Guest Author: Dick Brogden
There is a wonderful Egyptian Mission agency active in Sudan that exists to give Christ’s living water to the last, least, and lost. One annual ministry they provide is a Book and Bible exhibition in the middle of downtown Khartoum. They sell Christian books and Bibles, show Christian films, and host lectures on aspects of the Christian faith. The exhibition is set up in an empty lot that opens on the major downtown avenue and is open to all.
Last month during the exhibition, five buses pulled up and 150 veiled-to-the-eyes Muslim women plodded out. They were the first year students from a local Islamic University. Their professor of comparative religion, Dr. Yathrub, decided they needed to interact with some Christians. The 150 women were respectful, participated in the events, and took home some free literature as a gift. Dr. Yathrub asked if she could return with the 4th year students.
A couple days later, five more buses, and 150 more Muslim women, most veiled-to-the-eyes showed up. One hundred of them marched right to the lecture tent and asked if the lecturer could address the issue of the unity of God and the Trinity. The staff obliged and a wonderful question and answer time followed. Again, all the students were kind, earnest, and respectful in their interaction. They too were given a free Christian book titled, “Did Jesus ever claim to be God?” and went home happy. Dr. Yathrub asked if she could bring the entire year 2 and 3 students, and of course the staff of the event agreed.
The next day Dr. Yathrub called to apologize. She could not make it nor bring the other students. Evidently, 300 veiled Muslim women marching around the campus happily reading, discussing, and sharing Christian material was too much for the administration and they opened an investigation of censure against Dr. Yathrub. To her credit she did not back down, insisting that in comparative religious studies you must be free to compare religions. A novel and dangerous idea.
Would you join us in praise and prayer. Praise God that 300 Muslim women were gracious and brave enough to visit the exhibition. Pray that the words they heard, and the literature they now posses, would be used of the Holy Spirit to delight their hearts in Jesus and unveil their spirits. Praise God for the courage for Dr. Yathrub. Would you pray with us that God would reward her with Himself and unveil Jesus to her. Praise God for the Living Water Team. Please pray that they continue to be bold and loving in witness and that as a result they too experience a mighty refreshing.
Craig T. Owens 
April 7, 2010 at 8:49 pm
That was a wonderful story. It took great courage for those Muslim women to attend that Christian event. Will Sudanese Christian women also seek to learn about Islam?
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April 8, 2010 at 2:08 pm
Comparative religion is not just the study of diverse doctrines and beliefs. In his book “Hinduism,” my mentor Swami Nikhilananda wrote:
“The nearer we are to God, the closer we shall feel toward other religions. In God we all meet. In order to promote religious harmony, let us deepen our religious consciousness. Let us come nearer to God by following our respective faiths and not by jumping from one faith to another. Let the Hindu, the Moslem, the Christian, the Jew emphasize the spirit and not the letter of their scriptures, and all religious quarrels will stop. All religions are challenged today by a common enemy: the rising tide of skepticism and secularism.”
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April 8, 2010 at 4:35 pm
The university professor called her class “Comparative Religion.” I don’t know this professor, nor do I know the syllabus for her class. So I cannot speak to what she is or isn’t teaching.
The point of the article was that these women were fascinated by the teachings of Jesus. I’m not sure what the quote from your mentor’s book has to do with this topic.
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April 8, 2010 at 6:36 pm
Perhaps that people should be fascinated with God, which in Christianity comes through the teachings of Jesus. Although this is a Christian blog, there are other ways of approaching God. A course in Comparative Religion can hep us better understand those other ways.
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April 9, 2010 at 8:46 am
Ron, I respectfully disagree.
There is only one way to God, and that is through His Son Jesus Christ. When Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Me,” He meant just that. There is no wiggle room here. Jesus did not say He was “one of many ways.” He is the only way or He is no way at all. I believe He is THE way.
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April 9, 2010 at 11:27 am
Craig, obviously we disagree. Two people do that often.
In my e-book at http://www.suprarational.org I wrote:
“Our religion may be right for us, nevertheless that does not mean billions of others are wrong. What of the 100 billion* people who lived outside of our faith since the origin of our species? Religions do differ in approach, beliefs and practices,
although the divine Reality they seek is the same.”
*See Wikipedia on the Internet for surprising historical statistics on “World Population.”
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