United Methodists should promote dialogue with Muslims: Pickens Sept. 29, 2004 By Linda Bloom DAYTONA
BEACH, Fla. (UMNS) - Encouraging communication between Christians and
Muslims is an urgent task of the United Methodist Commission on
Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns. Speaking
during the commission’s Sept. 22-24 organizing meeting, the Rev. Larry
Pickens noted with alarm the portrayal by some of all Muslims as
enemies. The commission, he said, "must work to develop and support
communities and churches that are committed to establishing open
channels of communication between Christians and Muslims in order to
foster learning, community building and cooperation." "In
a post 9-11 world, I believe that United Methodists must play a
significant leadership role in promoting clarity and creating avenues
through which Christian-Muslim dialogue must happen. It is critical that
as we affirm our Judeo-Christian heritage we must also work hard to
counter the impression that is created by terrorists, that Jews and
Christians are working together to destroy Islam." The commission’s efforts will include - Building relationships with Christian communions currently engaged in Christian-Muslim dialogue.
- Developing resources and relationships through the National Council of Churches.
- Developing and expanding the pool of Arab and Islamic groups as dialogue partners.
- Offering models for dialogue for the denomination’s annual and central conferences.
Pickens
said he hopes that resources developed for local churches will provide
"some guidance and thoughts as to how they might grapple with these
realities in their own settings." *Bloom is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in New York. News media contact: Linda Bloom, New York, (646) 369-3759 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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