Images of a young Scottish boy refusing to prostrate himself on an Islamic prayer mat have gone viral.
He was invited to take part in a prayer demonstration inside a mosque while on an educational trip to an Islamic Centre in Stirling with his group of Beaver Scouts who are usually aged from 6 to 8.
The visit was part of a program designed to teach children about different religions and cultures.
During the demonstration, most of the children participated in the enactment while the boy quietly remained standing beside a group leader.
BOYS AND GIRLS URGED TO KNEEL AND BOW TO EARN ‘FAITH BADGE’
It’s unclear if the so far publicly unidentified boy comes from a Christian family, but many believers were quick to praise his stand.
The Beavers who are part of an affiliate program of the Scout Association aimed at boys and girls were encouraged to kneel and bow in the Islamic ritual as part of earning their Faith Activity Badge.
Genuine images like the one above have been viewed millions of times.
So have many similar images that have been digitally manipulated for political or comedic effect.
POSTERS SEE SIMILARITY TO BIBLICAL DANIEL STORY
The European Conservative writes: “The incident further highlights the growing concern that Great Britain is drifting into treating Islam differently from other faiths.”
Many social media posters noted that the moment is a bit like the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the book of Daniel.
They refused to bow when pressured to do something that violated their convictions.
Their story has long been seen as an example of standing firm in faith even when surrounded by pressure to conform.
The post Junior Scout Refuses To Bow Down In Mosque appeared first on Vision Christian Media.