Posted on 03/29/2008 2:53:23 PM PDT by dvan
After the attacks of 9/11, many people in the West, including Christians, were asking, “Where are the moderate Muslims?”
They may have showed up last fall. A group of what appeared to be moderate Muslim leaders sent a conciliatory message to representatives of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant faiths, offering to work toward a more peaceful coexistence between the world’s two largest religions.
How should Christians in the West respond to this offer?
A basis for peace? Issued October 13, 2007, and titled A Common Word Between Us and You, the Muslim document stressed the need for peace between members of the Christian and Islamic faiths, since the two groups represent 55% of the world’s population.
A Common Word highlighted the common sentiments of the Quran and the New Testament, where man is commanded to love God and love one’s neighbor: “The basis for this peace and understanding already exists. It is part of the very foundational principles of both faiths: love of the One God, and love of the neighbor. These principles are found over and over again in the sacred texts of Islam and Christianity.”
The 138 signatories of the document impressed numerous Christian leaders, since these Muslim leaders represented virtually the entire religious landscape within the Islamic world.
More than 300 Christian leaders and theologians soon penned a response to the Muslim letter.Evangelical heavyweights like Richard Cizik, Bill Hybels, Brian McLaren, John Stott, Jim Wallis and Rick Warren added their names to that response, titled Loving God and Neighbor Together: A Christian Response to ‘A Common Word Between Us and You.’
For the complete Disgusting Article:
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Journal/stories.aspx?id=72859
(Excerpt) Read more at onenewsnow.com ...
Way too little. Way too late.
Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:
Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of interest.
Yep. The looney let-us-all-hold-hands-and-sing-kumbaya crowd
is at it again.
Dialogue:
Christian - How may we co-exist?
You-Know-What - Infidel! Put Head Here.
John 3:17-18, 1st Timothy 2:5, John 14:6; basically the set of Bible verses I have quoted in my tagline.
There is no “common ground” with the lies of mad mo. The Gospel is non-negotiable but offered to all. The only “dialogue” is if they’d like to hear the Message of Cross, which the koran clearly denies.
How to respond??????? A shot across the bow and then a big one midship if you get my drift.
“How should Christians in the West respond to this offer?”
With a hearty no thanks, but we’ll pray for your soul.
>Notice the list of Judas goats? America’s Pastor Rick Warren, Billy Hybels?<
Fakes! Every last one of ‘em! More bad fruit!
“HOW SHOULD THE CHRISTIAN WEST RESPOND TO MODERATE MUSLIMS’ OFFER OF DIALOGUE?”
To answer that question, I would have to say that we should entertain thoughts of responding for a period of not in excess of five seconds.....to take place at once.
5............4..........3..........2.........1
Okay....time’s up.
Next question?
“Dialog about WHAT?”
How we should be okay with them cutting off our heads silly!
With 5.56...at 3100 fps.
With a cannon shot.
We’re fools if we don’t take this chance. Moderate Muslims need to be engaged. The radical murderer Muslims certainly don’t want this.
The nutcases are making a play for control of the Muslim world. Regular, reasonable Muslims need to be legitimized, much like what we’re accomplishing in Iraq by setting up a decent government.
In a spiritual dimension, the American church has spent way too many decades pretending that Islam doesn’t exist. Most of us have no idea how to witness to a Muslim, or what it takes to lead one to the Lord. It’s about time someone took some steps in that direction.
How should they respond to moderate muslims...no need to worry because there aren’t any.
must be the dialogue where they say” We have nothing to do with radical Islam,but we want sharia law,treated special and did we mention,taking over your civilization!
The dialogue needed to be between the moderate muslims and the RADICAL muslims!
Isn’t it Rush who states that it is ultimately destructive to the right, if you agree to compromise when you are right.
If Muslems wish to understand Christians, I’m all for it. If there is a perception of concessions from both sides to acieve peace, they whistling up the wrong tree IMO.
Those conducting these talks need to keep their wits about them at all times, and they themselves should be given a very short leash.
Evangelical [photo-op seeking] heavyweights...
I bought the Koran and read it.
The problem is that when stupid Western liberals imagine "peaceful coexistence," they think kumbaya, flowers, rainbows, free love festivals, and getting high on pot.
When Muslims imagine "peaceful coexistence," they think about enacting dhimmitude for the infidel who foolishly submit.
I’d talk to the moderate Muslims if there were any.
Specious comparison at best
I know the NT quite well, I only know the Quran in a cursory way, but have read enough quotes to know the two have almost nothing in common.
As I see it, the “moderate” faction of Islam must join the fight to rid the world of the radical Islamist elements, as evidenced over time by a complete stoppage of terrorist acts...THEN, we will have a basis for a peaceful co-existence with what’s left of their faith’s membership.
Further, by “joining the fight”, I’m talking about taking active part in bringing to justice ALL individuals responsible for giving orders to kill those who don’t share their faith (a Jihad against the Jihadists, if you will).
Writing a letter to the Christian West, however well intentioned, falls woefully short.
Never.
Sort of like France. The French crap on the U.S. for decades.
Finally they are shocked when we finally quit buying their stuff or wanting anything to do with the foul smelling shave needing jerks that are france.
Well the mooselimbs have been killing us and crapping on us for decades and now they get an idea that they should be a little nicer to us?
Go piss up a rope there towel head.
I turn daily towards Mecca and pass gas in my little protest to show you turds what I think of you all and your gutter religion of death.
We could send the Rev. Jeremiah “Bullfrog” Wright to the Middle East as a goodwill ambASSador.
Then again, if the Gospel is superior to some made-up demonic garbage spewed by a child-rapist/ murderer, then bring it on in the arena of ideas!
We have to engage Muslims. It’s part of our job description. They (and every other tribe) must hear the Gospel proclaimed in Power of the Spirit, and then the end will come.
There are no moderate Muslims, and can be no moderate Muslims, because the Islam of Mohammad is not itself moderate. A fundamental part of Islam is that Mohammad is considered a Perfect Man, to be emulated by all Muslims. Their Perfect Man was a bandit chieftain who made his living from robbing caravans and looting towns. Mad Mo was a murderer, rapist, child molester, liar, and robber.
See my homepage for details.
Moderates cannot be negotiated with, because while they can accept concessions from our side, they cannot deliver commitments from the Muslim side. They speak only for themselves
Color me skeptical but I don’t see this as a gesture of doctrinal outreach. I see this as more of a plan to reach common ground, something that implies concessions on our side.
I don’t dismiss your reference to our duty as Christians, and where that fits in I’m all for it. I really do want it made clear up front that we are not at all interested in admitting that Mohamed stands on a par with Jesus Christ. He simply doesn’t.
It is my opinion that Muslems placed the Dome of the Rock there for the same reason a wolfe marks his territory. It was a warning to others that this sacred ground was now theirs, something that should have never been let stand. It will cause trouble to the end of time.
I will also say, that if an agreement does arise that betrays Christianity, it may be a signal that the anti-Christ is then free to work his magic in public here on earth, a very dangerous time IMO.
How quickly the Shura council in Saudi Arabia is demanding we convert to Islam.
When muslim majority countries offer Christians the religious freedom that they get in the USA, then a dialogue might be in order.
We should endeavor to smite the jihadists, drive their useful infidels before us, and to hear the lamentations of the mullahs! Allahu fubar!
I have a different take on this.
As a born-again Christian, I don’t need a dialogue with a muslim, moderate muslim, or a jihadi.
I talk to all people regardless of who they are as long as they are civil.
Viewing jihadi, jihadi-related sites and other islamic extremist sites by various akas since 9/11/2001; my eyes are wide open.
I WOULD REALLY BE IMPRESSED if the jihadis and the moderate muslims would have a dialogue. That would truly be a change for the better if the moderate muslims turned their fellow misunderstanders of islam (jihadis) around.
Just forget about us again, for a little while, mmmkay?
With an offer of unlimited Gideon bibles translated into Arabic / Farsi / Bandladeshi / etc.
In my opinion if these Islamists are offering a flag of invitation please carry your own food & drink to the meetings, and keep your food nearby you.
As for the goodly folks who wish to attend I will try hard not to disparage their 'good intentions' buts its hard not to feel that they are trying to be at the head of the line to be "KISSINGS BUTTS".
The dialog needs to be between moderate muslims and the racidcal islamoterrorists.
The moderates want to tell us everything is OK and its our fault as the other branch of their religion saws out heads off.
We should respect the rights of Muslim's to practice their faith, but should similarly seek the free exercise of Christian faith in Muslim lands and have a firm understanding of and willingness to act on the Christian theory of Just War when Islam threatens our lives, liberty and ability to practice our faith. More people need to understand the lessons of Lepanto.
You might be surprised. Millions of sharp and eager young Muslims are students in our universities today, often on scholarships. Wide-eyed tourists, eager to soak up American culture and make American friends. Sadly, fewer than 10% of them will ever get to see the inside of an American home. Our family has been greatly blessed by friendships with Turkish students. A sincere interest in them as people, a respectful interest in their culture and language, an honest effort to wrap one's brain around their mother tongue, can lead to wonderful experiences. To be frank, I've eaten more frequently in the homes of Muslim Turks than in the homes of American Christians over the last few years.
In 1945/46 Douglas MacArthur begged us to send 10,000 missionaries to Japan. A nation was ready to consider alternatives. Sadly, the missionaries they got were engineers -- and today Japan is one of the most resolutely secular societies on earth. We did better when The Wall came down -- our church was planting churches in Poland, Ukraine, etc. within a few years. Today, Russia is resolutely Christian in its public identity.
What will we do if God discredits Islam as dramatically and as suddenly as He did Soviet communism? Learning Arabic, Turkish, or Farsi is a long lead-time project. Let's get started! The future is as bright as the power and promises of God!
Triple-tap: Two to the center of mass, one to the head. Until the moderates denouce the radicals (and actually DO something), they can all take a hike.
Go to Lebanon. Muslims, Jews, and Christians living together in relative peace. Some women wear burkas; other go in plain shirts and skirts.
The muslims in Iraq in the Iraqi army and police force are willing to give their lives and work with Christians in making a better future for themselves.
My CAD engineer Kasem Rubeiz is muslim, goes to his mosque in the morning and evening, and plays a wickedly good game of dominos. He's chopped off no heads.
In John 13:34-35 Christ commands us to "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
The Apostle Paul taught us to spread the word, not pick up arms to force conversion. When Roman guards, or Greek politicians came to Christ, it was not because of war, and it wasn't because Paul said "your religion/country persecuted us before so we will shun you"; it was because Paul continued his preaching and when someone showed a change he acted on it.
Overtures from ANY religion should be welcomed and embraced.
First they are going to have to make peace with the Jews, then we can talk.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.