Churches attacked in Malaysia
Pray for suffering believers in Malaysia to boldly preach the gospel in the face of new persecution. Missions News Network reports:
Angry Muslims have attacked four churches since Malaysia's High Court decided to allow Christians to use the Malay name for God. Three were firebombed, and in one church building, the incendiary device failed to go off. The intent is clear.
We spoke with an MNN listener living in Malaysia, working in ministry. For security purposes, we'll call him 'David.' He lives in the same metropolitan area as the churches that were attacked. David says what happened is alarming. "This is totally shocking to us Malaysians, because as far as this generation can remember, this has never happened. We've always had peaceful relations."
Muslims contend the name "Allah" should be exclusive to Islam. David counters that. He says "Allah" is used to translate "Elohim," and "Tuhan" is used to translate "Adonai" -but it is also applied to Jesus Christ in the New Testament. The end result: both of the terms are used often to describe the character of God in the Malay Bible.
David says in the 1980s, the government made it illegal for non-Muslims to use "Allah." Churches quietly protested, and the government agreed not to enforce the ban but left it on the books.
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