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| Evangelical Leaders Pledge Common Cause with Islam |
| 2008-01-05 |
| An attempt by leaders of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) to win friends and influence Muslims is alienating another group — evangelical Christians. Reactions have been negative and strong. Islam expert Dr. Patrick Sookhdeo has called it a “betrayal” and a “sellout.” Dr. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Seminary (Southern Baptist), termed it “naiveté that borders on dishonesty.” Others are just beginning to hear of it. In November, NAE President Leith Anderson and NAE Vice President Richard Cizik signed onto a Christian response to an invitation to dialogue from 138 Muslim leaders around the world. Their response — initiated by Yale Divinity School and endorsed by other liberal Christian leaders — apologized for the sins of Christians during the Crusades and for “excesses” of the global war on terror, without mentioning Muslim atrocities. It appeared to leave the fundamentals of Christianity — especially the deity of Christ — open for discussion. It even seemed to acknowledge Allah as the God of the Bible. “Before we ‘shake your hand’ in responding to your letter,” it stated, “we ask forgiveness of the All-Merciful One and of the Muslim community around the world.” The very name of the Muslim communiqué — A Common Word between Us and You — is from a verse in the Quran that condemns “people of the Scripture” (Christians) for alleged polytheism (the doctrine of the Trinity). Mohler said the agreement “sends the wrong signal” and contains basic theological problems, especially in “marginalizing” Jesus Christ. He also condemned the apology for the Crusades. “I just have to wonder how intellectually honest this is,” he said. “Are these people suggesting that they wish the military conflict with Islam had ended differently — that Islam had conquered Europe?” Neither Anderson nor Cizik could be reached for comment. On the NAE Web site, Anderson asserts he signed the letter as a private individual, although he is identified as NAE president. He also seems to acknowledge problems with the statement. “Sometimes we all sign onto things that are not all that we would like them to be,” Anderson wrote. “Even after we write and say our own words, we discover that we wish we had done better.” Gary Bauer, president of the Campaign for Working Families, told CitizenLink the NAE leaders “have left the (card) table without their pants — that is, they’ve been taken and may not even realize they’ve been taken.” Bauer said he already was dismayed by the NAE’s recent controversial excursions into questionable areas such as global warming. “Many of us have been concerned about the NAE getting into all sorts of areas where it has had no previous expertise,” Bauer said. “And now, I’m afraid, I see signs that they’re going down the same road that the National Council of Churches is going.” The National Council of Churches has embraced liberal causes and is affiliated with ultra-liberal groups, such as MoveOn.org and People For the American Way. Sookhdeo called for Christian leaders who signed the letter to withdraw their names, saying the confession of guilt puts Christian communities in Muslim areas of the world at risk. “I find it difficult to understand how senior evangelical leaders in the West can join hands with other Christians who actually are betraying the Christian faith (and) their Christian brothers and sisters in the Muslim world,” he said. FOR MORE INFORMATION Read the Yale document and the list of signers. You also can read the original Muslim statement. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #20 nicely done, twobyfour |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-01-05 19:24 |
| #19 works for me |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-01-05 19:18 |
| #18 Here: "Let's all be up front and totally clear here. Jesus is Lord, allan IS NOT, and muhammad is NOT a prophet. If you can't allow to let me say that, you can't be part of the discussion. Period." |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2008-01-05 19:02 |
| #17 M. Murcek: that's what I believe, but I'm not willing to say that "if you believe different - end of story". I know a lot of Jews, Hindus, Buddhists that I would otherwise have no issue with, who don't belive what you wrote, but they aren't trying to kill me or impose their religion. I can live with them in peace. Others? Not so peaceful I'm sure you meant something clearer..... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-01-05 18:54 |
| #16 Let's all be up front and totally clear here. Jesus is Lord, allan IS NOT, and muhammad is NOT a prophet. If you can't say that, you can't be part of the discussion. Period. |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2008-01-05 18:33 |
| #15 Turns out you can send an e-mail to this morons under the "sign this petion" section. I can not even begin to explain the amount of sadness I have over you people. Islam was founded in bloodshed and demands our conversion, enslavement (Dhimmitude) or murder. It has been this way since Muhammad left Mecca and began his reign of theft, murder and pedophilia. And to call our God the same as the Islamic pagan moon god shows pure naiveté on your parts. Folks the hole in the ground in New York wasn’t done by radicals it was done just as the Koran calls for. Sickened, Mica |
| Posted by: Icerigger 2008-01-05 14:28 |
| #14 Gee Dannie anyone that signed that surrender Yale BS is a Dhimmi and the Crusades were civil compared to Muhamhead's 77 murderous battles he himself took part in. Don't know much about the middle east history do you? That's OK I'm sure KOS will have you. |
| Posted by: Icerigger 2008-01-05 14:18 |
| #13 uh huh, thanks Danielle, but that doesn't fly here. Let Saudi open a church and we can have a dialogue. Until then, they can FOAD, but not IN MY NAME. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-01-05 14:11 |
| #12 I was alarmed until I read the list of evangelicals. Bill Hybels, Willow Creek Church, The Billy Graham Institute in Wheaton, Rick Warren and Saddleback Christian Church, and the Navigators are not dhimmis, will not betray their faith, and most certainly are not naive! These signees are the ones we want to dialogue with Muslims. The Crusades were barbaric, especially the Children's Crusade, and it is well past time to move on in history. Like Islam, Christians must first warn the unbelievers..... |
| Posted by: Danielle 2008-01-05 12:49 |
| #11 Church leadership cadres in most US churches only seem to be concerned about figuring out how to promote or save gay clergy. Makes one wonder about the folks who gravitate toward administration in churchs. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2008-01-05 12:18 |
| #10 |
| Posted by: DMFD 2008-01-05 11:27 |
| #9 Even most of the world will believe in the false prophet. |
| Posted by: newc 2008-01-05 11:23 |
| #8 tell that f**king dubmasss to try to practice his Evangelical faith in the heart of Islam. Saudi Arabia. He'll be flogged and deported. Dumbass. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2008-01-05 10:20 |
| #7 I have no problem recognizing Allan; I just think Mohammed was a psychopath and those who follow him are kindred spirits or deluded fools. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2008-01-05 09:38 |
| #6 Lindbergh + Hitler = Muzz + Stupid Ass Evangelicals |
| Posted by: Woozle Elmeter 2907 2008-01-05 09:01 |
| #5 .....initiated by Yale Divinity School No further explanation required. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2008-01-05 08:26 |
| #4 Or burned at the stake. That works for me too. I am speaking historically, you understand, I am not say these |
| Posted by: Excalibur 2008-01-05 06:44 |
| #3 That's why they are called dhimmis. In a less "enlightened" time these traitors would have been hanged. |
| Posted by: Excalibur 2008-01-05 06:42 |
| #2 This almost sounds like a segment from the Book of Revelation, rendered in a non-abridged detail. Naiveté? My ass. They just did welcome their Islamic overlords, hoping that they get some special considerations for services rendered when new rulers take charge. "Betrayal" and "sellout" nail it as it is. |
| Posted by: Spike Uniter 2008-01-05 06:09 |
| #1 Muslims want free exercise of religion here, while they deny it to minorities in their savage homelands. Muslims are under murderous obligation to believe that Jewish and Christian texts are Satanic distortions of original Islam. Abraham - actually a Chaldean - is held to be the first Muslim. As a group, Muslims are passive when they are weak, and aggressive when strong. The evangelicals who make league with that mortal enemy appear to suffer the delusion that fighting a common enemy - secularism - with Muslims will strenthen Christianity. In some universities, Muslims are taking control of public areas, and using same to prostrate to their fictitious deity. Lenin had his useful idiots; Muslim imans own Jews and Christians. |
| Posted by: McZoid 2008-01-05 04:35 |