I'm not convinced a Christian ought attend, intentionally a false religion service.
There might be some extraordinary reason, but in general- where is the biblical pattern of attending false religion corporate worship "to learn more about it"? How does one attend without participating? What is participation?
When one looks at avoiding the appearance of evil, how it might cause a weaker brother to stumble, the true demonic power that can deceive, it all militates against it.
We think we know our heart, our own weaknesses, but getting sucked in is a very real prospect, getting influenced even more so.
I would say a couple of things:
(1) If it violates one's conscience, he shouldn't go.
How about if it violates another believer's who might see you there or know you are going, cf Romans 9. How about avoiding the appearance of evil? 1 Thessalonians 5:22
Abstain from all appearance of evil.
I can understand that, and that's fine. But I think we ought to be careful about being dogmatic about all circumstances with this (so long as one isn't going there
to worship, which is, in my opinion, definitely out of line).
I can imagine some exceptional circumstances, maybe, but not learn more about false worship or to meet the people who practice it there.
Remember, there is a responsibility outside of one’s self for the Christian.
That’s even more so for officers and leaders of the church (Minister, evangelist, etc.), who are held to a higher standard.
(2) There does need to be clarity, honesty, and full disclosure when going. I.e., yes, I think it would be a huge problem to go to a worship service from any of the above-mentioned groups and participate. For Muslims, that would include sitting in their rows with them, kneeling, bowing, etc, when they do, reciting anything with them, etc. I would not do that, because that does seem to compromise our witness.
How, practically do you not “participate”? If you take shoes off, isn’t that showing “respect” for evil?
However, if one is curious to understand how they worship,
I can’t see how curiosity about evil, even with the best of intentions, is a good thing. or if one wants an opportunity to meet some Muslims It’s hard to see this as justification when individuals are freely available in so many other contexts?
in order to develop relationships, I don't think it is inherently wrong to go, respectfully explain to whoever is leading that you are a Christian, that you have no desire to be a Muslim, but that you would like to understand what they believe, and so could you sit at the back/off to the side (the mosque here has a side viewing room for visitors) and simply observe them. And then if you really want to get to know them, invite the leader or one of the men you might meet out for coffee afterwards to discuss Islam and Christianity.
It sounds so appealing, except that can be a rationale for evil. We don’t know the depravity of our own sin, we are weaker, more vulnerable than we might imagine.
And how do we freely teach them the holy religion we confess…
That God detests false worship, and he commands His people to do the same, and come apart from it.
Trust me, some great relationships and honest discussions can come out of this, most of which can lead to a great gospel witness.
Yes, I can believe this. But, more in the sense of God “ruling and overruling” in our own disobedience.
There is always a price to pay for sin, no matter how small. It is going to be difficult to turn down future invitations with the pretext of similar things happening. A “one off” approach like this is tempting to become a pattern.
That’s why I think the biblical principles all point to this being unwise-
Unwise once, aggravated by repeat.
Would it be unwise to keep going back? I think so. I have seen some do that here, where they attend every week for a couple of years, and that does seem to me to compromise their witness. But to observe once or twice to understand them and to meet people seems to me at least to be an entirely different matter. But as I said, if your conscience is offended, or if you are otherwise wrongfully influenced by it, I would definitely avoid it and find another way to meet some Muslims so you can get to know them.
Difficult, impossible really, I know- like much of the Christian life.
We can only meet individuals who participate in false worship of a false god bringing upon them the true God of Heaven’s wrath outside of these practices, by faith.
It’s not merely a matter of one Christian struggling with this- how about someone else at the false worship who might have just become Christian struggling to see a believer there? Yes, it could give entrée to a discussion, but God is not limited by means in any way. It could also cause them to stumble.
From what I have seen, fear of a Holy God, who demands His creatures worship Him in the way He has commanded is a concept that will not be lost on those in the false religion you mention in the example.
At some point, one has to be able to teach the religion confessed (e.g. the Larger Catechism) with clear conscience as well.
