Posted by CB on September 06, 2010 at 21:57:45
In Reply to: Re: Are they true Christians, burning the Koran? posted by Mike on September 05, 2010 at 04:12:02:
It seems like their religion is a servant to their political concerns.
I was reminded of the teaching of St. Francis of Assisi on Christian-Muslim relations following his visit with Sultan Malik-al-Kamil. Christians of his era were taking up arms in a crusade against this Sultan. Francis decided to cross enemy lines and preach to the Sultan, hoping to covert him or become a martyr in the attempt.
The Sultan received Francis into his tent and listened to what he had to say. The Sultan wasn't converted, but both men were changed as a consequence of their Christian-Muslim dialog. Francis was impressed by the Muslim practice of prayer five times a day; the Sultan was impressed by Francis' humility. Francis did not insult Islam, but talked about why he was a Christian.
For a very long time in history, Franciscans were among the few Christians allowed to do ministry in the lands under Islamic rule. By "ministry" I mean caring for the poor & marginalized and maintaining holy places, such as the Church of the Nativity, for Christian worship.