Pastor Rick Warren to Address American Muslims

Wednesday July 1, 2009

NEW YORK - Sayyid Syeed remembers an interfaith event several years ago when a Jewish leader went to embrace him, saw someone snapping a photo, then suddenly pulled back. "He said to the man, `Stop,'" Syeed recalled, "`I'll lose my job.'" Times have changed for the Islamic Society of North...

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posted by Nicole Symmonds @ 4:51pm Permalink email icon

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nnmns

July 1, 2009 7:13 PM

"Muslim Americans have, in recent years, decided that they have the major responsibility to counter the extremists' views of Islam with their own mainstream views, and so have put time into public education and outreach to their neighbors, on a local and national scale."

Excellent idea. Christians and Jews should be doing that, too. It does sound like they've made real progress.

Now Evangelicals and Jews need to get more realistic about Israel, which I suspect some are doing. America does not need to reflect the hatreds of other parts of the world and it's very encouraging when it doesn't.

pagansister

July 1, 2009 8:18 PM

This can only be seen as progress.

Henrietta22

July 1, 2009 8:46 PM

It could be seen as progress, but I would like the Muslims with their mainstream ideas also to join with Christian Churches that are not Fundamentalists. That would be mainstream in reality.

ForTruth

July 2, 2009 12:13 PM

They all believe different things so they all can't be right. Judaism doesn't believe Jesus is the Son of God. Jews believe Isaac was the son of Abraham who was to be sacrificed; Muslims believe it was Ishmael. Mohammed said in the Q'ran God does not have a son and he was not crucified. Christians believe differently. This is really a waste of time.

nnmns

July 2, 2009 1:51 PM

It's not a waste of time to try to get along and cooperate on important things. People who believe in different gods have often done it. I understand it was quite common before the monotheists won out in so many places.

But it would be a serious mistake to try to act as though they believe in the same god. It would probably be a mistake to think two Methodists believe in exactly the same god but if they don't look too close they may not realize that.

Wannabe Theo

July 3, 2009 2:37 PM

http://www.startribune.com/yourvoices/49560137.html?elr=KArksUUUoDEy3LGDiO7aiU

nnmns wrote: "But it would be a serious mistake to try to act as though they believe in the same god."
When do different beliefs about God become beliefs in different gods? Do two people have to have perfectly identical beliefs about the Creator and its actions in the world to say they believe in the same God? I don't think so. I'm familiar with all 3 Abrahamic faiths, and I have no doubt we all believe in the same God, even though we believe different things about Him. You and I may have different beliefs about Barak Obama, but that doesn't mean we're not referring to the same person.

H22 wrote: "I would like the Muslims with their mainstream ideas also to join with Christian Churches that are not Fundamentalists."
Happens all the time. See the attached link.

Henrietta22

July 3, 2009 4:43 PM

Wannabe Theo, thanks for the info. The attached link isn't here though.

Wannabe Theo

July 3, 2009 5:30 PM

I used the "Add a URL to this comment" box, so it appeared at the top of my message, but here it is again for good measure:

http://www.startribune.com/yourvoices/49560137.html?elr=KArksUUUoDEy3LGDiO7aiU

I know in the Minneapolis/St Paul area there is a lot Christian/Muslim interaction: dinners, lectures, and activities like the protest in the link. Unfortunately, things like this rarely make the news, unless it's the "Lifestyle" section.

Wannabe Theo

July 3, 2009 5:57 PM

Just a quick note of explanation: the link I included in my previous message is not about Christian/Muslim relations per se, but rather an example of moderate Christians and Muslims (and Jews and Hindus) working together.

jestrfyl

July 4, 2009 1:32 AM

Wannabe
Wouldn't it be great if the ONLY inter-religious news WAS in the Lifestyle section, rather than on the front page with all of the bloodshed and violence!?

I understand what nnmns is saying. Certainly in the UCC we all have different views of God. For that I am very glad - we can strengthen, inspire, and encourage each other with the variety. However, in the larger sense all three Abrahamic religions are talking about and with (?) the same God. There is a progression in the stories that may not be straight and simple, but it is there.