Until the Islamic worldview will allow for others to freely express religious faith, as does the Jewish worldview and Christian worldview one is advised to be discerning about such events as "A Night to be Polite".<br />
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Jim Galloway recently wrote a blog, "A night of Polite. He discussed a Muslim scholar explaining the Quran from the pulpit of a major synagogue.<br />
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According to Galloway, the two-hour session, "Understanding the Quran," was sponsored by the Southeast Division of the Anti-Defamation League headed by former TV journalist Bill Nigut, and the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta led by Soumaya Khalifa. After some preliminaries, Joseph Lumbard, chair of Islamic and Middle East studies at Brandeis University addressed some troublesome Quranic verses and answered some questions.<br />
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I'm sure the 200 plus who gathered felt good about the event but THE POINT WAS MISSED by those in attendance. The evidence of this came in a question that dealt with the separation of Church and State. Galloway, writes, "But the evening boiled down to religion and citizenship. Nigut, in his deep bass, took up the question of the separation of church and state - using Jesus' admonition in the New Testament to render unto Caesar. Do Muslims have something similar? Lumbard's answer. "There isn't what we would consider to be a separation of church of state," he said. "Sometimes it works out that way, but from a Quranic perspective, there isn't that."<br />
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Furthermore, according to Galloway's blog report, Lumbard was asked whether Muslims in America considered themselves U.S. citizens? Muslim minorities, Lumbard said, are "basically obligated to follow the laws of that particular state. Will your alliances lie with your religion before the country? Yes, they will," he added.<br />
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BINGO! Can you say worldview?<br />
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Honest dialogue is always good, however, most of these kinds of events don't address the issue...worldview. A "worldview" refers to a comprehensive conception of the world from a specific standpoint. An individual's worldview is his "big picture," a harmony of all his beliefs about the world. It is his way of understanding reality. One's worldview is the basis for making daily decisions and is therefore extremely important. A worldview is comprehensive. It affects every area of life, from money to morality, from politics to art.<br />
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Here is the "Rub". Islam has a very distinctive Worldview which is not compatible with Western understanding of religious freedom and citizenship. Remember Galloway's comment, "But the evening boiled down to religion and citizenship. He wrote that Bill Nigut, {moderator of "Night of Polite"} took up the question of the separation of church and state. Do Muslims have something similar? Lumbard's answer. "There isn't what we would consider to be a separation of church of state from a Quranic perspective. That's worldview.<br />
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Influence of a worldview: Consider the worldview of Naturalism, which involves these three understandings: 1) We are the product of random acts of nature with no real purpose. 2) We do not respect nature as we should. 3) We can save the world through ecology and conservation.<br />
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Consider the Christian worldview, which involves these three understandings: 1) We are God's creation, designed to govern the world and fellowship with Him. 2) We sinned against God and subjected the whole world to a curse. 3) God Himself has redeemed the world through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, and will one day restore creation to its former perfect state. <br />
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The point is that a naturalistic worldview generates many related philosophies such as moral relativism, existentialism, pragmatism, and utopianism. A Christian worldview leads us to believe in moral absolutes, miracles, human dignity, and the possibility of redemption.<br />
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"A Night of Polite" misses understanding the role of worldview between Islam and the West. <br />
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So I'm for polite discussion, debate and dialogue. However, you just can't put a square peg in a round hole.<br />
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<i> Dr. Tom Smiley is Senior Pastor of Lakewood Baptist Church, Gainesville, Georgia. The 2400 member congregation is a vibrant Christian fellowship locally and globally. Dr. Smiley is the founder of "Life with Smiles Ministry". His messages are broadcast on AM 550 WDUN, and his "blog" entries and thoughts on God, faith, current events, and Islam are available at his website below. His books: "Runaway Lives: Overcoming Emotional Undercurrents", "Angels all Around", and "Uncommon Common Sense" can be ordered at his Life with Smiles website. Contact Dr. Smiley at
[email protected].</i>
