.
Just curious... how do you propose we do this? "Instead of us defining or changing the truth to decide who is in; we should look to God's revelation in Christ to judge and save us".
Steve- I agree. I am not saying that Muslims have any right to be intollerant of others either. I think this is where the female producer was right. Not all Muslims are fundys. I am cool with "them" believing "they" have the truth. But if that truth demands my death or demands my conversion, then we have a problem.
Another point... I don't hate South Koreans because of what happened last week. Is that a fair comparison?
Dan- The whole Chuck Norris thing is more of a Myspace forwarding thing. It goes under the bulletins and fits in between the "what kind of lover are you?" and the "what is your pimp name?".
Jodi- I agree that God is bigger. The real question is: Could God build a rock so big that he couldn't lift it?" Take that Christianity with your view of an omnipotent God.
When chuck Norris does division, there are no remainders.
There is a passage in the Qu'ran which i take drastically out of context: "...you may kill the idol worshipers when you encounter them...". I searched for instances of "kill" in an English translation of the Qu'ran, and there's lots of stuff about not killing believers, and plenty about how if you get killed as a result of persecution or during a war against unbelievers, you will be compensated greatly.
So, there's some kind of scriptural foundation to the idea of suicide bombing -- it's okay to kill non-believers (and fundamentalist Shia Muslims believe that Sunni's are non-believers and vice versa) and if you die killing the enemy, you're finna be HOOKED UP!!! And compared to the living standards in Iraq right now, with no electricity or clean drinking water, 40 virgins to boff non-stop and a life of total luxury looks pretty freaking awesome. Just the push of a detonator away!!!
So in fundamentalist interpretations of Islam, there's a kind of worship of War and Death.
Keith talked to me about the history of Christianity compared to Islam, and Islam is about the same age as Christianity when the Spanish Inquisition and the Crusades were going on. Maybe, said Keith, there's some kind of cycle that religions go through as they mature. The Hebrews had their warlike era, led by King David and his family's reign. But how long has it been since Jews waged holy war? Besides in Israel, but Israel is so tangled up in American religious fundamentalism and politics.
This is getting long, isn't it?
And there's plenty of Christian fundamentalists who idealize, if not idolize war. Onward Christian Soldiers? Sword Drills? It's impossible to miss the military imagery in fundamentalist Christianity. The biggest demographic steadfastly supporting George W. and his war remains Evangelical Christians.
I've also heard it postulated that the Arab world is pissed off that the Christian part of the world made it first to the industrial revolution. So advanced technology is all from (or modeled after) historically Christian parts of the world. Along with Western (no longer Christian) technology comes Western values -- hedonism, consumerism, sexual liberation -- things which conservative Muslims find very threatening.
Finally (sorry, i think this is TOTALLY a rambling post) i think it's interesting that fundamental Christians and Muslims alike seem to embrace consumerism (in Saudi Arabia, the holiest of nations, rich people drive Lamborghinis, Zondas, Buggattis, Ferraris, poor people drive Mercedes Benzes and BMWs, and we all know how rich Christians live).
Hey Juanito- Did you just say "40 virgins to boff non-stop"? First off, nobody says "boff". I just tried to wiki it and nothing even came up. What exactly do you mean?
While urinating, Chuck Norris is easily capable of welding titanium.
I think Dan's right, clearly Chuck Norris is the answer to all problems of religious fundamentalism in the world... in fact, Chuck Norris is obviously the answer to all problems in the world period.
Thanks for the insight.
Juanito, interesting comparisons between religions about "holy war." I never thought about that before, but maybe you're on to something.
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