Dead religion is dead religion. Paul said I’m a Pharisee!’ That was his religion.
I have been thinking: Suppose I was in Iraq and my town was overrun by the ISIS terrorists, forcing me, along with all other Christians to flee. Or worse, I was captured, what would I do?
Assuming I was not shot, they might say ‘Will you convert to Islam?’ How would I answer? Of course I could say ‘No way!’ – so I would be shot – absent from the body and present with the Lord – a blessed end, but is this the end that God would have wanted for me?
I thought about the Lord before Pontius Pilate. He stood His ground – not compromising, but not incriminating Himself. Even more Paul – maybe he overstepped the mark in guile (not like the Lord), when he split the Pharisees and Sadducees, but he said that he was a Pharisee. It did not matter to him if he ws classed as belonging to just another Jewish sect – in the way which they call sect, so I serve my fathers’ God. (Acts 24:14)
So I could say ‘I’m under islam’ (small-s – but I would be speaking anyway). Let’s face it: ‘islam’ means submission [to the will of God and obedience to His law]. I have no problem with that.
Of course if they asked me to deny my Saviour I could not do that. But what if I am told to recite ‘La illaha illa Allah’ – There is no God but God (Arab Christians call God Allah) – I could even say – and Mohammed is a prophet of a god (small-g). Would they notice?
Then I could go on testifying to Jesus – maybe even those terrorist might be brought to repentance,