Interfaith service surprise

Interfaith service surprise January 12, 2017

geograph-3219323-by-Dave-KellyThe Anglican cathedral in Glasgow, in its interfaith zeal, invited a Muslim to read from the Qu’ran in the divine service for Epiphany.  The purpose was to show that Muslims too honor Jesus.  The reader did read the accounts of Jesus’s birth in the Muslim holy book, but then went on to read the passage that specifically denies that Jesus is God’s son.

A controversy has broken out, but the point should be clear:  All religions do NOT teach the same things.  And to pretend otherwise, as interfaith services do, is a failure to respect the integrity of the different religions.

From Controversy Over Cathedral Koran Reading Deepens With Denial That Jesus Is Son of God | Christian News on Christian Today:

The controversy surrounding a reading of the Koran at a Christian cathedral has deepened after it emerged the text read included a passage that explicitly declares Jesus is not the Son of God.

The denial of this key Christian doctrine was read out at a leading cathedral of the Scottish Episcopal Church in Glasgow.

The cathedral’s Provost, Rev Kevin Holdsworth, invited the recitation from the Islamic holy book that gave the Muslim interpretation of Jesus’ miraculous conception and birth. The reading was given by Madinah Javed, a Muslim law student, at St Mary’s Cathedral at the Epiphany service which celebrates the incarnation of God as His son Jesus. . . .

In a Facebook post shortly after the January 6, the Cathedral described the service as a “wonderful event”.

It says: “The congregation was also reminded during the service that it is not only Christians who give honour to Jesus. We were joined by friends from two local Muslim communities.” The post also shares a video of the recitation.

But Javed went beyond the allocated text in the service sheet to include a passage that outrightly denied Jesus was God’s son, a key Christian doctrine.

The initial verses translated in the service sheet do not include the controversial passage that provides one of the crucial differences between Islam and Christianity.

Javed, reciting in Arabic, went beyond the set reading to the following passage which states: “It is not befitting for Allah [God] to take a son.”

[Keep reading. . .]

Photo  of  Cathedral Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Glasgow, Scotland © Copyright Dave Kelly and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

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