CHRISTENDOM & ISLAM

Dunstan Times, 27 November 1944, Page 3

CHRISTENDOM & ISLAM

Continued (Contributor) Islam is often charged with being static and unprogressive, but unless it had ihown a remarkable power of adap* lability to the culture and life of the different countries it occupied, it would never have won and retained the whole* hearted allegiance ot so many millions of people Again we ask why Christianity failed to hold her converts during and following the 7th century, as she did in the very centuries when strict allegiance to Christ 100 often meant death. It may be argued that many millions had become Christian by force, or because of present advantage and that when Islam was in the ascendant the many merely nominal Christians again followed the line of least resistance and became Moslem. The noteworthy thing, however, is that what had proved a source of weakness to Christianity had proved a solid strength to Liam However nominal was the faith of the Moslem converts they were ultimately built into the solid fabric of the Islamic system, and they and their descendants became as ardent followers of the prophet as the Arabs themselves. Unfortunately for Christianity the common people failed in many cases to find in the Christian faith a religion which bad any practical application to them. Islam was a religion of the people, conducted by the people, for the people It had no dominating priesthood. Every convert became a preacher of the gospel of Islam. In every age when a Church loses its converting power and ceases to propagate its faith, it loses its vitality and ultimately becomes a prey to other in fluences. The outward forms may live on. worship may be maintained, but it is only a dull routine which fails to bold the interest of its people. This was the state of Christendom when Islam broke in upon its secluded religious life and swept it on one side It had no vitality to resist. This is the Ist ,te of Christendom to-day Where j is our vitality — our power to resist evil ■ influences I It is just a t ear since we had a sti ring address on the subject of spiritual decay—comprising the fibre of Christendom to-day to rotting timber, It caused some discussion in the press and in the home—But there it seems to fc&ve stopped,