The Longing
Stuff that didn't quite make it into The Briefing
The cross and Islam: An evangelistic starting point
Tony Payne / May 2002
In the slightly terrified new world after September 11, many of us have found that the time is ripe for Islamic evangelism—but not so much with Muslims as with our secular neighbours. The new prominence (and infamy) of Islam has brought the topic of religion and truth once again into everyday conversation with our friends and neighbours. Once again people are asking the big questions: Are all religions really the same? What do Muslims really believe? Are Islamic beliefs really consistent with our vision of a tolerant multicultural society? Is
Make the elephant visible
Philip Miles / May 2002
I recently read with interest an article in The Sydney Morning Herald Good Weekend Magazine, entitled ‘Through Islamic Eyes’ (1 Dec 2001). It was a very enlightening article, but not in the way intended by the author. In fact, it shed little light on the nature of Islam but spoke volumes about life in today's Australia.
One thing I found striking was the massive impact of modern secular philosophy on the younger members of the group of six people interviewed. Time and again they expressed opinions which reflected, not traditional Muslim