The danger of Muslim preacher Zakir Naik is not that he openly preaches terrorism but his 'doublespeak' and notoriety in misrepresenting other religions and leading Muslims astray.
After having watched Zakir in action in a video a Malay friend sent me, in my opinion, he is not the sort of preacher you would want to visit your country. In this particular video, a young woman in the huge audience asked him about a previous talk he had given at the UiTM in Shah Alam and how he could say he was "more Christian than the Christians."
His reply, "If being a Christian means a person who follows the teachings of Jesus Christ, then we Muslims are more Christian than the Christians themselves."
And he explained that was because Muslims are circumcised like Jesus but most Christians are not. And he quoted Ephesians 5:18 and other verses from the Old Testament to an audience who may as well be listening to him speak in Dutch on Christianity. I was gobsmacked.
How many Muslims know verses of the Bible but rattle them off at high speed like Zakir? But Zakir is no expert on Christianity.
In my Bible, Ephesians 5;18 says, "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead be filled with the Holy Spirit." What's that verse got to do with Muslims being more Christian? Yet Zakir rattled off this verse wrongly, along with others without realising his error unless it was his intention just to impress, never mind accuracy.
As a Christian, it was so painful for me to watch the rest of the video because it was apparent Zakir knows nothing of the Christianity of the Christians but got his knowledge from books that vilify Christians and Christianity and give a heretical view. The Christianity according to Zakir is not the Christianity of my Bible, and who should know better?
It is none of my business if Zakir sticks to teaching Islam to his audience but when he touches on Christianity and talks nonsense, he is not only breaking the law in offending the religious sensitivities of Christians but not doing anyone a favour, especially his largely 'ignorant of Christianity' listeners.
To his Muslim listeners, he sounds rather impressive in quoting from the Bible or Hindu religious texts but he has taken those verses out of their proper context and does not understand their meanings as understood in Christianity or the other religion.
He jumps from the Old Testament to the New Testament without any apparent respect for and understanding of the Old Covenant and New Covenant and probably, like many ignorant people, think the New Testament is a revised version of the Old Testament.
He takes liberty to pick verses willy nilly from the Bible to build his story without any respect for hermeneutics, the proper approach to the interpretation of the Bible, which even Christians need to follow in interpreting God's word.
Contextual meaning
Lawyers will tell you when constructing or interpreting a particular statute that there are principles to respect. Likewise, when reading the Bible it is important to understand its context, cultural and historical backgrounds and of course, the original meaning of the words themselves, which can be taken literally or figuratively.
In the video, while initially exhibiting patience with the questioner, he eventually got impatient and dominated the dialogue and talked the young woman down. Anyone there who understood Christianity would have exposed him as an ignoramus who has no clear understanding of the Bible beyond the usual indoctrinated ideas he regurgitated.
But to the blind, the one-eyed is king. No wonder the provocative preacher seems like an expert but only in having the gift of the gab. I cannot speak of his understanding of Islam. He spoke much on Christianity, but let me cite some instances in the video where he was glaringly wrong.
He asked, "Where did Jesus say you must believe in me to be a Christian?" If he had read the Bible and understood its contents, and the thread that binds the Old Testament to the New, he would have noted several instances when faith in Jesus is cardinal to being a Christian, which Zakir is nowhere near to being one, let alone being "more Christian”.
If Zakir is consistent in arguing that being a Christian is to be circumcised as Jesus was, then he should be considering the circumcised Jews as Christians, but are they? And should Jews say they are more Muslim than Muslims because they were the original believers in Allah, though they had different names for God but the Arabs used the term ‘Allah’.
The instances, to cite a few, where the Bible and Jesus taught that acceptance and faith in him is necessary for one to be a Christian (though Christian is a word not found in the Bible but a term others used on his followers in later years) are:
1) John 1:12. The writer in the Gospel of John wrote: "But to all who received him (Jesus) who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God." And later on Jesus explained to the Pharisee Nicodemus that unless one is 'born again' he or she will not get to Heaven. To be born again one has to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour, that he came from God, and was God in human form, not just another prophet or teacher.
2) John 14:6 Jesus himself said, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father (God) except by me.”
3) Acts 4:12. The writer Dr Luke wrote in Acts, the narrative of Christianity after Jesus ascended to Heaven: "Salvation is found in no one else for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."
That name is Jesus, which means saviour.
Direct relationship with God
To be born again is to be born in and by the Spirit of God, made a new creation, in a spiritual sense, and having all our sins forgiven by God because of Jesus' death on the Cross. It is hard to understand but not when one has the backdrop of the Old Testament when the Jews before Christ offered an unblemished lamb as sacrifice for their sins.
The Old Way of Moses' Old Covenant with God in the Old Testament made way for the New Way of the New Testament when Jesus made it possible for man's sins to be forgiven by his death once and for all, for all sinners, another stumbling block to the unbelievers. That is why they had Jesus crucified.
Baptism does not make one a Christian. One is born again by accepting Jesus Christ and submitting to God, thus becoming a Christian and is baptised as an outward proclamation of new faith as a witness to others. One is a 'born again' Christian and is baptised, not baptised and becomes a Christian.
Christianity is about a new relationship with God and not about rules and regulations, rites and rituals, as in other religions. One can be a Christian, not get baptised, not go to any church, and still go to Heaven to be with Jesus.
That is why Zakir did not understand it. And he thought he could hoodwink others by his 'doublespeak' that he was a better Christian because he fulfils the rites and rituals, not realising that it is the relationship with God as a 'born again' new creation in Christ that makes one a Christian, a child of God.
Zakir confused ‘Churchianity’ with Christianity and a saving relationship with God with human teachings of religion.
Jesus speaks of those against him who blasphemed against God and describes them as the 'children of the devil' and indeed, they are characterised by the dishonest and destructive fruit of the devil.
Does it ring a bell when those who act in God's name can turn a blind eye to the wrongdoings of those in power and instead punish the innocent for their acts of righteousness and patriotism? Unless people are blind, they can see it before their eyes in their own corrupt country.
The one who teaches heresy about Christianity, then commits the 'unpardonable sin' of blaspheming the Holy Spirit that Jesus warned against. Zakir falsely claimed, against all sound Christian teaching, that Jesus was talking about Mohammed in John 16:13, which says, "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth."
Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit (Roh Allah) and not Mohammed. How do I know? You would know too if you knew the Bible.
After promising to send the Holy Spirit when he has returned to Heaven, in verse 14, Jesus continued, "He will glorify Me, He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you."
Did Mohammed glorify Jesus? So how could Jesus be talking about anyone but the Holy Spirit of God? That is how heretics try to gain authenticity by misquoting the Bible and every religion faces the scourge of false teachings.
No need to falsify other faiths
"There you see the Bible foretold about this man, so ours must be true and better," they claim. What utter nonsense. You don't need to falsify the proper teaching of another's holy book just to gain some authority for your own. The cults all do that.
Zaik exhorts his audience to read the Bible, not listen to the church, to get a proper teaching on Christianity but will he practise what he preaches? Will he submit to the Word of God which is clear that Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit, not Mohammed?
Why regurgitate the heresy he has inherited from his teachers about Christianity and spread them while pretending to know the Bible simply by memorising a few verses and quoting them out of context.
Zakir should stick to talking on Islam. He did however suggest people read the Bible to understand Christianity. And better still, I should add, if you want to know Christianity ask a true Christian, not Zakir or someone indoctrinated with false teachings on Christianity.
The ignorance about Christianity is incredible, like those who spread the heresy that Christians indulged in human sacrifices and drank blood, or that Christians believe in three gods despite their insistence God is One.
Jesus himself said, "I and the Father are one," John 10:30 and "anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" John 14:9. They do not commit ‘shirk’ or blasphemy. The Jews thought Jesus did. Is that not why they got the Roman governor to crucify him?
It is an insult to any religion to superimpose an alien and false teaching on it and that is Zakir's sin and why such conduct is unacceptable in the public arena. No one should be allowed to insult and spread false teachings about another religion in such a public manner.
Section 298 of the Penal Code has been used on Christians who offend Muslims and many Christians were victims of Mahathir's Operation Lalang in 1987. Making police reports of others insulting Christianity is not the Christian way, except in exceptional circumstances. It is God they offend. No doubt Christians will pray that God will open the eyes of the blind and have mercy on them.
I don't believe there should be laws to silence freedom of religion but if the government is going to give licence to a Muslim preacher teaching Muslims nonsense about Christianity, then it should also allow Christians to defend their faith openly without fear or favour.
The government does right in keeping a watchful eye on Zakir. Singapore is smarter not to waste time arguing over someone like him. They simply banned him. Prevention is better than cure. Spreading falsehood about another religion is not freedom of speech but slander and blasphemy. Does Islam promote slander? If not, why allow Zakir the platform he does not deserve?
Zakir also exhorted Muslims to read the Quran. And I should add, also apply it not just read it, something he omitted. Let there be no compulsion in religion says the Quran in Surah 2:256. This verse is oft-quoted. So why are the believers not obeying the Quran and are openly committing sins like stealing public money and taking bribes?
Freedom to belief
And why must anyone be forced to believe in any religion? Even in Indonesia, no one is forced to convert or belong to a particular religion because their constitution protects freedom of religious beliefs. People are free to choose their religion. So the same in Malaysia but there are anomalies.
I was not born a Christian but I am glad I found God after a conscientious seeking for the truth. Jesus did fulfill his promise to those who seek for they shall find. No one converted me, no one influenced me, no one induced me - I came to Christ and was born again of my own free will and I am glad I did.
I have no interest in religious politics or if I belong to the world's most powerful or weakest religion. Such claims do not matter to God who warned that wide is the road to perdition and few walk the narrow road. Religion is no popularity contest.
Some who think they belong to Jesus will be disappointed because they live lawless lives. Being born in a barn does not make one a calf or horse and being born into a Christian family does not make one a Christian, something many don't understand. You become something or someone by personal faith, not simply by following your parents or the crowd.
What matters is a relationship with God and only Jesus Christ makes it possible. This was a point lost on Zakir, whose understanding on what makes a Christian is painfully false yet he spreads it unashamedly as the gospel truth.
Even if I am the only Christian in the world, I will be steadfast in my faith because like the Jewish convert to Christianity who suffered severe persecution, the Apostle Paul, who wrote, "That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed and am convinced he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day." 2 Timothy 1:12.
If Zakir thinks he is a better Christian than Christians, then I am glad. But is he? Not by the Bible's definition and certainly not in the eyes of Jesus. A pseudo Christian is a far cry from a true 'born again' disciple of Jesus Christ who submits to God and believes there is only one God.
"I dared called him Father," wrote a Muslim woman, in a popular book in the 1970s, who believed in God and Jesus and it is a book worth reading that tells of her journey toward being a Christian, the proper way, not along Zakir's twisted route.
Faith is best when free and not from force or fear.
Zakir's claim to fame is upon a notorious reputation, of being a distorter of Christianity, of creating controversy to gain publicity for his personal agenda and playing to the gallery of those who fear the truth.
Many Muslims who experience a spiritual famine, like sheep without a shepherd - they will flock to the false preacher if not careful. God forbid they follow a religious Pied Piper playing the enchanting flute of a false message on Christianity.
STEVE OH is the author of the novel ‘Tiger King of the Golden Jungle’ and composer of the musical of the same title. He believes in good governance and morally upright leaders. -Mkini
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