Lent fast re-branded as 'Christian Ramadan'

I found this article incredible. Renaming a Christian tradition to sound more like an Islamic one for the sake of muslims.


tinyurl.com...



[edit on 13-2-2008 by jsobecky]

But that's not the reason they state in the article. It says "the fact that we use a Muslim term is related to the fact that Ramadan is a better-known concept among young people than Lent".

Are you attempting to create drama?

Did you even read the article or just see the headline and see it as a way of posting something negative about Islam..

Yes, a little drama would be a nice diversion.
/sarcasm

Are you being deliberately dense?



Please, don't stop there, pstiffy. Quote the entire passage:



Now, what young people might that include? Think real hard, now. We'll wait.

[edit on 13-2-2008 by jsobecky]

[edit on 13-2-2008 by jsobecky]

"Dutch Catholics have re-branded the Lent fast as the "Christian Ramadan" in an attempt to appeal to young people who are more likely to know about Islam than Christianity."

There are two ways to interpret that sentence. The first is your way, which is they are referring to young Muslims. This is what you are saying, right?

The second way is to look at the context of that sentence in relation to the entire article. From that perspective, it is clear that they are talking about the young Dutch people in general, who are predominantly Christians.

Who is being dense now?

Edit to add link to full article, since your link is broken.

[edit on 13-2-2008 by Beachcoma]

Thanks for fixing the broken link. I'll go back and edit it.

Looking at the article the second way is dubious, since Christians should know more about their own religion than another, all things being equal.

This is true, but you've got to remember that there has been a hell lot of publicity, negative or positive, given to Muslims and Islam since the end of the Cold War. For better or worse, a lot of people now are more aware of the religion and it's practices.

Besides, from the article:



So it's been quite a while since Dutch Catholics actually practised Lent as they should.

Here is another article on the same subject that supports my interpretation of the article you first posted:

Dutch Catholics label Lent the “Christian Ramadan” to encourage self-denial

Mmm. It would be interesting to know which religious group the 'Catholic charity Vastenaktie' fronts for. Buried deep, very possibly. Very deep.

My reading is that this supposed charity group is far less concerned with Lent's alleged 'less importance' and far more concerned with superimposing Islam on Christianity.

Is it 'coincidence' that senior UK clergy are currently in the news touting the same agenda ?

Follow the money. I know where I believe it leads back to, but we're threatened and bullied out of naming the religious group in question.

My opinion: the 'charity group' Vastenaktie *and* the senior UK clergy involved should be instructed to fulfill their officially appointed role and NO more .. or be officially sacked, effective immediately.

It's clear as glass, imo, that the agenda to 'remove' Christianity is well underway.

I think if we all re-read the article we will see that they made the comparison so......"They can remind Christians who may be less observant than Muslims of the "spirituality and sobriety" of Lent."

We all complain that the Muslims are fanatical and here in Aust they have even tried to ban Xmas carols and R.E. in schools etc but if we were more vigilant with our own beliefs they wouldn't even try it let alone get away with it. We say we are a chirstian society (In Aust) but how many "christians" even know what lent is? But we all know what Ramadan is because the Muslims stand by and uphold their beliefs and make a big deal about it. Maybe we christians should take more time to observe our religious events.

i think you should be honored that lent is being compared to ramadan...especially when ramadan is a hell of a lot more intense than lent. lent you give up one thing and don't eat too much...
ramadan, you don't eat until sundown, and you don't eat that much after sundown.
for a whole month.

honostly, becky, you're just creating false drama.

Well, madness, I guess I just don't understand why there needs to be a comparison of Christianity and Islam. These folks seem to want to instill "parity of intensity" for some strange reason.

I'm not sure I would want to be more "Islam-like", given some of the things I've read about the application of Sharia law and the "adventures" of Muhammed.

Call it drama if you want. That's fine. Whatever. I can guarantee you that any attempt to "Christianize" Islam would be met with strict disapproval, though.

Hi Becky, (sorry Madness if I am jumping in where I shouldn't)
I agree wholeheatedly the Muslim would not take it lightly if we were to compare Christianity with thier ways or that they would accept anything christian. Eg They come to Aust and want things done thier way but if we go to thier country we have to do things thier way or risk imprisonment or even murder. All I think that every one is trying to say is that the particular news article you mentioned does not say what you think it does or what you are trying to say.

reply to post by jsobecky

---

Why blame another group when Christianity is in decrease itself?
We see young Christian borns rather label themselves 'athiests' than Christians because they feel ashamed of it for some reason.In my local churches they use game consoles to attract the young and when you see Muslim mosques espicially on a Friday it feels like you are driving through Baghdad.

Its simple Christianity is falling apart and now they are trying their best to bring it back up by using parts of other religion.

I never got the concept of Lent anyhow. It's based off Jesus's 40 days fasting in the desert, right? Do you think that in those 40 days Jesus said "I won't be having meat, but I'll eat and drink anything else"?

No, it was more likely that he wouldn't eat anything at all. So how are Christians supposed to follow that example (considering that Jesus extols the virtues of fasting in the Bible, so it is something that good Christians should do)?

Exactly my point.
Christians have pickd'n'mixd in the past and they still pick'n'mix now.Thats why Christianity as a whole is slowly fading away..

[edit on 14-2-2008 by Attari]

well the article is correct actually. However the very reason why is because muslims actually actively fast. While the ammount of christians who do is much lower.

Also you cant really christianize islam either. Because what actually makes both different are fundamental differences like jesus is not the son of god.

I don't think this is as troubling as it may seem on the surface. The article states that Ramadan is a more familiar concept than lent to younger people. This can be interpreted as either Muslim youths or that Islam is being taught and recognized by the culture far more prevalently than Christianity, specifically Lent. I know that I'm VERY aware of when Ramadan starts here in the US, but have no media assistance letting me know anything about Lent beginning, nor what it's about.

By using a term that would give some meaning to it, education can take place. Paul used this quite often in scripture during his ministry. A prime example of this was when he was in Athens and delivered the Gospel message through a nameless god the Athenians revered. In and of itself, this is not necessarily a bad thing, and we cannot see the hearts of those who chose to rename Lent. I find it troubling that it was necessary, but the actual change is not necessarily capitulation to Islam.



The idea is to encourage Christians to surrender something they cherish up to God for a period. It is a practice of many Christians to give up something they thoroughly enjoy, in order to deny themselves something and come closer in communion with Christ before we celebrate His resurrection.

Then if they are predominantly Christians, what is the whole point, the Christian know what it is .

This is silly.

40 years of reading the bible almost every day and i have yet to find "lent" listed anywhere as a religious festival/occasion.

only place i can remember finding G-D's festivals all in 1 chapter is leviticus 23 and lent is not mentioned there in any version of the bible i have read so far.

does anyone know which bible i need to find lent commanded ?

reply to post by yahn goodey

---

"All things are permissible in Christ, but not all things are beneficial" (1 Cor 6:12a)

That's about as close as you're going to get so far as I know. No festival is commanded in the New Testament, but that doesn't mean we can't participate. Colossians 3:17, emphasis added: "And in whatever you do, in word or in deed, do it all in the name of Christ Jesus for the glory of God"