‘Balokole’ sin by ridiculing Muslims!
Oct 06, 2002
SIR— Concern has been raised about the “rising tide of Islamic militancyâ€
SIR— Concern has been raised about the “rising tide of Islamic militancyâ€.
Somebody has yet to raise a finger at Christian fundamentalism. With the advent into Uganda of the dollar-backed new religious movements from the American Bible-belt, there is a growing confrontational attitude among religious faiths that we need to watch carefully, with suspicion.
Attend one of the gospel crusades or tune into some of the Kampala FM stations, all you hear is ridicule and scorn at what Muslims believe and do. Do we Christians expect Muslims to fold their hands and watch?
There is urgent need to learn to live in harmony with people who do not share our beliefs without imposing our own on them. The world is plural, that is, it has many faiths which different people confess. This is a fact which we have to live with, whether we like it or not.
Who has never met a holy and God-fearing Muslim? Demonising other faiths and misrepresenting their beliefs so as to win converts, is not only cheap and manipulative, but risks losing the gift Christ left to all his followers — peace.
The recent clashes between Tabliqs and balokole in Mbale are signs of the times that need to be read well. The risen Christ and the new life that he gives can be preached without necessarily attacking Muslims or Catholics. A preaching that keeps provoking anger and sowing seeds of hatred among people surely has something fundamentally satanic about it.
Over to the Secretary-General of the National Fellowship of Born-Again Churches, Pastor Joseph Serwadda.
Fred Jenga
Fort Portal
Somebody has yet to raise a finger at Christian fundamentalism. With the advent into Uganda of the dollar-backed new religious movements from the American Bible-belt, there is a growing confrontational attitude among religious faiths that we need to watch carefully, with suspicion.
Attend one of the gospel crusades or tune into some of the Kampala FM stations, all you hear is ridicule and scorn at what Muslims believe and do. Do we Christians expect Muslims to fold their hands and watch?
There is urgent need to learn to live in harmony with people who do not share our beliefs without imposing our own on them. The world is plural, that is, it has many faiths which different people confess. This is a fact which we have to live with, whether we like it or not.
Who has never met a holy and God-fearing Muslim? Demonising other faiths and misrepresenting their beliefs so as to win converts, is not only cheap and manipulative, but risks losing the gift Christ left to all his followers — peace.
The recent clashes between Tabliqs and balokole in Mbale are signs of the times that need to be read well. The risen Christ and the new life that he gives can be preached without necessarily attacking Muslims or Catholics. A preaching that keeps provoking anger and sowing seeds of hatred among people surely has something fundamentally satanic about it.
Over to the Secretary-General of the National Fellowship of Born-Again Churches, Pastor Joseph Serwadda.
Fred Jenga
Fort Portal