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hpj0828
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| Joined: | Sun Apr 1st, 2007 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 136 |
| First Name: | Henry | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Messianic Jewish believer |
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Posted: Mon Oct 15th, 2007 04:10 pm |
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The Introduction to "A Common Word" from: http://www.acommonword.com/index.php?lang=en
Are we entering a new era in Christian-Muslim relations?
On October 13th 2006, one month to the day after Pope Benedict XVI’s Regensburg address of September 13th 2006, 38 Islamic authorities and scholars from around the world, representing all denominations and schools of thought, joined together to deliver an answer to the Pope in the spirit of open intellectual exchange and mutual understanding. In their Open Letter to the Pope (see english.pdf), for the first time in recent history, Muslim scholars from every branch of Islam spoke with one voice about the true teachings of Islam.
Now, exactly one year after that letter, Muslims have expanded their message. In A Common Word Between Us and You, 138 Muslim scholars, clerics and intellectuals have unanimously come together for the first time since the days of the Prophet r to declare the common ground between Christianity and Islam. Like the Open Letter, the signatories to this message come from every denomination and school of thought in Islam. Every major Islamic country or region in the world is represented in this message, which is addressed to the leaders of all the world’s churches, and indeed to all Christians everywhere.
The final form of the letter was presented at a conference in September 2007 held under the theme of “Love in the Quran,” by the Royal Academy of The Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought in Jordan, under the Patronage of H.M. King Abdullah II. Indeed, the most fundamental common ground between Islam and Christianity, and the best basis for future dialogue and understanding, is the love of God and the love of the neighbor.
Never before have Muslims delivered this kind of definitive consensus statement on Christianity. Rather than engage in polemic, the signatories have adopted the traditional and mainstream Islamic position of respecting the Christian scripture and calling Christians to be more, not less, faithful to it.
It is hoped that this document will provide a common constitution for the many worthy organizations and individuals who are carrying out interfaith dialogue all over the world. Often these groups are unaware of each other, and duplicate each other’s efforts. Not only can A Common Word Between Us give them a starting point for cooperation and worldwide co-ordination, but it does so on the most solid theological ground possible: the teachings of the Qu’ran and the Prophet r, and the commandments described by Jesus Christ u in the Bible. Thus despite their differences, Islam and Christianity not only share the same Divine Origin and the same Abrahamic heritage, but the same two greatest commandments.
Rome has apparently yet to respond...
I have attached a Summary of "A Common Word" to this email.
Henry
Attachment: A Common Word Summary Oct07.pdf (Downloaded 4 times)
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HPJ
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hpj0828
Member
| Joined: | Sun Apr 1st, 2007 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 136 |
| First Name: | Henry | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Messianic Jewish believer |
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Posted: Tue Oct 16th, 2007 10:43 am |
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Thought I'd post the reaction from a Muslim Background Believer (MBB) friend of mine. MBB is a person who converted from Islam to Christianity.
Regarding the Muslim cleric declaration, I am also aware of it although I have not read it. I understand the document tries to promote to equal footing a.) the Quran as an equal revelation to the Bible, and b.) the Islamic World to the Christian world (although Christians are over 2 billion and Muslims only 1.3 billion). They plead with Christian leaders for peace, but where are the real initiatives toward world peace being advanced by Muslim leaders? They do not exist.
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HPJ
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Annie
Member
| Joined: | Wed Feb 14th, 2007 |
| Location: | Columbus, Ohio USA |
| Posts: | 718 |
| First Name: | Annie | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | nothing, Quaker, Mennonite, Presbyterian, Methodist, Anglican, Catholic |
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Posted: Tue Oct 16th, 2007 11:03 am |
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| I remain skeptical. My background in this is I have studied the official English/Arabic edition of the Koran published in Saudi Arabia and have asked many questions of a practical nature of Muslim believers about the practical aspects of Islam. All the whitewashing in the world can't erase what the Koran says about Christians and Jews. A complicating factor is that the Koran is seen as having been dictated directly to Mohammed and is therefore not open to interpretation as the Bible is. Last edited on Tue Oct 16th, 2007 11:09 am by Annie
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Annie
Ora et labora
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