I was privileged to be present at the Glasgow University hosted discussion between Prof Mona Siddiqui and Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, last Wednesday.
I arrived with a whole load of preconceptions about the Archbishop who thinks that Sharia law should be an integral part of British law. I’d heard so much about it on the news, and Dr Rowan Williams received so much criticism and caused uproar because of the comments. The archbishop had been “ridiculed” and “lampooned” by some who believe that any change along these lines would create social chaos.
However, the Bishop of Hulme said, in response to this, “We have probably one of the greatest and the brightest archbishops of Canterbury we have had for many a long day,”
It was this fact that I started to realise as I listened to the bishop speak, and my misconceptions were in part turned around and sorted out. I maybe wouldn’t go as far as to say he was the greatest and brightest, but I certainly think he has more to him than the media have been suggesting. He speaks in an engaging manner, almost as well as a politician, answering the questions which he likes to answer and effectively missing out those which he prefers not to. He speaks of his passions of sharing Christian love and of the similarities between different religions.
There were a couple of things which stood out to me, but I will only deal with one tonight as it ended up being a larger thought process than I would have imagined at first. So, the Archbishop spoke of his view of Holiness and how he could see the attributes of Holiness in all different types of people, including people of other faiths. In particular, he said that he knewthere were holy aspects visible in people such as Mona Siddiqui, a Muslim and other Jewish people that he knew.
But, how exactly can this be so? Isn’t Holiness an attribute of the God of the OT, in fact it is the only description which is emphasised by repeating it three times. For in the OT there was no bold text or underline, rather the emphasised by repeating, so to have one word repeated three times makes it pretty special. Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty. God is Holy! So, then, if we are not worshipping the same God how can we all be displaying this attribute of God.
Well, the Archbishop of Canterbury suggests that we are not worshipping different Gods, rather we are expressing it differently. Of course, this is the controversial point, and I do not agree with this as such. I do not think that different religions are merely different expressions of worship towards the same God. The main point for me, as a Christian, is the fact that a third of the entire being of God is Jesus. Therefore, if any religion, or any person, disowns or does not believe in Him, then they do not know the true God. So, if Jesus was fully God, and you do not know Him or worship him, are you really worshipping the same God as someone who does? So really, while I agree that some worship by obeying law and others worship by serving others and being in relationship with “God”, they are only worshipping God if they have come through Jesus. – “No one can come to the father except through me” – Jesus
My thoughts are scrambled on this one and I keep going round in circles, hence my statement about the theological hamster wheel earlier in the week.
Anyways, it’s time for me to move on, but what’s your thoughts on Archy and the Sharia Law?
What are your thoughts on holiness and it being visible in people of many other religions?
I realise this is a sensitive question and I haven’t dealt with it fully, I just hope people don’t think I have been offensive!
