Should Christians Fast During Ramadan With Muslims?

Islam in Action ^ | October 26Th, 2009 | Christopher Logan

[Romulus]

fasting should be a totally voluntary event

It is. Being a Christian is a voluntary act. But it's one that has consequences for what we do, because being a Christian is the opposite of being an atomized individual. Because communion is important to Christians, they emphasize this by doing things corporately -- including, sometimes, fasting. If you don't believe in corporate acts of faith, don't be a Christian. In fact -- you can't be.

[editor-surveyor]

"Because communion is important to Christians, they emphasize this by doing things corporately"

Communion requires only one. (plus the Lord of course)

[editor-surveyor]

"To whom, or among whom, exactly, is this debatable?"

The nuts and the fruitcake?

[Cyber Liberty]

The question is purely academic. We’ll all be under Sharia law pretty soon....

[Mrs. Don-o]

I agree with you, but what's this about "not forced on you by church rules"? There's no "force" behind church rules. No police. No fines and jail. No knife and gun. One belongs to a church by choice.

But you know that. Am I missing something?

[BenKenobi]

Ramadan is a fast? They should try a real one, like Lent. Same thing except you actually eat less every day...

[DallasDeb]

Are you Catholic? If not, then you are missing something. If you are, then you should know what I’m talking about. The Catholic Church imposes sinfulness on those who do not fulfill its “rules” (also known as “traditions”) on fasting and abstinence. Community fasting is a very good thing—getting more people involved in it is like prayer—the more involved, the more effective. But God wants people to sacrifice with a willing heart—not be beaten down for not doing it. Just like God created us with our own free will to worship him, he does not want us to be forced into the fasting and sacrifice.

[jusduat]

I would do nothing, zip, nada that would show the least respect for Islam. EVER!

[aruanan]

Should Christians Fast During Ramadan With Muslims?

No. Ramadan, from my own observation, was designed to disrupt relationships with non-Muslims that may have developed over the previous year and to be used to pressure vacillating Muslims back into the fold out of fear of standing out from the fasting crowd. The fast is also not from food but from water or any kind of drink. If you miss a day, you have to tack it onto the end of the month to make it up. If, though, you need to take medicine, you can skip the fast. Still, I see it as a crowd control mechanism.

[GulfWar1Vet]

No. I don't care about what they do, BUT I do care when they, Muslims, start forcing their "religion" on us who don't follow their satanic ways. Here's what I say to them:

[rdl6989]

Ribs!

[narses]

[Publius6961]

Should Christians Fast During Ramadan With Muslims?

No.

Next question?

And let's not make it a stupid question, this time.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Are you a no-Catholic? The way you write of Catholic faith and practice seems odd to me. The Catholic Church doesn't "impose sinfulness" on anyone (imagine my perplexed look here). Being a Catholic is a voluntary thing. There are very moderate (in fact rather slack) precepts of the Church on fasting and abstinence: all a matter of willing heart, and no "force" or "beating down" as you put it.

Your objection strikes my ears like that of a person who does not want to be "beaten down" into going to Grandma's on Thanksgiving. Really? Nobody's forcing you. It's a love thing.

[sonic109]

Should Christians Fast During Ramadan With Muslims?

What kind of a stupid ass question is this ?

[Islaminaction]

“I would do nothing, zip, nada that would show the least respect for Islam. EVER!”

I’m with you.

[rdl6989]

This is putting the Koran to good use.

[DallasDeb]

I was a Catholic from birth to 40+ years. It was a mortal sin to eat meat on Friday (until the change in the ‘60’s) or during lent, or to not fast on certain days (Ash Wednesday, Good Friday). You are absolutely correct that there should be a willing heart, but most Catholics do it out of the fear that they will go to Purgatory (or worse) if they don’t “follow the rules.” My parents still don’t know that they are assured Salvation. Christ died for us to be free from constant worry of whether or not we have done enough good works.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Deb, please think again about the three conditions for a mortal sin:

• grave matter (it's a very serious moral issue)
• knowledge (the person knows the utter seriousness of the offense)
• consent (the person gives full, free consent to the evil)

Do you think a person ever intended grave evil by eating meat on a day of abstinence? I, personally, would doubt it, unless it was somebody intending deliberate disrespect to Our Lord (for instance, aggressive atheists sponsoring a public pig BBQ in fron to St. Patrick's on Good Friday: which is exactly the kind of thing the militant homosexual group Act-Up has done, by the way.)

Some people may have a mistakenly over-scrupulous conscience about such things as an ill-timed burger, and for them I feel sorry. But I would hasten to reassure them that salvation depends on our opening our hearts to the goodness of our Good Lord Jesus; and He gives, not fear, but peace.

Amen? Amen!

God bless you and your family, Deb!