Christian Leaders Invite Muslims to Love God, Neighbors Together

mturner »

Sat Jan 26, 2008 12:05 pm Agree: 7   Disagree: 7

Takeheed,

I don't agree with your interpretation of scripture, which does not admit any basis of peace between Christians and Muslims other than in having Muslims convert to Christianity.

I believe 'religious peace between these two religious communities' CAN be accomplished, because 'religious peace' does not mean that both communities must practice the same religion, it means that each community respects the right of the other to practice theirs.

People of different religions CAN live together without fighting and denying others the right to practice their beliefs. We do it here in America, where Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and others live together in peace. I believe it's possible for us to do it throughout the world, if well-meaning people from different countries, whatever their religion, work together to make it happen.

A major obstacle to this happening is the view that there is no merit in even talking to people who practice a religion different from ours unless and until they convert ours first.

Christian Leaders Invite Muslims to Love God, Neighbors Together

mturner »

Thu Jan 17, 2008 9:30 am Agree: 1   Disagree: 1

Takeheed,

If I understand you rightly, you are saying that the only people who are able to love God and neighbor are born-again Christians.

Christian Leaders Invite Muslims to Love God, Neighbors Together

mturner »

Thu Jan 10, 2008 12:39 pm Agree: 2   Disagree: 0

Takeheed

So you agree, then, that the quote RadicalChild included in his posting is true, that "We Muslims, Christians and Jews can all agree on at least one thing!" The one thing being descent from the person and teachings of Abraham.
Yet you feel this is not enough to justify dialogue with Muslims?

Christian Leaders Invite Muslims to Love God, Neighbors Together

mturner »

Wed Jan 02, 2008 3:23 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 2

In Galatians, Paul was arguing against the view that to be a Christian one must also observe the Torah laws, including being circumsized. He was not saying that Christians are Abraham's seed but Jews (or Muslims) are not. See Luke 13:16, where Jesus calls the crippled Jewish woman who came before Him to be healed "a daughter of Abraham", and Luke 19:9, where Jesus calls the Jewish tax collector Zacchaeus "a son of Abraham".

Christian Leaders Invite Muslims to Love God, Neighbors Together

mturner »

Sun Dec 09, 2007 11:59 am Agree: 0   Disagree: 12

It seems to me that the issue here is not that of trying to unite Christianity and Islam. It's not about whether or not the two religions have the same God, or whether or not Christians should embrace the words of Mohammed.

It's not about religions at all. This issue is about people. Some people practice Christianity, some people practice some other religion. But we're all people, and we all live together on the same planet. We have to respect each other and help each other and live together in peace. That's hard to do when we don't even talk to each other. So I think it's good for people to try to find some ideas that they share and can agree on together, especially ideas like love of God and love of neighbor. It's a starting point.

Christian Leaders Invite Muslims to Love God, Neighbors Together

mturner »

Fri Dec 07, 2007 2:15 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 5

The majority of Muslims are good, kind people. The minority, who commit attrocities in the name of their religion, are uneducated, narrow-minded fundamentalists, with a primitive view of what Islam is all about, and with an ignorant suspicion of all things Western. Christians are the same way. Most are good, kind people. Some
What's the problem with good, kind people talking with good, kind people? Let the narrow-minded misanthropes on both sides stay home and talk to themselves, if they want.

Christian Leaders Invite Muslims to Love God, Neighbors Together

mturner »

Thu Dec 06, 2007 8:27 am Agree: 1   Disagree: 5

The common ground between Chrisianity and Islam is that both religions worship one God and preach love of God and love of man. Regardless of all the other things they disagree on, they do have this in common.

The common ground between Christians and Muslims is that they are both people. People are valuable in their own right, no matter what religion they follow.

I believe it is good for people to talk to each other, and listen to each other, and be kind to each other, no matter what color their skin is, what language they speak, or what religion they practice.

Christian Leaders Invite Muslims to Love God, Neighbors Together

mturner »

Mon Dec 03, 2007 5:59 am Agree: 1   Disagree: 3

Why does everyone thing 'preaching the gospel' means 'talking at' people and not 'talking with' them? "Preaching the Gospel" means "spreading the Good News". One doesn't spread good news by standing on a soap box and shouting at others that they are sinners and will go to hell unless they give up everything they've been taught since they were children and believe what you say instead. Where's the good news in that message? Spreading the Good News is more like going up to someone, with love in your heart, and touching them on the arm and looking into their eyes and telling them how much God loves them, and that God has come into the world to help them and save them from suffering.
I believe it is good for Christians and Muslims to talk with each other, and that there is common ground between us.

Christian Leaders Invite Muslims to Love God, Neighbors Together

mturner »

Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:27 pm Agree: 3   Disagree: 2

Maybe it's as simple as this: Some people have love in their hearts and think it's important to practice loving-kindness toward other human beings. Other people would rather 'be right' than be loving, see others as being wrong. Christianity and Islam each have both kinds of people.

Christian Leaders Invite Muslims to Love God, Neighbors Together

mturner »

Wed Nov 28, 2007 9:03 am Agree: 2   Disagree: 6

When you have love in your heart and want to make peace with someone, it makes sense to start with what you have in common, not with what you disagree about.

Christianity and Islam have in common love of God and love of neighbor. That seems like a fine place to start. What good does dwelling on differences and calling names do?

Christian Leaders Invite Muslims to Love God, Neighbors Together

mturner »

Tue Nov 27, 2007 6:23 am Agree: 0   Disagree: 5

Such injustices show that there are Muslims who don't live their lives according to the idea that the most important things are to love God and neighbor. There are Christians, too, who don't live their lives according to the idea that the most important things are to love God and neighbor. Let's all of us, Christians and Muslims together, agree to live our lives according to the idea that the most important things are to love God and neighbor. Then let such like-minded people work together to eliminate such injustices.

Christian Leaders Invite Muslims to Love God, Neighbors Together

mturner »

Mon Nov 26, 2007 4:53 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 1

It's true there are many things Christians and Muslims can disagree about, if they so choose.
Christians can quote passages in the Bible that appear to refute what they think Muslims believe. Muslims can quote passages in the Koran that appear to refute what they think Christians believe. It would be hard for the two groups of people to come together over such passages.

But what the letters from the Muslim and Christian leaders are saying is that both religions agree that the two most important things are to love God and love other people. Wouldn't it be wonderful to come together over that! Other points of disagreement exist, but agreeing that these two points are the most important can be a starting point. Imagine a world where the actions of people and governments are based on love of God and of people.

Christian Leaders Invite Muslims to Love God, Neighbors Together

mturner »

Sun Nov 25, 2007 7:27 am Agree: 2   Disagree: 9

I don't get it. How can Christians object to the idea of Christians and Muslims agreeing together that the most important thing is to love God and love people? Yet, many of the people posting messages here do object to it, calling those who support it 'false Christians', and quoting Biblical passages out of context to support their position. The feelings of these messages seem to be those of self-righteousness and hatred, not the love that Jesus taught.