Lee Strobel on the Reliability of the Bible

This video appears to be in response to the claims of Dan Brown and similar people, but it will still give you a good basis for defending the textual integrity of the Bible.

Lee Strobel on How to Answer Islam about Jesus Being the Son of God

My only problem is that he doesn't address the Muslim claim that the Bible we have now is corrupted, but I've read his writings and watched his videos, and I know that he does talk about it elsewhere. This is just a brief "tutorial" of sorts for Christians:

God Help the Outcasts

"God Help the Outcasts" in Turkish, from the Disney film The Hunchback of Notre Dame:



The English lyrics:

Esmeralda: I don't know if you can hear me,
Or if you're even there
I don't know if you would listen
To a gypsy's prayer
Yes, I know I'm just an outcast,
I shouldn't speak to you
But, Still, I see your face and wonder
Were you once an outcast too?

God help the outcasts,
Hungry from birth
Show them the mercy
they don't find on earth
God help my people
we look to you still
God help the outcasts
or nobody will

Parishioners: I ask for wealth
I ask for fame
I ask for glory to shine on my name.

I ask for love
I can posses
I ask for God and his angels to bless me

Esmeralda: I ask for nothing
I can get by
But I know so many
Less lucky than I
Please help my people
The poor and downtrod
I thought we all were
The children of God

God help the outcasts
The children of God

Complete Article on Samira's Conversion to Anglo-Catholicism

A while ago in my series on the Virgin Mary and Islam I gave a small excerpt from the conversion story of Samira, an ex-Shia Muslim who is now Anglo-Catholic. Duane Alexander Miller now has a link to the complete article on his blog, should you care to download it. I highly recommend it. It's very interesting.

Wish a Merry Christmas to a Young Apostate

Rifqa Bary is a young apostate who may be returned to her family despite the very real possibility of an honor killing. You can wish her a merry Christmas by sending her a Christmas card to let her know that she isn't alone.

More Catholic Answers Resources on Islam and Muslims

I forgot to tell you guys that on November 11th Jim Burnham was a guest on Catholic Answers Live, discussing how to answer Muslims. Fortunately, you can follow the link and listen to it online. You can also buy Burnham's book, Beginning Apologetics 9: How to Answer Muslims. They've also recently published an article on Hitler and the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, along with a list of recommended reading.

What I'm Doing This Week

This week, Muslim students on my campus are hosting various events and talks to foster greater awareness of Islam. I'll be attending several of the events to take notes and (hopefully) make friends. I'll be sure to take notes, and you can probably expect several posts later on about how it went. I'll be going to my great-aunt's on Saturday to spend Thanksgiving break with her, and I'm not sure how good her internet access is or how much computer time I'll have, so I may not post again until after the break.

Taylor Marshall over at Canterbury Tales has started posting about Islam. So far he has a post about the Koran and Christian Apocrypha and another about al-Hajar-ul-Aswad, the sacred black stone on the Kaaba that Muslims kiss and venerate.

I recently read a news story about a Hindu couple who converted after receiving visions of the Virgin Mary. It's not directly related to Islam, but it does relate to my earlier mention that many Muslims convert after having visions of Mary.

Dar al-Masih Weekly News Feed 11/8/09

Sorry guys, no actual posts from me this week. But I am doing research for my series on female converts and Islam. In the meantime, here's a sample of what's going on in the world.

On October 24th, an Egyptian Christian was arrested for praying in his home. Apparently this is a pretty common occurrence. Egyptian Christians fear Muslim violence.

You can read an interview with Pamela Gellar about Rifqa Bary, the 17-year-old apostate and runaway who fears an honor killing from her Muslim family because she converted to Christianity. It's possible that Rifqa will be returned to her family, a decision that could very well be fatal for her. Please pray for her safety.

Dar al-Masih Weekly News Feed 10/31/09

This news feed is a new feature I'm going to try; let me know if you guys like it.

Here at Dar al-Masih, I've started a new series on female converts and Islam. I've also mentioned God's blessings in my life.

In Malaysia, over 20,000 Bibles have been seized because they refer to God by the name "Allah." Malaysian Christians have always called God Allah (an Arabic word simply meaning "the deity"). However, the Malaysian government has recently decided that it is illegal for all non-Muslims to use this word. In Pakistan, Christians and other religious minorities have gradually become more and more oppressed. Learn a little about the Catholic Church in Pakistan. Sumatran Muslims are protesting against a small Catholic chapel that has recently been built.

In Minya, Egypt, the Coptic Orthodox Church of St. George was attacked by a mob of angry Muslims because of the restoration of the church's tower. The church had the legally required permit for the restoration. The blog of the National American Coptic Assembly has posted a copy of the State Department Report on Human Rights 2009 - EGYPT.

The Persecution Blog encourages Christians to fast for the persecuted Church. There is also a reminder that November 8th is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Watch the video below:



Abu Daoud alerts us to the evangelization efforts of the Indonesian Orthodox Church. Indonesia is a Muslim-majority country, and the head of the Orthodox Church there is himself a former Muslim.

The Holy Father is encouraging daily meditation on the Bible. He also told the Pontifical Council for Social Communications that it is necessary to evangelize on the "digital continent."

God's Blessings

God always has surprises in store. You've already heard about my almost converting to Islam before renewing my Catholic faith. And now I have something else to share that's wonderful: I finally have a new boyfriend after about two years without one. He is a wonderful man, a recent convert from the Episcopal Church (this Easter, prior to the recently created Anglican Ordinariates). He's ten years older than me so we (especially he) were nervous about what people would think, but so far everyone's been okay with it, and our friends at church have been very positive. Even my mother is accepting, though cautious. I'm just so happy to have a good man who is a faithful Catholic.

More Freedom for Kuwaiti Women

From "The women of Kuwait can travel with their passport without their husbands permission" (AsiaNews.it):

Kuwait City (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The women of Kuwait will have their passport and travel without the prior permission of their husbands. This was established by the Constitutional Court yesterday.

Aseel Al Awadi, female Parliamentarian (see photo), has applauded the decision as a "special victory for the constitutional values” and a "vindication for women’s rights".

Go here to read the rest.

Arabic Recitation from St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians

Arabic Recitation of the Healing of the Ten Lepers in the Gospel of St. Luke

Pope Observes World Mission Sunday

That's today, folks! From "Pope Benedict remembers persecuted missionaries on World Mission Sunday" (CNA):

Vatican City, Oct 18, 2009 / 10:19 am (CNA).- Tens of thousands of faithful attended the Angelus with Pope Benedict XVI in St. Peter’s Square on World Mission Sunday. Pope Benedict’s words to them recalled missionaries who suffer persecution, including Father Ruggero Ruvoletto, killed in Brazil, and Father Michael Sinnot, kidnapped in the Philippines.

His message, Benedict XVI explained, was inspired by an expression from the Books of Revelation: “The nations will walk by its light.” The light is that of God, revealed by the Messiah and reflected on the Church, the Holy Father added.

“It is 'the light of the Gospel,’ that guides people towards the realization of one great family, in justice and peace, under the fatherhood of one good and merciful God,” Pope Benedict said. “The Church exists to proclaim this message of hope to all humanity, which in our time ‘has experienced marvelous achievements but which seems to have lost its sense of ultimate realities and of existence itself.’"

Go here to read the rest. You can learn more about World Mission Sunday by going to the website of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States.

Female Converts and Islam, Part I

Who are female converts to Islam, anyway? Well, they come from all racial and religious backgrounds. You may be able to recognize them, but then again you may not. Some veil their faces but speak with a distinctive Texas twang, like this woman:



And some are the lovely young ladies in demure headscarves, like this young Australian woman:



Still others you can't tell at all, since they dress in modern, Western clothing and don't wear scarves, like this British girl: