Communicating the Gospel to Muslims
http://www.answering-islam.org/Gilchrist/Vol2/3a.html
BASIC PRINCIPLES FOR MUSLIM EVANGELISM.
1. Our Attitude and the Spirit of our Appro
ach to Muslims.
Before exploring the actual subject of witnessing to Muslims and the most effective methods of communicating the Gospel to them, it is my intention to say a few things about our whole attitude and approach, in other words, the spiritin which we must conduct our witness. In any field of evangelism our manner of approach is very important, but especially in the field of Muslim evangelism. The impact of our message will soon be tempered if we do not present it in a tactful and charitable way.
Let me begin by saying that the fundamental principle to be observed, and the one that is the foundation of all the points I will raise in this section, is that we are dealing with people and not with robots, objects or insensitive creatures. Our witness must at all times have a thoroughly personal flavour with a keen sensitivity towards the needs, fears, attitudes and, at times, prejudices of those we intend to evangelise. Our object must not be to score points or to win arguments but to win Muslim people to God's Anointed Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Evangelists Say Muslims Coming to Christ at Historic Rate
Christians ministering quietly in the Middle East say Muslims are coming to Christ at an unprecedented pace despite intense persecution of those who leave Islam.
"Probably in the last 10 years, more Muslims have come to faith in Christ than in the last 15 centuries of Islam," said Tom Doyle, Middle East-Central Asia director for e3 Partners, a Texas-based missions agency.
A former pastor, Doyle has been to the Middle East around 80 times and last week returned to the U.S. from a trip to Jerusalem, where he said both Muslims and Jews are turning to Christianity.
The Causes and Roots of Religious Persecution – Part 2
Jan 11th, 2012 by Andy Bannister
Dr. Andy Bannister, RZIM Canada
In Part 1 of “The Causes and Roots of Religious Persecution” we saw the great harms of religious persecution, and identified some of its causes. Today we’ll examine why Sharia presents its own specific set of problems and outline how we ought to respond.
Apostasy and Blasphemy Laws
Why is Sharia law such a problem? Perhaps the two biggest issues are apostasy and blasphemy. Whilst there are various different schools of Islamic law, all treat apostasy and blasphemy as very serious offences, with most interpretations stating that the penalty for either should be death. So, when it comes to freedom of religious belief, there is a huge problem.
In 1998, Lina Joy, a Malay woman, declared she wanted to leave her Muslim faith and become a Christian. However, in Malaysia, your identity card carries your religion. Bravely she applied to have it changed from “Muslim” to “Christian”. The government refused and said she would need an “Apostasy Certificate” from a Sharia Court. The government lawyer said:
If you are born Muslim, you stay Muslim, at least until a Sharia court decides otherwise, which is never.[1]
There was a further problem too. If Lina Joy did go to a Sharia court, she would run the risk of criminal punishment as an apostate — for which the penalty could be death. Wan Azhar Wan Ahmad, Senior Fellow at the Institute of Islamic Understanding said:
If Islam were to grant permission for Muslims to change religion at will, it would imply it has no dignity, no self-esteem. And people may then question its completeness, truthfulness and perfection.[2]
Lina Joy was disowned by her family and fired from her job. She was unable to marry her boyfriend, a Catholic, since under Sharia law, a Muslim woman cannot marry a non-Muslim. She and her fiancé were forced into hiding after Muslim extremists threatened to kill them.[3]
In December 2010, the Pew Forum conducted a survey to ascertain what Muslims around the world thought about Sharia-based laws, such as apostasy. In Egypt, 84% approved of the death sentence for apostasy. In Pakistan it was 76%, Jordan 86% and even in Indonesia it was 30%.[4]
Evangelicals and Muslims: Few Churches Overcome Fear to Build Relationships
Evangelicals and Muslims: Few Churches Overcome Fear to Build Relationships
If there is any common thread to be found among evangelical churches in America when it comes to relationships with their Muslim neighbors it may simply be fear.
Geo-political battles around the world between Islamic and Christian influences translate to strained relationships between evangelical Christians and Muslims in the United States, according to several Christian leaders interviewed by The Christian Post for this series.
