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Christianity Today, September, 2008 |

Looking for Home

Muslim-background believers in the U.S. struggle to find Christian community.

Christopher Lewis | posted 9/24/2008 11:07AM

Sheltered in a Chicago-area Starbucks one afternoon, Tahir* is dreading the commute home. "My home situation is like a time bomb," he sighs, describing the tense stand-off between his Christian faith ...

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Lawrence Mwangi

Posted: September 28, 2008 12:42 AM


Les Nordman.thants good but the Isah in Qurann isnt Jesus FYI but the rest is okay we have a grouip called the C5 belivers that follow those rights and clad in hijab and cover their heads just like a normal Muslim or Jews used to do but they are botrn again this mainly hapens in extreme Islamic nations where persecution is very high..so in that they reduce risk opf being noticed

Alain Maashe

Posted: September 25, 2008 10:49 PM

This was a powerful article and a needed reminder that we have brothers and sisters in Christ that have lost everything (family, community, job, and country) to serve Christ. The deserve our assistance and prayers. It is also a clear reminder of the grace many of us have, where the only persecution is to be rediculed by friends and coworkers who think that we speak too much about God.Instead, for many of the former Muslims, it is a matter of life and death. They are true heroes of the faith.

RJR_fan

Posted: September 25, 2008 1:02 PM

Christian Reconstruction is a hopeful development among evangelical Protestants that breaks with the self-obsessed navel gazing of pietism to proclaim that Jesus is Lord, not guru. He is interested in every sphere of life. When you are asking someone to turn his back on a whole world, you'd better have an equally comprehensive world to offer. Islam is a total world and life view, and as such is far more than a "personal experience." Christianity, too, is "more than a feeling." But, we seem to have forgotten that over the last few centuries in America.

Rich of NYC

Posted: September 25, 2008 12:02 PM

There's a difference in Iranians (Persians) and Iraqis (Arabs), and as the article states, Arabs are more "hardcore". I grew up around a lot of Arabs in NYC, and Chris makes a good point, Islam IS the way of life, its embeded in their culture as a race, like Roman Catholicism to Latinos, it's part of our upbringing. Churches need to adapt o their congregation and many do a great job of welcoming new believers. Having an Muslim-background group meeting could help matters as well as pointing them to resources such as these.. I have heard personal stories of converts. All are tragic as you're removing their identity badge in their respective community. When you're dealing with a group from where religioun is embedded in their culture, words like sanctuary and community need to hit home. For the most part I see Muslims CAN and WILL believe in Christ eventually. Once you peel back those stubborn layers of cultural history that closes their hearts and minds its a whole new ball game. Peace

Angelika

Posted: September 25, 2008 12:01 PM


May our Heavenly Father bless our new christian brothers and sisters. I pray for every one who surrenders his or her life to our savior Jesus Christ. Stay strong and stay firm, God will bless you. If we are with God, who can be against you? NOBODY!!! You will be in my prayers every day, and in our prayer meetings at church. I also know God will bless you with more then you lost.

Jones E

Posted: September 25, 2008 8:07 AM

As believers in Christ Jesus, we are God's children (John 1:12) and thus members of one family for which we should always praise God (1 Peter 4:16). Our culture and religious practices should then be based and guided by God's commandments and principles as clearly stated in the Bible and not by our country or previous religious backgrouds. We must bear in mind that we have another country which culture is totally different from human inspired cultures. Having taken the first step to qualify to be a citizen of that country through our belief and acceptance of Christ Jesus as our Saviour, we must continue to abide and live our lives committedly patterned to His to finally be admitted into that country.

jess	Posted: September 25, 2008 3:07 AM

Thanks for the insightful article. Just as muslim is a way of life, so are the many staunch bhuddhist or any other "religions", where converting to the Christian faith is viewed as "betraying" not just the "gods" but the entire family clan and ancestors. We indeed need to pray to Jesus Christ, who alone is Lord, for the many who have turned to the faith to be strengthened, encouraged and graciously looked upon by our loving Father.

Lloyd A. Cooke

Posted: September 24, 2008 10:00 PM

Excellent article. I hope that American believers will befirend these new believers and let them feel at home. Maybe our churches need to help them form their own fellowships and forms of worship of the Messiah in which they will fell comfortable and be able to effectively witness to and win their own peoples. May the American church awake to the opportunities for witness that lie at their door. Blessings and best wishes from Jamaica!

Ray	Posted: September 24, 2008 9:54 PM


An excellent and insightful article. It will undoubtedly serve as an inspiration for me as I seek to reach out to Muslims and former Muslims in my area. Actually, I am looking for fellow Christians to partner with, who share my desire to witness to Muslims, in Missouri and southern Illinois. rkredlich@gmail.com

Philip

Posted: September 24, 2008 9:26 PM

The author errs in comparing a Chinese Christian with one from a Muslim background. Muslims are followers of Islam, the ideology cum "religion" but being a Chinese is a race. You can't change your race but you can change your religion. Those of us are born in Muslim-majority countries and are citizens know that Islam teaches intolerance and advocates force and violence when Muslims leave Islam-- they are put to death or counted as dead by friends and family members. For a Muslim to become a Christian he/she is in for a tough time, Luke 14:26 becomes a living reality. We need to pray for Muslim converts and stop pretending that Islam is a "religion"of peace.

David L

Posted: September 24, 2008 5:25 PM

I have been in Bible studies with Palestinian, Jordanian, and arab Christians. They like many ethnic groups, struggle with the idea of equating being Christians with being a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant. In my experience these groups were fellow Orthodox Christians so there was less pressure on them to become "American" as something synonymous with sanctified. I think it is easier for someone like myself to reach out to a Muslim because I have come to understand their culture, there is also no expectation that in leaving Islam they can no longer be Arab, Persian, Albanian, etc.

Pete Benson, editor UNITYINCHRIST.COM

Posted: September 24, 2008 4:24 PM

I give this one fives stars. I'd give it ten stars if that option where here. The whole reason Christianity under the legislation in Jerusalem under Peter and James, and Paul in Romans 14 allowed for Gentile worship practices as well as Jewish, was so that the Lord could gather into his growing family of believers members in all the families of the Gentile world. These peoples, gathered as one under Jesus, will be the future leaders in the Millennial Kingdom Jesus brings with him, each people group of believers ruling lovingly over their own peoples. That's why each group like this one is so very precious in the Lord's eyes. He has called them to belief in him and the Father through the Holy Spirit. Let us embrace these Muslim-background believers in Jesus with a loving Christian hug of fellowship. Let us welcome their precious cultures into our churches, to add to the rich ethnic flavors of the Christian Church, the body of Christ, united as one in Jesus.

Lance E

Posted: September 24, 2008 4:23 PM

As long as the church does not live as Paul the apostle taught it will be inefficient. Not many would abstain from meat to win souls when necessary. Even if it offends, the church will poke holes in their ears, deck them down with gold, diamonds & pearls, put on fancy attire, and dress in offensive ways and expect to draw others. Apostle Paul had a church of several conflicting cultures. When there is Love, they will find a place to abide.

Les Nordman

Posted: September 24, 2008 3:48 PM

Is there any way Phil Parshall's approach to Muslims and Christ be adapted for expatriate Muslims here in the West? For example, a person who from a Muslim background who now places his or her faith in Jesus of Nazereth as God and Messiah could say to his family and friends "I follow God after the way of the Aneb Isah." What a wonderful opportunity to explain who and what "Aneb Isah" really is! New converts could still pray five times a day, facing Mecca: God does not care which way we face when we pray, and praying five times a day is a good thing. New converts do not have to automatically eat pork and disrespect women in Western ways when they come to Christ. They can keep their cultures. - Les

matt	Posted: September 24, 2008 3:42 PM


I would love to reach out to former Muslim, Christian 'refugees' in Chicagoland. Just tell me how. www.theincarnate.blogspot.com

Leslie

Posted: September 24, 2008 3:22 PM


It is heartbreaking to see that the Church has forgotten that we are supposed to become _the_ family to new believers. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. Please know that I've prayed for those in this article that they will have the fellowship they not only are seeking, but deserve, as followers of Y'shua.

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