The "True" Islam

Catholic World Report ^ | 1/24/16 | James V. Schall SJ

[marshmallow]

The writings of Remi Brague, winner of the 2012 Ratzinger Prize, about Islam offer the sort of unflinching and detailed analysis often missing from papal utterances

I.

Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church of Vatican II, states that the Mohammedans "profess their faith as the faith of Abraham, and with us they worship the one, merciful God who will judge men on the last day" (par 16). At first sight, that statement appears friendly and matter-of-fact: the "faith" of Muslims is evidently thought to be the same "with us". We "agree" about a last judgment and a merciful God who is one. This mutual understanding apparently comes from Abraham. This way of putting the issue argues to a common origin of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, each of which "appeared" in history at different times-the New Testament some twelve hundred years after Abraham and Islam some seven hundred years after the time of Christ.

But when we examine what each tradition means by unity, worship, judgment, and mercy, we hesitate to affirm that they mean the same things by the same words. And the assumed agreement that God is one provides little basis for further agreement about what flows from it. Islam confronts religion and politics as we know them with questions of the true and the false, with questions of life and death. Seemingly both fascinated and paralyzed, we watch Christians and others killed or beheaded before our very eyes in the most brutal manner. The great Monastery of St. Elijah near Mosul in Iraq, dating from the 600s AD, was recently not just destroyed, but pulverized, not for any military reason but to erase any sign of historic Christian presence there. This is a foretaste of what will happen to other Christian churches and buildings if this Islamic.......

[marshmallow]

It seems to me that the authors of Lumen Gentium never asked the question: "What is the origin of this religion (Islam)?" There are three possibilities; 1) it is Divine, 2) it is a purely human construct or 3) it is diabolical.

It cannot be #1 since that would make God a liar. Both Judaism and Christianity have Divine origins but the authors of Lumen Gentium should have known that Islam, from a Christian perspective, can make no such claims. This means that Islam cannot be approached in the same way as Judaism.

[Biggirl]

I would pick #3.

[ssfromla]

BTTT

[Montaignes Cat]

Thanks for posting this. Remi Brague and James Schall are always well worth reading.

[I want the USA back]

It is not primarily a religion. It is a political ideology that propagates itself through violence and threatening. It has a religious component, carefully shaped so as to favor the unnatural behavior practiced by its adherents.

Some Christians and Jews think it is wonderful because it is a “monotheistic” religion and thus they forgive all the unnatural behavior it allows.

Worshiping the “same God” does not mean that it is valid. Their concept of God is wrong and contradictory.

Making nice with them and pointing out the points of agreement won’t turn them into rational, civilized human beings.

[livius]

This was a good article. The origin of Islam is actually in that perennial heresy, Arianism. Actually, the origin of Protestantism is also found there.

The rejection of the Second Person of the Trinity and hence the rejection, to a great extent, of the material world is a feature of both of them. Some Protestant churches have a Trinitarian formula, but in many cases, it doesn’t mean what orthodox Christianity means by it, and Jesus is essentially the main prophet, as Mohammed is in Islam, although one who may have been given the gift of some kind of nebulous immortality. In any case, during the Reformation, both Muslims and Protestants commented on the similarities of their beliefs - and practices. Luther was referred to as a “second Mohammed.”

So perhaps it is a desire to accept Islam that explains the Pope’s bizarre decision to accept Lutheranism. And behind it all is Arianism, expressed differently because of the historical or geographical circumstances in which it is rearing its ugly head, but Arianism nonetheless.

[G Larry]

It is important to read this entire article before commenting on Lumen Gentium.

The author is clear on the limits of Lumen Gentium and what it does and does not address.

[Mercat]

I think that the difference is the difference between “profess” and “confess.”

[amorphous]

Bill Warner, PhD: Why We Are Afraid: 1400 Years of Fear

[newfreep]

Great video exposing the satanic true evil history of islam.

[Crolis]

Thanks for posting. This article was very informative.

[chesley]

What then does “orthodox” Christianity mean by “the Trinity”?

And what is your (possibly erroneous) understanding of the Protestant understanding?

And which groups do you include in the term “Protestant”? Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormans, for instance, do not qualify, IMO.

Thanks for your answer.

[amorphous]

Yes it is. Thanks!

[piusv]

It seems to me that the authors of Lumen Gentium never asked the question: "What is the origin of this religion (Islam)?"

That's because the authors were more interested in shedding a false, positive light on the diabolical religion Islam....all in the name of Ecumenism: which is also diabolical.

[Mrs. Don-o]

bfl

[Mrs. Don-o]

It occurred to me recently, in the confused thoughts of a sleepless night, that if we are looking for an authoritative exponent of True Islam^TM with whom we could have a fruitful dialogue, we would probably not find that master teacher and interpreter in Saudi Arabia, or Iran, or Egypt, or in some great Muslim University or center of Islamic culture or scholarship.

This is because all of the Imams and so forth are partly or completely ensnared in False Islam, which believes that the Dar al-Islam (House of Islam) and the Dar al-Harb (House of War, i.e. non-Islamic world) are locked in existential jihad --- struggle by politics, by demographics, by pressure, and especially by the sword --- until the Dar al-Islam shall rule over all.

We find that the authoritative spokesman of True Islam^TM, the Religion of Peace, the true Imam or Ayatollah or Muslim Hierophant, turns out to be none other than a very nice gentlemen from Buenos Aires named Jorge Bergoglio.

It's he alone who seems to grasp the True Islam^TM in which all the good Muslims think and believe pretty much like good Catholics.

So it seems to me that if Pope Francis wants to dialog with True Islam^TM, he will have to find this fellow Jorge Bergoglio and dialog with him.

They'd be sure to come to a creative mutual understanding. Why, it's amazing how much they'd have in common!

[Capt. Tom]

There is, again, no “pope” within Islam. That is, no one is officially authorized to state what it does or does not hold. Everything is open to multiple interpretations.

I don't agree with that, since the Koran and Hadiths are pretty explicit on what Allah wants done, and how to do it. If in doubt follow the examples of what Mohammed did.

The multiple interpretations come in when following Islam is too burdensome for heretics, and they want a way out of the harsh reality of the religion.
They try to tone it down.

The Wahabbis know how to treat these Muslim slackers, they treat them like us Kafirs, and kill them. -Tom