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Christianity Today, October (Web-only), 2007 |

Speaking Out

The Peacemaking Process

A call to evangelicals to respond to a significant Muslim overture.

J. Dudley Woodberry | posted 10/25/2007 09:22AM

Muslim leaders who represent a broad spectrum of communities around the world have issued an open letter inviting Christians to work toward peace based on core teachings in our respective faiths: the ...

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Ephrem Hagos

Posted: October 30, 2007 9:59 AM


If both Christians and Muslims, through but not limited to their respective Scriptures (John 5: 39-40), come to know personally and firsthand exactly who Jesus Christ is, wholly apart from all the claims and counter-claims about Him, peace will surely prevail among us. I know that it is possible! May the LORD help us!

Khalil Ullah

Posted: October 28, 2007 11:12 PM

In response to Dr. Woodbury's appeal to sign the response--I read the statement from the Yale group. As one who ministers to Muslims there were two things that initially came to me which preclude me from being able to conscientiously sign this: 1-Muslims do not consider loving God and others as their primary duty. This is yet another good example of Muslims "Christianizing" their language in order to persuade us. I highly recommend all to read S.W. Koelle's, "Mohammed and Mohammedanism" (www.muhammadanism.org). For that matter, all one has to do is read the Koran and spend time with Muslims. Obeying what they believe to be God's commands is obligatory and has nothing to do with love. 2-The use of "Prophet" prior to Muhammad's name. This implies to the Muslim, whether we like it or not, that we Christians respect Muhammad as a prophet. Why not use "the Prophet of Islam" as have done missionaries like Temple Gairdner? In this way there is no compromise of one's conscience.

vbranch

Posted: October 27, 2007 9:58 PM

Wise as serpents / Harmless as doves ??? “… we are determined to continue our efforts to remove possible sources of difference and thus to contribute to assure the peace of Europe.” (Signed) A. Hitler (Signed) Neville Chamberlain, September 30, 1938. Chamberlain upon his return to England after the above signing: “My good friends, this is the second time in our history that there has come back from Germany to Downing Street peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. And now I recommend you to go home and sleep quietly in your beds.” On the contrary, let us Christians wake up! "The common word between us and you" is not the "God" and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; Allah has no children. Ask any Muslim. This difference is insurmountable. Should we then cry "peace, peace when there is no peace"?

Päiviö

Posted: October 27, 2007 9:49 PM

What are we talking about? Should we start bowing down in the face of islam as christians? Did Jesus also bow down in front of farisees? Most certainly not. It's written in the word that: -every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord. Muslims will have to do the same, wheather they like it or not. And this will take place at the judgement seat of Christ at last, if not earlier than that. But preferrably earlier !!!

Anonymous

Posted: October 27, 2007 11:19 AM


Caveat emptor.

Ant Greenham

Posted: October 27, 2007 10:04 AM

Living peacefully with everyone is imperative. This certainly applies to living peacefully with Muslims in our over-charged environment. Also, humility is essential as we address the biblical requirement of cordial witness. However, our witness must be true to be loving. It must point to the changeless essentials, and those center on Jesus’ person and his work (i.e. on who he is and what he did). Unfortunately, Dr. Woodberry’s article does not. Neither does the response written by the Yale Center for Faith and Culture. What will be the eternal consequences for Muslims and (nominal) Christians agreeing on the importance of loving God and neighbor but not moving immediately to the Savior? Yes, we ought to love God and neighbor. But no, we don’t. And the consequences are eternal death. Since that is the case, the most loving thing we can do, is humbly point people to the only one who can save the likes of us, we who should love God and neighbor, but who inevitably and consistently do not.

Cobus Prinsloo

Posted: October 27, 2007 7:55 AM

I believe we should respect and be tolerant towards all religions, including Islam. We as Christians should love Muslims and pray that more of them will come to a knowledge of God through Jesus Christ. But, it would be problematic to officially and publicly affiliate with another faith which has different theological views, especially about the nature of God. Those who believe that Christians and Muslims serve the same God, have not done their homework yet. When faiths start to mingle in all sorts of ways due to their 'commonalities", caution and wisdom is required. Yes, it may be an opportunity for witnessing, but the potential danger is that soon our testimony about Christ as the only way to God might be compromised. Most religions share common virtues such as "love for one another, love for God (If He is personal), and care for society". Christians should beware of of loosing focus on the real theological issues.

Anna	Posted: October 27, 2007 3:01 AM

Ken, it fascinates me that it is men who say we must cooperate with cultures that enslave their population by using women to control the minds of both the women and men. Of course, men have had the power for centuries in all cultures and don't see the danger of cooperating with Islam. You must love Islam with its subjugation of women to men. Jesus said no to that. Christians are not the problem. The problem is Islam and its men followers. They need to change within themselves in order to cooperate with other peoples and especially, women. Christians have an obligation to help cultures change their bad "values", even demand it, you know, little boys have to grow up sometime and share with women. That's what Jesus really teaches. You do know, women were at the tomb first for a reason because God wanted them there as equals! Stop bullying Christians into "cooperating" with Islam. Bully Muslims into giving everbody the freedom to choose then cooperation won't be needed. It wll be a given

Ibrahim

Posted: October 26, 2007 12:11 PM

This is a very naive view of Islam from someone who should know better. I am a former Muslim from the Arab world and a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, and I know that Islam does not teach coexistence with other religion on peaceful and equal levels. Peace could only occur if Christians and Jews lived under Islamic rule paying a special tax called Jizya (for being fool enough to choose not to be Muslims), and they will carry the status of a Dhimmi (second degree citizen). This is the only peace Islam gives the Christians and Jews. The author selectively chooses abrogated verses from the Quran to reach his goal. Also he is one of the people who believe you could be a Muslim and be saved. It is very unfortunate that he is counted as an evangelical Christian, to me he is more toward the liberal version of Christianity.

Alonso Duncan

Posted: October 26, 2007 11:33 AM


It is essential that we respond to this encouraging sign from the Muslim scholars. We must respond as Paul did when invited to talk at synagogues and at the Areopagus, seeking reconciliation, showing full respect, willing to engage with their respected texts, willing to explain clearly what we believe, praying God will use our witness to do what he only can do.

Ken L.

Posted: October 26, 2007 12:49 AM

I wholeheartedly agree with the article. For those who speak ill of Muslims, or otherwise consider them evil, or allied with darkness, or otherwise see Muslims as the enemy, to you I am truely sadened for. In this common ground, no one is asking, nor should be asking, each other to accpet or adopt one's particular faith as truth for themselves. Just becasue they do not accept the Truth as we know and understand it, does not mean we can not live in peace with one another. Jesus NEVER tells us go to war or battle with those who do not choose to become one with the Kingdom! God has given us all Free Will to choose to accept the Truth or not. Those who do not will suffer the consequences of such choices. It is not up to us to force upon others the Truth. The more important point is that if both Christians and Muslims FOLLOWED each of their own religious teachings (LOVE your God and your neighbor) maybe there would be more peace in the world! Stop being Christian Judgementalists!!!

Anna	Posted: October 26, 2007 12:11 AM

Jesus is the Son of God not a partner or a prophet as the Koran insinuates. Jesus said you have to get to God through Jesus & when you see Jesus you see the Father (God). Baptism leads to the Resurrection. The Koran says Jesus wasn't resurrected, he lived with his wife and family and died a normal death. Major problem here, folks. The whole Christianity thing is about Jesus dying on the Cross for our sins and saving us through the Resurrection. Good works or laws won't decide the decision for eternity with God as the Koran says. Only belief in the Resurrection will determine you living eternally with God and Jesus, God's Son. Islam's God of fear and obedience is not Jesus' God of Love. Stop apologizing for the Crusades as the Muslims won 7 of the 8. No. 8 we won and the Islam murderous conquering rampage was stopped at France's doorstep. So, now we hate both the Evangelicals & the Catholics. Am I next because as a female I might disagree with Islam and western apologists.

Glenn

Posted: October 25, 2007 10:10 PM

It is so hard to take this sort of thing seriously when, on the very same day it is released, a Sunni Muslim school teacher is shot to death through his eyes by a bunch of Shiite Muslim militia in Iraq? How can those of us in the Christian-dominated Western world take seriously the apparent agreement of this "Who's Who" when their own followers are brutally slaughtering each other? How are we Christians to help broker peace from outside the Muslim world when followers of Al-Islam cannot agree to seek peace among themselves? And just when one Muslim sect reaches an accord with Israel, another steps in to fill the void of murder and destruction. I am sorry, but for all their good intentions, it would be a better step to get their own brothers and sisters to read and agree to such a document than to seek endorsements from Christians in the West.

Trent

Posted: October 25, 2007 8:11 PM

This is a great advance. It is a great advance for peace. It is a great advance for the Muslim world. It is a great advance for moderate Muslims. It is a great advance for Christians. Yes we will still disagree on the centrality of Christ. But we're not being asked to drop our faith, just to enter into relationship. Like Paul in Athens we are being given an open door opportunity to share our faith by starting at our common ground. Paul began not by pointing out the errors and idolatry of the Areopagus, but by acknowledging their great religiosity. Likewise there is an opportunity like never before to begin the conversation with Muslims, hopefully without the barriers of fear and prejudice. Pray that we do not reject this overture out of misguided fear.

SteveC

Posted: October 25, 2007 4:19 PM

This article is calmly reasoned, and a sincere desire for dialogue is evident. However, as James Gibson pointed out, the key is whether the view of Jesus is held in common. At the public school where I teach, an imam spoke to the teachers to explain some facets of Arabic/Muslim culture. He emphasized several commonalities (Abraham; respecting Jesus as a prophet; teaching about love, etc.). However, he also admitted that Muslims would not consider Jesus to be God. Yet Christianity cannot EXIST if Jesus is not God! In these discussions, understanding comes not by examining commonalities but DISTINCTIVES. A fast food place and a fine steak restaurant might both serve beef, but they are clearly not the same. It's the distinctives that make the difference. As TomW noted, bigotry and hatred are never appropriate for Christians. Still, a desire for peace that bypasses the exclusivity and divinity of Jesus as Savior would be the ultimate method of "blowing off God's Word."

TomW	Posted: October 25, 2007 2:02 PM

I believe that this issue will demonstrate how badly today's evangelicals have drifted from a solid biblical understanding of Christianity. In spite of this amazing and encouraging overture by Muslim leaders, I expect to see a large number of *American* evangelicals reject it, thus helping to perpetuate global violence, hatred, and death. If I correctly understand the "Common Word," no one is asking Christians to change their core biblical beliefs. We are simply being asked to confirm that we believe in the love of God and one another. Consider Heb. 12:14: "Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord." I could quote dozens more scriptures about the importance of peace and love, but let's watch as American evangelicals blatantly blow off God's Word and continue in their ignorance, bigotry, and hatred.

James Gibson

Posted: October 25, 2007 1:40 PM

Peacemaking, biblically speaking, does not mean merely seeking a cessation of hostilities between beligerent factions. When the Bible speaks of "peace," it is speaking of God's "shalom," the restoration of perfect wholeness throughout the created order. Jesus is the embodiment of God's shalom and it is only in seeking after him that we are seeking after genuine peace. A true peacemaker is one who prayerfully seeks to live out the reality of the coming kingdom of God, that is, one who seeks to emulate the life of Jesus himself. The "peace" sought by these Muslim neighbors may be well-intentioned, but it is not attainable under the criteria they have established. We may hold certain "core teachings" in common, at least in theory (although even that tends to break down in practice), but we do not hold a common understanding of Jesus. To the Muslims, he is but a teacher of peace. To us, he is the peace we earnestly desire all people to know.

Don	Posted: October 25, 2007 1:35 PM


I challenge Dr. Woodbury to show how the Muslim faith can have a 'common' basis for dialoguing about 'God' when their God differs fundamentally from the God of both Christians and Jews - i.e. the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Muslims belief in the God of Abraham and Ishmael effectively preclude any legitimate common ground in dialogue about God.

Dave Wyllie

Posted: October 25, 2007 1:20 PM


"What fellowship can there be between light and darkness?"

Craig

Posted: October 25, 2007 1:06 PM

The basic problem is really the fact that Jesus said that there is only one name given among men by which we must be saved; He also said that no one comes to the Father except through him. John 7:16-18 So Jesus answered them and said, "My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself. He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. IF anyone is actually willing to do the will of God then God will make it known to them that Jesus is who He says He is...Jew first then the Gentiles (the rest of humanity). Those facts of scripture are confrontational...He is not just "another" way.

John	Posted: October 25, 2007 12:34 PM


This is an encouraging development. Blessed are the peacemakers. It's time to end all the Islamofascist rhetoric and have some dialogue with followers of Islam. One word of warning-right wing authoritarian evangelical leaders will never go along with this and will try to discredit anyone involved with it.

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