A Dutch Roman Catholic bishop is advocating the word "God" be replaced by "Allah" in order to generate greater acceptance and understanding among Muslims:
"Allah is a very beautiful word for God," he said. "Shouldn't we all say that from now on we will name God Allah? What does God care what we call him? It is our problem."
This is not a new idea. Since the word "God" in Arabic is "Allah", Christians in Arabic-speaking contexts use the word in reference to the God of the Bible. Christian missionaries to Arabic-speaking countries have wrestled with the potential confusion of using the word "Allah" in communicating the gospel. But I don't imagine Bishop Muskens is advocating this change to accommodate the ex-Muslim seekers flocking to his church.
He may be acting in ironic prescience, in light of the fact that, within the next 30 years, the Netherlands could be the second Muslim nation in Europe ... behind France.
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