Posted on 06/04/2006 2:26:01 PM PDT by NYer
This article first appeared in the Viewpoint column of the Christian Research Journal, volume 25, number 1 (2002). For further information or to subscribe to the Christian Research Journal go to: http://www.equip.org
Since September 11, scores of commentaries have been written about terrorism and Islam, many from Christian leaders. It is remarkable how writers unfamiliar with the Arabic language have ventured comments, if not judgments, relating to the term Allah. It is as if anything to do with Allah must be demonized in order for us to feel righteous and justified.
In a news clip on KFUO-AM Radio in St. Louis, shortly after the 9-11 tragedy, Tim LaHaye, noted evangelical speaker and coauthor of the Left Behind series, said, “Allah is not the God the Bible. He is an evil spirit that results in murder.” I have to assume Tim LaHaye is not fluent in Arabic! He is, however, not alone in referring to a Qur’anic interpretation or concept of God. Many Westerners seem unaware that Allah is the God Arabic-speaking Christians worship. The Arabic Bible is replete with the word Allah, beginning with Genesis and ending with Revelation. Jesus Christ is even called the son of Allah in the Arabic Scriptures.
Arabic-speaking Coptic, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Maronite, evangelical, and Reformed Christians worship Allah, which is simply the word or term for God in another language. Islam does not hold a copyright to the term. In fact, Arab Christians existed before Islam appeared on the scene. Christians who worship Allah number in the millions, and their biblical version of Allah differs from the Qur’anic version. To demean or demonize the word for God in another language does a great disservice to believers who speak that language. Opportunities to win a hearing or dialogue between Christians and Arabic-speaking Muslims vis-à-vis Jesus Christ are also minimized.
It is time for all of us, especially Christians, to exercise caution when it comes to attacking the term for God in a language foreign to most of us. No other term exists in Arabic for the God Christians claim to be the one, true God. Western Christians do not normally use Hebrew terms for God in their languages. They cannot expect Arab Christians to use any other term or word for theirs. Allah is equivalent to the English God, the French Dieu, or the Spanish Dios.
In a World magazine issue on terrorism and Islam, Marvin Olasky, editor, referred to Allah as not being the God of the Bible. He wrote, “Muslims say their God is all-wise and all-compassionate, but Allah merely displays man’s understanding of what wisdom and compassion are” (World, 27 October 2001). This statement causes confusion. To say rather that the Muslim concept of Allah differs from the Christian concept of Allah, in my opinion, would be helpful.
Throughout Western history, many people have corrupted the term God. For instance, the Ku Klux Klan demeans, diminishes, and denigrates the English word God; yet, English-speaking Christians have not permitted such corruptions to rob them of their use of the term God. Likewise, the same is true for God in Arabic. Terrorists may misuse the term Allah, but they cannot rob millions of their word for God.
Perhaps we could better understand this error if we translate some of these judgments and criticisms into English. For example, some Christians might say, “God is not the God of the Bible.” They also might say, “God is a demonic force causing murder,” and so on. How can Christians then proclaim Christ to people who know of God by that term? If God is demonized, it also becomes impossible to encourage people to love God, to worship God, or to believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Would we be willing to give God a different term after centuries of using God in our language? Some are linguistically destroying the term for God used by millions of their coreligionists in other parts of the world. God loves the world, including those who speak Arabic.
It is imperative that the term Allah not be totally destroyed in Western minds. Otherwise, even Arab Christians will be questioned as to their authenticity and worship of the one, triune God, according to Christian orthodoxy. Such linguistic destruction also threatens to harm relationships with Muslims and potentially arouses hatred. The problem is linguistic, not theological.
Arabic was spoken at Pentecost, a watershed event in church history (Acts 2:8–11). Its usage regarding the worship of God predates English. In fact, Muhammad may have borrowed the term from Christians and Jews of his day. A Washington University anthropology professor states, “Allah is the south Semitic version of the north Semitic Elohim…so that the Eloh and Allah versions appear to come from the same Semitic root.” Let’s exercise caution in speaking of Islam’s different tenets and not demonize Allah, who is found throughout the Old and New Testaments in the Arabic Bible, as is God in our English version. The apostle John said, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Allah, and the Word was Allah” (see John 1:1). We can join our Arab brothers and sisters in Christ who often say, “Allah be praised!”
Not quite true.
The Arabic script evolved from the Nabataean Aramaic script. It has been used since the 4th century AD, but the earliest document, an inscription in Arabic, Syriac and Greek, dates from 512 AD. The Aramaic language has fewer consonants than Arabic, so during the 7th century new Arabic letters were created by adding dots to existing letters in order to avoid ambiguities. Further diacritics indicating short vowels were introduced, but are only generally used to ensure the Qur'an was read aloud without mistakes.
Jesus Christ, His mother and the Apostles all spoke Aramaic, which predates Arabic. However, the point of this article is to draw attention to those christians who in contemporary society, speak Arabic and refer to God as 'Allah'.
You may be surprised to learn just how much 'Arabic' you already speak. That cup of 'coffee' you drink is from Arabic, as is the 'elixir' prepared by your pharmacist. The word 'Admiral' is also from Arabic. Here's a list of other Arabic words that have made their way into the English language.
I think this is what the author was referring to.
And how have we heard, every man our own tongue wherein we were born?Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews also, and proselytes, Cretes, and Arabians: we have heard them speak in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.
**In fact, Arab Christians existed before Islam appeared on the scene. **
BTTT!
Right. Christians share so much in common with Muslims: the Incarnation, Crucifixion, Resurrection, Pentecost, God as Holy Trinity--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, etc.
She is making a connection between Islam and Arab Christians through the word Allah. It is a bogus argument.
The Indonesian translation of the Bible uses "Allah" when it refers to "God". There are about 10-15 million Christians in Indonesia, and the word is used in both Protestant and Catholic bible.
BTW I realize that much the same argument could be made for certain branches of Christianity. The Gnostic Gospels are so different from the Christian Gospels that they are hard to reconcile and thus the base for that lousy movie that has everyone so upset. It is equally clear that Islam and Christianity can not be reconciled.
You must have missed the point.
On the contrary. Some of the first Christian Churches were established in the Arab World. Nowadays, there are still millions of Christians in the Middle East and North Africa but they have become a minority amongst the 240 million Arabs.
Many Arab Christians desire to heed the call of Christ to proclaim the Gospel and live its consequences. As the Word of God speaks to the whole person and to all mankind, many Arab Christians are eager to teach and live this Word of God in its entirety, in their individual lives, in the life of the church, and in all society.
At least half of all Arabic-speaking people are functionally illiterate.
Perhaps the following will better address your concern.
What is? That Arabic Christians who happen to speak Arabic use the Arabic word Allah for God. You consider it unchristian that not everyone speaks English like you?
So, there's no truth to the assertion that Mohamet took the lesser moon goddess al'allah as the central term for god in his created religion of Islam when trying to unify the religious groups fighting tribal conflicts in and around Medina and Mecca?
Thank you for that information!
I wouldn't know. The term 'Allah' is Arabic for God.
This author must know that when we refer to Allah, we are speaking of the false god of the Muslims. Period.
You have missed the point. Arab christians are under constant persecution for their beliefs. The following thread was posted to the forum several weeks ago. It is worth the visit. Check out the slide show.
The community of Arab Christians is dwindling in the Holy Land
Note that islamic symbolism depicts a waning crescent Moon.
She's doing no such thing. Please read the article. She's pointing out, simply, that "Allah" is nothing more or less than the legitimate Arabic word for God, and that Christian Arabs were using the word before Islam existed. In other words, Islam stole the word from Christianity.
While there may be a truth here somewhere, Arab Christians may say this, but I would never say it as the Muslims use this as they murder.
Obviously. As that's the reason for the article - to teach ignorant English speakers that the term Allah isn't Muslim, it is Arabic, and it is used by Arabic Christians to refer to God.
Muslims share none of this in common with Christians. Nor does the author say or imply that they do. The author simply says that what Arabic-speaking Christians and Muslims DO have in common is the word "Allah," which is simply Arabic for "God."
Nothing of the sort. She is making a linguistic point about one word. Nothing more.
The author did not say that Islam and Christianity can be reconciled.
Now you are being silly. A human has a nose. A frog has a nose. Therefore, a human is a frog.
"This author must know that when we refer to Allah, we are speaking of the false god of the Muslims. Period."
This author means just the opposite.
There are non-Christian faiths out their who use the English word "God" to refer to a deity(s) differing in many respects from the traditional Christian meaning of the word.
This fact does not change Christian use of the word "God" and the author is pointing out that it should also not change the older traditional use of the word "Allah".
"We"? Who is included in this "we"? Ameicans? Christians? FReepers?
When "we" Christians pray, "we" pray to Theos, Deus, God, Gott, Dieu, Dios, Bog, Elohim, or Allah, depending on what language we speak.
No non-Arab Christians are confusing Arab Christians for Arab Muslims because both groups of Arabs use the word allah. Since Greeks use theos for God and Hellenes used theos for Zeus, do we confuse Greek Christians for worshippers of Zeus? Has anyone made the argument that we should get rid of the word theos?
Many Arab Christians desire to heed the call of Christ to proclaim the Gospel and live its consequences. As the Word of God speaks to the whole person and to all mankind, many Arab Christians are eager to teach and live this Word of God in its entirety, in their individual lives, in the life of the church, and in all society.
Some Arab Christians have been living under Arab Muslim domination for 1400 years. Did they just recently get the urge to proclaim the Gospel? If so, what were they doing those previous 1400 years, living in fear of having their heads chopped off?
Of course Muslims share none of those things with Christians. That was the point of the sarcasm.
The author simply says that what Arabic-speaking Christians and Muslims DO have in common is the word "Allah," which is simply Arabic for "God."
And I am making the distinction between the Christian God and the Muslim God. It is not the same God, even if the phonemes are the same. If the author is upset because some Christians are critical of the Muslim's god allah, I would suggest she get a grip on context. Nobody is demeaning Arab Christians' god by what ever name you choose--allah, theos, dieu, or Gott.
You have an excellent point. Most Christians in other parts of the world--Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant--don't use that phase. Maybe Arab Christians would like to do some theological reflection on their 1400 year domination by Arab Muslims. I have a suggestion. Perhaps they would like to use a new phrase--"Allah is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." I am sure that will give their Muslim neighbors a real thrill.
"And how have we heard, every man our own tongue wherein we were born?Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews also, and proselytes, Cretes, and Arabians: we have heard them speak in our own tongues the wonderful works of God."
I'd have to agree with your observation
This is true semantically but not literally. The differences in the two religions make the divine entities different or at least perceived differently. The author ends up saying: We can join our Arab brothers and sisters in Christ who often say, “Allah be praised!”. Which is very true. Allah is just a word assigned by people to the Deity, in this example the Christian Deity. However, this fact in no way can lessen criticism of Islam.
When Indonesian Christians (about 10-15 millions of them) pray, they (some of them) do use "Allah the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit".
Two monogamous men in our congregation are named David. One is about 55 and the other is about 30. The first has 4 older children and grandchildren. The second has one toddler.
Since they both call themselves David, I can only conclude they are the same person.
/sarc.
Those Christians are your brothers and sisters. You don't think your brothers and sisters constantly think about their dhimmitude? You don't think they live in constant fear of what may happen to them and their children?
Any of the above have as much or more in common with YHVH than Allah does.
After 1400 years, dhimmitude is a life-style choice. At least your brothers and sisters in Spain (and other places like Greece) had the courage to rise up against their Muslim masters. That could also explain why large numbers of Arab Christians have left the Middle East over the past 100 years for Europe and the Americas.
Yes.
Yeshua is He.
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