Updated: 9/21/06

‘Jesus and Me’ camp benefits Brenham’s children

By Elizabeth Staples

Communications Intern

BRENHAM—For a dozen years, children from low-income families in the Brenham area have formed lasting relationships, developed important skills and learned spiritual values at JAM—the “Jesus and Me” summer day-camp.

Many children, ages 5 to 12, experience Christ’s love for the first time during the day-camp, said Marcus Lawhon, director of JAM and pastor of House of Worship Church in Brenham.

The Brenham Housing Authority and the school district have partnered with JAM to provide free breakfast and lunch for the children.

“We hope to be a holistic, evangelistic ministry with low-income families, beginning in the Brenham Housing Authority,” Lawhon said.

Churches in Independence Baptist Association worked with the Baptist General Convention of Texas to launch House of Worship Church and JAM to reach low-income families in their area who did not attend any other church.

This summer, more than 100 children were involved daily for eight weeks in games, crafts, Scripture memorization and science and reading programs that challenged them spiritually and academically.

The Brenham Independent School District provides JAM with reading and science specialists. They have created a curriculum specifically for JAM that has helped to raise standardized test scores.

It’s helping these children to not only catch up in school, but even get ahead, Lawhon said.

The “Jesus and Me” summer day-camp helps low-income students catch up and get ahead in school.

For five years, the Brenham Housing Authority and the school district have partnered with JAM to provide free breakfast and lunch for the children.

But the ministry doesn’t end when the children leave JAM each summer afternoon. Many days the counselors go home with them in the evenings to meet their families, play games and bring a more positive environment to the community, Lawhon explained. JAM works closely with the House of Worship church and receives support from the BGCT and from First Baptist and Fellowship Baptist churches in Brenham.

“We are just tilling the soil,” Lawhon said. “These aren’t church kids and have a very limited background. We’re helping them to build a strong foundation.

“When the light is brought into the darkness, it changes the tone of the community. When they’ve seen the light they have something to look forward to. Just the presence of light makes a difference, even if we’re not seeing it right away.

“These children come from families and backgrounds where they don’t see the light on an everyday basis unless someone tells them. And that’s the mission of JAM—to be humble Christians, loving people and showing the light of Jesus to lost children and families.”

Many children, ages 5 to 12, experience Christ’s love for the first time during the day-camp.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 9/15/06

Islam built on five pillars
of worship & five pillars of faith

By Ken Camp

Managing Editor

DALLAS—Muslims treat the Quran as their Bible, and they see Muhammad the way Christians view Jesus Christ, right? Wrong, Muslim leaders insist.

Muslims see the Quran as God’s final revelation—roughly comparable to the way mainstream Christians see Jesus Christ as the Living Word and God’s ultimate revelation, said Alif Rahman, who teaches an outreach class about Islam at the Dallas Central Mosque in Richardson.

Muhammad is the last in a long line of prophets and the bearer of God’s message, but Muslims do not worship him, Rahman noted. In a sense, he roughly parallels the role many Christians believe the Bible fills—not an object of worship but the instrument through which God makes his message known.

While Muslims see Muhammad’s life as exemplary, they do not consider him divine, Rahman emphasized.

“There is no incarnation of God as a human being in Islam,” he said.

Islam is built on five pillars of worship—regulated rituals and rules for living—and five pillars of faith—essential beliefs.

“It is a religion that has rules and regulations for the individual, the family and society—day and night, every second,” Imam Yusef Kavakci of the Dallas Central Mosque said.

The five pillars of worship are:

• Shahada. The Muslim confession of faith, repeated as a part of worship, states in Arabic that there is only one God, and Muhammad is his prophet.

• Salat. Five times daily, Muslims perform formal, ritualized prayer. Bodily positions—such as prostration with one’s forehead touching the ground—are prescribed at specific points during the ritual.

• Zakat. Muslims give alms—often understood to be 2.5 percent of their liquid assets and income-producing property—to support charitable causes and the propagation of Islam.

• Saum. Fasting from dawn until dusk daily during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, includes refraining from food, drink and sexual intercourse.

• Hajj. Every Muslim who is physically and financially able makes a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his lifetime.

Muslims also hold tenaciously to five basic beliefs.

• The oneness of Allah.

Kavakci thinks this simple, clear-cut and inclusive view of God—in contrast to Christian teaching about a Triune God who must be approached through Jesus Christ alone—accounts in part for the rapid growth of Islam worldwide.

“Islam is belief in one God, one faith. Before the creation of Adam, Islam was there,” he said. “We accept all messengers as ours. There is one God for the whole universe.”

• Angels, such as Gabriel.

“Rules and regulations are revealed to humans through Gabriel and to the messengers for people to live in, live by, live to and live for,” Kavakci said.

• The Quran.

Muslims believe the Book of God is a heavenly book that was revealed in part through the Jewish and Christian Scriptures but later was corrupted. They believe Gabriel gave the pure word of God—in Arabic—to Muhammad as the final prophet in a series of messengers that began with Adam and also included Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus.

“Adam came, and Islam was given to him as a guide and to all the messengers who followed. We look at Jesus Christ as a prophet—as our messenger,” Kavakci said.

• A final Day of Judgment.

“There is a strong accountability in our belief in the Day of Judgment,” Kavakci said. “We don’t know whether we will be accepted or not. We live between hope and hopelessness. There is no assurance. There is striving.”

• Sovereignty of God.

God is responsible for everything that happens. Nothing can happen outside his will.

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly described the Muslim practice of Saum as fasting from dusk until dawn during Ramadan. The fast instead is from dawn until dusk.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 9/21/06

BaptistWay Bible Series for October 1

The shadows of doubt can become thick

• Psalm 73

By David Wilkinson

Broadway Baptist Church, Fort Worth

There are times on the spiritual journey when the path is steep and narrow, and a misstep can be perilous to faith.

That was the experience of the writer of Psalm 73, who discovered just in time the impossibility of keeping one eye on God while also keeping a jealous eye on the ways of unbelievers who arrogantly flaunted their prosperity and power —along with their apparent insulation from God’s judgment. The psalmist confesses that his “feet had almost stumbled” and his “steps had nearly slipped” because of his envy of the wicked (vv. 2-3).

Written in first-person, Psalm 73 is a testimony. It is an honest confession of how close the writer came to slipping into the dangerous cavern of cynicism and doubt.

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The testimony, however, clearly is written as a “life lesson” for people of faith, and its instructional tone gives it some of the flavor of the “wisdom” psalms. The psalm also incorporates many of the themes of previous psalms, which may have been a compelling reason to place it at the beginning of Book III, the third of five sections into which the Psalter has been divided.

Journey of faith

This psalmist’s description of the journey from faith to doubt and back to faith again has endeared Psalm 73 to generations of Christians. The reason is apparent: The poet has traveled ground familiar to most of us.

The psalm begins with a proverb that could also be seen as a form of beatitude: “Truly God is good to the upright, to those who are pure in heart” (v. 1). Evidence from early manuscripts argues for rendering the Hebrew word translated “the upright” as “Israel,” which emphasizes the corporate dimension of the psalm in keeping with the nature of the Psalter as the prayer book for the worshipping community.

“Purity of heart,” as Soren Kierkegaard noted, is to will one thing—the love of God. It is a single-minded devotion to God. In the list of beatitudes included in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declared the pure in heart will “see God” (Matthew 5:8). They will experience the blessing of God’s presence, the joy of being “near God” (v. 28).

The psalm’s opening word, “truly,” is the English translation for a Hebrew term repeated three times—verses 1, 13 (not rendered in the NRSV) and 18—which also serves to divide the psalm into three sections.

The first section (vv. 1-12) lays out the problem: A crisis of faith (vv. 1-3) triggered by the success and prosperity of the wicked (vv. 4-12). The third section (vv. 18-28) describes a two-fold resolution of the crisis seen in the ultimate destiny of the wicked (vv. 18-20) coupled with the reassurance of God’s uplifting presence (vv. 21-28).

The central section (vv. 13-17) not only functions as a transition from one section to the other, but also offers the key to the psalm: “The pure devotion to God at the psalm’s conclusion replaces bitterness and estrangement at its beginning” (vv. 2-3), theologian James Mays said. “The meaning and the mystery of the psalm lie in its transition from one to the other.”

Cause for doubt

The psalmist’s perception of the arrogant ways of the wicked is striking. In verse 3, he confesses he became envious after seeing the “prosperity”—in Hebrew, the shalom—of the wicked. To ascribe a state of peace, prosperity and even wholeness to unbelievers who “scoff and speak with malice” (v. 8) and “set their mouths against heaven” (v. 9) using a term usually applied to the people of God speaks to the depth of the psalmist’s feelings. Doubt and discouragement hit bottom in the declaration that “in vain” he has followed God’s ways, being “plagued” and “punished” rather than blessed (vv. 13-14).

However, it is here at rock bottom, when he dares to voice his complaint to God, that the psalmist begins to gain new perspective. The crisis takes a positive turn when he affirms his relationship with—and obligation to—the community of faith. He confesses to God that to have given in to his feelings of envy would have made him “untrue to the circle of your children” (v. 15).

There are times when our feelings threaten to lead us astray, and in those moments we find our way on the basis of long-term covenant rather than short-term experience. When the heart begins to doubt, fidelity is a good anchor.

The next step in avoiding the slippery slope of cynicism is the psalmist’s recognition that he could not rescue himself through the power of his own reasoning or ingenuity (v. 17). “Reason cannot unravel experience to supply the ground for faith.”

Cause for praise

It was only in the experience of worship in “the sanctuary of God” (v. 17) that the psalmist gained the understanding that put things in perspective. Seen in a new light, things were not at all as they had seemed, either for the wicked the psalmist was tempted to envy or for his own life of faith. Despite their arrogance, the wicked were resting on “slippery places” that would eventually lead to ruin (v. 18). In humility, the psalmist confesses that he has been “stupid and ignorant” (v. 22). And yet, the gift of God’s presence has been constant throughout. Even when he doubted to the point of behaving “like a brute beast” toward God, God had never let go (v. 23), an affirmation that leads to a hymn of praise (vv. 25-26).

The psalmist testifies to the importance of the worship of God among the people of God. When our focus is on God (rather than ourselves or others), we are better able to understand our place in God’s economy—and leave the fate of others in God’s hands.

As an aside, it should also be noted that we never know when we plan, lead or participate in worship the particular point where every worshipper may be at that hour, and, like the psalmist, how close some may be to their own “slippery slope” of giving in or giving up.

Finally, Psalm 73 reminds us faith is dynamic, not static. The psalmist’s spiritual journey took him from bitterness to hope, from estrangement from God to intimacy with God, and from envy of persons living arrogantly without God to trust in the goodness of living in God’s presence.

Discussion questions

• Can you recall a time when you envied the apparent success and prosperity of those who scoff at Christian faith? Why is such envy dangerous to faith?

• In what ways has the experience of worship helped you gain perspective on life and faith?

• Read verses 25-26 as a hymn of praise. Is this your experience? If not, what may need to change?

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 9/21/06

Bible Studies for Life Series for October 1

Contend for the truth always

• 1 Timothy 1:3-7,12-20

By Kenneth Lyle

Logsdon School of Theology, Abilene

As the parent of two teenagers, I spend considerable time, energy, thought, time, resources, conversation and more time making sure these two near—adults receive the necessary equipping to face the real world.

Christians, too, must spend time, energy, thought and resources learning to face the challenges of life.

In October, the Bible Studies for Life series takes up the study theme “Equipped for Real Life.” Using 1 and 2 Timothy as the primary resource, the lessons of the next five weeks ask us to use our time, energy, thought and conversation to: Learn how to guard against false teaching (October 1); consider our need to live godly lives (October 8); be content in our circumstances (October 15); become useful to God (October 22); and exercise faith in order to endure difficult times (October 29).

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Called the pastoral epistles, 1 and 2 Timothy, along with Titus present themselves as mentoring letters of encouragement from an older minister, Paul, to two younger ministers, Timothy and Titus. Some scholars question the genuine Pauline authorship of the pastoral epistles because of issues like vocabulary and syntax, conflicting historical circumstances, and the level of concern for things like church organization and “heresy.” The arguments on both sides are complex.

In short, those who hold to pseudonymous authorship point out the letters sound too different from the known letters of Paul. In addition, the letters do not seem to fit into the known timeline of Paul’s life reconstructed from his letters and the Acts of the Apostles. Finally, the letters’ concern with qualifications for church leaders and the repudiation of false teaching suggests to some scholars a second century composition date.

Of those who hold that Paul did not write these letters, some allow that fragments of genuine letters from Paul were added by later writers. Others suggest a complete pseudonymous creation as a way of maintaining Paul’s influence.

A better position maintains that Paul authored these letters later in life and allows for changes in compositional style and vocabulary attributable to Paul’s age and circumstance. We can readily acknowledge Acts does not tell us everything Paul did or every place Paul visited. Paul may well have composed the pastoral epistles after his imprisonment in Rome during a subsequent missionary journey.

Certainly, Paul writes these letters later in life with the full realization that he leaves behind young leaders who need to be able to identify and deal with difficulties in the church. The letters’ concern with false teaching and church organization does not seem out of place in that context.

Identify the false teaching

The lesson for the week of October 1 bids Christians to “Take Hold of Truth.” First Timothy begins as all of Paul’s letters begin, with a salutation offering an address and a greeting (vv.1-2). Paul identifies himself as “an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our savior and of Christ Jesus our hope” (v. 1).

While Paul sends most of his letters to individual churches, here the lone recipient is Timothy. The greeting is typical of Paul: “Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord” (v. 2).

Without a typical word of thanksgiving, Paul moves immediately to a warning about “false teachers.” Paul urges Timothy to “command certain men not to teach false doctrines” (v. 3). While the identity of these individuals is not certain, and the content of the false doctrine is unclear, Paul suggests it includes an unhealthy interest in “myths and endless genealogies” (v. 4).

Other ancient writers often used the combination of these terms to denote the idea of false and foolish stories. In this context, the “myths and genealogies” may reflect the practice of some Jewish Christians who wished to find a super—spiritual significance in some of the Old Testament genealogical lists. Paul bluntly states that those who wander away from the “goal of love” (v. 5) turn to “meaningless talk” (v. 6).

It is important to recognize that these are not anti-Christian teachers opposing the work of the church from without. These Christians claim an extra level of understanding and knowledge that distracts from central truths of the gospel. Misplaced devotion to a particular theological framework, fictionalized accounts of the end times or Christian self-help programs come close to an unhealthy devotion to “myths and genealogies.”

Take your stand on the gospel of grace

Paul’s response to these challenges is to remind Timothy about the marvelous grace of God. Paul holds himself out as an example of one who has received God’s grace through the faithfulness and love of Jesus Christ in spite of Paul tremendous failures. Paul calls himself “a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man” (v. 13). He reminds Timothy that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst” (v. 15).

The good news of God’s grace allows that mercy might be shown even to Paul, so that in “the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life” (v. 16).

Paul reminds Timothy salvation comes to us because of God’s grace demonstrated in his son, Jesus. No sin is so great as to put any person beyond the reach of God’s grace. That is the content of the “glorious gospel of the blessed God,” (v. 11) entrusted to Paul. Endless devotion to silly stories and the feeling of superiority generated by “expertise” distracts from the true good news: We are all in need of God’s grace.

Contend for the truth

Chapter 1 concludes with a recapitulation and amplification of Paul’s initial encouragement to Timothy: “Fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience” (vv. 18-19). Paul understands the importance of connecting belief to actions.

Martin Dilelius argues the phrase “good conscience” suggests good Christian citizenship. Christians fight the good fight by the way we live our lives in peaceful obedience, seeking the “goal of love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (v. 5). It seems the fight envisioned here is less a fight against other people and more a fight against the tendency to wander away from the goal of love.

Too often, I turn to “meaningless talk” when I should contend for the truth that by God’s grace “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.” The truth of the gospel is that we are all sinners in need of mercy, and the grace of God pours out on us in abundance (v. 14). Focus on anything less moves us perilously close to distracting shores of meaningless talk and foolish stories.

Paul warns about some who have “shipwrecked their faith” (v. 19, compare 2 Timothy 2:17-18); however, his main concern seems to be that Timothy avoid that fate by connecting faith to action.

Discussion questions

• What kinds of “foolish stories” and “mindless talk” fill the classrooms and corridors of your church? How do we distinguish helpful instruction from mere talk?

• How does belief or faith connect to our actions?

• What are Christians supposed to contend for or against?

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 9/21/06

Explore the Bible Series for October 1

Seek forgiveness and mercy from High Priest

• Hebrews 4:14-5:10

By Howard Anderson

Diversified Spiritual Associates, San Antonio

In the Old Testament, the high priest was the man appointed to represent the people before God. He dealt with sins and weaknesses by offering necessary sacrifices; however, as a link between God and humanity, the Old Testament priest never was enough. He was a shadow representing the coming perfect intermediary.

Jesus is both God and man and is an adequate link between the Father and us. When we fail and are ashamed, or when we are overwhelmed and desperately need help, we need never draw back. Jesus, human like us, will understand. Moreover, Jesus, God as is the Father, is able to aid. You should see Jesus, our High Priest, and put your trust in him.

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Jesus: Perfect high priest (Hebrews 4:14-16)

Jesus, our high priest, is not so lofty or separated that he is incapable of understanding our human situation. Rather, he is one who is very familiar with it, having been tempted at every turn of the road just as we have been. He can laugh and weep with us about life’s foibles and pain because he has been through it all, yet without falling before any of it.

Because we know such a Priest and Prince is on the throne of grace disbursing favor far beyond what we deserve, we can approach without fear or cowering, walking erect and receiving whatever resources we need to live life victoriously, overcoming every obstacle.

The tearing of the veil of the temple signified that the way into God’s presence was now open to all through a new and living way (Matthew 27:51). One whose strength is his graciousness occupies the throne. The Holy Spirit calls for all to come confidently before God’s throne to receive mercy and grace through Jesus Christ in a time of need (2 Corinthians 4:15).

Jesus: Appointed high priest (Hebrews 5:1-6)

In earlier times, the role of priest was unified with that of king or ruler. Melchizedek (5:6) was not only king of the city of Salem, but also priest in that city to the most high God. Later, Moses was instructed by God to appoint Aaron and his sons as the priests. The roles of priest and ruler were thereby separated.

Now in Jesus Christ, the two functions are again united in the Person of the Son—Prophet, Priest and King. This part of the messianic hope, in that a variety of roles would be brought together in the person of the Messiah, is clearly expressed in Psalm 110:2-4.

This reuniting of roles and people is by God’s initiative. The initiative is always with God. We humans may think we have initiated the quest for God and cast out dramatically on our journey to find “truth” and “God.” The truth is that even the desire to strike out in a search is a response to something God already created within us—a hunger for himself.

We are always the respondents to Jesus Christ’s initiative. So in the case of the high priesthood of Christ, the initiative was God’s, first in begetting the Son, and then in appointing him to the high priesthood.

The priesthood is not an office a man or woman takes—it is a privilege and a glory to which they are called. The ministry of God among humanity is neither a job nor a career but a calling. A person should not be able to look back and say, “I chose this work,” but rather, “God chose me and gave me this work to do.”

Jesus’ sonship and his priesthood were both by divine appointment (John 7:28). The two titles are titles of subordination concerning the fulfillment of the program of redemption. Neither office diminishes the eternal deity of Jesus or the equality of the Trinity. Psalm 2 recognizes the Son as both King and Messiah. Jesus is the King-Priest.

Jesus: Obedient high priest (Hebrews 5:7-10)

Jesus learned obedience in the school of suffering and through it became the source of eternal salvation. In Gethsemane, Jesus agonized and wept but committed himself to do the Father’s will in accepting the cup of suffering that would bring his death (Matthew 26:38-46). Anticipating bearing the burden of judgment for sin, Jesus felt its fullest pain and grief (Isaiah 53:3-5, 10). Though he bore the penalty in silence and did not seek to deliver himself from it (Isaiah 53:7), he did cry out from the agony of the fury of God’s wrath poured on his perfectly holy and obedient person (Matthew. 27:46).

Jesus did not need to suffer in order to conquer or correct any disobedience. As the Son of God, he understood obedience completely. He learned obedience for the same reason he bore temptation—to confirm his humanity and experience its suffering to the fullest (Luke 2:52). Jesus’ obedience also was necessary so he could fulfill all righteousness (Matthew 5:13) and thus prove to be the perfect sacrifice to take the place of sinners (1 Peter 3:18).

Because of the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ and his perfect sacrifice for sin, he became the cause of salvation. True salvation evidences itself in obedience to Jesus Christ, from the initial obedience to the gospel command to repent and believe (Mark 1:15) to a life pattern of obedience to the Word (Romans 6:16).

Discussion questions

• How does Christ serve as our High Priest before God?

• How does knowing Christ intercedes for you affect your life?

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Storylist for week of 8/21/06

TAKE ME TO: Top Story |  Texas |  Opinion |  Baptists |  Faith in Action |  Faith & Culture |  Book Reviews |  Classifieds  |  Departments  |  Bible Study



• Farmersville church vandalized; members respond by ‘tagging’ for God

• Lebanon Baptists say goodbye to refugees, but ministry continues

• MAKING REPAIRS: Auto mission rebuilds engines, troubled lives

• MAKING REPAIRS: Auto mission rebuilds engines, troubled lives

• Nolen to coordinate Cowboy Fellowship

• TBM helps flood victims in El Paso

• Former inmate leads popular Bible study at state jail

• Humor & honesty help evangelist connect with youth

• Around the State

• On the Move

• Texas Tidbits

Texas Student Mission Trips
• Aggie BSM group conducts missions research in Turkey

• ETBU World Cup Team shares gospel with soccer fans

• BUA students help alumni in churches across the South

• Student missionaries discover love transcends cultural barriers

• Students start spreading the (good) news in New York

• Logsdon students experience Baptist life in Europe

• Russia-bound students discover missions in Dallas

• Progressive Baptists critique war in Iraq

• Baptist Briefs

• Wayland dean & chemistry prof on the roll 23 years

• War on terror leaves refugees in limbo

• Divorce affects faith development

• New faith-based initiatives chief named

• Artist offers new twist on ancient Christian symbols

• Book Reviews

• Classified Ads

• Cartoon

• Around the State

• On the Move

• EDITORIAL: Just the antidote for social isolation

• DOWN HOME: Balls of fire & divining God’s will

• TOGETHER: BGCT emphasizes church leadership

• RIGHT & WRONG? Social issues vs evangelism

• 2nd Opinion: Stem-cell stand: Right but doomed

• Texas Baptist Forum

• BaptistWay Bible Series for August 20: Salvation results in good works

• Family Bible Series for August 20: Make a difference in the world

• Explore the Bible Series for August 20: Old age has its own rhythms

• BaptistWay Bible Series for August 27: The gospel transforms human relationships

• Family Bible Series for August 27: Maximize the opportunities God provides

• Explore the Bible Series for August 27: The love song of the Old Testament

Previously Posted
• Sloan elected as Houston Baptist University president

• Sri Lankan violence forces change of venue for volunteers

• Faith sustains family through dark days of son’s illness

• VBS children fill God’s Penny Pail

• South Texas heat? No sweat for KidsHeart volunteers

• KidsHeart project makes missions a family affair

• VBS shines light in the darkness this summer

• Lebanon Baptists say goodbye to refugees, but ministry continues

• Wayland student, family fear persecution if they return to Comoros Islands

• See complete list of articles from our 8/07/ 2006 issue here.

Posted: 9/15/06

For American Muslims,
everything changed on 9/11

By Ken Camp

Managing Editor

DALLAS—Everything changed on 9/11—at least for American Muslims. But whether the change has been for the better or the worse depends on personal perspective and individual experience.

Waco’s Muslim community meets in a nondescript building behind an auto repair shop and a convenience store. The Islamic house of prayer—about 25 miles from President Bush’s Crawford ranch—shares a parking lot with a small Primitive Baptist church. No outside sign identifies the place of worship, but its identity is no secret, said Al Siddiq, president of the Islamic Center of Waco.

Five years after terrorists attacked the World Trade Center towers in New York, Muslims in the United States assess changes in their relationships with American Christians. This file photo shows rescue workers cutting through steel beams lodged in the ruins of the World Trade Center. (BP File photo by Jim Veneman) 9/11 Five Years Later • For American Muslims, everything changed on 9/11 • Differentiate 'Muslim' from 'terrorist' scholars say • No sweeping revival, but impact of 9/11 still felt in churches • Negative perceptions of Muslims persist, panel says • Who's Who in Islam: major groups • Christian presence in Holy Land small and getting smaller • Islam built on five pillars of worship & five pillars of faith • Poll shows some prejudice against Muslims • Children of Abraham: Muslims view God, church & state through different lenses

Muslims throughout the area know where to meet for prayer, and non-Muslim visitors always are welcome at worship services, explained Siddiq, a Pakistan-born American citizen who has lived in Waco since 1987.

“But we don’t want to draw unnecessary attention to ourselves,” he said.

The FBI has questioned Siddiq five times since Sept. 11, 2001, in response to rumored links to terrorism that all proved completely false.

“I understand security issues. I did intelligence work with the Army,” said Siddiq, who served six years in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Korea with the 101st Airborne Division. “But sometimes, people overreact.”

Even so, Siddiq believes awareness about Islam has increased in the Waco area since the attacks on the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon.

“I’ve spoken in 52 churches after 9/11,” he said, noting Seventh & James Baptist Church adjacent to the Baylor University campus was the first to invite him. “Overall, the relationship is for the better. It has opened doors.”

The best way to improve relationships between Christian and Muslims in the United States would be for the followers of each religion to be faithful to what each faith teaches about peace, he stressed.

“We each should practice our religion. ‘Turn the other cheek. Love your neighbor as yourself,’” he said, quoting the Christian Scriptures. “If Muslims live by the Quran and Christians put into practice what is in their own Bible, we all would be better people.”

In the 20 years Imam Yusuf Kavakci has led the Dallas Central Mosque in Richardson, he has seen his congregation grow from a few hundred to more than 5,000 who attend the mosque each week. In stark contrast to the simple facility in Waco, the Dallas-area mosque is a large two-story structure with amenities rivaling many North Texas mega-churches, including a medical clinic and an academy.

“We have good relations with our neighbors and our community,” Kavakci said, noting his congregation’s relationship with its religiously pluralistic community has grown stronger since Sept. 11.

“In a positive way, leaders have visited us. Some said: ‘We heard some of the sisters in your community have been harassed verbally for wearing head-coverings when they go out. We will accompany them,’” he said.

Alif Rahman, who teaches an outreach class at the Dallas Central Mosque for the Islamic Association of North Texas, has received numerous invitations to speak in churches since Sept. 11.

Imam Hamad Ahmad Chebli, leader of the Islamic Society of Central Jersey, leads weekly seminars on the proper way for Muslims to pray. (RNS photo by Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-Ledger)

“The goal is not to proselytize but to give right information,” he said.

Like Kavakci, he expressed appreciation to Christians who reached out to North Texas Muslims to shield them from any retaliation after Sept. 11.

“After 9/11, some Christians came here, literally holding hands and encircling us to say, ‘We are here to protect you and stand with you,’” he recalled.

“We have a great relationship with our community, but at the same time, we hear stories of people who have experienced backlash—men who have been profiled, women with head-coverings who have been verbally attacked.”

Mark Long, director of the Middle Eastern studies program at Baylor University, has heard similar stories from students who either are Muslim or appear to be of Middle Eastern descent.

“Most I know have had some heightened sense of discomfort,” he said. “They feel their bona fide status as American citizens is suspect.”

Long’s colleague in the Baylor University religion department, Chris van Gorder, agrees relationships between Christians and Muslims in the United States have “changed dramatically, mostly for the worse” since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

“A lot of my students have formed their opinions on Islam based on what they hear and see in the media. Once they meet Muslims, they are better able to understand,” said van Gorder, who wrote his dissertation at the Queen’s University of Belfast on Christian-Muslim relations and is author of No God but God: A Path to Muslim-Christian Dialogue on God's Nature.

“American Muslims are not a social threat. Most Muslims in the United States are here for economic reasons. They have a high respect for Christianity as they understand it. And they have a desire to be good neighbors and productive members of the community.”

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 9/15/06

Differentiate 'Muslim'
from 'terrorist' scholars say

By Ken Camp

Managing Editor

DALLAS—Flag-burning radical Muslims represent mainstream American Islam about as accurately as cross-burning Ku Klux Klansmen represent Baptists, a Texas Baptist theology professor believes.

“Most American Muslims are not sympathetic to radical Islam, and they are not interested in being identified with the extremists. They just want to be able to do their jobs, raise their children and be good neighbors,” said Ron Smith, senior professor of theology at Hardin-Simmons University’s Logsdon School of Theology.

“The assumption among many seems to be that radical Islam is characteristic of Muslims as a whole. As Baptists, we would not be happy to be characterized as being associated with the Ku Klux Klan, but there was a time in the South when most members of the Klan probably were identified as Baptists. Let’s not make the same mistake and paint with broad brushes when it comes to Muslims.”

Chris van Gorder, an associate professor in the Baylor University religion department who wrote his dissertation on Christian/Muslim relations, and is author of No God but God: A Path to Muslim-Christian Dialogue on God's Nature, also emphasized the importance of not judging American Muslims by radicals who claim to speak for Islam.

Judging Muslims by the actions of radical fundamentalists is comparable to judging Baptists in the South by the Ku Klux Klan, Hardin-Simmons University Professor Ron Smith says. (1957 File Photo by William Pike/Newhouse News Service)

“It’s true there’s plenty within Islamic fundamentalism and extremism to be alarmed about. It creates a dangerous and hostile situation in our world,” he said “But there’s a world of difference between Islamic extremists and the local Pakistani gas station owner who happens to be Muslim.”

Imam Yusuf Kavakci of the Dallas Central Mosque in Richardson stressed American Muslims should not be judged by radicals in the Middle East—nor should more than 1.2 billion followers of Islam be viewed as speaking with one voice.

“We have nothing like a Pope. We don’t have any one spokesman,” he said. “Confusion and misunderstanding comes from people mixing up what happens in the Middle East with what it means to be Muslim. … Our congregation is mainly Sunni, but we have Shi’a members here. Saddam Hussein said he was Sunni, but we are not that kind of Sunni.”

Islam worldwide has no mechanism for validating any individual or group as legitimately Muslim, Kavakci said.

Consequently, people as widely different as the Shiite cleric Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran and the Sunni Saddam Hussein in Iraq—as well as Hezbollah in Lebanon, which claims to be the “party of God,” and Osama bin Laden of al-Qaida—can claim to speak for Islam.

Alif Raham, who teaches an outreach class about Islam at the Dallas Central Mosque, stressed neither terrorists nor political figures who cloak themselves in Islam truly represent the faith.

“People use religion for different political purposes,” he said. “Terrorists act independently of our faith. You cannot equate the whole of our religion with them. They are trying to promote their own cause.”

To equate radical Muslim fundamentalists with mainstream Islam would be like judging all Christians by the Irish Republican Army or by American-bred extremists like Timothy McVeigh, who bombed the Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City, said Al Siddiq, president of the Islamic Community of Waco.

“There is no doubt in my mind Islam is a religion of peace,” he said.

A recent declaration against terrorism and religious extremism published by the Islamic Society of North America makes the same point.

“It is unfortunate that both extremists and detractors of Islam who distort the meaning of jihad propagate a false concept of jihad through expressions such as ‘jihadists,’ ‘Islamic terrorism’ or references by terrorists to jihad. Such stereotyping and the use of terms such as ‘Islamic terrorist’ are as unfair as referring to Timothy McVeigh as a ‘Christian terrorist’ or claiming that abortion clinic bombers committed acts of ‘Christian terrorism,’” the statement said.

The Islamic Society’s declaration stresses terrorists act contrary to the teachings of Islam—including its teachings about jihad.

“Jihad is not to be equated with terrorism,” the declaration states, stressing that jihad means “to strive or exert effort.”

But radical fundamentalist Muslims have hijacked the language of jihad and other elements of the Islamic faith for their own purposes, said Mark Long, director of the Middle Eastern studies program at Baylor University.

“Fundamentalists have distorted it and made the religion into something other than a religion of peace,” he said. “Jihad is the effort to conform one’s life to the will of God. But for fundamentalists, jihad is war conducted on the part of God against unbelief, which would be anything that challenges the supremacy of Allah alone.”

Radicals who use and abuse Islam present a genuine threat, said Long, a former Middle East analyst for the U.S. Air Force.

“We must speak out against the violence of Islamic radicals. We are right to take steps to defend ourselves against radicalism and the radicals who have misappropriated the Islamic faith,” he said.

Long, a Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary graduate who now attends an Episcopal church in Waco, stressed Islam is not inherently a violent religion—any more than Christianity.

“The majority of Muslims make it a religion of peace. They put verses from the Quran into historical context, and they interpret the Quran in context,” he said. “Is Islam a religion of peace? It is what its followers make of it—just like Christianity.”

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 9/15/06

Children of Abraham: Muslims view God,
church & state through different lenses

By Ken Camp

Managing Editor

DALLAS—Christians and Muslims worship the same God; the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ and Allah of the Quran are nothing alike. Jihad means an inner struggle to obey God’s will; jihad means waging holy war on infidels.

Muslims support human rights and religious freedom; Muslims practice oppression and want to impose Islamic law on non-Muslims.

Which views of Islam—the world’s fastest-growing religion—are right?

It all depends, some North Texas Muslim leaders and several Baptist university professors with expertise in Islam agreed.

“I wish all faith groups could see Islam as it is—without mixing what is happening in Iran with Islam, without confusing what is going on between Palestinians and Israel with real Islam and without viewing what is happening in Lebanon with pure Islam,” said Imam Yusef Kavakci of the Dallas Central Mosque in Richardson.

No central authority

Islam claims about 1.2 billion followers in more than 60 countries. Although Islam came into being on the Arabian Peninsula and nine out of 10 Arabs are Muslim, only about 20 percent of Muslims are Arabs. Roughly 85 percent of Muslims are Sunni, and close to 15 percent are Shiite.

Palestinian children attend a prayer during a celebration of the Islamic holiday of Isra Mi'raj in a mosque in the West Bank city of Hebron. The holiday marks what Muslims believe is the Prophet Muhammad’s journey from Mecca to Jerusalem, and it is believed to be followed by his ascension to heaven. (REUTERS photo by Nayef Hashlamoun)

“Within mainstream Sunni Islam, there is no equivalent of the Pope who speaks authoritatively for all Muslims,” said Mark Long, director of the Middle Eastern studies program at Baylor University.

Various mufti—scholars in Islamic law—issue fatwas, comparable to decisions by judges, and pronouncements from Cairo’s prestigious al-Ashur University carry tremendous clout, but they do not have final authority, he noted.

“Muslims are very strong on the idea that there is no intermediary between Allah and the individual,” said Long, a Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary graduate who now attends an Episcopal church in Waco. “No one has the final authority in Islam. God alone is sovereign.”

In some respects, Islam’s diversity grows out of a polity and belief that roughly parallel Baptist beliefs about local church autonomy, the priesthood of the believer and soul competency, Long noted—a similarity also underscored by Alif Rahman, who teaches an outreach class about Islam at the Dallas Central Mosque in Richardson.

“Islam does not have a strict hierarchy. The community selects a leader—an imam. Each mosque is autonomous, and leaders are elected democratically,” Rahman said. “Every human being can have a direct relationship with God without any human intermediary.”

Common ground, key differences

Ron Smith, senior professor of theology at Hardin-Simmons University’s Logsdon School of Theology, likewise stressed the importance of the certain beliefs Christians and Muslims hold in common.

“We worship the same God,” Smith said, noting “Allah” simply is the Arabic word for God and is used that way in Arabic language translations of the Bible.

“There is a different understanding of God in Islam but not a different identity. He is the same God. We have different understandings of God.”

Many Christians are surprised to learn Muslims hold Jesus Christ in high regard as a “true prophet” who was virgin-born, able to perform miracles and lived an exemplary life of holiness. However, Muslims categorically deny the deity of Christ—a crucial difference that cannot be minimized, he noted.

“There is more in common between Islam and Christianity than is widely recognized, but we are different in some important ways,” he said. “I believe Muslims are badly mistaken about some very important things but not about everything.”

Chris van Gorder, an associate professor of religion at Baylor University who wrote his doctoral dissertation on Christian-Muslim relations, and is author of No God but God: A Path to Muslim-Christian Dialogue on God's Nature, believes an essential starting point for any meaningful dialogue between Christians and Muslims is examining what kind of God their faith reveals.

“Both traditions agree that God is one, but they have widely divergent views on how that oneness is expressed,” he said.

“The basic distinction between Islam and Christianity is a difference in the conception of God’s relational nature. … In Christianity, ‘God is love’ and thus participant. In Islam, ‘God is one” and thus beyond the limits of finite comprehension. Christianity calls individuals to enter into covenant relationship with God. Islam calls individuals to worshipfully assume a proper place of obedience before God’s will and revelation.”

Inner struggle or holy war?

In addition to the basic beliefs in the oneness of Allah, the divine origin of the Quran and other agreed-upon Muslim principles, some experts on Islam see jihad as a sixth pillar of the faith. Literally, the word means “to strive, to struggle or to exert effort.” Practically, it has been used in a variety of ways, ranging from an inner jihad against temptation to armed conflict waged against enemies of the faith.

“Jihad is the struggle for righteousness,” van Gorder said. “That may include defending Muslims against attack. It’s not accurate to say Islam is a violent religion.”

Jihad can refer to inward jihad, the struggle against evil temptations and the effort to follow God’s will; social jihad, the ongoing struggle for truth, justice, goodness and charity; or battlefield jihad, sometimes called “the lesser jihad,” according to a statement against terrorism and religious extremism issued by the Islamic Society of North America.

Combative jihad only can be declared for self-defense in the face of unprovoked aggression or to resist oppression, the Islamic Society’s statement notes. And it must be conducted according to strict rules of engagement,

“Several stringent criteria must be met before combative jihad can be initiated,” the statement says. “To begin with, as a ‘hated act,’ war should be undertaken only as a last resort after all other means have failed. Next, jihad cannot be randomly declared by individuals or groups, but rather by a legitimate authority after due consultation. Finally, the intention of Muslims engaging in combative jihad must be pure, not tainted by personal or nationalistic agendas.”

Rules of engagement prohibit the targeting of noncombatants—particularly the elderly, children, women, unarmed civilians and the clergy.

“The rules of jihad are not that dissimilar from just war theory” in Christian thought, Smith of Hardin-Simmons noted.

Human rights & religious liberty

Both critics and defenders of Islam point to history and current events—as well as selected passages from the Quran—to buttress their positions presenting Islam either as an oppressor or defender of religious liberty and human rights.

When Salman Rushdie wrote The Satanic Verses, Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran—a Shiite cleric—declared jihad on him for blasphemy, issuing his death sentence and offering a reward to anyone who killed him.

Christian missions personnel serving in predominantly Muslim nations sometimes have become targets of violence. In recent years, a terrorist killed three Baptist mission workers at a hospital in Yemen, and four Baptist humanitarian aid workers were killed—and another seriously wounded—in a drive-by shooting in Iraq.

Human rights organizations have condemned the mistreatment of women in some Muslim countries. On the other hand, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Turkey all have had women heads of state.

Defenders of Islam note persecuted Jews driven from Spain by Christians in 1492 found a place of refuge in the Muslim Ottoman Empire.

They also point out Muslims grant special protected status to Christians and Jews as “people of the Book” who are allowed to worship with their families and fellow believers—as long as they do not seek to convert other people.

“Let them have their own practices, their own assemblies, their own freedom to worship—don’t impose (Islam) on them. We believe in tolerance. Allowing others to practice their religion is part of the Islamic faith,” Kavakci said.

Separation of church & state

But the Dallas imam emphasized commitment to religious tolerance is grounded in the Islamic faith—not in separation of church and state.

“Separation of church and state is so artificial,” he said, stressing that Islam is a way of life that permeates every aspect of being—individual, family and society.

“Religion cannot be separated. … Islam in its rules and regulations teaches we are to allow others to practice and to live by their own faith. It is enough. We do not need another practice imposed from the outside.”

Rather than dividing church from state, Muslims view the world as being divided into spheres—dar al-Islam, the realm in which people live under God’s law as revealed in the Quran; dar al-harb, the realm of war where people oppose God’s will as revealed in Islam; and dar al-suhl, the realm of truce.

“Countries like the United States which provide for religious freedom are regarded in Islam as falling within the sphere of dar-al suhl, or the abode of peace, and not dar al-harb—the abode of war,” Smith from Hardin-Simmons noted.

“In those countries in which the Islamic community is a majority and Islamic law—Shari’ah—is the law of the land, falling within the sphere of dar al-Islam, the abode of Islam, non-Islamic communities may exist, but their religious freedom is limited.”

The notion is difficult for Christians in America—particularly Baptists who see church-state separation as an essential safeguard for religious liberty—to grasp, he acknowledged.

“We look at the world through very different lenses, standing on different ground,” he said.

Relating to Muslims

In light of the different ways Christians and Muslims view reality, Christians should begin their interaction with Muslims by seeking to understand how Muslims understand God, van Gorder said.

“When Christians have not clearly understood the Muslim concept of God, the result has been murky presentations of Christianity,” he said.

For instance, apart from the mystical Sufi movement within Islam, most Muslims see the distance between God and humanity as a good thing that defines and maintains creation. So, Muslims see as undesirable the offer of a Christian witness who talks about Christ “bridging the gap” between God and sinful humankind and making possible an intimate relationship with God, he noted.

Christians should recognize and affirm the common ground they share with Muslims regarding some ethical and moral issues, as well as the belief in one God.

But that does not mean Christians should back away from the distinctive claims of their faith, he emphasized.

“Muslims expect Christians to be Christians,” he said. “Christians should not be afraid to do evangelism. Muslims expect Christians to share their faith. It’s a duty of Muslims to share their faith, so they understand that. We have to be who we are.”

The key, van Gorder stressed, is speaking Christian truth in love and building genuine friendships with Muslims.

“The example of Jesus should be our guide as we approach Muslims,” he said. “Too often, we focus on labels and categories. Jesus in the Gospels focuses on people—their hurts, their longings and their desires.

“We should focus on relationships and compassionate interaction. We are better able to share Jesus with Muslims when we don’t see them as labels but a people for whom Christ died.”

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 9/15/06

RIGHT or WRONG?
Three parts of a larger whole?

What do you think of the idea that evangelism, spiritual formation and Christian ethics really are not distinct, different matters but three parts of a larger whole?

In the broadest sense, one could say these three areas are just part of the larger whole of the Christian life. However, that would be like saying my brother, my sister and I are just the children of our parents. While the generalization would be true on the surface, it would ignore some very significant differences and individual characteristics.

Evangelism concentrates on the outward expression of our faith with others in an attempt to lead them to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. While evangelism can take different forms, it has a relatively narrow focus, which is directly sharing the gospel. Passages such as Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 1:8 provide the foundation for evangelism.

Spiritual formation, or discipleship, is a more inward, personal process of growth and learning. It focuses on Bible study, prayer, and individual learning and development. Spiritual formation is an educational process in which followers of Christ learn more about their faith, which produces spiritual growth in their lives. A verse often used as a basis of spiritual formation is 2 Timothy 2:15.

Christian ethics is a broader field that emphasizes the totality of living a Christ-like life. 1 John 2:6 reminds us that anyone who claims to be a Christian must act and live as Jesus did. Although this fad has passed, Christian ethics is vitally concerned with the question, “What would Jesus do?”

This incorporates many aspects. Since Jesus boldly shared the gospel, Christian ethics involves evangelism. Since Jesus modeled a pattern of spiritual growth and development, spiritual formation is a part of Christian ethics. But Jesus also fed the hungry, healed the sick, had compassion on the poor and had many other ethical aspects of his life. He went about doing good. In the Sermon on the Mount, he commanded his disciples to be the salt and light of the world. These all are crucial components of Christian ethics. Christian ethics thus provides a large umbrella of Christian development under which many other aspects find a place.

Christian ethics involves both being and doing the Christian life. It emphasizes the process of becoming like Christ in both who we are and what we do. Christian ethics will not let either side of the equation be ignored. It concerns not only our inward development, but also our outward actions.

Christian ethics also is involved in setting the standards for living our lives. It focuses not just on who we are and what we do, but who we ought to be and what we ought to do. It is a constant pull toward the holiness of God. This tension continually leads us to be and do more than we have before. It incorporates standards for both the individual aspects of personal life and the corporate aspects of God’s kingdom as a whole.

Christian ethics forces us to engage the world as Jesus did. In addition to evangelism and spiritual growth, it means social action, personal compassion, taking stands on moral issues, involvement in governmental affairs and more. Specifically, it addresses issues like abortion, world hunger, taxation, divorce, education, gambling and a myriad of other subjects.

If it is something Jesus would be concerned about, Christian ethics addresses it.

Van Christian, pastor

First Baptist Church

Comanche

Right or Wrong? is sponsored by the T.B. Maston Chair of Christian Ethics at Hardin-Simmons University’s Logsdon School of Theology. Send your questions about how to apply your faith to btillman@hsutx.edu.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 9/15/06

No sweeping revival, but impact
of 9/11 still felt in churches

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks upon the United States didn’t produce the widespread revival some Christian leaders predicted, but commentators believe the events of that day continue to affect church ministry.

Five years after the attacks on New York City and Washington D.C., the spike in worship attendance that occurred after Sept. 11 appears to be an anomaly. Within a month of the attacks, worship attendance had returned to pre-Sept. 11 levels in most places as people returned to their respective routines.

World Trade Center towers collapsing in New York City after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack. (Reuters Photo) • Read the Standard's coverage in our Sept. 17, 2001, issue of Baptist response to the crisis.

But many churches have changed because society changed, Christian leaders said. Sept. 11 marks the day many Americans lost the sense of security they held close. Since then, church leaders have continued trying to help people make sense of the uncertainty and danger they felt that day.

“Reinhold Niebuhr once described America as a gadget-filled paradise suspended in a hell of international insecurity,” said Martin Marty, author and former professor at the University of Chicago Divinity School. “On 9/11 the suspension cord was cut, and we were dropping into the insecurity most humans had always known and that we could keep at a distance.”

A new uncertain world challenged believers to rethink what it means to be a Christian in contemporary society and how to carry out the mission of the Church effectively, said Bill Tillman, Hardin-Simmons University’s T.B. Maston Chair of Christian Ethics.

“It probably forced us to think about Christianity and Christ’s following in ways we should have been thinking about them anyway,” said Terry York, associate professor of Christian ministry and church music at Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary.

The resulting discussion has covered a wide variety of topics from missions to preaching to the relationship between Christianity and democracy. Though Christians are taking diverse stances, especially in regard to politics, some commonalities can be noted such as a strengthened fundamentalist movement, an increased interest in Muslim culture and a willingness to address political and social issues.

In the years since 9/11, Christians were drawn to fundamentalist theological movements because they offer clear answers, Tillman said. Fundamentalists provide a worldview with identifiable evil and good, as well as a purpose for each person’s life. These factors are crucial in a culture where security has been lost.

“I think the episode of 9/11 and afterward helped the fundamentalists because their response is a heavy-handed response,” Tillman said. “It gave rise to a hard-line expression of the gospel.”

This rightward theological sway expressed itself politically through a stronger voice for the right, though recently a number of Christians are making efforts to represent a Christian left in politics and other Christians are trying not to be identified too strongly with either political party.

In another result of 9/11, pastors continue to speak about Islam regularly, and many churches have studied it in small groups or Sunday School classes, said Joseph Holloway, professor of religion at East Texas Baptist University.

Christians seem to want to know more about the Muslim world, believing the Sept. 11 perpetrators acted upon their fundamentalist Islamic beliefs, Holloway said. If Christians can better understand this culture, they believe they can change it by sharing the gospel in the culture. As a result, mission work in “closed” countries—particularly Muslim-governed nations—is on the rise.

“I think it’s obvious a heightened interest in the Muslim parts of the world – nations that are predominantly Muslim – has come to our attention,” Holloway said. “As a consequence, there is more of a concern to meet the needs that are crying out in those parts of the world.”

Islam is just one of the issues Christian leaders are discussing post-Sept. 11. According to a recent study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, clergy are speaking out on a variety of topics.

More than 90 percent of regular worship service attendees polled had heard clergy speak about poverty and hunger issues. Nearly 60 percent have heard clergy speak about abortion. Fifty-three percent have heard a clergyperson speak about the situation in Iraq.

Events of 9/11 “pushed us into areas we could speak tangibly about,” Tillman said.

York noted these are not the only effects on faith of 9/11, as the long-term consequences still is being determined. Christians are grappling with basic questions of their faith. How they work through those issues will decide what impact the terrorist attacks ultimately have.

“We’re only five years away from 9/11,” he said. “In the history of our country, that’s like five minutes. In the history of the world, that’s like five seconds. I’m still trying to figure this out myself.”

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 9/15/06

Negative perceptions of Muslims persist, panel says

By Hannah Elliott

Associated Baptist Press

SALT LAKE CITY (ABP)—Days before the five-year anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, a panel of Muslims discussed media-perpetrated misperceptions of Islam and a “climate of negativity” in the United States—particularly concerning the war on terror.

Laila Al-Marayati, an activist with the Muslim Public Affairs Council, said civil liberties ranks as one of the most important topics for Muslims. Non-Muslims not only accept that Muslims will bear the brunt of civil liberty violations, but also expect Muslims to accept it as the price to pay for living in America

Prolonged searches at airports, detainment without explanation, forced closures of charities and deportation are not acceptable, she said.

“The whole question today, five years after 9/11 is, ‘Are we safer?’” Al-Marayati said at the Sept. 8 discussion in Salt Lake City. “It’s still kept at a rhetorical level, but nobody is really challenging a lot of these civil liberty violations that have taken place that have not resulted into any concrete changes that have made America safer.”

Lack of public outrage at this treatment, Al-Marayati said, stems mostly from superficial information and misinformation. A negative perception continues about Islam, and it often is revived on the anniversary of 9/11, she asserted.

The worst of it culminates in the phrase “Islamic fascism,” she said. That term, which President Bush used to describe conspirators in a foiled London bombing plot, creates fear and uncertainty “without a lot of information to balance it,” she said.

“One expression of this negativity is the deliberate perpetuation of the myth that the Muslims have not done enough to condemn 9/11 and to condemn Osama bin Laden and all acts of terrorism,” Al-Marayati said.

“The facts are very obvious and very clear—every organization comes out with statements (condemning terrorism) ad nauseam … yet there continues to be this notion that is perpetrated and argued that (we) never said anything. So you’re always put on the defensive, but that questioning remains in the minds of the American people.”

Omar Sacirbey, a correspondent for Religion News Service and former adviser for the Bosnian Mission to the United Nations, said Muslim-Americans and most Muslims worldwide have condemned terrorism, but he still hears from Muslims who ask his advice on how to prove that condemnation to non-Muslims.

One way to demonstrate Islam is not monolithic is to realize facets of it have existed for centuries, Sacirbey said. He’s a Bosnian Muslim, and Muslims populate countries as varied as Indonesia, Egypt, and Turkey.

Plus, Al-Marayati said, the largest group of Muslims—40 percent—is African-American and usually ignored when discussing the faith. So, when asked about their reaction to the bombings, many Muslim-Americans wonder why they should feel any different than other Americans, she said.

“Most of us, we’re Americans, so we don’t have that kind of connection” with Muslim terrorists, she said, adding that it is difficult to reason with “that kind of labeling that somehow we are connected (with the terrorists) and the wishful thinking that somehow we could influence those events and make them not happen.”

In fact, Asra Nomani said, a certain opening of dialogue within the Muslim community has benefited Muslims everywhere, especially those who do not identify with terrorists. Nomani, an Indian-American who worked for years at the Wall Street Journal and wrote Standing Alone In Mecca: An American Woman's Struggle for the Soul of Islam, became the first woman in her West Virginia mosque to insist on the right to pray in the male-only main hall. She stressed that diversity within Islam actually serves non-Muslim Americans as they try to understand the culture and religion.

“There’re a lot of battles within the community that I think American readers are better served hearing and seeing in great detail. … America wants to hear about the debate within Islam and within the Muslim community,” Nomani said.

“They want to know that there are different voices within the community. And I think our Muslim world has benefited. It has actually evolved enough to the point where we can accept that there’s dissent, and there’s conflict, and there are various opinions.”

Both Nomani and Sacirbey mentioned several signs of a new dynamic within Islam—not the least of which are online Islamic dating sites, Islamic myspace.com accounts and Muslim-made T-shirts with edgy slogans on them, like “Product of an arranged marriage” and “I’m not a terrorist, I just look like one.”

What’s more, Sacirbey has even befriended members of an Islamic boy band and a male Islamic hairdresser, who when asked about the difficulty of cutting hair covered by hijabs, said “Islam is less about what you wear and more about how you act.” Hijabs are scarves some Muslim women wear to cover their hair.

“We have heavy-metal Muslims,” Sacirbey said, also mentioning a Muslim punk band. “These are not some dumb punk-rock kids. … They are expressing their faith through music.”

That self-expression and debate about the inner workings of Islam come easier in America, where the “rule of law” protects them. Should that change, however, Muslims will look elsewhere for protection and guidance, said Al-Marayati, an American of Palestinian descent.

Hezbollah is so appealing, she said, “because what they say is what they do. And they don’t make promises they can’t keep. And it is not based on who you know or what you have to pay.”

Muslims “don’t really care where (protection) comes from, but they’re sick of corruption, and what they want is transparency, predictability and accountability on behalf of their government,” she said.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.