I recently listened to a podcast with an Ex-Muslim who is now Catholic. Praise God that she rejected Muhammad and replaced him with Jesus Christ. In her story, she talked about how her friend knew a priest was going to visit her country which is in the Middle East. They arranged to meet the priest but he discouraged them from baptism and conversion.
Not long ago I interviewed Derya Little who is a Turkish Ex-Muslim who became Catholic. She told the story of a young Turk in Anatolia who had left Islam and was looking to become Catholic but the priest just told him to a good Muslim. This is absolutely pathetic. This is apostasy. In Turkey one can legally change their religion without legal consequences. There is no reason for the priest not to take him under his wing and convert him. This Turk eventually went to a Protestant Church where he converted.
Not every Muslim nation has apostasy laws. Some have them but they’re not really enforced. Some don’t have apostasy laws but they’ll get you on a trumped up charge. Either way, it’s hard to live as an apostate in any Muslim country, whether it’s a more liberal or a more traditional country.
Now, I understand that baptizing a Muslim can sometimes put a community in danger. I read a book about a convert in Iraq. He went to a monk and the monk told him that if he truly wanted to be a Christian, he had to leave the country. One can’t live as an apostate in a country like Iraq for a long period of time. This monk told the Ex-Muslim the right thing. That’s the correct answer. If the small Catholic community in Iraq welcomes him, then the community will be in danger. He needs to leave.
So that is what Catholic priests who operate in Muslim countries need to do. It’s ugly but Christ told us to take up our cross and follow him. Now, do priests who tell Ex-Muslims to be Muslims or good people do this out of a love for universalism? Partially but I think it’s also about fear. But fear of what?
Of course now in this day and age, dialogue is the big thing. The Vatican dialogues with everybody. Two of these groups are Islam and the Eastern Orthodox. Let’s look at a recent example where Pope Francis had a chance to speak up.
We’re all aware of the recent conversion of the Hagia Sophia back into a mosque from its museum status. I’ve stated publicly that the Hagia Sophia as a mosque or a museum is an equal abomination because it was built for neither purpose. After the court decision that stated it would be turned into a mosque Pope Francis said the decision made him sad. He didn’t elaborate. Was the Pope sad because this was a blight on mutual respect in a modern age or because a false religion would now be promoted in this former church? He didn’t say.
Anyways, recently the Prime Minister of Greece asked the Pope to use his influence to help the Hagia Sophia situation. Here’s the Tweet:
Almost a thousand years ago, Alexios Comnenus asked the Pope for military help and Pope Urban responded with the first crusade. What did Pope Francis do to help his Greek brothers and sisters? Absolutely nothing. He couldn’t bring himself to condemn theft, probably because he didn’t want to offend Muslims.
I once heard Dr. Bill Warner talk about how weakened Christianity has become in the face of Islam. He said Christianity has become the beaten wife of Muhammad. I laughed at the time because I was less educated then. I know exactly what he means now.
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