Shortly after noon on Fridays, the Rev. Ann Holmes Redding ties on a black headscarf, preparing to pray with her Muslim group on First Hill.OK, so she's confused. She's working through some "issues", or she's having a "crisis", or...whatever. It would be one thing if this was her own private thing. But it's not. Read on:
On Sunday mornings, Redding puts on the white collar of an Episcopal priest.
She does both, she says, because she's Christian and Muslim.
Redding, who until recently was director of faith formation at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral, has been a priest for more than 20 years. Now she's ready to tell people that, for the last 15 months, she's also been a Muslim — drawn to the faith after an introduction to Islamic prayers left her profoundly moved.
Redding's situation is highly unusual. Officials at the national Episcopal Church headquarters said they are not aware of any other instance in which a priest has also been a believer in another faith. They said it's up to the local bishop to decide whether such a priest could continue in that role.Nah, why should it? As long as you're using the Bible for a martini coaster, why not just rip out the pages and use them in the...um...lavatory? I man come on folks! If the Episcopal Organization (I will NOT call them a "church") is going to piddle away Biblical authority on Christ, why not just lump yourselves with one of the biggest evils facing the world today (Islam)?
Redding's bishop, the Rt. Rev. Vincent Warner, says he accepts Redding as an Episcopal priest and a Muslim, and that he finds the interfaith possibilities exciting. Her announcement, first made through a story in her diocese's newspaper, hasn't caused much controversy yet, he said.
You know, if there is one person whose readings you should know, it is the apostle John. And in 2nd John 9-11, he warns us--"Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds." Well, Ms. Redding's church decided that was one passage that they needed to cut out of their Bibles and throw away because it just wasn't, you know, relevant today. So, this is what you get:
Ironically, it was at St. Mark's that she first became drawn to Islam.To me, that passage in 2nd John seems to be relevant right here. But don't tell Episcopals that. They might call you a "bigot", or some other such nonsense. This, folks, is why, when someone comes to your house (the original intent here is your church), and they do not have the truth of Christ, tell them to "Buzz off!" Don't even greet them! The King James says, "Neither bid him Godspeed." In other words, don't even say, "Have a safe trip!"
In fall 2005, a local Muslim leader gave a talk at the cathedral, then prayed before those attending. Redding was moved. As he dropped to his knees and stretched forward against the floor, it seemed to her that his whole body was involved in surrendering to God.
Then in the spring, at a St. Mark's interfaith class, another Muslim leader taught a chanted prayer and led a meditation on opening one's heart. The chanting appealed to the singer in Redding; the meditation spoke to her heart. She began saying the prayer daily.
Around that time, her mother died, and then "I was in a situation that I could not handle by any other means, other than a total surrender to God," she said.
She still doesn't know why that meant she had to become a Muslim. All she knows is "when God gives you an invitation, you don't turn it down."
In March 2006, she said her shahada — the profession of faith — testifying that there is only one God and that Mohammed is his messenger. She became a Muslim.
Well, you had to know this was coming:
Aside from the established sets of prayers she recites in Arabic fives times each day, Redding says her prayers are neither uniquely Islamic nor Christian. They're simply her private talks with God or Allah — she uses both names interchangeably. "It's the same person, praying to the same God."May I take this opportunity to say...NO THEY'RE NOT!!!
Allah is a pagan moon god, who is dead, and couldn't hear you if he wanted to. Almighty GOD--YHWH, Elohim, El Shaddai, El Elyon, Jehovah--is GOD. There is none other! I've had it about up to here with these "tolerant" types who want to go around saying that the GOD of Christians and the god of Muslims are the same. THEY ARE NOT THE SAME!!!!!!!
Folks, this situation is exactly what happens when a group that calls themselves a "church" decides to throw the truth of GOD's word out the window, and embrace the world's view of "tolerance". When we want so bad for people to like us that we'll accept any whacky notion of GOD that comes along. When we allow people who are diametrically opposed to the deity of Christ, and the worship of the GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to come into our church and spout their beliefs. How many more Ann Holmes Reddings are out there?
FURTHERMORE: If this woman ever claimed to be a Christian, she SHOULD have already been fully submitted unto YHWH. If not...well, just read this staement again:
Around that time, her mother died, and then "I was in a situation that I could not handle by any other means, other than a total surrender to God," she said.Well, if that's the case, you surrender to YHWH, not some Arabic pagan moon god. Or, as Pamela over at Atlas Shrugs says,
"...[a] religion that denies the divinity of Jesus, that persecutes Christians and that punishes apostasy to Christianity by death wherever it exerts temporal power."That pretty much sums up Islam. Think Victoria's Secret will come out with a line of Burkas?
