Expert: J.M.J. West - 5/5/2008

Question
please go to this site and view open mindly

http://thetruthexposed.webs.com

Answer
One thing that annoys me is when I see Christians whose idea of "evangelization" is to stand on the street and hand out cheap little tracts about "needin' Jesus" and then leaving it at that.  Maybe one or two people out of 10,000 will have a vaguely positive response to this, but generally it makes the Gospel Message seem much more akin to a pop-up advertisement - and not even a good one because usually the message is "you a sinner, you suck and are going to hell, unless you know the password," and nobody likes to hear advertisements like that.

True evangelization is lived.  "Preach the Gospel every day, use words if necessary," says St. Francis.  This works for other faiths too, including Islam, of which this site purports to express the truth.

As it is, I have good reason for doubting the veracity of Islam (I've never met a good argument for being either a Sunni or a Shiite, and really most Christians in the 7th century figured that Islam wasn't a different religion but an aberrant heretical sect of Christianity).  I have respect for the religion, and find many of its forms of culture and art beautiful, but I do not believe it is a revealed religion.  In fact, I believe Islam and Mormonism were explicitly prophesied and condemned in the scriptures.

      "But though ... an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. "(Galatians 1:8)

That said, there is always benefit in honest, ecumenical dialogue (and Catholics and Muslims do have a bit in common).  Here's what the Church says:

"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" (CCC 841).

If you have honest questions, I'd be happy to answer them.

For further consideration:

http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/2005/0504dr.asp