Duke vs. Franklin Graham: Which Christian Spaces Are Off-Limits to Muslim Worship?
Call-to-prayer controversy at university chapel prompts debate over sharing sacred space.
Duke University’s reversal of today’s plan to broadcast the Muslim call to prayer from its historic chapel tower has reinvigorated a debate over shared worship space.
The Durham, North Carolina-based school had authorized Muslim students to recite the three-minute chant from Duke Chapel on Friday, the weekly day of assembly in Islam, but rescinded the decision this week, following criticism and citing a “serious and credible security threat.”
Franklin Graham, whose ministries (Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association) are headquartered in North Carolina, attacked the university’s decision and condemned the use of a Christian space by members of another faith.
“It’s wrong because it’s a different god,” Graham said. “Using the bell tower, that signifies worship of Jesus Christ. Using (it) as a minaret is wrong.”
Muslim students had gathered for jummah prayers in the chapel’s basement for years, according to CNN reports. The chapel’s website describes it as “a Christian church of uniquely interdenominational character and purpose,” welcoming people of “all faiths and circumstances.”
However, the dean of Duke Divinity School, Richard Hays, raised concerns about the use of the chapel for the Muslim call to prayer if it’s seen as a Christian church (given its history and iconography), rather than a neutral space on campus.
“There are serious questions…about the wisdom and propriety of allowing Duke chapel to be used for this purpose,” he said in a statement. “Despite some common beliefs and traditions, Christianity and Islam stand in significant theological tension …
350 YWAM Missionaries Fear Forced Exit from United Kingdom After License Suspended
(UPDATED) Urgent request on visa problem notes: ‘YWAM has never been the type of organization which fits neatly into boxes.’
The England and Wales office of YWAM (Youth With A Mission) may lose more than 350 missionaries and their families by April in the wake of British immigration officials suspending the ministry’s visa sponsor status.
“Whilst we recognize and support the [UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) office’s] legitimate right to concern over compliance to the rules, we do not feel that the issues raised in the letter from the UKVI justify such a draconian outcome as losing our license would produce,” wrote YWAM Harpenden in an “urgent request” sent Friday and highlighted by the Evangelical Alliance UK (EAUK).
Following a September audit related to the UK’s attempt to reduce immigration numbers, UKVI officials found that YWAM had erred in two out of the seven areas audited. While the missions organization says it “immediately” submitted a corrective action plan to the government, the UKVI warned that YWAM could be downgraded, limited in its visa sponsorship capacity, or lose its license over the errors.
On December 23, YWAM learned that its license had been suspended for 20 business days, for reasons unrelated to the initial inspection. Should the ministry prove unsuccessful at resolving concerns by January 20, the UKVI may revoke its license and require missionaries to leave the country within 60 days, YWAM stated. The ministry is asking supporters to write members of Parliament by tomorrow [January 7].
Mark Vening, a missionary at YWAM’s Wrexham office, told CT that YWAM had operated for 44 years “hand in glove” with the UK government. In fact, six years ago, YWAM and other Christian groups worked with the British government on a special provision which allowed …
350 YWAM Missionaries Fear Forced Exit from United Kingdom After License Suspended
(UPDATED) Urgent request on visa problem notes: ‘YWAM has never been the type of organization which fits neatly into boxes.’
The England and Wales office of YWAM (Youth With A Mission) may lose more than 350 missionaries and their families by April in the wake of British immigration officials suspending the ministry’s visa sponsor status.
“Whilst we recognize and support the [UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) office’s] legitimate right to concern over compliance to the rules, we do not feel that the issues raised in the letter from the UKVI justify such a draconian outcome as losing our license would produce,” wrote YWAM Harpenden in an “urgent request” sent Friday and highlighted by the Evangelical Alliance UK (EAUK).
Following a September audit related to the UK’s attempt to reduce immigration numbers, UKVI officials found that YWAM had erred in two out of the seven areas audited. While the missions organization says it “immediately” submitted a corrective action plan to the government, the UKVI warned that YWAM could be downgraded, limited in its visa sponsorship capacity, or lose its license over the errors.
On December 23, YWAM learned that its license had been suspended for 20 business days, for reasons unrelated to the initial inspection. Should the ministry prove unsuccessful at resolving concerns by January 20, the UKVI may revoke its license and require missionaries to leave the country within 60 days, YWAM stated. The ministry is asking supporters to write members of Parliament by tomorrow [January 7].
Mark Vening, a missionary at YWAM’s Wrexham office, told CT that YWAM had operated for 44 years “hand in glove” with the UK government. In fact, six years ago, YWAM and other Christian groups worked with the British government on a special provision which allowed …
150 Million Bible Readers Were Searching for Love Most in 2014
Bible Gateway finds patterns in how the world searched and read the Bible this past year.
John 3:16 was not among the Bible verses most widely shared or remembered in 2014, based on worldwide YouVersion users. But it still tops the list of verses the world seeks out, according to a report released by Bible Gateway based on 1.5 billion pageviews by 150 million unique visitors.
Here are the top 10 most popular Bible verses searched on Bible Gateway, the “world’s most visited Christian website,” in 2014:
- John 3:16
- Jeremiah 29:11
- Philippians 4:13
- Romans 8:28
- Psalm 23:4
- Philippians 4:6
- 1 Corinthians 13:4
- Proverbs 3:5
- 1 Corinthians 13:7
- Romans 12:2
Of these verses, only Philippians 4:6, Jeremiah 29:11, and Proverbs 3:5 also appeared on YouVersion’s list, suggesting a discrepancy in what Bible readers seek for themselves versus what they think others should read.
Bible Gateway’s Year in Review report, which also covers top searches in Spanish and in four countries, confirms the New Testament is “read much more than” the Old Testament, even though the older testament is three times longer. It also concludes that “people really do read the Bible throughout the year,” and “major world events do affect what people look for in the Bible.”
“Our biggest takeaway is the dominance of people who read through the Bible in a year,” said Rachel Barach, Bible Gateway’s general manager. “Even though we know it’s common for people to commit to reading through the Bible starting on January 1 but stop reading it by February, clearly enough people continue through the year to impact our statistics.”
The chart above matches “unusually popular” verses on a particular date with popular Bible reading plans. CT previously reported on falling …
150 Million Bible Readers Were Searching for Love Most in 2014
Bible Gateway finds patterns in how the world searched and read the Bible this past year.
John 3:16 was not among the Bible verses most widely shared or remembered in 2014, based on worldwide YouVersion users. But it still tops the list of verses the world seeks out, according to a report released by Bible Gateway based on 1.5 billion pageviews by 150 million unique visitors.
Here are the top 10 most popular Bible verses searched on Bible Gateway, the “world’s most visited Christian website,” in 2014:
- John 3:16
- Jeremiah 29:11
- Philippians 4:13
- Romans 8:28
- Psalm 23:4
- Philippians 4:6
- 1 Corinthians 13:4
- Proverbs 3:5
- 1 Corinthians 13:7
- Romans 12:2
Of these verses, only Philippians 4:6, Jeremiah 29:11, and Proverbs 3:5 also appeared on YouVersion’s list, suggesting a discrepancy in what Bible readers seek for themselves versus what they think others should read.
Bible Gateway’s Year in Review report, which also covers top searches in Spanish and in four countries, confirms the New Testament is “read much more than” the Old Testament, even though the older testament is three times longer. It also concludes that “people really do read the Bible throughout the year,” and “major world events do affect what people look for in the Bible.”
“Our biggest takeaway is the dominance of people who read through the Bible in a year,” said Rachel Barach, Bible Gateway’s general manager. “Even though we know it’s common for people to commit to reading through the Bible starting on January 1 but stop reading it by February, clearly enough people continue through the year to impact our statistics.”
The chart above matches “unusually popular” verses on a particular date with popular Bible reading plans. CT previously reported on falling …
Featured
