A church in Austin, Texas, cancelled an “interfaith” Thanksgiving service when church leaders realized “interfaith” meant that people from other faiths were coming to their church to worship: “The event, now in its 23rd year, invites Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Bahais and others to worship together.”

Every year, a different faith group hosts the Thanksgiving event, which typically includes food, prayer, song and dance. Last year, St. Louis Catholic Church hosted. This year, because the Muslim groups did not have their own space that was large enough, they decided to rent the Quarries, a 58-acre property [...] that the church has owned since 1984.

The director of the interreligious group that sponsors the event, Simone Flowers, was upset.  She said, “As a Christian, my first response is, what would Jesus do in this situation?’” 

Okay, okay.  Let’s have a rational discussion about this.  What would Jesus do?  I think he wouldn’t want to worship with people who were worshipping someone other than God. He might hang out with them.  He might eat Turkey with them.  But I don’t think he’d want to worship with them. 

My take: The church sounds like it was foolish not to investigate more closely the request to use its property, but it’d also be foolish to allow the worship of false gods on its property.  Earlier today, I posted on the difference between blind pagan tolerance and Christian hospitality.  In this case, if there was not going to be a worship service, I think the church should have let the event take place.  But knowing that worship would be taking place, it did the right thing to refuse the event.  The church might be catching heat from the world over and from the hip residents of Austin, but it will maintain its integrity all the same.