Islam and Christianity are blending, in Africa

LAGOS, NIGERIA - At first, it seems a surprising sight: inside a two-story mosque in sub-Saharan Africa's largest metropolis hangs a life-size portrait of Jesus Christ. Yet worshipers at "The True Message of God Mission" say it's entirely natural for Christianity and Islam to cexist, even overlap. They begin their worship by praying at the Jesus alcove and then "running their deliverance" - sprinting laps around the mosque's mosaic-tiled courtyard, praying to the one God for forgiveness and help. They say it's akin to Israelites circling the walls of Jericho - and Muslims swirling around the Ka'ba shrine in Mecca.This group - originally called "Chris-lam-herb" for its mix-and-match approach to Christianity, Islam, and traditional medicine - is a window on an ongoing religious ferment in Africa. It's still up for debate whether this group, and others like it, could become models for Muslim-Christian unity worldwide or whether they're uniquely African. But either way, they are "part of a trend," says Dana Robert, a Boston University religion professor.whole article here: In Africa, Islam and Christianity are growing - and blending

This article reminds me of one of the troubling fuzzy border lines of "post modern" Christianity. Po-mo pastor Brian Mclaren articulates this argument that Islam and Buddhism are not only religions, but they are cultures as well. He stresses his point saying that it is not our job as "western Christians" to convert people from Islam or Buddhism, but to encourage them to be better Muslims and Buddhists through Jesus. Any other approach to evangelism results in cultural imperialism...according to Brian.This is a well-received notion in post-modern and liberal theology circles. Instead of Muslims becoming Christians, they are deemed "Messianic-Muslims."Many ideas sound great at first on paper...but my question is how can one believe in Christ without feeling tension with "cultures" that are environmental and phycological extensions or expressions of a false religion? Indeed, the question of false religion pertains especially to "western" Christians, (whatever that is...) who might be deeply committed to inventions of man like capitalism, communism, act. My own take on this is that this attitude may be examples that segments of the world-wide church, and not just the west, are defecting into the growing "global spiritual village that values "community" at the expense of creed or truth. Many Christians in the world today seem orthodox, but they have become neo or post-orthodox when they stop accepting a main tenet of their creed...that Jesus is the only “teacher” who can show us who God is, that He is the only one sent, worthy to take away the sins of the world and to offer true life---spiritual or otherwise. Such exclusivity is entirely contrary and offensive to the rising spirit of anti-christ that has always hated the singularity of the promised Seed. MC

But there also arose false prophets among the people, as among you also there will be false teachers, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction. Many will follow their immoral ways, and as a result, the way of the truth will be maligned. In covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words: whose sentence now from of old doesn't linger, and their destruction will not slumber.2Pe 2:1-3

May Jehovah God, the only true God of salvation raise the true ones amongst us to rise up up and fight the Holy fight of being of Christ and nothing less.