How Do We Deal With Dubious Knowledge? 💁

I have a friend who’s obsessively careful about where his food comes from. Avoiding what he calls, “foreign kitchens,” he’s cool with what his wife cooks, but only a couple other friends and family. Well, and McDonalds and whoever makes Twinkies. He had a church friend on the ok list for awhile and enjoyed her contributions at Sunday potlucks. Then he happened to help her move to a different house. Turns out she was a hoarder with super sketchy kitchen hygiene!  He’s tightened down the list!

The trouble with understanding Muslims is there are so many and they’re so diverse. You think you’re safe with some info source (like my friend above), only to find out they have an evil agenda, other Muslims think they’re a dope or they just never wipe their stove.

One thing I do when I want to learn something about Muslims (Like today I’m curious whether or not Allah will be with those in Paradise.), is go beyond reading what Christians say, a good place to start, to reading Muslim voices.

Again, a particular Muslim’s site might represent most of the community or only 18 people and he’s just good at websites and SEO!

Here’s what might help:

1. I’d love to serve as a clearing house for you (I can hear you say, “That’s why I signed up, you goof! I sure don’t have time to survey the universe of Muslim thought! I have a life.) Yes, you do. Let me know what you’re curious about. I’ll do my best to curate helpful info. When I fail, I’ll refer you to number two:

2. I’m pretty sure that what your Muslim friends think is way more important than what is objectively true or generally thought among the global ummah. You’re not dealing with “Muslims,” you’re dealing with Fatima and Siddiq, your friends. It matters less whether or not “Islam is a religion of peace” than it does if they are people of peace.

Like Jesus usually did, we want to meet them where they are. 

The winners of the Fifth Anniversary Giveaway have been chosen (by my seven year old son asking Siri for random numbers!):
Loving Your Muslim Neighbor books: Peggy Y., Melissa C., Nate S., Wesley P., and Jonathan L.
Apple AirPods: Travis W., Amy G.
Kindle Paperwhite: Ric H.