QUESTIONS CHRISTIANS ASK ABOUT OTHER RELIGIONS

 

We recently polled an incidental or convenience sample[1] of Christian clergy and laity in southwest Michigan:

 

If you could ask any question of someone who practices Islam, Buddhism, or another faith, what would you ask?

 

We reproduce selected responses below, editing for grammar and clarity where necessary without altering the substance of the response.  Opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Theological Consortium of Greater Columbus or its Program in World Religions and Inter-Religious Dialogue.

 

  1. “Need there be hostility and animosity towards Christians whose beliefs may have become mistakenly associated with the political ideologies of the United States?”

 

  1. “To a Buddhist: Did you know that . . . Christ lives but Buddha is dead?”

 

  1. “Do you know that there is a single all powerful, all knowing, all loving, all forgiving God that controls the existence and destiny of all things?”

 

  1. “If you die today, and you are asked, ‘Why should God receive you?’ what will you answer?”

 

  1. “Does your faith community actively recruit new believers?  If ‘yes’ - why?  If ‘no’ - why not?”

 

  1. “I would say something like ‘Why are you a Muslim?’  I would listen for a springboard to speak truth and give testimony of Jesus Christ.”

 

  1. “What does your faith say about peace?  . . . in everyday life, how does justice work, where do women fit in, are individuals encouraged to study on their own  study? . . . and the list goes on.”

 

  1. “The question I would ask a person of any religion, including Christianity, is, ‘Is there a difference between what you practice (worship) and how you actually experience God?’” 

 

  1. “How can I get to know you better?  Not as a label, but as an individual.  Not as a dedicated person mired in religiosity, but as a human being with traits, characteristics, experiences, and talents either similar or not so similar to my own.”

 

  1. “Where do you see God’s presence or activity in a tragedy such as the Tsunami?”

 

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[1]Results from such a sample of available respondents cannot be generalized to other populations; see Ronald J. Cohen and Mark E. Swerdlik, Psychological Testing and Assessment (1999), 118.

 

 

 

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