This google search from yesterday reminded me of a post I have been wanting to write, especially after an interesting conversation with a sweet new friend who is a convert to Islam. Was I trying to get her to return to her faith roots? Was she trying to make me a ‘revert’? No. We talked about methods both our adopted faiths use to promote what we believe in and gain new followers.
There has been a lot of outrage about subversive Evangelical Christians allegedly attempting to ‘convert’ poor Muslims of weak faith. I say that no one can ‘convert’ anyone to anything, but both faiths do have their ways of influencing those may be interested.
I am going to spill the beans here a little, and let you in on a few in-house secrets.
I think it is a little sneaky that the ancient traditions of Christianity claim they don’t evangelize, blaming my wing of the faith as the sole perpetrator of this ‘crime’ and letting us take ‘official heat’ alone. One such priest was open to talking about his faith, and some Muslims came to faith in Jesus Christ. He didn’t ‘convert’ any of them, they had all left Islam years ago in heart and practice. They all came to him for answers, and he merely answered their questions. He didn’t pursue them, he didn’t break the law, he didn’t proselytize according to its loosest definition.
He hasn’t gotten ‘caught’, (he isn’t in Jordan now anyway) mainly because the church at times practices extraction; getting such a person out of the country before problems arise. Know anyone who has suddenly gotten a job offer from Italy or Greece? There you are.
At my church, we are visited fairly regularly by curious Muslims. They are welcomed and their questions answered. But here is one questions that raises a red flag immediately:
“I want to become a Christian”
Perhaps conventional wisdom would influence a reader to think the inquirer would immediately be given a copy of the four spiritual laws, a Bible and the place would be abuzz that ‘we got one!’.
Nope.
Instead, the inquirer would be asked ‘why?’
Often-times, the answer is “I want to be baptized”
Another red flag, contrary to what some may think, the church doesn’t keep brownie points over the number of annual baptisms. Again, he/she will be asked ‘why?’
For a large percentage of those who are asked, the answer is in the title of the post. Somehow, people think that producing a certificate of baptism will get them automatic citizenship in a Western country. Wrong.
For another group, the question comes up “How much money do I get for converting to Christianity?”.
Zilch, pal
For a smaller group: “Are the girls here available for marriage if I get baptized?”
Not on your life, dude. In fact, be prepared to be single for life, as most Jordanian Christian families don’t believe that someone can truly be converted and don’t really want their grand-kids raised outside their faith as they will still be Muslims legally, even if one has chosen to follow another faith inwardly.
In fact, all the reasons NOT to convert will be listed, all the costs of alienation from family and society clearly given.
In contrast,
Now I know of an Arab Christian woman who was invited to a ladies gathering. Maybe it wasn’t intended this way, but for her it turned out to be a Muslim convert evangelistic meeting. Although the ladies were very pleasant, she was continually offered incentives to convert such as: a handsome husband, a job, cash gifts and clothes. One generous woman even offered her the chance to become another wife of her own husband. The visitor, needless to say, did not come again.
I also know of a Christian woman whose husband became a Muslim in order to divorce her and marry a cute young thing provided by the local imam. She claimed he was paid to do so, and paid to grow a beard and dish-dash (I wouldn’t believe it hearing this from her alone, but have heard similar stories often enough). Catholics need to own that their position on divorce helps this kind of thing happen. If an Easter/Christmas Christian hits the mid-life crisis and decides he wants some younger action, it is pretty easy to hide it behind celebrated piety in a few faith without being accountable to his old faith…or family.
And all Islam gets is a Ramadan/Eid Al Adha Muslim who will probably trade the cute young thing in on a newer model later.
I wondered if these incentives/practices are then imputed on Christians?
Um, hello? How fair is that?
Could it be that what is not good for the goose is also not good for the gander?
How about keeping money and marriage out of the ‘convert deal’, period?
Just so you know, I will very very selective about comments. Be very very kind and respectful, please. 
). Some inspire me to pray that they will leave the country. One I really liked and then he left. Sigh.
