Monday, October 6, 2008
Shadid Lewis and James White
Shadid Lewis is a young black man who is an Islamic convert from Christianity. I have heard of him from James White who has been dealing with Islamic apologists. Shadid Lewis uses the imperfections and problems in the Black church as his primary reasons for turning his back on Christianity. The fact is that there is not a lot of Black churches that deals in fundamental theology. Therefore many people do not get their questions answered. So some people are left thinking that Christians have no way to answer the questions they raise therefore Christians must be wrong. I happen to be one of those people that had I not been raised in a family and in a church ( a black church by the way) where I was encouraged to ask questions and seek answers I would not have been able to be a Christian either. In addition the church I go to now is very heavy into study and digging into the word of God to learn all we can.
I can identify with Shadid Lewis because I have been in church services that was heavy on emotionalism and short on teaching the Bible. I was left feeling wanting. If that is all he experienced then I can see why he may have been thinking that it was inappropriate for his pastor to play the saxophone. I found it amazing that Dr. White agreed with him. There is nothing wrong with praising and magnifying God. I'm the first to admit that some of us get caught up in "the shout". We don't feel like we have had church unless people shout, even if the best preaching and teaching took place. Don't get me wrong...there is nothing wrong with the shout or speaking in tongues. Often I have experience services where you could straight feel the Holy Spirit. But if there is no teaching and no one is learning you have to ask if the Holy Spirit is actually moving. Dr James White is unfamiliar with the traditions and standard ways of conducting services in a black church. We tend to take Psalms literally - praising God loudly, exuberantly, singing, and with as many different instruments as we have people who can play them. We get so happy thinking about what God has done for us we have a party every service to celebrate. Unfortunately sometimes people get caught up in the party and don't know why we are celebrating. They just like the music. I think that is what happened with Shadid Lewis. No wonder he thought Christianity in the Black church was empty if that is all he experienced.
Here is a video James White posted in his blog and YouTube in which he is shown interacting with Shadid Lewis and making comments on how to Muslims twist scripture to deny basic Christian teaching.
I can identify with Shadid Lewis because I have been in church services that was heavy on emotionalism and short on teaching the Bible. I was left feeling wanting. If that is all he experienced then I can see why he may have been thinking that it was inappropriate for his pastor to play the saxophone. I found it amazing that Dr. White agreed with him. There is nothing wrong with praising and magnifying God. I'm the first to admit that some of us get caught up in "the shout". We don't feel like we have had church unless people shout, even if the best preaching and teaching took place. Don't get me wrong...there is nothing wrong with the shout or speaking in tongues. Often I have experience services where you could straight feel the Holy Spirit. But if there is no teaching and no one is learning you have to ask if the Holy Spirit is actually moving. Dr James White is unfamiliar with the traditions and standard ways of conducting services in a black church. We tend to take Psalms literally - praising God loudly, exuberantly, singing, and with as many different instruments as we have people who can play them. We get so happy thinking about what God has done for us we have a party every service to celebrate. Unfortunately sometimes people get caught up in the party and don't know why we are celebrating. They just like the music. I think that is what happened with Shadid Lewis. No wonder he thought Christianity in the Black church was empty if that is all he experienced.
Here is a video James White posted in his blog and YouTube in which he is shown interacting with Shadid Lewis and making comments on how to Muslims twist scripture to deny basic Christian teaching.
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