-Episcopal Priest Claims to be Both a Muslim and a Christian

The Rev. Ann Holmes Redding, an Episcopal priest says: “I am both a Muslim and a Christian”. “I am both Muslim and Christian, just like I’m both an American of African descent and a woman. I’m 100 percent both.”

Recently Louis Farrakhan made a similar claim, but it was very hard to take him seriously considering his lifetime of leadership among the Black Muslims in America. Nevertheless we did comment on the problems presented by his claim. Also, I recently wrote a short article about the Divinity of Jesus and noted that the greatest disparity between Islam and Christianity revolves around that issue.

There are a number of things that are really disturbing about the claim of Rev. Redding:

1. She is an active Episcopal Priest

2. She is an active Muslim who attends a mosque and prays 5 times a day.

3. She is supposedly a ‘New Testament’ teacher.

4. She is supported by her Bishop in her beliefs and activities.

5. She claims to be 100% ‘both’.

Comments:

Reading the article, there are a number of Christian and Muslim scholars which deny the possibility of one truly being both a Muslim and a Christian considering the great disparity between the two. This is as it should be. However, incredibly there are also several who find no problem with the possibility.

Rev. Redding’s bishop, the Rt. Rev. Vincent Warner is one of those who finds no problem with it, and actually is said to find it ‘exciting’? Officials at the national Episcopal Church headquarters said that it was up to the local bishop to decide whether such a priest could continue in that role.

This is another example of why the Episcopal Church is going through so many problems. It has become so liberal that even the most important doctrines of the Christian church are no longer necessarily adhered to or believed by their Bishops and priests. In this case, the identity of who Jesus was and is.

The Divinity of Jesus Christ is a major doctrine of the Christian faith and Muslims are taught that the curse of Allah is upon every Christian who believes it. One cannot truly be a Christian and reject the Divinity of Jesus and yet every Muslim is required to. Therefore, one cannot truly be both.