Ace (of Spades) has a post up that will, most likely, scare the you know what out of most (American) Catholics. It seems that a Dutch Roman Catholic Bishop has suggested that, from now on, Christians refer to God as “Allah.”
According to Bishop Tiny Muskens, God does not care what we call Him. If we, then, can “foster understanding” between Christians and Muslims by calling God Allah, what’s the problem? Muskens wonders. Ace responds:
You ever get the feeling that European establishment churches just don’t care about religion all that much (particularly about the divisive Christ), and are more just social clubs and employers of last result for the drooling imbecile sons of the decrepit aristocracy?
I am not sure what the former aristocracy has to do with anything, but Ace has a good point about the Church in Europe (and dare I say especially in the Netherlands): it seems that it is more busy trying to reconcile everyone, not to insult anyone, than to spread the message of Christ(‘s Love and Salvation).
One of the main problems I have with most Churches in the Netherlands is that they have become overly progressive. Everything is allowed, and differences do not exist. The result? The Church has been weakened. It has virtually no influence over society anymore.
Now, I prayed in a mosque and I wrote about it here. To me, it was a great feeling: a beautiful spiritual experience. However, I will not start referring to God as Allah just yet. Why not? Because the word we describe to refer to God is very good. There is absolutely no need to stop referring to God as God (instead of Allah).
Muskens said that Christians in Indonesia refer to God as Allah – he is right. I believe that Christians do the same in Turkey – or at least some Christians – but I do not see how that is relevant: these Christians live in traditional Muslim countries. Muslims call God Allah, thus it is logical for Christians in those countries to do the same.
The Netherlands – however – is not a Muslim country: it is a – well, it was a – Christian country. In other words, if someone would – logically – change how they call God, it would be Muslims living here. They, however, do not wish to do that, because they believe that Allah is a perfect name for God, which is of course perfectly fine.
Those who already understand that we all worship the same God will not feel the need to change the way we refer to God and it will not be of any use to them. Those who do not understand it, on the other hand, will never understand it; no matter how we call God. In other words, it will be completely useless. The only thing it might accomplish is that European Christians might grow more and more convinced that the Church is trying to make itself as irrelevant as possible.
Again, for Christians living in a Muslim countries it is different, but for Christians living in the West it makes no sense whatsoever to start calling God Allah. Allah is simply the Arabic word for God – since we do not speak Arabic in the West, it makes no sense to start calling God Allah as long as we are living here. When in a Muslim country, it is different of course. When I am in Turkey, and when I tell people “may God bless you,” I do so in Turkish and use, therefore, Allah and not the word ‘God.’
H/t to reader Mike
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