We have a growing polarisation among Christians over the appropriate response to dialogue with Muslims around their recent letter.
For: Signing the letter to islam is a rationale from Leith Anderson and Richard Cizik of the US National Association of Evangelicals for signing the Yale statement. Andreson wrote:
... In a world filled with tensions between Christians and Muslims it would seem most unlikely that both letters would be written. They seek common ground in the themes of loving God and one’s neighbor. ..
... Will there be misunderstandings and criticisms? I am sure there will be.
But he couldn't be clearer in his conclusion:
As an evangelical Christian I believe in Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. I take the Bible seriously as my rule of faith and practice. That is who evangelicals are and what evangelicals believe. Just as Muslims want us to know about Islam I want Muslims to know about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
That's the nature of dialogue. Its not about compromise. Its about being all we are called to be, and yet making attempts to about understand each other and accept each other for the sake of peace.
Against: This is the condemnation of that signing from Focus on the Family. Evangelical Leaders Pledge Common Cause with Islam.
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.
In response to the idea of an apology for the crusades they quote Souther Baptist seminary president Albert Mohler as saying:
“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?”
They also quote "Musim expert Patrick Sookhdeo":
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: Brian Maclaren's response to Focus. A Dialogue Too Friendly for Focus on the Family (by Brian McLaren) On the criticism of an apology for the crusades he surely hits the mark:
How can we not apologize for our sins? Should we claim we have no sins? Or should we knowingly refuse to acknowledge them? Isn't the humility to confess sins a Christian virtue?
Sadly it seems that there are many for whom vulnerability and humility is not a bottom line for Christian faith.
Comments