'Let's call God Allah'

[Von Tonner]

I could do along with this guy on the hungry stealing bread IF it was ONLY bread and a last resort between that and starvation. Condoms and aids is a given. But calling on Christians to call God Allah? I think that is pushing the envelope too far imo.



'Let's call God Allah' - Bishop
15/08/2007 23:05 - (SA)
The Hague - A Dutch Catholic bishop who once said the hungry were entitled to steal bread and advocated condom use to prevent Aids has made headlines again, this time by saying God should be called Allah.
"Allah is a very beautiful word for God. Shouldn't we all say that from now on we will call God Allah?" Bishop Tiny Muskens said in an interview broadcast this week. "God doesn't care what we call him."
In this nation where religious tolerance has been eroded in recent years by a rise in radical Islam, the comments drew little support.
Muskens, bishop of the southern Diocese of Breda, previously created a stir by suggesting the hungry could steal bread to feed themselves.
He also supported the use of condoms as a way of reining in the spread of Aids and suggested popes have term limits of 10-15 years and an age limit of 85.
In an interview broadcast on Monday's edition of current affairs show Netwerk, Muskens said he had worked in Indonesia where God is referred to as Allah in Christian services.
But a spokesperson for one of the capital's leading mosques said he was not happy with the statement.
"We didn't ask for this," a spokesperson for the Moroccan Mosque in Amsterdam told De Telegraaf. "Now it is as if we have a problem between Muslims and Christians."
Gerrit de Fijter, chairperson of the General Synod of the Dutch Protestant Church, also rejected Muskens' suggestion.
"I applaud every attempt to encourage dialogue with Muslims, but I doubt the sense of this manoeuvre," De Fijter told De Telegraaf.
Neither De Fijter nor Muslim community leaders returned calls seeking comment on Wednesday.
Speaking to a local television network on Wednesday, Muskens said he was pleased his comments had sparked debate.
"That they are interested in how to get along with God, that is a positive result," he told Omroep Brabant.

[The Avon Lady]

That could have been posted on the "Goodbye Holland" thread.

[Skybird]

Idiot.

[joea]

Allah is just the Arabic word for God. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allah
Arabic speaking Christians use the word, including Greek Orthodox as I ahve heard it used in the liturgy.

Of course it is a bit silly for Dutch speakers to use the word, I might as well call Him "Bog" (slavic) or well I use Dieu (when I speak French) or well "Theos"
Θεός in Greek. I understand what the bishop was trying to do, but I find it silly at best. I would not accept prayers for certain Catholic saints in the Orthdox Church even if I like their writings or admire them...nor do I expect Protestants to honour saints at all.

[Reaves]

[The Avon Lady]

From a mostly Christian perspective:

Is Allah God?

Allah: May This Arabic Name of God be used by Christians?

Which One God? Comparing the Muslim and Christian conceptions of God.

Also discussed a bit within this article:

Dhimmitude in the Augusta Free Press: "Jews and Christians are 'muslim'"

[Fish]

Being a small country , you have to do extraordinari to come in the news.
Till now we do fine.

[lorcan3]

I know it's been many years since I've been to Israel. I went there on a Med cruise when I was in the Navy between 76-79. The Med cruise was Feb-Oct of 1978. The port we hit was Haifa and the people were so very happy to see us. Never once when I went on liberty and I bumped into someone than that person offered their house to me with a home cooked meal. All I ever saw were friendly people, happy to shake my hand and wondered what was happening in America. We took a two day trip around the Holy Land and I was very impressed with what you folks have done to the land. This plus all the hardship from the PLO and other terrorist groups at the time that were giving the Israeli govmn't problems. I made many friends with the Israeli sailors who took me out on one of their(our)coastal patrol boats. I thought I recognized them. They were our old PT boats from WW2, just upgraded with better radar. But those dual .50 cals did sing when they ripped apart the targets. Also the 20 and 40MM Oerlikon cannons. I didn't want to leave but home is where the heart is. How about your email address so we can talk when you're online?

[AntEater]

A dutch catholic bishop is about as important as a italian protestant bishop.
By definition dutch are protestant, that is why there's Belgium in the first place.
Flanders is the part of the netherlands that remained catholic and spanish/austrian.
I suppose there are fewer catholics in the netherlands than muslims.

[HMCS]

After careful consideration, I have come to the conclusion that the only hope for the continued survival of the human race is Atheism.

But if we insist that there HAS to be an invisible man up in the sky, then Deism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism

For my American friends, I ask you to consider that many of your founding fathers believed whole-heartedly in this....

Thomas Jefferson, for one.

Otherwise, I believe that there is a very good chance that we will end up as fanatical, pious lumps of radioactive ash.

[Fish]

Originally Posted by AntEater

A dutch catholic bishop is about as important as a italian protestant bishop.
By definition dutch are protestant, that is why there's Belgium in the first place.
Flanders is the part of the netherlands that remained catholic and spanish/austrian.
I suppose there are fewer catholics in the netherlands than muslims.

Most are catholic (religious) '
But overall, most are none believers.
http://www.rivm.nl/vtv/object_map/o1204n22742.html

[Iceman]

Originally Posted by HMCS

After careful consideration, I have come to the conclusion that the only hope for the continued survival of the human race is Atheism.

But if we insist that there HAS to be an invisible man up in the sky, then Deism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism

For my American friends, I ask you to consider that many of your founding fathers believed whole-heartedly in this....

Thomas Jefferson, for one.

Otherwise, I believe that there is a very good chance that we will end up as fanatical, pious lumps of radioactive ash.

Your pretty naive to assume that it is "ANY" "Religious" group/faith or denomination that holds any nuclear weapons whatsoever....do a check up there buddy who holds what....it is the lack of morals/common sense/love/or respect for life, that drive people to where we find ourselves currently....

We are merely passing thru this life and guests on this planet no matter if you are atheist or believe in the flying green spaghetti monster....give account of yourself.

Governments are holding the reins of wmd's and not just nuclear...I would worry more about clean water,food, and wether or not how the hell I or my kids are gonna be able to survive in this oven we have created.

Have a Good Day.

P.S. Good links AL...from one of them led me to this brief history of the origins of Islam...was a good read.

http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/moongod.htm

[AntEater]

Originally Posted by Fish

Most are catholic (religious) '
But overall, most are none believers.
http://www.rivm.nl/vtv/object_map/o1204n22742.html

Strange that the religious demographics of the Netherlands changed so much in recent years.
In germany, the religious composition hasnt really changed much since 1648, at least on paper (really religious people are rare, though almost everyone is part of a church). I assumed it was similar in the Netherlands.
For example, I'm lutheran protestant, but hardly go to any religious service except for family matters. It's just a matter of heritage, as my family are Prussians, we have to be Protestant

Personally, I think I'm still too young to really bother with religious matters.

[SUBMAN1]

Simply speaking - I have one word for this Bishop - Dumbass

[TteFAboB]

For the transcendental unity of religions to be effective each religion must maintain its sufficiency. Any attempt to force a merger will destroy the involved religions mutually contaminating one another, resulting in the absolute contrary of the intented goals. Or are they?

Madness or method? Method in madness?