United Methodist group to promote dialogue with Muslims
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A UMNS photo by John C. Goodwin Given
the current climate of terrorism and religious violence, "the way in
which Christians and Muslims relate is significant," says the Rev. Larry
Pickens.
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The Rev. Larry Pickens, top executive of the United Methodist Church's Commission
on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns, says the denomination's
interfaith agency wants to initiate a dialogue with Muslims. Given the
current climate of terrorism and religious violence, "the way in which
Christians and Muslims relate is significant," Pickens said. A UMNS
photo by John C. Goodwin. Photo #05-330. Accompanies UMNS #252, 4/26/05
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April 26, 2005 By Linda Bloom* NEW YORK (UMNS)—United Methodists hope to initiate a dialogue with Muslims through the denomination’s interfaith agency. Members
of the Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns voted
during the April 21-24 spring meeting to pursue such a dialogue, either
through the National Council of Churches or on their own. Given
the current climate of terrorism and religious violence, “the way in
which Christians and Muslims related is significant,” the Rev. Larry
Pickens, the commission’s chief executive, pointed out in his address to
members. As
an example, he cited the debate in Europe regarding Turkey’s
application to the European Union, with the backdrop of Europe’s
secularization and the growing influence of Islam there. “The
situation in the United States is not as stark as it is in Europe, but
our reality calls for dialogue and interaction with Muslim communities,”
Pickens said. The
United Methodist General Conference, the denomination’s top legislative
body, encourages such dialogues. A resolution on “Our Muslim Neighbors”
urges all denominational agencies “to initiate conversations, programs
and dialogues leading to the understanding of both Islam and
Christianity, and appreciation of their particular gifts, while
discovering commonalities and differences and seeking areas of mutual
cooperation.” Soon
after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the commission met with Muslims
in southern California in an effort to promote understanding and
conversation. Jim
Fleming, director of the Biblical Resources Study Center in Israel,
talked with commission members about fostering interfaith dialogue. Whether
Christian, Muslim or Jewish, religious fundamentalists share four
things in common, he said. They are “hyper-fundamentalist,” being
intolerant of other religions and taking a literal view of scripture
“with one interpretation only;” do not accept a woman in a place of
religious authority over a man; accept the authoritarian, unquestioned
male rule of a pastor or priest, iman or rabbi; and have no interest in
interreligious understanding. This
lack of interest in understanding other religions—or the feeling that
“any tradition not my own – they’re all of the devil”—is the most tragic
characteristic of fundamentalists, according to Fleming. It
is the characteristic that defined the 19 men who undertook the Sept.
11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, he noted. “For the
hyper-fundamentalists, my enemies are God’s enemies.” The
commission’s task, Fleming said, is to help church members drop
judgmental attitudes toward people of other faiths and not compare “the
good points of your religion to the bad points of other religions.” The
first principle of interfaith dialogue is being able to agree that what
is important to one faith also is acknowledged as important to the
other. As an example, he compared when and for how long Christians, Jews
and Muslims each were the majority population in the Holy Land. The
majority faith, whichever it is, must follow several guidelines in
dealing with the minority, according to Fleming. Those guidelines
include cultivating respect, standing for balance and fair play, and
empathizing toward an attitude of reconciliation. Interfaith goals also must be demonstrated, both through policies and attitudes, he said. Christianity
itself is changing, Pickens pointed out in his address, which means a
reconfiguration of the ecumenical movement as a whole. “It
is clear that in terms of church growth and vitality, the locus of
Christianity is in Africa and Latin America,” he said. “This is creating
a changing dynamic within the United Methodist Church as well as for
our ecumenical partners. With this dynamic comes the need for developing
a strong partnership between the West and Christians in Latin America
and Africa.” *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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