She teaches political science, not theology. And there are a plenty of Christians, many of them quite learned who would agree with her.
The college's official statement is here:
http://www.wheaton.edu/Media-Center...heaton-College-Statement-Regarding-Dr-Hawkins
Note that she's currently on paid administrative leave, not fired or even suspended.
The college's Statement of Faith that she signed is here:
http://www.wheaton.edu/About-Wheaton/Statement-of-Faith-and-Educational-Purpose
That would mean theology is not within her purview to make statements as a professor.
They do, and it is irrelevant to your argument that we worship the same God. Christians believe Christ is God. Muslims don't. This is something both Muslims and Christians agree on, that we do NOT agree on the nature of God. Ergo, it's not the same God. It's really that simple. In English we use the word God and that can mean vastly different things to different people, referring to various different gods. Having the same root for our religion doesn't mean we worship the same God. We do not agree as to the nature of God, so the God we each worship cannot be the same. In fact, our respective religions considers this a deal-breaker issue to us.Do they call God Allah or not?
I go to a parish where I hear Arabic every Sunday. I can tell you right now, our understanding of God is not the same as Islam. Islam rejects Christ as God.
If a person desires to teach in a Christian college, they are expected to uphold the beliefs of that institution. She could have resigned if she does not agree that Christianity and Islam have nothing in common. Why did she pretend to be a Christian?
Her comments were made on Facebook, not in the classroom.
We have been cautioned at work about this, and here in Canada there are recent laws that give employers "teeth" to deal with these breaches of policy and decorum.Are you saying you don't realize that employers all over the place are holding employees responsible for their Facebook utterances?
If you reject the Holy Trinity and the notion that Christ is God, then you don't worship the same God as I do. This is not me being mean or not inclusive or whatever it is people want it to be. It's just a fact.
Are you saying you don't realize that employers all over the place are holding employees responsible for their Facebook utterances?
This is what the Roman Catholic Church teaches on the issue. I happen to agree with their understanding:
Employees are entitled to free speech just like everyone else. There was nothing she said that was lacking in 'decorum.'
Allah is NOT Yahweh Elohim [the LORD God, the triune Godhead.] For someone who claims to be the Vicar of Christ on earth and Pontifex Maximus, this statement reveals a total misunderstanding of both Christianity and Islam. How can Muslims possibly adore "the one God" whom we know as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, when they not only REJECT THE TRINITY but call Christians infidels because they do not accept Islam?????"The Church regards with esteem also the Moslems. They adore the one God, living and subsisting in Himself;...
Allah is NOT Yahweh Elohim
[the LORD God, the triune Godhead.]
For someone who claims to be the Vicar of Christ on earth and Pontifex Maximus, this statement reveals a total misunderstanding of both Christianity and Islam.
How can Muslims possibly adore "the one God" whom we know as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, when they not only REJECT THE TRINITY but call Christians infidels because they do not accept Islam?????
Whoever seeks other than Islam as a religion, it will not be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers (Sura 3:85) [THE LOSERS ARE DESTINED FOR HELL]
[REJECTION OF THE "THREE" IN THE TRINITY]
Allah will not forgive that partners be associated with Him; but will forgive anything less than that, to whomever He wills. Anyone who ascribes partners to Allah has strayed into far error. (Sura 4:116) [REJECTION OF THE TRINITY]
Yahweh isn't even mentioned in the New Testament. Yahweh is the Jewish name for God and they never saw Him a Triune.
No, it isn't. It is someone's best guess at a name religious Jews make no attempt at speaking since we don't know how it was pronounced. People went ahead and ran with it because that's what people do.
This is what the Roman Catholic Church teaches on the issue. I happen to agree with their understanding:
"The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day."And also from Vatican 2:
-Lumen Gentium 16 from Vatican II
"The Church regards with esteem also the Moslems. They adore the one God, living and subsisting in Himself; merciful and all-powerful, the Creator of heaven and earth, who has spoken to men; they take pains to submit wholeheartedly to even his inscrutable decrees, just as Abraham, with whom the faith of Islam takes pleasure in linking itself, submitted to God."
-CCC841, Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions, Nostra Aetate, 3
May the Lord bless them and may we not forget what they're going through or treat it as if it's of no consequence. And the same in regards to many of the Muslims who've been harmed by the same people destroying the world of Ancient Christianity amongst the Copts in Egypt
One of my dear sisters in Christ (who's Eastern Orthodox) was once conversing with an Orthodox Deacon about world events. Somehow, Egypt came up, and the Deacon said, "You know, given how hard things are for the Copts, I expect most of the Copt community will have left Egypt in the coming decades." That was under Mubarak.
And yet the Copts have been truly amazing in how they've handled things. Bishop Angaelos is making a world of difference, as he is even-tempered and is very much about inter-faith dialouge/ecumenical work. (shared more in depth here in #1 /#42 ). Complex as Islam/its origins are (more shared here and here /here), the man doesn't seem to demonize all of those within Islam---and Bishop Angaelos seems to have more of the mindset that Paul had in Acts 17, where he sought to find common ground with those he was witnessing to in Athens before trying to show them where they may've missed it. Bishop Angaelos - who describes the Egyptian bombing as "unprecedented" - still seeks to do as Paul noted in I Peter 2:11-25 when it comes to living godly lives amongst the pagans and submitting to government as best as one can so that one's faith will shine. His example of how he handled himself when discussing the bombing in Egypt and threats made to the UK and other European churches by other radicals is still one of the most astounding witnesses I've seen ...and his interviews have always been refreshing.
As he made clear on Muslims in one interview (for one brief excerpt):
CT: There are a number of legal requirements that hinder Christian freedom, such as the need for permits to build churches. Do you see the solution being government-led, with changes to the legal framework?
Bishop Angaelos: It has to be a combined effort. The church has its role, the government has its role and as long as we stick to our role faithfully everything will be fine. The government has a certain onus on it to provide a social structure that allows for people to grow and integrate positively. The church has a role to maintain people in their faith. We dont want to turn into a political party. As a bishop of the church I dont want to be a political activist, I have other things to do. I would much rather lead my people in prayer. But, and we see it in Scripture, advocating for people is a responsibility and calling for justice is a responsibility.
CT: It seems it is not the majority of Muslims who are against Christians but rather a hard line section of the Muslim community that is attacking Christians. How should the church approach them?
Bishop Angaelos: There are two major components. The first is the minority radical element and [change] will have to come from their leadership and a sense of civil order where if you go and commit a certain crime you will be brought to justice, whereas in the past few decades so many crimes have been committed and no one is brought to justice. So there is a civil side of things. But then you are speaking about the mass majority and I agree that not every Muslim wants to kill a Christian, but there is an increased polarisation and radicalisation that comes from the few and this is partly due to massive poverty and illiteracy and a social void in some areas and some people try to jump into that void and try to fill it.
Very excellent example of calling out that which is wrong...and yet realizing the need for Christians to work with the local governments with what they have. And for other interviews:
Some may think the Coptic Church is akin to tolerating bullies when it comes to trying to work with Islamic Governments/the rules they set....and in the minds of many, fighting back is the ONLY Reasonable option.
And in many ways, many in Islam can be bullies who need to be stopped.
Part of me wonders, however, about the other side of bullying....and that's loving the bully till you win him over to your side...as many Muslims have noted when it came to their seeing the love of Christ so manifest in the Bible and through other Christians that they were won over from much of what they saw in Islam. If Jesus said for believers to love their enemies and do good to those who hate you ( Luke 6:27-36)---and said that mercy was always reflective of what it meant to be Sons of the Most High--then I'd wonder who'd be reflecting the Lord more when it comes to how bullies are addressed. I don't think self-defense is a negative necessarily, as I don't see where Christ advocated that in the scriptures and absolute pacifism is something disciples of Christ are bound to walk in.....but on the same token, there can be alot of danger occurring when people try to fight fire with fire...and be just as aggressive as those coming against them.
People can say they'll beat up a bully to put him in check--only to end up prolonging a conflict/making a bully more determined to wipe them out and leading to a blood bath or friends of the person bullied being harm as a result (as has happened in many schools fights). And likewise, for many, to respond with fighting/violent speech toward all in Islam is not something that'll lead to true peace. For the real issue is spiritual----and for many Muslims, the LOVE of Christ is what they need to see. As the old saying goes, "The best way to get rid of enemies is to make them into friends." There was a story I once heard of where a pastor asked his son to name the greatest superhero--and his son said "Superman!!!!", to which the pastor disagreed. When the son noted that Superman could beat up/destory all of the bad guys, the pastor noted back that only Jesus could make bad guys turn into good ones....and then work for Him.
What the Lord asks of believers:
Pray the fullest blessing of Christ on them whether they love you or not.For those Coptic Christians who've had to deal extensively with Muslims and yet won them through the Love of Christ, I salute them---and on love, I agree with those Coptic Orthodox who've noted that practical love is a witness to the love of Christ. Witness is not withheld where it is needed most. ..and conversions coerced by force or finances contradicts the very nature of saving faith. Saving faith is a free embrace of Jesus as our Savior, Lord, and highest Treasure.
Do good to them in practical ways that meet physical needs.
- Luke 6:28 - Bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
- Romans 12:14 - Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
- 1 Corinthians 4:12 - When reviled, we bless.
Do not retaliate when personally wronged.
- Luke 6:27 - Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.
- Luke 6:31 - As you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:15 - See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.
- Romans 12:20 - If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.
Live peaceably with them as much as it depends on you.
- 1 Peter 3:9 - Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.
- Romans 12:17, 19 - Repay no one evil for evil ... Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."
Seek to comprehend the meaning of what they say, so that your affirmations or criticisms are based on true understanding, not distortion or caricature.
- Romans 12:18 - If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
- 1 Corinthians 13:6 - Love does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices with the truth.
And as one of my dear sisters said best in regards to the Copts and Bishop Anagelos (from #74 ):
I wonder how EO and OOs had to come together during the revolutions in Egypt, as it concerns what happened in the Middle East with the Arab spring - and Russia itself/The Russian Orthodox Church has been deeply connected with the Arab Revolutions...
Additionally, in the event you did not know, as said best in Coptic Pope and Patriarch Tawadros Arrives in Moscow ...Voices from Russia
:
His Holiness Pope and Patriarch Tawadros Sulaymān, 118th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of all Africa of the Holy Apostolic See of Saint Mark, accompanied by a patriarchal delegation, arrived in Russia on 28 October 2014 ahead of a historic visit. HH Pope Tawadros will visit His Holiness Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow and all the Russias on 29 October 2014, marking 26 years since the visit of the previous Pope of Alexandria, His Holiness the late Pope Shenouda who participated in the celebration of the Millennium of the Christianisation of Russia and the baptism of St Vladimir. His Holiness was met at Moscow’s Domodedovo airport by Metropolitan Ilarion Alfeyev of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the MP Synodal Department for External Church Relations in Moscow and His Excellency Dr Mahmoud El-Badry, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the Russian Federation, as well as Their Graces Bishop Kyrillos of Milan, Papal Exarch in Europe, and Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the UK. a delegation comprising Metropolitan Bishoy of Damietta and Their Graces: Bishop Raphael, General Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church and Bishop Serapion of Los Angeles and Papal secretary Father Angelos Ishak and official spokesman of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Fr Boules Haleem accompanied Pope Tawadros.
From Moscow, Bishop Angaelos said:
“This fraternal visit is important because it marks the first visit of a Coptic Pope to Russia in 26 years and marks and demonstrates the depth of relationship between our two Churches and the many commonalities we share in our heritage and experience”. There’ll be a reception for Pope Tawadros at the Egyptian Embassy on the evening of 28 October 2014, and he’ll undertake various official visits and pastoral engagements throughout the duration of his stay.
28 October 2014
The Coptic Orthodox Church Centre UK
http://copticcentre.blogspot.com/2014/10/press-release-his-holiness-pope.html
click here and here for the patriarchia.ru coverage
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