Buying Into Chrislam

Chrislam, as the name suggests, is a growing movement wherein some Christians are seeking to find common ground with Muslims. Indeed, it actually seeks to combine Christianity with Islam. It is a syncretistic movement that speaks about "spirituality without boundaries."

Whenever you hear that sort of talk, you should start heading for the hills.

That is exactly what we find in some leftist Christian circles, today. Tony Campolo, for example, has argued that "interfaith prayers and even mystical unions are critical for all true peacemakers." And given that a leftist version of "social justice" seems to be the most important agenda item for Campolo, it is not surprising that he can praise Islam in these terms: "When it comes to what is ultimately important, the Muslim community's sense of commitment to the poor is exactly in tune with where Jesus is in the 25th chapter of Matthew."

More recently, emerging church movement leader Brian McLaren has written a five part blog entry on why Christians should join with Muslims in celebrating Ramadan. In it he said, "We as Christians humbly seek to join Muslims in this observance of Ramadan as a God-honouring expression of peace, fellowship and neighbourliness."

Once again, the emphasis is on getting along; harmony and unity. The problem is that both of these faiths are ultimately evangelistic, exclusive and mutually incompatible. The heart of the Christian truth claim is that Jesus is God's Son, sent to save us from our sins by his crucifixion, death and resurrection. Islam claims that it is blasphemous to say that God has a Son, and they believe that Jesus' death was faked and that the resurrection was a lie.

How can two faiths get along when they are at heart directly opposed to each other?

Ultimately, they can't. Not unless one is watered down to the point of being meaningless. Which is exactly what the leftist Christian leaders are doing.

Christians engaged in the "interfaith" movement tend to engage in at least three harmful activities. (Harmful to the purposes of Christianity). One, they downplay and minimize the truth claims of Biblical Christianity. Two, they downplay and minimize the horrendous Muslim persecution of Christians all around the world, while there is no equivalent Christian persecution of Muslims. And Three, they fail in the most important calling of Christians: to evangelize and disciple all nations.

For all the talk of harmony, unity and friendship, the Chrislam movement is a move in the wrong direction. I, for one, will have nothing to do with it, and I hope all serious followers of Christianity will avoid it like the plague.