RELIGION > What the Koran Say What Christians Know About Islam? Posted by on Sep 16, 2008, 01:05

Do Muslims know more about Christianity than Christians know about Islam? In other words, do Muslims know more about Jesus and the Bible than Christians know about the Prophet Mohamed and the Quran? Christianity and Islam share a common origin. Judaism is the parent religion of both and all three-practice monotheism. Monotheism is the belief in one God.  Judaism is strictly practiced by the Jews.

In the Sierra Leonean context which group Christians or Muslims, know more about the faith and practices of the other? Some readers have never thought about this before and simply do not care as long as both groups continue to coexist. On the other hand, some readers would guess without proper attributions because they favour their own group.  There is a set of people for whom the reasons for asking are more important than the question asked. So why ask? Christians and Muslims should engage in meaningful ecumenical dialogue. Our faith is strengthened when we understand the fundamentals of the faith of others. To challenge the fallacies and bring the subject to our conscious minds is very significant.  Similarly to begin an interfaith conversation in Sierra Leone on religious tolerance would bring us closer to God.

For long, Christians have gone to church on Sundays and Muslims to the Mosque on Fridays without engaging each other. Most of us have attended either a Christian or a Muslim function at some point in our lives. How often do we think about what is being said and done when it involves the other religion? Are we only there to patronize and eat the delicious meals being served? How many Surahs can most Christians recite and how many Bible verses do Muslims know? I am not writing to be partial to any group. It is my intention to be truthful to the God whom we worship. Therefore, we must hasten to say that the religious community in Sierra Leone has ignored important crucial matters for a long time. Religious leaders are too scared to deal with ethical and life changing issues. There are religious leaders who have lost the moral edge and are doing everything except moral authorities in their communities. We have a shallow faith that is centered on thanking God for blessings we do not have. What are some facts about religion in Sierra Leone? There are more Muslims than Christians in Sierra Leone. Officially, Sierra Leone is made up of 60% Muslims, 10% Christians, and 30% indigenous beliefs. Since there are more Muslims than Christians, it is obvious that there would be a greater percentage of Muslims that knows about Christianity than Christians know about Islam. Therefore, more Muslims know about Jesus and the Bible than Christians know about the Prophet Mohamed and the Quran. If this is true only because of disparity, then there is nothing else to ‘write home about.’ There is a lot to write home about when dealing with this sensitive subject. It is worth noting that having more Muslims than Christians does not necessitate a greater knowledge of Christianity by the Islamic population. There are several other factors to be considered and examined. Let us look at a couple for this first part of the series.  Conversations with several Christians regarding the lopsided statistics of the religious population in Sierra Leone have gained several reactions that ranged from the ridiculous, flat out denial to clumsy explanation for the incongruence.  Some people were shocked and others argued bitterly that the figures were incorrect. The argument has been advanced several times that the current available statistics were obtained over decades ago and do not reflect the present day reality in Sierra Leone. There are many realities in present day Sierra Leone that cannot be ignored. It is often distressing to many Sierra Leoneans returning home for the first time after staying away for a long time. The social changes that have occurred repeatedly leaves returnees gripped in shock.  Even for those who frequent the nation, realities on the ground change from day to day. To expect that things are the same is unrealistic and misleading.

 However, one is convinced that the disparity between the Christian and Muslim population in today’s Sierra Leone is not much different than it was several years ago. If anything, one believes that Islam has gained more grounds than Christianity in Sierra Leone. In traveling through Sierra Leone, one can noticed that more Mosques than churches have been built in recent years. When asked, several people advanced the argument that Ex-President Kabbah, appealed to the UN Peacekeepers from Islamic nations to build Mosques all around the nation. You have in Sierra Leone women who now wear the hijab.  If you have not noticed that, open your eyes when traveling around Sierra Leone, you will see more new Mosques than new Churches in the nation. Open your eyes and you will notice the strong surge toward Muslimism in Sierra Leone. 

To say that the disparity between the Christian and Muslim population is not much different in today’s Sierra Leone, is by no means sneering Christianity.  This is not to cast doubts on the gains of Christian evangelism in Sierra Leone.  Please understand that this observation is coming from a servant of God who practices the Christian faith as a trained theologian. If studying divinity and theology taught me nothing else, it opened my eyes to the reality and awareness that God is the God of truth. Sometimes God’s truth can be harsh and uncomfortable, in addition to liberation. The truth is that how much Sierra Leone Muslims know about Christianity than Christians know about Islam?

Part 2

In John 8:32 Jesus said, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” In 2 Timothy 1:7 Paul writes, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” It is impossible to make pristine judgments without a sound mind. Where a sound mind is lacking, people form preconceived opinions, biases and prejudices that are inaccurate. A sound mind enables us to see the realities as they are. Where a sound mind is missing, some will give the impression that theirs is the only true religion. They will dam the faith of others. 

A sound mind should lead us to the truth that Christianity in Sierra Leone is becoming weak. Never mind the appearance, the Christian community in Sierra Leone is feeble. Pulpits are filled with pseudo prophets with less training and no conviction about the Gospel they preach. What some church leaders are mainly after is either getting more money or getting another unhealthy relationship started. Preachers stand up in the pulpits intoxicated and wanting to spread the message of Christ’s salvation by telling others to be sober. Yes! According to the Bible, our salvation does not depend on our works of righteousness.  It depends on the ‘finished work of Jesus Christ.’ Salvation through Christ is no excuse to sin and fornicate infinitely. We have the responsibility to be God’s agent of morality in society. The Christian message of salvation through Jesus Christ in Sierra Leone is unclear. The masses are confused about the direction of Christianity in Sierra Leone.  If the way Christians act in Sierra Leone is any indication of true Christianity, no wonder so many have made the conscious choice to stay away from the church.

 Christians seeking Juju man, voodoo priest, medicine men, witch doctors and you name them. Furthermore, some Christians get involved in ritualistic sacrifices. Whose power do Christians in Sierra Leone believe? People talk more about the power of Satan than the power of God.  Perhaps instead of saying we believe in monotheism (one God), we should say we practice dualism and pluralism (many gods). Sierra Leone churches are filled with people who are unfaithful to the Christian faith. It is more about the appearance than the true worship of God. The Church in Sierra Leone looks like a social club for the elites. It is a symbol of status for the rich and famous in the nation. It is a ‘museum’ for rich and famous and not the ‘hospital’ for sinners. 

Divination is prevalent in Sierra Leone, although the Bible warns against this practice.  Sometimes the sacrifices believers are asked to make are ridiculous. Divination and fortune telling has nothing to do with true Christianity. Acts 16:16-22 tells of Paul casting out the spirit of divination from a slave girl who followed them proclaiming they were true servants of God. Why is fortune telling so rampant is Sierra Leonean Churches? Has God lost the power to tell you what you need to know about yourself? Alternatively, is it that we have become too lazy and too loud to the point of drowning God’s voice?  

 The argument is also given that there are more schools that are Christian therefore; there should be more Christians than Muslims in the nation.  Having more schools that are Christian does not mean you have more Christians than Muslims. It is not the measuring stick to find out about Islam or Christianity.  It is simply indicative of the fact that the early missionaries used education as a means to spread Christianity. In recent years, there have been more establishments of Muslims schools than Christian schools in the nation. There are also more Muslims in Christian schools, than Christians in Muslim schools. Christian schools often have classes relating to Christianity and the Bible. Therefore, to meet the educational requirements of these schools, Muslims study about Christianity. Although some will eventually adopt the faith, most usually simply try to adhere to the school’s curriculum.  What you have is a situation where Muslims are exposed more to the Christian faith than Christians are exposed to Islam. This gives the advantage to Muslims to know more about Jesus and the Bible than Christians about the Prophet Mohamed and the Quran. There are Muslims who can quote Biblical verses better than average Christians. Comparatively, Muslims have made the best use of the educational privileges in Sierra Leone than Christian. In the process, they have gained insights to Christianity while Christians are still in the dark regarding some basic concepts of Islam.