Other Religions

Islam – The Challenge to the Church by Patrick Sookhdeo, 2006. Paperback 102 pages.

Christians like to think the best of people and especially those who are religious. But we also have to face reality especially with regard to the spread and growing significance of Islam throughout the world and in our own country. Already, Islam is a great threat to the Christian church in much of Asia and Africa, where Christians are persecuted and treated as third rate citizens. In the West, as a result of immigration and a high birth rate, Islam is exerting an increasing influence and there have been moves to adopt their own Sharia law here. To deal with this challenge, the church needs to properly informed. This book, written by a former Muslim and Director of Barnabas Fund, explains the history of Islam, what Muslim's believe and how Islam differs from Christianity. Here is one quote:

'Christians must not let themselves forget the basic truth that it is faith in Jesus Christ which God is looking for, not faith in general. In a secular, materialistic culture, it is tempting to think that Muslims and Christians can be allies against the overwhelming godless hedonism which surrounds them both. But Christians must always bear in mind that Islam denies the heart of the Christian faith, and that its very creed – which resounds from minarets five times a day as the muezzin calls Muslims to prayer – was formulated to deny the deity of Christ and the finality of his revelation. When the muezzin calls 'There is no God but God', he is saying that Jesus is not God and when he adds that 'Muhammad is his messenger', he is saying that Jesus has been superseded by Muhammad.