Patterson Baptist Hosts Seminar on Islam’s Beliefs and Practices

On August 14, at the front of the Patterson Baptist Church—a historic congregation associated with the struggle for the separation of Church and state in America—sat a collection of Korans and Muhammad’s sayings called the Hadith. The assembly of Christians had not come to congratulate themselves on their broad-mindedness; they had come to study.

The day was billed on the church’s marquee as a day-long Seminar on Islam, in which guest speaker Rev. Sammy Samson, along with Patterson Baptist Pastor Dr. Larry Maxwell, sought to equip a group of about two dozen people with knowledge about Islam’s holy books, beliefs, and practices. Samson, the pastor of an Indian-Pakistani congregation, is founding president of Encountering Islam Christian Ministry.

“This is not about disrespecting Muslims,” Maxwell said, “This is not about saying there are no nice Muslims. This is about evidence.” Rev. Samson added, “This is about clarification.”

The seminar encompassed several hours of talks about the theologically finer points of Islam, and the text of the Koran. The assembly was instructed on apparent contradictions in the Koran and the Hadith, as well as how to talk to Muslims about their religion.

Rev. Samson, who was born and raised in Pakistan by Christian parents, believes that his approach to encountering Islam would result in “many conversions to Christianity.” Samson also preaches that his message would bring peace.

Rev. Samson and Pastor Maxwell are engaging in the practice of Christian apologetics, a practice which they believe emanates from the pages of Scripture, where Peter instructed his disciples to “always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

The seminar at Patterson Baptist not only served to provide the congregation with historical, and theological information about Islam, but also helped to clarify common teachings and practices in Christianity.

Samson emphasized that the separation of church and state that is common in the West, and which dates back to the Middle Ages, is theologically impossible for true Muslims. “In Islam,” Samson said, “they rely on the state to enforce things, here in America the State is on one side, and the Church is on the other.”

Samson’s last speech began by urging Christians to practice, “the other 50 percent of their faith.” He noted that Christians were good at following Jesus’ instruction to be as sheep, but that they were failing to live up to his command to be “as wise as serpents.”

Patterson Baptist was one of the two churches to which Thomas Jefferson sent his letter regarding the “wall of separation between church and state.”