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“More than 50 percent of Muslims reported they regularly interact with Christians and hold the belief that such interaction helps the groups to understand each other better. The same conclusion is held by only 22 percent of the surveyed Evangelical Christians.” - WRN

Discussion

Thu, 03/14/19

It’s worth noting that you can live in an awful lot of places where you either won’t come across many Muslims, or where the Muslims you’ll come across aren’t easily identifiable as such. To draw a picture, tell me how you differentiate a Hindu or secular Indian from an Indian Muslim who doesn’t wear a hijab. It’s not always obvious even if you know their name. A bindi or certain artwork can help, but…

For my part, I do interact with Muslims often—big refugee community here in Rochester—even teaching some young east African girls how to swim (blowing that stereotype away really), and I do think I understand them a little better. Sometimes it’s hard to tell whether one understands, though.

Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.

Thu, 03/14/19

I have encountered more than one Christian who is afraid of Muslims and believes they are all out to get us. I do not see them that way, for a few reasons:

  1. I had interacted with a few Muslims before 911.
  2. I have had conversations with several Muslims after 911, some conversations specifically about Islam, peace, terrorism, what they think of Christians, etc.
  3. I don’t really think of any people group as being “all” something. People just aren’t like that.
  4. It’s inherently unfair to view individuals as having some negative characteristic just because they share similarities with others who do have that characteristic. (E.g., some Baptists are pedophiles; do I want all non-Baptists to view me as a pedophile suspect? “Do unto others….” folks.)
  5. No, whether “genuine” Islam (i.e., the Qur’an) teaches violence or not is not relevant. (Just as different “Christian” groups interpret the Bible differently, so different Muslins interpret the Qur’an — and the aHadith — differently. It doesn’t matter who’s “right.” The point is, they are not all the same.)

Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.

Fri, 03/15/19

Careful Aaron,

Some Christians have been tarred and feathered online for daring to suggest that most Muslims are not violent terrorists, and that we should be conversing with them about the gospel. :-)

Fri, 03/15/19

I’ve had a little tar and feathers before… Stings, but it washes off eventually. ;-)

Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.

Fri, 03/15/19

Unfortunately, those evangelical Christians that have little interest in interacting with Muslims see them more like the enemy of America rather than the mission field. More Muslims have converted to Christ (especially migrants) in the past 18 years (since 9/11) than the past 1400 years.

Sat, 03/16/19

My husband, Vitaliy, is a facilitator of this course, Kairos— it has been very effective in mobilizing people and creating an understanding of missions— https://simplymobilizing.us/kairos-course/course-description/

At least in Ukraine, they emphasize/use examples from Muslim cultures, and we now have missionaries from our church in Ukraine in a stan country.

I think that most Christians are just kinda weirded out and intimidated by Muslims—the head gear, the unknown, the assumptions, etc. There are ways to help with that.

Lovely to come back for a visit after so many years! I see so many familiar names here even still. I think my brother Andrew was/is on here, too. We have four kids now, and we are currently in the States so Vitaliy can complete immigration and become a citizen, hopefully by summer we will be done so we can return. We are still missionaries and live in Ukraine, but this step will make our travels between homelands easier.

Kairos is a great course ;)

www.annesokol.com

Sat, 03/16/19

Nice to hear from you, Anne, and thanks for the update on your family and ministry.

Will take a look at Kairos.

Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.