Muslims are Converting to Christianity in Record Numbers

National Catholic Register ^ | Patti Armstrong

[GoldenState_Rose]

We are in a time of the first ever mass conversions of Muslims,” Father Mitch Pacwa SJ told me in a phone interview. “God is doing a mighty work among them.”

Pacwa said that mass conversions are happening even in very fundamentalist countries. There is rapidly growing number of conversions especially on the edges of the Muslim world in the western and southern parts of Africa, he said. “Africa is now growing predominantly Christian despite crackdowns,” Pacwa said.

Some of the noteworthy countries he mentioned include Iran, reported to have 3 million Christians, and Indonesia with reports of 2 million a year converting.

“In Mongolia, the president opened the country to Christians and there’s even an archbishop,” Pacwa said. “They built a Catholic school there too. If I was younger, I would have gone.” He said that the desire for a Western education was the impetus to open up the country to the Catholic Church.

There are even conversions happening in many strict Muslim countries, according to Pacwa. He did not want to go on record with particulars for fear of increased retribution. Mass conversions are also being reported among refugees that are filling up the Christian churches left empty by Europeans. Many wonder if those are authentic conversions or just a response to improving their chances for amnesty, but time will tell.

Signs of this conversion are showing up in the U.S. too, Pacwa said. “I was about to celebrate Mass at a Maronite church in San Diego and I said hi to a man who introduced himself as Achmad. I asked if he was a Christian. He said: ‘Yes, I was recently baptized.’ He said he from Morocco. Christians do not have the name Ahmad—that’s a form of Mohammad.”

[narses]

Wrong. Again.

[narses]

Yep. The bigotry of the extreme proddies is just that, bigotry.

[Mark17]

No PROT explanation is going to cut it for a TBC.

Rome has spoken and you can take THAT to the BANK!

I am glad it worked on me, those many years ago. After I got born from above, I looked back, and thought my entire life, spent in that cult, was a complete waste of time. Then I understand how Paul felt, when he said he counted it all as rubbish, and moved on. I just moved on.
Sometimes I go round and round with my in laws. It’s a little difficult, however, since their English is not too good.

[HereInTheHeartland]

Agree with everything you said.
Some people here spend vast amounts of time slamming each other with the same arguments time after time.
What do they accomplish?

[Mark17]

The context is titles assigned to religious leaders.

I NEVER engage in hyperbole 😁 but hasn’t this been pointed out about 43 million times? Where is that picture of the feet when you need it?

[fortes fortuna juvat]

>>The context is titles assigned to religious leaders.<<

Really? Can you cite to any source affirming that the word was being used in reference to religious leaders, or is that another of your erroneous assumptions?

[Mark17]

I could care less about “father.” To me, there is no thought or doctrine less important than that. That’s why I don’t usually even talk about it, but I would like to hear your explanation of what Jesus meant, when He said, “Call no man father.”

[metmom]

I'll post the passage again.

You can read it yourself.

Matthew 23:1-12 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.

They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.

But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

[Mark17]

Seems rather straight forward to me, but then again, I have spiritual discernment. 😀😁😆😄

[metmom]

It's pretty straightforward. If Catholics insist that Jesus is teaching about children (not even mentioned in the passage) not calling their male parental units *father*, then instead of making excuses for disobeying the clear, concise, direct command of Jesus with *everyone does it*, then they ought to be teaching their poorly catechized Catholic laity to not call ANYONE *father*, even their male parental units.

Then they'd be stuck having to decide what other title to give their priests.

And knowing how the Catholic church works, God alone knows how long that would take.

But the problem they'd run into in that case would be how do you explain how the Catholic church insisted they disobey Jesus for all these hundreds of years.

Nope, it's just easier to use hyperbole and mockery and derision and pretend that Jesus didn't mean what He said.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

x_plus_one,

It appears metmom answered your question, but you didn’t respond.

I’m ping you to make sure you don’t miss her effort on your behalf.

[Mark17]

I’m ping you to make sure you don’t miss her effort on your behalf.

😁😆👍

[af_vet_1981]

I could care less about “father.” To me, there is no thought or doctrine less important than that. That’s why I don’t usually even talk about it, but I would like to hear your explanation of what Jesus meant, when He said, “Call no man father.”

And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.

And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.

And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.

And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.

And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.

And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.

And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.

And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.

He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;

And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.

And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.

And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send.

And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not.

And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?

And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren.

And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him.

And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.

So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.

And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.

And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.

And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.

...

And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?

Second Kings, Catholic chapter two, Protestant verses one to twenty five,
Second Kings, Catholic chapter two, Protestant verse twenty one,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James

It is often a good idea to try to understand scripture from other scripture, when available.
1. Other examples exist in scripture.
2. Joseph said God made him a father to Pharoah.
3. Job said he was a father to the poor.
4. Isaiah prophesied Eliakim (minister to King Hezekiah) would be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and house of Judah.
5. Elijah the Prophet is called "Master"
6. Elijah the Prophet is called "Father"
7. Elisha asked for a double portion of the spirit of Elijah.
8. Elisha saw Elijah taken up into heaven and inherited the mantle of Elijah the Prophet.
9. The sons of the prophets bowed down to him and said the spirit of Elijah did rest on Elisha.
10. Later, the King of Israel called Elisha "my Father."

In the New Testament usage indicates the words themselves were not intended to be prohibited.
1. John the Baptist is addressed as Rabbi by the disciples
2. Abraham is called our father.
3. Isaac is called our father.
4. Paul calls himself a teacher, and and a father. He says Timothy is his spiritual son and he is Timothy's spiritual father. He also says Titus is his son, making Paul Titus' spiritual father. He writes to the Corinthians and says they are his children and he is their father.
5. James says there are teachers.
6. John uses the word "fathers" extensively.

The Messiah was known to use hyperbole. From the usage in the New Testament it seems obvious the use of the labels teacher, master, father still applied to others in both a spiritual, historical, and physical sense. When the Messiah said not to be called Rabbi/Master, or Father, He was speaking to the Jews in the context that He is the Rabbi/Master and Our Father in Heaven is the Father. All of this reminds me of Elijah and Elisha.

[Freee-dame]

Then the Roman Catholic Church sure should try to put down this FALSE teaching that PERMEATES it's members thinking!

In what part of the USA or the world is this false teaching prevalent? I have never even heard of it before now.

[bboop]

That would be the jesus who prayed ‘that they all should be one,’ would it not? And are we putting ourselves in His place when we berate each other, then? I just don’t think it is right or uplifting or builds anything.

[papertyger]

Oh; never mind...

Highlighting your own incredulity about Catholic belief does nothing to mitigate the complete failure of “Biblical” promises as you understand, or rather misunderstand, them.

[papertyger]

It seems to me that you CATHOLICS really need to get on the same page: Call no man father.

And as soon as Revisionists in general start condemning the use of the term “father” rather than saving that condemnation exclusively for the common Catholic practice I’ll at least have some respect for your “belief.”

Until then, it’s just another exemplar of the Revisionist’s mindless obsession with the completely illogical conclusion that they can prove their own validity by playing the part of the accuser.

I don’t know why Biblicists prefer leaning on “the letter,” rather than “the lesson,” but that will all be settled in due course.

[papertyger]

I got that already, and in the grand sense I agree with you.

But far be it from me to argue with The Lord Jesus’ administrivia.

[papertyger]

Jesus never said eating His flesh and blood is how one becomes born again.

True.

What DID He say about it?

[x_plus_one]

Official catholic dogmas does not recognize mary as coredemptrix.
Presentation of Blog posts suggesting same is disingenuous and needlessly argumentative.

The Roman Catholic view of the title Co-Redemptrix does not imply that Mary participates as equal part in the redemption of the human race, since Christ is the only redeemer.[14] Mary herself needed redemption and was redeemed by Jesus Christ. Being redeemed by Christ, implies that she cannot be his equal part in the redemption process.[15] Similarly, if Mary is described as the mediatrix of all graces, it “is to be so understood that it neither takes away from nor adds anything to the dignity and efficaciousness of Christ the one Mediator”.[16]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Co-Redemptrix

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resources/mary/general-information/the-four-marian-dogmas