By ADELLE M. BANKS
c. 2011 Religion News Service
(RNS) Religious and human rights activists are asking U.S. churches to invite Jewish and Muslim clergy to their sanctuaries to read from sacred texts next month in an initiative designed to counter anti-Muslim bigotry.
The June 26 initiative, called “Faith Shared: Uniting in Prayer and Understanding,” is co-sponsored by the Interfaith Alliance and Human Rights First. Leaders of the two Washington-based groups said the event hopes to demonstrate respect for Islam in the wake of Quran burnings in recent months.
“As a Christian minister who is a pastor in a local congregation, it is important to me for our nation and our world to know that not all Christians promote hate, attack religions different from their own and seek to desecrate the scripture of others,” said the Rev. Welton Gaddy, president of the Interfaith Alliance, on Tuesday (May 17).
More than 50 churches in 26 states already have committed to the initiative, including the Washington National Cathedral and New York’s Riverside Church.
Tad Stahnke, director of policy and programs for Human Rights First, said he hopes the initiative will draw attention to religious freedom, and counter negative stereotypes of Christian leaders making anti-Muslim statements.
“We want to send a message to the world that Americans do respect religious differences and reject religious bigotry and the demonization of Islam or any other religion,” he said.
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posted May 18, 2011 at 12:32 pm
Oh Please! What a bunch of wimps. What next? Inviting a group of Satanists to Christian churches? Get real!
posted May 18, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Sure, invite Satanists and find out what your training all those children that there’s a god and devil and angels and demons and so forth has produced. Y’all gave the Satanists their raw materials.
I’m all for Muslims and Christians and Jews getting along well but I’ve heard on at least two occasions a Muslim at a similar occasion saying Christians and Muslims should get along because “at least we’re not atheists”. That implies a hatred of atheists that should be fought just as hard as hatred of Muslims or Jews or Christians.
posted May 18, 2011 at 2:55 pm
Should be an interesting experiment. Of course, nnmns, the reason the Muslim who expressed the opinion that Christians and Jews should get along because are at least not atheists? I agree–that implies a hatred of atheists—-
posted May 18, 2011 at 6:50 pm
no it does not imply hatred it implies a similarity that atheist don’t share, the only hatred here is nnmns as he insists on commenting on everything Christian the jealousy is very apparent.
posted May 18, 2011 at 9:31 pm
Jealousy? You aren’t a fraction ass smart as you think you are, cknuck.
posted May 18, 2011 at 10:16 pm
That was intended to be “a fraction as smart”.
posted May 18, 2011 at 11:21 pm
Georgia Dude: “What next? Inviting a group of Satanists to Christian churches?”
Why not? Afraid what the Satanists have to say might make more sense?
posted May 19, 2011 at 12:11 am
want to borrow a fraction nnmns?
mordred they would make a lot of sense to you
posted May 19, 2011 at 2:03 pm
What these two groups are doing is a positive undertaking. The Christian Churches want to show they are sorry for the bad conduct by a Christian Church in burning the Quran. These are Christian people nnmns who are trying to correct bad conduct. You and HfC say that is what Christian people should do call each other out. Georgia Dude don’t know what Satanists have to do with this article, but I guess you do.
Ted Stahnke, said they want to show respect for different religions, and reject religious bigotry, and demonization of Islam or any other religion. I assume he is talking about Atheists in this paragraph.
Nnmns your mistake wasn’t too far off. This proves there are no coincidents.
posted May 19, 2011 at 9:01 pm
I rarely hear Christians talk about Atheist, never in church or bible studies but I always hear/read Atheist talking about Christians, and never in a graceful way.
posted May 23, 2011 at 1:34 pm
I love atheists and agnostics and welcome them to my site and address my brothers and sisters quite often. I was an agnostic/atheist myself for the first 37 years of my life,, you see. I understand doubting and misbelieving. For what it’s worth, I believe that all this ‘Quran reading’ in churches would be an undertaking better realized in the setting of a group study (like Bible study), or at university, rather than during any Christian ‘Worship’service. Blessings-Rev. Barb