Theological Digression: Helping Islam

A number of weeks ago I was watching the news on TV and saw a special report on a very unusual church ministry. This particular church (and I’m afraid I don’t remember what state it was in) had Islamic neighbors who were renovating their mosque. Since their mosque was undergoing construction the Muslims who attend it were unable to hold their services there. The Christian church offered to let the Muslims use their church instead until the renovations were complete. So the two groups shared a single facility – the Christians held their traditional services and left, and then the Muslims held their Islamic services and left. They did not share services or change the gods they worshiped; they simply shared the same facility.

People talked about what a wonderful, kind thing it was for the Christian church to do that, but I’m not sure it was the right thing to do. Is it really a good idea to take a building that’s dedicated to the glory of God and allow Muslims to use it to worship Allah? How is that different from the church endorsing Islam as a true religion that honors God? After all, suppose the tables were turned. Do you really think that Muslims would allow Christians to use their mosques to worship Jesus? (A related question: how many Jewish synagogues do you think exist in Mecca? Isn’t it interesting how everyone is supposed to be tolerant of Islam and yet Islam is never asked to be tolerant of others? Why do you suppose this tolerance only goes one way?)

Let’s think about this for a minute. I hope it is clear to everyone that the Christian God is not the same as the Islamic Allah. Christianity teaches of a triune God who sent His Son Jesus (who was fully God, and fully man) to Earth to die for the sins of mankind and, through that death, purchase forgiveness and salvation for mankind. Islam strenuously denies all of these things. Some people may stand up and say that they’re all the same, but even Muslims do not believe this. After all, if they’re “all the same”, then why do Muslim countries execute people who leave Islam and convert to Christianity? They clearly see a difference between the two religions.

There are a tremendous number of differences between Islam and Christianity but I will focus on just one. Christianity teaches that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, who came to Earth to die for mankind and purchase salvation. Islam completely denies this. The Bible has this to say about people who deny this doctrine:

1 John 4:2: “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is in the world.”

That’s pretty cut and dried. Islam denies this, so it is not of God. Its god, then, is not the God of the Bible, but a false god. Just in case we missed it, this concept can be found repeatedly all throughout the Bible:

1 John 2:22: “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.”

Does Islam agree that Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior of the World, and that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but should have everlasting life? Absolutely not! The Bible, then, calls its teachings lies. It is a false doctrine and those who hold to it worship a false God. Allah, then, cannot be the God of the Bible. This is not complicated.

Therefore, those who follow Islam are following a false god, and those who help Islam are helping people down the road to Hell. If a church offers to lend its facilities to Muslims for the express purpose of allowing them to worship their false god, isn’t that aiding the spread of Islam – and, therefore, leading people away from the real God? Should churches really be doing that?

Some might say “Oh, you’re just overreacting. It’s not a big deal.” The Bible disagrees. Look at what 2 John has to say about this:

2 John 1:7: “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.”

John warns Christians to be wary of “deceivers” who deny that Jesus is the Messiah. Islam would definitely fall under this category. John goes on:

2 John 1:10: “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him Godspeed:
11 For he that biddeth him Godspeed is partaker of his evil deeds.”

Do you see what this is saying? This strictly commands Christians to not provide any form of help whatsoever to those who are spreading a false gospel. Even verbal support is forbidden. Do you think that, just maybe, lending your church to people so they can worship false gods just might be considered “support”? Do you think the Apostle John would have put his stamp of approval on that? Do you think God would have approved of that? I don’t think so.

The Bible commands us to love each other and to be a light to the world, but I see nothing loving or kind in helping people spread a false gospel. The world may approve but I do not believe God is honored.