Comments on: Give 30 Iftar dinner brings Anglican and Islamic communities together in Kingston, Ont. https://anglicanjournal.com/give-30-iftar-dinner-brings-anglican-and-islamic-communities-together-in-kingston-ont/ National News from the Anglican Church of Canada Mon, 24 Jun 2019 23:56:08 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Brian Johnson https://anglicanjournal.com/give-30-iftar-dinner-brings-anglican-and-islamic-communities-together-in-kingston-ont/#comment-24076 Mon, 24 Jun 2019 23:56:08 +0000 https://anglicanjournal.com/?p=159864#comment-24076 This is one of those events that creates a tension among diligent Christians. It’s a good thing to get to know people of other faiths, and to learn about the content and experience of their faith expressions, but there’s also a danger that the connection and experience may become so large a component of the agenda that explanations and expressions of Christian thinking about what another faith is doing is set aside as a small agenda item, or perhaps lost alltogether.
Islam is a religion of works, and Muslims are called on to perform many tasks to be an acceptable follower of their faith. So the rule for Ramadan is well known: fast from sunup until sundown, (unless you live in the Arctic, then the rules are different, because, well because Muhammad didn’t actually know about the curvature of the earth back around 600AD), then you can eat what you wish. When the lunar month is determined to be over, then everyone can join in a big feast.

Christianity is a religion based on faith in the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. Christians are obligated to share their gospel biblical faith, and an iftar meal does seem like a good forum to point out the similarities- good food is enjoyable, and the differences- times for eating are important in Islam while Christians are indifferent. Do you think the Imam shook hands with any women who attended the event?

At any rate, one would hope Oulton and the leadership team would have offered workshops on evangelism, and teaching on the majesty of Christ’s love and grace to his own parishioners, and interested Muslims as a way trying to reduce the tension due to the central and irreconcilable incompabilites of Christianity and Islam.

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