Christianity Today features a two-page article, quoting several believers weighing in on the question: Should Christians Fast During Ramadan with Muslims?
- From someone who agrees:
“I would say it’s absolutely appropriate, particularly if one does it for spiritual reasons, combining it with prayer and strengthening your discipline and submission to God. If there are side benefits, like showing some solidarity with your Muslim friends, that’s fine too. It’s best not to be bragging about it. (But) it has to be a personal decision.”
—Donald Wagner, co-founder, Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding
- From someone who disagrees:
“It is not appropriate to fast alongside Muslims. I wouldn’t make a point, if I were in a heavily Muslim state where everybody is fasting during the day, of fixing a hot dog and walking outside and eating it … but to observe Ramadan along with your Muslim neighbors and friends, letting them know that you’re observing Ramadan as an act of some sort of religious or spiritual solidarity, is simply a fundamental compromise. They’re observing Ramadan in the service of a false God and a false gospel, and we shouldn’t be trying to express our solidarity with that.” Full article…
—Douglas Wilson, senior pastor, Christ Church, Moscow, Idaho, and senior fellow of theology, New St. Andrews College
I’m with Douglas Wilson on this one: “They’re observing Ramadan in the service of a false God and a false gospel, and we shouldn’t be trying to express our solidarity with that.”
It’s that plain and simple.
When you do things like that, you put a stamp of approval on their faith, and submit and compromise your own faith.
They will take this as a concession that they have something to admire and emulate, while you don’t.
It might be better to do your own fasting.
Absolutely NOT!
Paul says what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. (1 Corinthians 10:20)
To fast with Muslims is nothing short of participating with demons.
When you do things like that, you put a stamp of approval on their faith, and submit and compromise your own faith.
Mirianne, that’s my conclusion as well.
Stan, for sure, we’re not worshiping and serving the same God.
I am interested in knowing about those opposed to fasting with Muslims in Ramadan… how are your friendships with Muslims? I ask this honestly. There are those who are friends with Muslims who wouldn’t join in Ramadan. So, I am interested in knowing how you build those friendships with Muslims? Know any Muslims? Have conversations with them?
I agree that to participate Ramadan as a spiritual discipline is not proper but some of these matters are more complicated. I read a story about a Greek Orthodox man, who worked as an engineer in Saudi Arabia, who went to Mount Athos and confessed to a hieromonk that during this time since there was no church he went with his Muslim friend to prayers at the Mosque to worship the Trinnune God. The monk was horrified and told him that he’d have to restored because of this act of apostacy. He told him that we went there to worship Trinity. Later, the monk returned to him and told him that God made it known to him that what he said was true: he had done this to worship YHWH. And he didn’t make him go through a service of restoration.
And my former mentor, an Orthodox priest who befriended the Lebanese Muslim proprietors of a restaurant to fequented, blessed their restaurant at their request. Some of this has to do with the fact that Islam is still considered the great “Other” socially/ideologically in America, esp in post-9/11 America. Whereas, Christians who’ve been a part of societies which has strong Islamic influence have learned to navigate these tricky waters in different ways socially.
Some of this has to do with the fact that Islam is still considered the great “Other” socially/ideologically in America, esp in post-9/11 America. Whereas, Christians who’ve been a part of societies which has strong Islamic influence have learned to navigate these tricky waters in different ways socially.
Scott, for sure, a lot of distrust and hatred remain. But with that out of the way, I suppose one could visit a mosque without engaging in the activities within.
Apprentice,
Is fasting with Muslims the only way to reach out to them?
My friendship with Muslims doesn’t mean I have to fast with them to demonstrate such.
TC: That was not my question. It’s clear that’s not the only way to reach out to them. I am asking what are the ways people DO reach out? My question is legitimate. Please do not belittle it.
Apprentice, sorry for the misunderstanding there. I assure you that it was never my intention to make light of you question.
May be I need to phrase my question another way as well: Do we have to participate in their religious activities to show our friendship?
At any rate, something as simple as inviting them over for dinner and other social activities.
My question is this: what do people do to reach out to Muslims?
Here is my thought: It’s easy to say we don’t participate in Ramadan. That’s an easy theological answer. But do those responding this way HAVE Muslim friends where they are sharing the gospel? If so, how do they do it?
So, in your response of having them over for dinner and other social activities… is this what you have done? That’s my question. I mean it respectfully.
I’ve had a few Muslim friends. We had healthy discussions, but in the end, agree to disagree.
The city I’m living in now doesn’t seem to afford me any encounters with Muslims.
Maybe I still haven’t addressed your question.
Did not Paul have Timothy circumcised? The same Paul that wrote to the Galatians that if you are circumcised it makes grace of no effect. Do Muslims worship demons? Do Muslims worship idols? What does the word Allah mean? It means God. Just like our English word God, like the Hebrew Elohim, and the Greek Theos. Millions of Christians in Indonesia worship Allah, the heavenly Father of Jesus. Did Paul participate in a Nazarite vow in order to accomadate his fellow Jewish believers. The purpose of Ramadan is to teach the Muslim patience, modesty and spirituality. We as Christians fast and seek God/Allah. Muslims fast and pray to Allah/God. I cannot see any difference between Paul’s participating in Jewish religious rituals any different than participating in Ramadan. For me it is a wonderful opportunity pray to Isa for the salvation of the Muslims of the world and to sit with my Muslim neighbors, to talk about with them about God.
Jay,
Muslims and Christians pray to different gods. Christians pray to the true God. Muslims to a false god.
That’s a huge difference.
Stan, Did Abraham whom Paul commends and the Pharisees whom Jesus rebukes pray to the same God?
I believe there is a difference between Christian fasting and Muslim fasting (although I’m not sure of the specifics at the moment, except it would be done to and for one’s relationship with Jesus). That said, I would not say it is “inappropriate to fast alongside Muslims” as long as a Christian is doing a Christian fast. At the same time, I do not think a Christian fast shows “solidarity with Muslims” either (only the author knows what ‘solidarity’ means here). I’m okay with fasting during the period of Ramadan, but done to Jesus and for relationship with Him.
Jay:
You are setting up a false dichotomy here. “Allah” is, by definition, different than “YWHW”. This is not some deep philosophical issue, its simply allowing people (whether Stan or a Muslim) to define their own beliefs rather than have some overarching pluralistic pattern shoved onto them. I would guess that only in the last 100 years or so, with atheism/theism being the dominant paradigm in the West, could you even ask this question.
Go into any polytheistic culture (which would be much closer to Paul’s, the Pharisees, and even more so Abraham’s day) and they would have no problem with the idea of different gods. The idea that they all were one would have been laughed at.
Jay, Muslims are not Trinitarians. They deny the God of Judeo-Christian Scriptures. We’re not speaking of the same God here.
We’re not even speaking of the same Savior, their “Isa.”
Paul’s action must be interpreted within the framework that the Jewish faith had the same God. Now if Paul had acted in honor of a pagan god, then you’re entirely correct.
John,
At the same time, I do not think a Christian fast shows “solidarity with Muslims” either (only the author knows what ’solidarity’ means here). I’m okay with fasting during the period of Ramadan, but done to Jesus and for relationship with Him.
And that’s part of the problem. We’re not speaking of the same God here.
Justin,
You correct about the fundamental issue of defining Allah of the Qu’ ran and God of the Judeo-Christian Scriptures.
I seem to be closer to Douglas Wilson on this one.
Much as John implies, we Christians have a specific approach to fasting. Of course we explored some of this on this blog some months ago – and very constructive I found it. Not least we do it out of our relationship with Jesus, not out of a requirement of cultic duty. As such it is wholly different from Ramadan. And according to Matthew ‘s Gospel, it remains between us and God.
Given that, there is no way I would consider doing it out of any sense of unity or identity with a Muslim neighbour. It would come from my own sense of pilgrimage. Indeed I am inclined to feel I might find it not appropriate to do so alongside Ramadan, in large part to avoid creating an impression of a unity which is simply not there. Paul’s comments about consideration for weaker bretheren could be relevant here.
That is not to say I would not respect a Muslim’s observances, and allow space for them, as I would hope (and usually find) they respect and give space for my own.
How did Abram know the God that called him out of Ur was the real God? Was this because he understood that this was the trinitarian God? The Muslim do not say that Christians and Muslim worship the same God, but the Muslim’s do not accept that Jesus is the son of God, so they say the Christians understanding of God is corrupt and not monotheistic. I am not a pluralist, but yet I seek ways to find common grounds with people of other faiths in order to lead them to a fuller understanding of Jesus. Paul did not tell the philosophers in Athens that the unknown god was a false god, but Paul took the opportunity to find common ground in their god, in order to tell what the nature of that “unknown god” is like. Do all of you believe that the God, Jehovah, that the Jewish people of today worship is the same as the Christian God? I do. But that does not mean that I believe that these Jewish people have the same relationship with God as I do through Jesus Christ.
Jay:
I’m wondering if there isnt an assumption that I (and others) are making here about your knowledge when we are responding to you here. Are you aware that the first Christians were in fact Jews, as was Jesus, as was Paul ,etc.? As such, to say that Christians worship the same God as Jews is not at all the same thing as saying that the Jewish/Christian god is the same god as the god that Muslims call “Allah”.
As for Paul, I think there is a difference between contextualizing the gospel so that others can understand it cross-culturally (which I am all for), and making theological claims that “all godsa re one” or whatever pluralistic fad may be afoot at the moment. There is a reason he chose “the unknown god”, as opposed to Zeus, or any of the other pagan gods of the time to make his point. Furthermore, he calls them out into the Christian faith, he doesn’t advise them to stay as they were. It’s hard to imagine, even after a cursory reading of Paul, that he would ever equate the Christian god with a Pagan god. His life, not to mention that of the early church, would have been much easier had he/they been willing to do so. What he says is that the one true God (who was unknown to the Greeks) has now revealed himself to all through Jesus.
Again, its not about how you define “pluralism”. Its about avoiding anachronism. In our modern day society, its easy to equate any belief in “god” (or even gods) with all other beliefs in “god” and then assume that we are all worshipping the same “god”. I’m sorry, but that’s simply not a problem that the ancients had. In Paul’s world there were many gods and goddesses to choose from. Christianity (like Judaism before it) insisted that these gods were only idols.
I certainly am not trying to stop you from believing whatever you like. You’re just sort of on thin ice when you use the New Testament to try and support it.
Colin said:
That is not to say I would not respect a Muslim’s observances, and allow space for them, as I would hope (and usually find) they respect and give space for my own.
That’s the bottomline.
Jay,
What do you propose as a common ground, fasting with Muslims during Ramadan?
Yes, common ground but move to the one and true God and issue a call for repentance. That’s what Paul did at the Areopagus.
Justin said:
Again, its not about how you define “pluralism”. Its about avoiding anachronism. In our modern day society, its easy to equate any belief in “god” (or even gods) with all other beliefs in “god” and then assume that we are all worshipping the same “god”. I’m sorry, but that’s simply not a problem that the ancients had. In Paul’s world there were many gods and goddesses to choose from. Christianity (like Judaism before it) insisted that these gods were only idols.
Yes, they were clear about the one true God who had revealed himself (1 Cor. 8:4-6).
This has been an interesting discussion. Lest someone misunderstand me, I state clearly, that I am not saying that Muslims worship the LORD Jesus as I do, but yet they claim, like the Jews and I do, to worship the God of Abraham. I propose that we use this common ground as a bridge to introduce them to a fuller knowledge about who Jesus really is in contrast to the misunderstandings they have about Jesus and their faulty understanding of the trinity. During Ramadan, I have fasted and prayed to Jesus. I have told my Muslim neighbors that I respect their fast and that I am fasting as a Christian. They know well that while we both seek to worship the creator of the universe, that we are far from sharing the same doctrine of God. They know that my fast is in the context of my faith, while theirs is according to their faith. Jesus spoke of the common ground of the worship of God with the Samaritan woman even though the Jews of that day perceived the worship of the Samaritans as corrupt. Jesus sought to bring her from that point to a further knowledge.
When I was a child I was taught that to go to a movie was to participate in the temple of the pagan. By watching the movie, I was supporting the ungodly Hollywood movie industry. But now I do not have any problem using the plot of a movie as a common point to speak about ethics and the meaning of life with unbelievers. Sometimes we overreact towards what we see as religious rituals, but fail to see that every aspect of our life is an expression of worship to God.
I wonder which ice is thinner, to fast at the same time with Muslims in order to build an opportunity to share the Gospel with them, or to eat at the same table with those who claim to worship Jesus, but support a “Christian nation’s” war that has caused the death of hundreds of thousands of Muslims. Muslims who will be cast into eternity never having the opportunity to hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus.
Jay:
You said “but yet they claim, like the Jews and I do, to worship the God of Abraham.”
Yes, with “claim” being the key word. They claim it and yet they have a totally different doctrine, praxis, and community. That matters to some of us. In fact, it has always mattered in historic Christianity.
I applaud you on wanting to reach out to others of different faiths. We all agree that we should be doing that (I hope).
However, I fail to see how you can continue to make assertions like
“Sometimes we overreact towards what we see as religious rituals, but fail to see that every aspect of our life is an expression of worship to God.”
Every aspect? Idolatry is “an expression of our worship to God”? Taking part in the religious rituals of other faiths is “an expression of our worship to God”?
You keep asserting these things like that makes them true. It doesn’t. The whole sweep of Biblical revelation, from the Baal worship of the Israelites that was judged by God to the judgment of the corrupt Roman society in Revelation speak against it.
Jay said:
I propose that we use this common ground as a bridge to introduce them to a fuller knowledge about who Jesus really is in contrast to the misunderstandings they have about Jesus and their faulty understanding of the trinity.
I think you’re on to something here. Perhaps that approach might work for some but not others.
They know well that while we both seek to worship the creator of the universe, that we are far from sharing the same doctrine of God. They know that my fast is in the context of my faith, while theirs is according to their faith.
Have you been able to introduce the true Jesus to any of your friends? If so, what was the response like?
Sometimes we overreact towards what we see as religious rituals, but fail to see that every aspect of our life is an expression of worship to God.
In a lot of cases, discerment comes with maturity. I’ve had similar struggles.
I wonder which ice is thinner, to fast at the same time with Muslims in order to build an opportunity to share the Gospel with them, or to eat at the same table with those who claim to worship Jesus, but support a “Christian nation’s” war that has caused the death of hundreds of thousands of Muslims.
You’ve stacked your either/or in an interesting way: the former doesn’t really resolve the issue for the believer who sees it as a compromise. While the latter has already condemned so many.
Perhaps we need a third option.
Thanks for the responses. I was not going continue this particular discussion anymore, but since you asked me a question, I want to shortly respond. Yes, I have introduced Jesus to Muslims and some have responded positively and have accepted the Lordship of Jesus. Some are in a process, a very long one. It is a very severe decision to make to apostatize from their faith since it may isolate them from their families and communities. In many Islam schools of thought one who turns from the Muslim faith brings upon themselves a death sentence.
J, then you have a lot to teach us. Thanks for your patience and contribution.
soli deo gloria.
I deeply appreciate Jay’s comments. As one who has many Muslim friends, I find it interesting for people to so quickly say they would not celebrate Ramadan or say Muslims worship a different God. Over the years what it has demonstrated to me is those are people who probably don’t have many Muslim contacts.
I do not observe Ramadan. It’s a brutal way to fast and my body just can’t take it!
I HAVE fasted in some way during Lent. Also, I have gone on extended fasts as the Lord has directed me and those have opened doors of conversation as well.
Being their friend, engaging in conversation, spending time just loving them is huge. When they make a decision to come to Christ, even in this country, it is HUGE. They are leaving a very tight-knit community and the Church in America is NOT showing them biblical community. WE are the ones in desperate need of change in some areas.
Apprentice, you’re right about the church in America. We have a long way to go.
And it doesn’t seem like we’re doing a lot in educating ourselves on really reaching the Muslim world. Maybe most of us still see them as the enemy.
TC, that would sum it up nicely. We don’t know Muslims so we tend to use the cultural lens, or the media lens, and we end up fearing what we do not know.
Apprentice, I’ve been humbled through this entire discussion. Thanks for pushing the issue.
Ramaḍān is a time for Muslims to fast for the sake of Allah.
If it’s being implied that Muslims do not worship a different God…Wow, what can be said that isn’t obvious there?
Allah is not the One True God. Any god other than Him is by definition a false god.
Do we…fast in solidarity with those who are worshiping a false god? I know most of the comments on here are far deeper than any of my thoughts but,isn’t it really pretty simple?
Love,respect and treat Muslims as you would treat Christ but to join with their religious practices?We’ve come along way baby and not in a good way.
Ramaḍān is a time for Muslims to fast for the sake of Allah.
If it’s being implied that Muslims do not worship a different God…Wow, what can be said that isn’t obvious there?
Allah is not the One True God. Any god other than Him is by definition a false god.
Claude,
I believe we’ve established that. And yes, if some do not see the difference, then something is wrong.