13AR18-26

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Apologia Report 18:26 (1,162)

July 10, 2013

Subject: The conundrum of Muslim "tolerance"

In this issue:

CHOPRA, DEEPAK - has his cultural influence become even greater than that of the late Maharishi?

CHURCH HISTORY - which is to blame for the decline of Christianity in the West: education, prosperity, or the disappearing family?

ISLAM - Muslims may "favor religious freedom," but for most, freedom to reject Sharia law is another story altogether

+ "many women who have had enlightened fathers who supported their education ... meet the tide of extremism"

MORMONISM - reviewer advises readers to avoid evangelical opinion if they want to find out what the LDS have to say about Christianity

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CHOPRA, DEEPAK

"Deepak Chopra's Cosmic Enlightenment: Eastern Ideals in a Western Culture" by Robert Velarde -- having "succeeded at convincing many Westerners to embrace Hindu beliefs and practices in the name of science, health care, and even Christianity," is Chopra's cultural influence "far surpassing" that of his former teacher, Transcendental Meditation founder Maharishi Mahesh Yogi?

Velarde attributes Chopra's rise to prominence to Oprah Winfrey's endorsement of his 1993 book Ageless Body, Timeless Mind [1]. Included are critiques of Chopra's "Four Spiritual Laws," his concept of spiritual enlightenment, his views about Jesus Christ, and his worldview in general. Christian Research Journal, 36:3 - 2013, pp46-49.

Note: The Chopra "biography" blurb on Amazon.com includes the credit: "Senior Scientist, The Gallup Organization."

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CHURCH HISTORY

"How the West Really Lost God" by Mary Eberstadt -- the contents summary reads: "the Western world has become increasingly secular and post-Christian. This is often attributed to increasing education and prosperity, but data abounds that suggests" the reason for Western Christianity's breakdown is "the breakdown of the family."

Eberstadt's findings include: "Americans with college degrees are more likely than those with high school diplomas alone to attend church on Sunday" and "Social science has roundly established that vibrant families and vibrant religion go hand in hand." The article is adapted from Eberstadt's new book by the same name. [2] Christian Research Journal, 36:3 - 2013, pp20-23.

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ISLAM

"A new study reveals what Islam means in different countries" -- The Economist (Apr 30 '13) notes contradictions in the Pew Research Centre UK's finding that Islam's "staunchest backers [i.e., those who are in favor of Sharia law] are also strong supporters of religious pluralism." The piece describes "a survey of 38,000 Muslims conducted in 39 countries" in which "respondents think that non-Muslims are very free to practice their faith," or "other religions are very free to worship," or that Muslims "strongly approve of religious freedom." However, the survey team also notes that many of the same people "support the death penalty for apostates from Islam." Then again, others "have far less appetite for executing apostates." Still,"Though around three-quarters endorse it in both Indonesia and Egypt, less than half of those Indonesians support stoning for adultery; in Egypt, 81% do. Yet 74% of Egyptians who favour sharia also think it should apply to non-Muslims, the highest proportion among polled countries."

The first of two charts included with the article portrays the "Percentage of Mulsim respondents in each country [15 of them] who support" sharia law, and in the other chart, those who support "executing those who leave Islam." <www.ow.ly/mHOH9>

Also see <www.ow.ly/mHRyh>

Your Fatwa Does Not Apply Here: Untold Stories from the Fight Against Muslim Fundamentalism, by Karima Bennoune [3] -- "A human rights lawyer scours the global hotspots for stories of Muslim push back to fundamentalism. Fired with a sense of outrage, Bennoune (Law/Univ. of California, Davis) applies the lessons she learned from her professor and activist father, Mahfoud Bennoune - put on the 'kill list' by fundamentalist extremists in Algeria in the early 1990s - in meeting the challenge of today's fundamentalists. Muslim fundamentalism - which the author defines carefully as an extreme-right movement that achieves political aims by manipulating religion, embracing absolutism, limiting women's rights and other human rights, denouncing secularism and advocating the imposition of narrowly defined Sharia - actually perpetuates [sic] much more violence against Muslims than against Westerners. The fallacy entertained by the Western left, such as her former employer she takes to task, Amnesty International, is that some forms of Islamic fundamentalism can be moderate or appear palatable (skillful as such groups are in 'double discourse'), such as the freshly washed face of the Islamic Brotherhood. This is mostly due to the fact that the West desperately needs to believe 'someone has to control those Muslims.' However, Bennoune is uncompromising in presenting tales from the trenches of the terror imposed by these ideologically driven governments: arts groups for children in Lahore, Pakistan, targeted for bombing since music was declared haram (shameful); cinemas burned in Herat, Afghanistan; women stoned in Nigeria; polygamy encouraged by Hamas and on the rise in Gaza; journalists killed for speaking out from Algeria to Pakistan. Yet the author's account brings to light the courageous few who do stand up at the peril of losing their lives - e.g., many women who have had enlightened fathers who supported their education, like the author. Bennoune, and those she profiles, bravely meets the tide of extremism with a sense of shared community and nonviolent purpose." Kirkus, Jun '13 #2.

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MORMONISM

Mormon Christianity: What Other Christians Can Learn from the Latter-day Saints, by Stephen H. Webb [4] -- "At first glance, the subtitle of this book may suggest that it's about how, in a practical sense, Mormons can teach others to be better Christians. However, the book is actually about the theological contributions that Mormonism can make to an ongoing understanding of Christianity. Webb (religion & philosophy, Wabash Coll.) does not debate whether Mormonism is Christian; he takes its Christianity as a given. Most non-Mormons who have engaged with Mormon theology have come from the stance of evangelicalism. Webb is a Roman Catholic convert, so he brings a different perspective to the table. His book is appealing for its conversational style; it isn't necessary to be a professional theologian to appreciate his arguments. Among the issues he confronts are Mormon perspectives on materiality, the preexistent nature of Jesus, and the nature of the Trinity. VERDICT This is a sophisticated step in what can be a long-term conversation. The so-called 'Mormon moment' may not be the arrival of Mormons on the national political scene but, instead, their theology being taken fully seriously by outsiders. Recommended for readers of contemporary theology." Library Journal, Jun '13 #2.

(Translation: "If it comes without the exclusivism of evangelical faith, any alternative belief system is a welcome guest." - RP) For a conservative Roman Catholic response to Mormonism, see <www.ow.ly/mHR15>.

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SOURCES: Monographs

1 - Ageless Body, Timeless Mind: The Quantum Alternative to Growing Old, by Deepak Chopra (Three Rivers Prs, 1994, paperback, 368 pages) <www.ow.ly/mHoEw>

2 - How the West Really Lost God: A New Theory of Secularization, by Mary Eberstad (Templeton Prs, 2013, hardcover, 268 pages) <www.ow.ly/mMaZs>

3 - Your Fatwa Does Not Apply Here: Untold Stories from the Fight Against Muslim Fundamentalism, by Karima Bennoune (W. W. Norton, August 2013, hardcover, 416 pages) <www.ow.ly/mHPxl>

4 - Mormon Christianity: What Other Christians Can Learn from the Latter-day Saints, by Stephen H. Webb (Oxford Univ Prs, October 2013, hardcover, 240 pages) <www.ow.ly/mHQva>

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