Apostasies of Convenience

I was sitting with a priest friend of mine after matins the other day when a young man stopped by. I'd seen him around, off and on, for some time— a rather unforgettable fellow, tall, slim, extremely smooth skin and refined features; didn't really look like anyone around here and, indeed, as I was to learn, he was from Tanzania. But I was a little surprisd to see him this time in a very smart sky-blue caftan and turban. He and Father E talked for some time in Swahili; like most Tanzanians, he apparently doesn't know English, but Fr E is quite fluent in Swahili, to my surprise since he's never mentioned it. I thought for sure I'd seen him around the church before, but I thought, well, ok, i guess if he's from TZ, he is in fact likely to be Muslim.

So after a while I had to go, and as i took my leave, I asked Father, Who is this Ssebo you're talking to? He introduced himself to me as Alexander. Well, that's not a Muslim name, so I asked, Why are you wearing this?

Turns out he is in fact Christian— even Orthodox. He had come to the bishop to ask for fees to finish his high school, but the bishop refused or was unable to pay. So he finally gave up and found a Muslim school that would give him a scholarship as long as he was Muslim. So he is pretending to be a Muslim. After he finishes school, he assured me, he will go back to being a Christian.

Well, in fact it may happen. God knows that we have plenty of cases that go in the other direction— Catholic or Protestant or "Savedy" kids who got baptized to get school fees. But then again, the Muslims are a lot more serious about teaching Islam in their schools than we are— judging from the National Examination Board exams— and he will in fact be exposed to Muslim denials of the Trinity and of the Divinity of Christ on a daily basis, as well as to their admiration of Muhammad. So I wouldn't want to bet on it.

Christianity (or whatever religion) here is something you can put on and off, like a caftan. It means little more than that, for most people. Of course, it's that way for me too, when I sin, although in my heart of hearts I hope I still acknowledge him whom I deny. And— all the worse for me!

Still, I am very disturbed for this boy.

But where is any teaching, that he would know better?

Memo to my office: We need a pamphlet— 'Answering Islam'. Actually, we need several pamphlets: 'Answering Jehovah's Witnesses'; 'Answering Seventh Day Adventists'; 'Answering Mormons' (yes, they're on the horizon).

I did have an insight that might be helpful with Muslims. They always say we worship three gods. But they're wrong, of course, bbecause they don't understand that there are never two. There is always One, who is always Three; always Three, who are always One; but never one alone, or just two without the other.

Where's that quote from Lossky, about 'escaping from number', that is, from duality?