Hosts and guests on ABC’s The View frequently promote left-leaning ideologies and pontificate against conservative positions. That’s expected. It’s their brand.
But even so, on April 18 actress Patti Lupone, a guest on the show, wandered beyond reality even more than most. The group was busy bashing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his policies when Lupone revealed her staggering ignorance about both America and Christianity.
Is the Christian Right like the Taliban?
The group discussed DeSantis’ policies and how they are impacting the LGBTQ community. That’s a fair conversation, and in a respectful environment could provide a fruitful discussion.
But then, rather than consider the merits of positions or offer reasonable rebuttals, Lupone said, “I don’t know, I mean I’ve said this before and I’m going to get in trouble. . . . I don’t know what the difference between our Christian Right and the Taliban is. I have no idea what the difference is.”
Even on The View, I would expect a challenge. Not a strong one. And certainly not a deep one. But at least a pause. At least someone saying, Ahem, excuse me, but do you know anything at all about the Taliban? Or Christianity? Anything at all?
But no. Instead, the ladies cheerfully affirmed Lupone’s declaration as if it had merit.
Jesus, not politics
I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. So, in fairness, I can see how someone unfamiliar with differing worldviews could conflate political ideologies. That is, if you are against conservative ideals, you might think all conservative religious worldviews are the same. Guilt by association.
That’s why so many cultural representations of conservative Christians are skewed. The Handmaid’s Tale, for instance, sees all conservative Christians as oppressive, abusive religious zealots. You know, like the Taliban.
And let’s be honest. Lately, Christians aren’t helping. We are having more and more trouble distinguishing our politics from our faith—our walk with Christ from our political positions. Jesus from our politicians. We are increasingly more concerned about who we vote for than Who we worship, and that’s a problem.
That said, let’s assume for a moment that by “the Christian right” Lupone is referring to conservative Christians who are active in politics. That’s also fair to assume because that’s what most people mean by the term.
One thing is not like the other
But by associating “the Christian right,” or any brand of Christianity, with the Taliban, Lupone overlooks two facts.
First, she blissfully ignores the vast difference between our system of government with its freedoms, influenced by Christianity, and that of Afghanistan, an oppressive Muslim regime. To put it another way, had she been in Afghanistan under Taliban rule on April 18, she would have been covered head to toe, prohibited from criticizing the government, and prevented from appearing on TV.
But second, she is clearly ignorant of the vast theological differences between Christianity and Islam. In fact, these theological differences are the reasons she has freedom of speech and the right to expose her lack of knowledge in the first place.
Ignorance of these differences is widespread in our culture, even among Christians. If asked to explain differences between Christianity and Islam, could you do it?
So, let’s consider that. For Lupone and anyone else who sees “no difference” between the Islam and Christianity, let me see if I can help with that.
Two key differences
My space is limited, so I’ll focus on two key differences. All others emerge from these:
- We do not believe the same thing about God.
Do Christians and Muslims believe in the same God? No. Not at all. And, as with all other religions, the difference hinges on what we believe about Jesus Christ.
Islam’s God is Allah, which means “The God.” Allah is known only by His will.
Unlike the biblical God, Allah does not introduce himself in the Koran. He remains hidden, completely separated from the creation. He cannot be compared to any created being. A Muslim believer only knows the names of God, the attributes described in the Koran, and hears about Allah’s actions among humankind.
The core of the Koran’s message is that God is one, that nothing is comparable to him, and that he himself cannot be compared to anything else.
To many Christians, this sounds familiar. God is One, and He is our Creator. But in the Bible, God introduces Himself and initiates a relationship (Ex. 3:14, 34:5-7). He is uncreated and eternal, and so He is distinct from His creation. But He chooses to interact with His creation, to even become part of the creation. He wants us to know Him.
Christianity is distinguished by the doctrine of the Trinity. We believe that God is One God, but He is revealed in three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Islam rejects that Jesus is God. But the central teaching of Christianity is that Jesus Christ is God the Son, who came to earth, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for us, and is alive today (1 Cor. 15:3-8, Phil. 2:5-11).
In Islam, as with all other religions, the adherent is trying to get to God, to appease him and be accepted by him. But Christianity is radical in the belief that God came to us so that we could know Him (John 1:14, 3:16).
- We do not believe the same thing about salvation.
In cults and in other religions, including Islam, salvation comes about by some form of a works-based faith. People must please God to be saved.
Islam teaches that salvation is achieved by submitting to the will of Allah. Muslims cannot be sure of salvation. Allah grants salvation at his pleasure and to those who wholly submit. Even the word “Islam” means “surrender” or submission.
But the Bible is clear that human beings, in our sinful condition, cannot please God. In fact, that’s why religion can so easily be abused. People are fundamentally sinners in need of a Savior.
So, though Christianity teaches that we must submit our will to God’s will and accept that He alone is Lord (Rom. 12:1-2), the Bible also acknowledges our sinful condition. No sinful person can achieve a perfect state of submission, and no human being is without sin (Rom. 3:23).
But Jesus Christ was sinless, and perfectly fulfilled the will of God. He paid the penalty for our sin on the cross, and God raised Him from the grave so that we could have eternal life (Rom. 4:25). We are saved when we respond in faith to God’s grace offered in Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:24).
So, the Bible is unflinching at this point—salvation comes through no one else but Jesus Christ (John 14:6, Acts. 4:12). This is the core of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and, therefore, of what Christians believe.
And once saved by faith in Christ, we can be certain of our salvation (1 John 5:13).
But, perhaps the most remarkable if not the most radical teaching of the Bible is that anyone can come to Christ and be saved (Rom. 6:23, 10:13). Salvation in Christ requires no special pedigree, birthright, ethnicity, family heritage, or economic status. Just repentance and faith.
Muslims are born into Islam. But anyone can become a Christian at any time by believing the gospel of Jesus Christ, repenting of one’s sin, and turning in faith to Christ for salvation. The decision to choose Christ is open to anyone.
Anyone. Even Muslims. And even Patti Lupone.
For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast.
Eph. 2:8-9