Holiness in Christianity and Islam
As a middle-class, mixed heritage white female American, for most of my adult life, people of Arab and Persian countries seemed very foreign to me. It wasn't because I had formulated any opinion, but rather that I was never in their company and really didn't know much about them. I am still learning. Religion and cultures of the Middle East were not taught in school, although I did have one class where we received the crash course in world religions and that did influence my open attitude all these years. A lot has changed since then and I have had the privilege of spending time with people from different countries including India ,Iran, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Ethiopia, to name a few. I have found human beings, like myself, with much to learn from their examples, their words and their cultures. Studying religion, not just my own, but others as well, Islam in particular, has made me understand how interconnected we really are with people all over the world. In light of the times we live in and the historical event of President Obama's speech in Cairo, I too, as a Catholic American want to help tear down the walls that divide us and start to build bridges. I found the following from the man whose light still guides me today, the Great Pope John Paul II, from his address of May 9, 1985 on "Holiness in Christianity and Islam":
Dear Friends,
It is a special joy for me to be able to welcome you, our guests who follow the faith of Islam, to Rome for the colloquium on “Holiness in Christianity and Islam”. My fraternal greetings go as well to those Christians who have been taking part in the colloquium. As I have often said in other meetings with Muslims, your God and ours is one and the same, and we are brothers and sisters in the faith of Abraham. Thus it is natural that we have much to discuss concerning true holiness in obedience and worship to God.
All true holiness comes from God, who is called “The Holy One” in the Sacred Books of the Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Your Holy Qur’an calls God “Al-Quddus”, as in the verse: “He is God, besides Whom there is no other, the Sovereign, the Holy the (source of) Peace” (Al-Qur’an 59, 23). The prophet Hosea links God’s holiness with his forgiving love for mankind, a love which surpasses our ability to comprehend: “I am God, not man; I am the Holy One in your midst and have no wish to destroy” (Os. 11, 9). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches his disciples that holiness consists in assuming, in our human way, the qualities of God’s own holiness which he has revealed to mankind: “Be holy, even as your heavenly Father is holy” (Matth. 5, 48).
Thus, the Qur’an calls you to uprightness (al-salah), to conscientious devotion (al-taqwa), to goodness (al-husn), and to virtue (al-birr), which is described as believing in God, giving one’s wealth to the needy, freeing captives, being constant in prayer, keeping one’s word, and being patient in times of suffering, hardship and violence (Qur’an 2, 177). Similarly, Saint Paul stresses the love we must show towards all, and the duty to lead a blameless life in the sight of God: “May the Lord be generous in increasing your love and make you love one another and the whole human race as much as we love you. And may he so confirm your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless in the sight of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus Christ comes with all his saints” (1 Thess. 3, 12-13). In today’s world, it is more important than ever that men and women of faith, assisted by God’s grace, should strive for true holiness. Self-centred tendencies, such as greed, the lust for power and prestige, competition, revenge, the lack of forgiveness, and the quest for earthly pleasures - all these threaten to turn mankind from the path to goodness and holiness which God has intended for all of us. The countless numbers of good people around the world - Christians, Muslims, and others - who quietly lead lives of authentic obedience, praise, and thanksgiving to God and selfless service of their neighbour, offer humanity a genuine alternative, “God’s way”, to a world which otherwise would be destroyed in selfseeking, hatred, and struggle.
May the God of holiness bless your efforts throughout these days!
Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Keywords
Pope John Paul II, Papal Letter, Vatican Catholicism, Islam, Muslims, Religion, Ecumenism, God, Allah, Holiness, Jesus, Muhammad
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Way to do your homework, Observer. John Paul II was wise beyond his years... it's too bad more Catholics don't/didn't listen to him.
Pax tecum
P.S. Asalam Alaikum
wa `Alaykum As-Salaam-
I believe that if we, as Catholics, as Christians, really know our own faith, truely understand who Jesus is and the message He is bringing to us, we will also know what Pope John Paul II is saying (God rest his soul). The time we are living in is an incredible opportunity to enter into those two Commandments given to us that really, in a very simple way, tell us everything...it is worth praying about
The author of this article needs to come into the real world. Christians are oppressed across the Islamic world and Islam calls for the dominance of non-Muslims. If the writer really studied Islam she would know that the Copts of Egypt suffer greatly. This can be seen in the videos here.http://islaminaction08.blogspot.com/2009/06/egyptian-con-and-obamavideos.html
Non-Muslims have been talking to Muslims for centuries and it changes nothing. Muslims tell non-Muslims what they want to hear, all the while their agenda moves forward. Islam is causing the same problems across the world, it will be us or them. Don't be fooled by their empty words.
Obama's speech was full of lies which I exposed here.
http://islaminaction08.blogspot.com/2009/06/lies-in-obamas-speech-exposed.html
It seems as if you and Birch study and have some direct knowledge with the Islamic ppl. I would like your personal experiance and knowledge of the radical islam....I think that is the picture most have. What is the difference and who practices the radical Philosophy.
Christopherl
I looked at your blog and it is quite a piece of paranoia. Its the same type of thinking that started the movement to inter Japanese Americans during World War II. No doubt that there are extremists that would validate your concerns but to use the same brush on so many is misguided at best. Many of the Muslims in this country are here to get away from hard line interpretation of their faith. I would suggest that you not allow yourself to be guided so much by fear. Most people are good at heart and the Muslim community is no different.
Christochurl -
Thank you for a fact-free jaunt into your dark fantasy.
...thank you, CA04_Voter for your comments as I believe them to be true. Extremists are the thorn in the side of every religion, of every mosque, every synagogue, every parish, every church, etc.,...they can be leaders, ushers, self-proclaimed prophets, watchdogs, teachers, preachers, priests and at times, even me :)
Lonewolf - I don't have any personal experience with the radical Muslims, accept for my direct experience of 9/11. I was in contact, via telephone, throughout that day and the subsequent 7 days or so, with 12 people I worked with, that day, who lived in New Jersey and had loved ones, working in NYC, and were waiting to hear if they were still alive or not. I have a friend who lost her friend, on Flight 93 as she was flying out to California to be a bridesmaid in her wedding.
I have known many radical Christians that are so sure that they are "saved", that they are right, deeming others who do not think as they do, as on their way to Hell, regardless of their faithfulness and love for God and holiness (see article above) He requires from all of us. They almost seem to enjoy their exclusive privilege of being "chosen" while others face horror and eternal suffering. This is not the message of Jesus and not the message of Islam, although there are those who claim that it is, in both religions, and unfortunately bring misconceptions to those who for lack of knowledge, believe it.
God is Love, patience, long-suffering, kind, gentle, humble, understanding, compassionate, merciful...Islam teaches this and so does Christ. He gave us the gift of life and the promise of Paradise, should we listen to Him, and try with all our effort to obey Him, after this pilgrimage . We should love God for this, above everyone and everything else. We should also imitate this to wards each other. Christ teaches this and this was also the message given to Muhammad (PBUH), by the Archangel Gabriel, which we can find in the Qur'an. If we get the message of Christ, as Christians, right, and listen to the words of Islam, not as the Pharisees who were looking for a flaw with which they could accuse Him, when listening to Jesus, but with real open hearts and minds, we may start to see Muslims, as we see ourselves. I know some very beautiful and holy people, not Christians, who imitate Christ in a way that is very humbling to me...
Birch could answer this better than I as he has studied this for many years and lived in the Middle East.
You can read more about Islam and Muslims at www.IslamiCity.com
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Any Muslim who takes the life of another person unjustly is guilty of a terrible, hell-worthy sin. Any Muslim that takes the life of another Muslim is damned. The neo-Muslims known affectionately as "terrorists" would be better called "apostasist terrorists." They cease to be Muslim when they plot against an innocent human being. They thereby forfeit the right to heaven and are deemed to go where all other unrepentant sinners go... Hell.
In simple terms... terrorists are not Muslims... they're dead men.
Here is what the Prophet Muhammad had to say about Christians:
"Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them. No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries. No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims’ houses. Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God’s covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate. No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for them. If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray. Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants. No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world).”
Salam
Birch... Thanks.. I am interested in more.. think I will have to dive in a bit.
Skeptic.. His name is Christopherl... not christochurl... I guess its fun to make fun of others and act like a jerk.
lonewolf: Check out "Muhammad - A Biography of the Prophet" by Karen Armstrong. It 's a great book.
Great post and comments. Every religion has followers who twist the meaning of what is a beautiful message into something ugly and distorted to justify their actions. That has occurred for centuries. It certainly didn't start with the more recent events, and no religion has exclusive claim to it. I wish I could understand better why that happens.
Kittyv - Why it happens...we can talk about this later...I have some insight on this to share with you - Peace