Methodists Fearful of Islamification of their Churches

Resistance Feed ^ | 12-9-2016 | Rhett October

[rhett october]

After I read the story entitled, “Methodist Churches Converting To ‘Virtual Mosques’ For Muslim Migrants,” I spent much of the day in mild shock. I couldn’t believe what was going on inside of a Christian denomination whose founding was so deeply influenced by the great man John Wesley.

I had to know what Methodists thought of this. Surely they didn’t go along with it. At least not all of them or even a majority of them. My assumption, and hope, was that it was a very small minority of Methodists who thought that having worship of Allah in their building was an appropriate, God-honoring event. How could they think their church should double as a church and a Mosque? Surely they had not lost their way and could see how apostate and foreign such a thing was to Christianity and the New Testament. Surely this was just one man who had been led astray or who was seeking his 10 minutes of fame.

So I took to the phones, contacting my Methodist friends to ask their thoughts. Here are some of their reactions and concerns.

Suzanne from near Little Rock, AR

Suzanne – “I heard about it yesterday but couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I mean, ain’t nothing wrong with reaching out to folks, but you don’t sell yourself, your soul to do it. You don’t give up God to make some other religion happy. You don’t join them in worship to a false god.”

Rhett October – "Is your church taking part in this?"

Suzanne – “Absolutely not. And if they did, I, we would not go back there. We’d just find ourselves another place to go, to worship you know.”

Rhett October – "Would you leave the Methodist church over this for another church?"

Suzanne – “Well, I mean, I’m hoping it doesn’t come to that, but you asked so I’m telling you. Yes, I would. My family would. We’re not Muslims. We worship Jesus, not their god, Allah or whatever.”

Kyle from Tennessee

Kyle – “My wife is kind of freaking out about this. She had me call our pastor last night about it.”

Rhett October – "So I guess it’s safe to say you’re against it?"

Kyle – “What, are you kidding me or something? Yeah I’m against it. You think they’d let us in one of their mosques to worship Jesus? You think they’d even entertain the idea? They’d see it as an abomination. They’d…no way.”

Rhett October – "How is your wife reacting? How is she freaking out?"

Kyle – “She’s thinking in terms of, you know, safety. I mean the biggest thing is the, well, you know, it’s an affront is what it is. Trying to water down or make all of the religions equal or the same and like we’re all going to heaven.”

Rhett October – "In what way is she thinking of safety?"

Kyle – “Well I told her if where we go, our church, was to do this, we’d be gone, but what she was saying was, with the terrorism and the attacks by the refugees, Islamic refugees, which is who that Texas bunch is trying to invite in, you know, she’d be worried about an attack or well, and we also have daughters. There have been some rapes by refugees in Europe. It just makes no sense that we’d risk our children. You think we’re going to convert them? We’re not going to convert them. They don’t want to be converted. Of course, what that Texas group is doing would mean the Muslims wouldn't even have to convert.”

Deronte from Austin, TX

Deronte – “My pastor emailed the whole church and he’s was all like telling us that it wasn’t going to happen in our church. People be panicking. People saying they going to leave the church if we starting a Muslim service. I’m right there with them. Right there, you know.”

Rhett October – "So you don’t agree in reaching out to Muslims in that way?"

Deronte – “Alright, so there’s a difference in reaching out to someone and what they’re doing. Yeah, so what they’re doing is incorporating worship of another God into their church. Your church shouldn’t offer worshiping another God as, like a, service they offer. We ain’t supposed to be a buffet. You know what I’m saying?”

Angie from Atlanta, GA

Angie – “I’m just reacting now that you told me and I’m just in disbelief. This isn’t the church I grew up in. It’s not my church now. I just, I, why would they do this? Why would they, when we don’t just substitute God for some other god to make people happy. Who does that? What church would do that? Would they substitute Allah for Jesus and think it’s okay or what, I mean, would anyone think that God would be happy to just be replaced. This just seems too crazy to be, you know, well, it seems impossible. Like it’s not happening. But that’s today’s world. That’s where we are.”

Rhett October – "So what would you do if your church decided to do this?"

Angie – “I can’t think about that. I mean…”

Rhett October – "I’m saying, would you continue to go to your church?"

Angie – “Well, no. I mean, no. How could we? How could we support such a thing?”

Rhett October – "What would you do?"

Angie – “We’d go to another church, that’s what. We’d find a group that doesn’t sell out God for someone else’s God just to look open minded and well, tolerant-looking, I guess is what they’re going for. They want to look like they’re so meek and mild but the Bible says for us to stand firm in the truth, you know?”

Rhett October – "Yes, I do know."

[central_va]

“I hear the nuns are gay”

[rhett october]

When I interviewed people, that was posted on the site I write for and I posted the full content here. For that article I asked people if they'd heard the story, which was from Geller.

I also posted a link to Geller's story in the FR news section. And as I said three out of the four people I talked to had already seen/heard that story, so it wasn't like I was responsible for widespreading (isn't a word but should be) the story. If anything, I showed that the story already had gotten around extremely well. I only asked people if they heard story and what they thought about it and what they would do if it happened in their church.

[shibumi]

Does your fursuit have big stompy feet?

[rhett october]

The INTERVIEW where I asked people if they heard the story, what they thought about it, and what they would do if it happened in their church - that was on Resistance Feed and, yes, just like every other article that is posted here that originated on another website, I sourced it even though I posted the full content here.

But that interview was not the story that Geller published. It was simply me asking Methodists if they had heard about it, what they thought about it, and what they would do if it came to their church. Asking someone if they have heard a story without me commenting on whether the story was true or not and then asking them a couple of follow-up questions about how they felt about the story is hardly suggestive of a lack of journalistic diligence.

And unlike other websites and blogs who posted the Geller story, I actually went to people in the Methodist Church and asked them what they thought about it instead of vilifying everyone associated with the Methodist Church as though they were now Islamic-propaganda tools. I even said in the blurb written above the interview that I thought it had to be a single, isolated event headed by one person and that it was not representative of the entire Methodist church.

I also posted an excerpt to the Geller story in the news section here on FR, so when people here accuse me of spreading a fake story, I assume that’s what they’re talking about because the interview happened regardless of the validity of the Geller story and it gave voice to Methodists who were being painted as brainwashed Islamists.

[shibumi]

You should consider a career with a Federal Agency.

Or perhaps as a Press Secretary for a Democrat Congressman.

Bless your heart.