Tuesday, September 22, 2009

LOPWMIDFMTIMAC and Mark Driscoll on Christians Fasting for Ramadan

Maybe I should start a List Of People Who Make It Difficult For Me To Imagine Myself A Christian, to go along with my LOPWMIPFMTIMAC.

In the news recently: Brian McLaren, Ries, and friends decided this year to fast during the month of Ramadan, in an act of peacemaking and solidarity between Christians and Muslims. Mark Driscoll was quoted in response as saying

"Christians observing a Ramadan fast is insane at best ... Sad, tragic, horrific, misguided, dangerous, wrong. If Christians want to pray during Ramadan, they should pray not with Muslims but for Muslims — that Muslims would come to know Jesus. To pray with Muslims absolutely dishonors Jesus."

I feel a bit sad for all the folks who sit under his teaching every week. Sigh.

6 comments:

Al said...

LOPWMIDFMTIMAC??? OK, I get it now, but it took me awhile (Duh!!.
Meanwhile, I have to agree with the sentiment of your post. I figure we need more dialogue, more opportunities to discuss and reason, more chances to find commonality, and less arrogance and diatribe. Not to say that Mark Driscoll is guilty of any of those, but...
It's bad enough when someone's outbursts offend those of us who admit to being Christ followers, but when those statements become the final straw for an honest, searching individual, everyone loses.

Benjamin Ady said...

Al,

Nice to emeet you. I'd love to know how you found my blog.

I think it's kind of the other way around--that we non-Christians, as a group, get put off at a way lesser level of offensiveness than the insiders do. Hence Kinnaman's book.

I think you are a bit either brave or silly to hang around with YWAM. but that's just me, and Goddess knows I've done things at least that brave or silly for extensive periods of my life.

What do you think?

Al said...

Hey Benjamin! I found you through your comments on Recycle Your Faith. I am particularly drawn to people of all stripes who aren't strident or arrogant, and who are interested in dialogue over diatribe. You definitely fall into that category!
My own movement in that direction (openness, conversation, somewhat deconstructionist) is fairly recent, and at least partly in reaction to a lack thereof in large chunks of institutionalized Christianity.
I find some kindred spirits within YWAM, although there are still remnants of other days around as well. I endeavor to be generous towards people who have a different view of things than I do, and try not to think I am more 'right' than they are. It definitely is a journey!

J. said...

I cannot, for the life of me, imagine a scenario in which LESS dialogue, commonality, understanding and mutual respect is somehow preferable to MORE...

Just sayin'

Benjamin Ady said...

Hey, J--thanks for commenting! I'm pretty much with you on that.

Al--I also try not to think I'm "more right" than others. Not always *on* with that, but I'm progressing =). You rock =)

Al said...

Well, J, there are people in this world who would rather lecture on their understanding of some issue than actually sit down and talk about various points of view that might be out there. And I tend to see that in the typical church model most churches follow. And I am trying to move to something more inclusive.
I don't suppose this kind of attitude is intentionally arrogant, bull-headed, or closed-minded (but then again...!), but it ain't pretty.
Words like "insane ... horrific, misguided, dangerous, wrong.... absolutely ..." might be taken as arrogant.