Youth with a wayward mission

"Youth with a Mission" sounds like one of those cheeky high school groups that I might have joined more than a decade ago, where suburban white students come together and do things like go to the local children's hospital, or clean up trash along the beach.

These Youth with a Mission, however, carry a different connotation. These youth are on a mission to convert Muslims to Christianity. And they do it by hosting The Thirty Days of Muslim Prayer, an event that coincides directly with the Muslim holiday of Ramadan. Their purpose? And I quote... (emphasis is their's, not mine)

Christians are called upon to make a concerted but respectful effort to learn about, pray for and reach out to Muslim neighbors — across the street and around the world. In the climate following the 9/11 tragedy, here is a proven tool to direct our focus more constructively. As Christians we resist the temptation to be caught up in generalizations, anger or fear toward all Muslims.

I love how they bold and italicize the word "all," seemingly indicating that it's perfectly acceptable to get caught up in generalizations, anger or fear toward some Muslims.

Of course, if they just stuck to this mission statement, I might give them the benefit of the doubt that they mean well, but just choose poor words to express themselves. Unfortunately, Youth with a Mission's international chairman had this to say to the Associated Press: Lynn Green, international chairman of Youth With A Mission, said organizers chose Ramadan because it is a time when Muslims pray for God's acceptance and guidance and "we add our prayers to theirs," Green said. "We are praying they really know God."

I love religion, until the point where people start praying that other's accept their God as the one true being. That's not solidarity, as Lynn Green would like this to sound. It's religious fascism, in every sense of the word. If you read the AP article further, both Youth with a Mission and the National Evangelical Association make great strides to say that they don't mean to disparage Islam with this campaign. Whether or not this is disparaging to Muslims is up for other's to decide. I think it is. But even more so, I think it's disparaging to Christianity.

Imam Yahya Hendi, the Muslim chaplain at Georgetown University, sums it up the best:

Imam Yahya Hendi, Muslim chaplain at Georgetown University, said he believes that true followers of Jesus would not pray for conversion, but would instead demonstrate their faith through good works.

"Mother Teresa did not go out to pray for people to convert to Christianity," said Hendi, who reads part of the Gospels daily. "She took care of the poor and that's what made people love Christianity."

Perhaps Lynn Green and the National Evangelical Association should try reading the Gospels daily.