Just forget about us again, for a little while, mmmkay?
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 ...
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.
Speaking of the Pope:
A Look at The Alleged Insult vs. The Pope
http://www.truthusa.com/AllegedInsult.html
But after about a millisecond I thought, "What part of the Gospels would I agree NOT to preach?" Their book specifically says to kill us if we don't convert. Are they willing to excise that from their book? I think not.
What is left to talk about other than terms of surrender?
Remember back when Clinton put the squeeze on Israel to throw in the kitchen sink and Araphat said Eff you and the rock throwing started. I don't think we can talk to these people.
“Notice the list of Judas goats? America’s Pastor Rick Warren, Billy Hybels?”
Ah yes, but don’t forget Brian “Christianity is whatever you want it to be” McClaren of the Emergent Church Cult.
Here’s my contribution to the “Dialogue”, Jesus Christ of Nazareth put up a ONE WAY sign that pointed to Him (John 3:1-36) take it or leave it there is no middle ground.
Second, there can be no Christian response to this letter without confronting Islam with its treatment of Christians in all Muslim lands as second-class citizens and forcing them to acknowledge it before any dialogue can take place. This includes forcing the Imam's to issue fatwa's or decrees or whatever they want, to all Muslims to cease their persecution of Christians in all Muslim lands.
Third, any Christian response must include a demand that all Christians be allowed to build places of worship freely in any Muslim nation without harrassment.
Fourth, any Christian response must include a demand that all Christians be allowed to place any symbols they wish on their houses of worship, crosses, etc, and ring church bells, etc.
And Fifth, any Christian response must demand that Christians be allowed to evangelize in any Muslim nation and that anyone who chooses Christianity be allowed to do so freely, as a matter of conscience, without harrassment, persecution, or repercussions.
Anything other than these five points being addressed firmly and forcefully FIRST should discount any dialogue with Muslims of any kind. Otherwise they can all go to hell (and according to 1 John they will). They cannot be trusted, and any dialogue with Muslims is typically a one sided conversation just as this "A Word Between You And Us" was a one sided letter with many veiled threats within it, and an attempt to maneuver Christians into acknowledging God on Islam's terms.
Reciprocity, complete and total, all harassment and persecution ended, freedom of conscience protected for all people in Muslim dominated countries in choosing their religion. That, or go to hell, that would be my response.
Ask them to prove that they’re “moderate”.
“Show me a “Moderate Muslim” and I’ll show you someone who isn’t following their leader.”-Chuck Missler
If they don’t include the Jews then tell em to F off.
Mel
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