scottmaciver
Puritan Board Sophomore
A small mosque is being built in my town, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis. What ought the correct response of the church be to the establishment of the first mosque on our Islands?
Opposition has come from the moderator of the Presbytery of the Free Church (Continuing), Rev Greg Macdonald who said, “On the basis of this biblical teaching, we object to the promotion of all false religion, including the promotion of Islam through a mosque in Stornoway. God’s right to be worshipped by his creatures in the way he requires must take precedence over any other supposed rights.”
On the other hand, the Free Church, through Rev. James Maciver, support the Muslim's right to worship, "They have always been regarded by the local community as people who’ve contributed to the local economy and integrated well. I don’t remember any animosity towards them. Outsiders may have got the impression that the Christian community here have resisted the mosque, but that’s not the case. I come at this from the point of view of liberty of conscience, freedom of religion. I don’t personally see Islam as the way to salvation, but they have a civil right to a place of worship. I have no right to come between someone’s conscience and their god.”
(See the Guardian article Here for further details, including the context for the above quotes)
Elsewhere, Thomas Guthrie was quoted to support the Free Church position, as follows, "When one of the early Free Church leaders, Dr Thomas Guthrie, appeared to give evidence before a select committee of the House of Commons in 1847, about the Free Church being granted sites to build churches, he was asked if he would grant a site to any group other than Christians. He said, ‘I would grant a site to any man who desired to worship God according to his conscience’. The committee then asked, ‘To a Jew, or a Muslim, or even an idolater?’ He said, ‘Yes, I have no right to stand between a man and his conscience.’"
Opposition has come from the moderator of the Presbytery of the Free Church (Continuing), Rev Greg Macdonald who said, “On the basis of this biblical teaching, we object to the promotion of all false religion, including the promotion of Islam through a mosque in Stornoway. God’s right to be worshipped by his creatures in the way he requires must take precedence over any other supposed rights.”
On the other hand, the Free Church, through Rev. James Maciver, support the Muslim's right to worship, "They have always been regarded by the local community as people who’ve contributed to the local economy and integrated well. I don’t remember any animosity towards them. Outsiders may have got the impression that the Christian community here have resisted the mosque, but that’s not the case. I come at this from the point of view of liberty of conscience, freedom of religion. I don’t personally see Islam as the way to salvation, but they have a civil right to a place of worship. I have no right to come between someone’s conscience and their god.”
(See the Guardian article Here for further details, including the context for the above quotes)
Elsewhere, Thomas Guthrie was quoted to support the Free Church position, as follows, "When one of the early Free Church leaders, Dr Thomas Guthrie, appeared to give evidence before a select committee of the House of Commons in 1847, about the Free Church being granted sites to build churches, he was asked if he would grant a site to any group other than Christians. He said, ‘I would grant a site to any man who desired to worship God according to his conscience’. The committee then asked, ‘To a Jew, or a Muslim, or even an idolater?’ He said, ‘Yes, I have no right to stand between a man and his conscience.’"