Stupid Scholar

Today, the Washington Post ran This Story about a gathering of approximately 3,000 Muslims at the Capitol here in DC. The purpose of the gathering was to encourage Muslims, especially those who have been victims of “verbal attacks,” not to be afraid of “America.”

Christians Protest Muslim Prayer Gathering

According to Jacqueline Salmon, author of the article, many of these verbal attacks have come from “conservative Christians,” and the problem has increased since the election of President Obama. Plus, even during the prayer event there were conservative Christians who protested,  some bearing “anti-Islamic” banners.  Several of the prayer organizers even asked that the protests be toned down, and the article reports that some Muslims here feared for their safety.

Now, I am aware that the facts reported here may be overstated; the Christian opposition may have been very small and insignificant; the article does not give numbers.  However, I want to take the article at face value and point out several problems.

Why Protesting Was a Poor Decision Practically

My concerns here  are both practical and theological. First, I’ll start with the practical:

1. This reaction only furthers the problem. The stated reason for the gathering was to deal with Muslim fear garnered because of verbal attacks. To verbally attack this gathering only gives Muslims more reason to fear Christians.

2. Thus, this does nothing to further the Christian cause. Rather than leading to potential Gospel presentations and conversions, this seems to have driven more Muslims away from Christians. Why would they want to talk to another Christian – any Christian – after this?

3. This protest furthers the stereotypes typically thrown at conservative Christians. We are constantly labeled as close-minded, angry, bigoted, loud, disrespectful, and uneducated. I fail to see how this protest has improved our image.

4. This perpetuates the view that Christians desire a Christian nation. Constitutionally, we do not and cannot have an official state religion. So far, that has been a good thing. Yet, when we protest those who legally practice and demonstrate their religion, we lose credibility. Thus, we hurt our own cause for when we protest things that truly should be unlawful (e.g. abortion, euthanasia, etc.).

Why Protesting Was Wrong Theologically

Now, I discuss my theological concerns:
5. Hamad Chebli, quoted in the article, is right, this was disrespectful. Like it or not, the Christian Bible teaches that all men and women are made in the explicit image of God. Hence, everyone bearing the imago Dei must be treated with dignity and respect. We, as Christians, would be appalled, and have been, to have Muslims protest our prayer services and events. It is disrespectful and inappropriate, plain and simple. It is sin.

6. This was rude. Obviously, this is linked to the reason above, but it directly contradicts 1 Corinthians 13:5, which explicitly says, “Love is not rude!” Is protest and insult the best way to love those who need Christ? I think not, for their is not compassion or consideration for their feelings or culture. Plus, this is not how Jesus treated the sinners of His day.

7. This is poor evangelism. St. Paul morphed the way he expressed the Gospel in order to win as many as possible. He became like a Jew to Jews and like Gentile to Gentiles (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). He made sure that the message of the Gospel was communicated in a way that made sense and encouraged those with whom he shared it. Perhaps it’s time we did the same. Surely there are ways of expressing the truth of Christ in a way that is distinctly appealing to Muslims. Rather than protesting, I suggest we begin learning this strategy.

I believe the Gospel to be true, and I believe that everyone – Christian, Muslim, American, European, African, whoever – needs to hear it and believe it. If offense is going to come from the Gospel, let it come from the Message, not the messenger. I fear that in this instance, it was the reverse.