The church in which this act happened is now defiled. If such a blasphemous act were to be performed in an Orthodox church, the priest would be immediately suspended and defrocked, and the defiled church would be closed until an exorcism could be performed and the church could be re-consecrated by the bishops.
Why so stern a reaction?
First of all, Muslims do not worship the True God; they reject Jesus Christ and the Blessed Trinity. We do not pray to the same God, how then could we pray together?
This does not mean that we hate or reject Muslims. Far from it! We invite them to "come and see," to learn about the real Jesus Christ (who is very different from the vague character of "Isa" in the Koran), and to come to know the True God through Christ. They are invited to attend Orthodox Christian services, but as inquirers or, if they are sincere in leaving their false religion and being united to the Lord Jesus Christ, they may become catechumens. Before their baptism, they will be solemnly asked three times to renounce satan. When you are embracing the Light, you must leave all darkness behind.
Secondly, the Christian church is a symbol of the heavenly Jerusalem. Therefore only Christian worship may be performed in it. The altar in a Christian temple is a type of the heavenly altar. Upon it, the bloodless sacrifice of the Eucharist is performed, mystically uniting the worshipping congregation into the presence of Christ's sacrifice on the Cross. In light of this, how could an anti-Christian service be allowed to be conducted in a Christian temple?
Thirdly, the priest is not merely a celebrant, and is certainly not free to add, adapt or improvise services according to his fancy, but is a servant of Christ, and represents Christ to the congregation. He is the one who performs the eucharistic service, distributing the Body and Blood of Christ to the faithful. If he tries to mingle falsehood with truth, he is proving he is not a good shepherd but a hireling (perhaps even a wolf!), and self-condemned, he excommunicates himself from the life of the Church, he betrays Christ all over again.
Then there are the words of St Paul:
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? [2 Corinthians 6:14-16]
That Rev. Giles Goddard has so flagrantly violated Christian dogma, scripture, and liturgical praxis and theology that he has committed nearly the grossest apostasy imaginable. He has willingly, of his own design and choice, brought into the church the "abomination which causes desolation." He has turned a church into a mosque. His very salvation is in grave danger if he does not repent of this blasphemy. He has done willingly that to which his forefathers would have preferred death.
No doubt Rev. Goddard is sincere, but he is sincerely deluded. He believes in and worships his own wisdom in going beyond Christ. He also proves his abject ignorance regarding Islam, which is the quintessential anti-Christian heresy, as seen in the Quranic texts below.
The root word for heresy means "to choose." Giles Goddard is a heretic, as is everyone who chooses to believe and act upon the "Same God" heresy. May he be brought to repentance and united to Christ's Church.
We can't tell from the news story below if the traditionalist Anglicans are scandalized by this for the correct reasons. It is mentioned that the act was "against canon law" and "completely illegal," but is there any sense in the Anglican church as to WHY? Or is this another symptom, along with women priestesses and bishops and same-sex marriage, of the growing apostasy of the Anglican communion?
Thankfully, there are some positive examples coming out of the Church of England as well.
Related: Having Completed the Forty Days - Apothegmata or Apostasy?
UK: Anglican vicar holds Muslim prayer service in his church, asks congregation to praise “the god that we love, Allah”
by Robert Spencer, Jihad Watch, March 13, 2015
When Giles Goddard painted that cross on his church building, and had one placed on his forehead, was he aware of this hadith?
“Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, ‘By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, son of Mary (Jesus) will shortly descend amongst you people (Muslims) as a just ruler and will break the Cross and kill the pig and abolish the Jizya (a tax taken from the non-Muslims, who are in the protection, of the Muslim government). Then there will be abundance of money and no-body will accept charitable gifts.'” (Bukhari 3.34.425)
Did the Muslim prayer service include any of these Qur’an readings?
Christians have forgotten part of the divine revelations they received: “From those, too, who call themselves Christians, We did take a covenant, but they forgot a good part of the message that was sent them: so we estranged them, with enmity and hatred between the one and the other, to the day of judgment. And soon will Allah show them what it is they have done.” — Qur’an 5:14
Jesus is not the Son of God: “O People of the Scripture! Do not exaggerate in your religion nor utter aught concerning Allah save the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah, and His word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers, and say not “Three” – Cease! (it is) better for you! – Allah is only One Allah. Far is it removed from His Transcendent Majesty that He should have a son. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is sufficient as Defender.” — Qur’an 4:171
“It is not befitting to (the majesty of) Allah that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him! when He determines a matter, He only says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.” — Qur’an 19:35
Those who believe that Jesus is God’s Son are accursed: “The Jews call ‘Uzair a son of Allah, and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say. Allah’s curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth! ” — Qur’an 9:30
Those who believe in the divinity of Christ are unbelievers: “They have certainly disbelieved who say that Allah is Christ, the son of Mary. Say, ‘Then who could prevent Allah at all if He had intended to destroy Christ, the son of Mary, or his mother or everyone on the earth?’ And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them. He creates what He wills, and Allah is over all things competent.” — Qur’an 5:17
“They have certainly disbelieved who say, ‘Allah is the Messiah, the son of Mary’ while the Messiah has said, ‘O Children of Israel, worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.’ Indeed, he who associates others with Allah – Allah has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers any helpers.” — Qur’an 5:72
Jesus was not crucified: “And because of their saying: We slew the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, Allah’s messenger – they slew him not nor crucified him, but it appeared so unto them; and lo! those who disagree concerning it are in doubt thereof; they have no knowledge thereof save pursuit of a conjecture; they slew him not for certain.” — Qur’an 4:157
Meanwhile, Arabic-speaking Christians use the word “Allah” for the God of the Bible, but Goddard has something different in mind: the equation of the God of the Bible with Allah of the Qur’an, as per Qur’an 29:46, and in defiance of all the above Qur’an quotes and more.
“Under fire, vicar who said ‘we love Allah': Liberal clergyman attacked by traditional Anglicans for allowing full Muslim prayer service in his Church,”
by Chris Pleasance, MailOnline, March 12, 2015:
by Chris Pleasance, MailOnline, March 12, 2015:
A leading liberal clergyman has come under fire from traditionalist Anglicans after allowing a full Muslim prayer service in his church.
Reverend Giles Goddard, vicar of St John’s in Waterloo, central London, joined in the event by reading a passage from the Bible at the ‘Inclusive Mosque’ event.
He then asked the congregation to praise ‘the god that we love, Allah’, it was reported last night.
It is thought to be the first time an entire Islamic service has been held by the Church of England and has sparked criticism from evangelical clerics.
Orthodox clergyman said the event was against canon law, which prohibits any divergence from the official liturgy.
They argued that it could be ‘offensive’ to Christians who are persecuted for their faith.
Rev Goddard defended his decision to hold the event, describing it as a ‘very moving’ service. He said his intention was simply to offer people a ‘place to pray’.
He told the Christian Today website that everything his church did was legal and within bishops’ guidelines.
He added: ‘It is very much about St John’s being a place of welcome. We understand God as a generous God, a God who celebrates love and celebrates life.
‘We try and make sure we live that out. In that sense we feel very properly Anglican.’
The ‘Inclusive Jummah’ was held in partnership with the Inclusive Mosque Initiative.
It was organised to coincide with the run-up to International Women’s Day last weekend.
The service was arranged by Dr Amina Wadud, a campaigner for gender justice in Islam.
Rev Goddard said the service had not put off Christian churchgoers and his congregation is growing.
He told the Daily Telegraph: ‘We are offering a place for people to pray so it made absolutely perfect sense. We should be offering [a place] to party, we are the Church of England.
‘They could have gone to a community centre, I suppose, but they loved being in a church, they were just really pleased and delighted to have the welcome and it was very moving, really. It is the same God, we share the same tradition.’
At the end of the service, the vicar read a section of Psalm 139 and said: ‘This is from the Hebrew scripture – we all share these great traditions, so let us celebrate our shared traditions, by giving thanks to the God that we love, Allah.’
Rev Stephen Kuhrt, vicar of Christ Church, New Malden, said: ‘I am appalled by islamophobia and when people whip up anti-Muslim frenzy, but the vicar of St John’s Waterloo has done something that is completely illegal, which is to allow an Islamic service to be held in his church, and then he has participated as well.’…