The newest issue has a multiple page discussion of ICR's relationship
with the country of Turkey. They (ICR) have been involved in holding
CREATION conferences in that country for many years. Apparently the
government has invited them to continue. The intended audience include
university professors, government workers, and secondary teachers (as
well as the public, I suppose).
Now of course, Turkey is unabashedly ISLAMIC, and ICR, CHRISTIAN.
According to the article, the ICR people do not hide their Christianity
and have yet built many "friendly" relationships and frequent invitations
to speak. This is undoubtedly an opportunity to expose many to the
gospel and to devoutly Christian men (along with some baggage). The
article makes it clear that the Turkish government wants to limit the
country's "secular" atmosphere and hold to a position closer to
"fundamentalist" Muslim teaching (not to be immediately associated with
the militant form of Islamic fundamentalism). Regarding the young earth
position and anti-evolutionism, Turkey and ICR are co-billigerents, as
Francis Schaeffer would have said - strange bed fellows, I'd say.
I don't know what I feel. Do the positive aspects of Muslims and
Christians forming working relationships where their faiths are not
hidden outweigh the implication that true Christianity is inseparably
connected with a YEC belief ? Obviously the Lord keeps using all of us
as imperfect ambassadors for the gospel.
Back in March 1997, Geoff Bagley submitted several short reviews of how
other faiths regard the creation/age issue. His review of Islam's
thoughts were rather sparse. Could anyone add to the topic of the
Koran's teaching on creation.
Al McCarrick