Islam Online reports…
“America’s famed evangelist Pastor Rick Warren has proposed a Muslim-Christian coalition to combat bias and prejudices across the world.
“Frequent stereotyping of all of us needs to be challenged,” Warren, founder and pastor of the Southern California Saddleback Church, told the annual convention of the Islamic Society of North American (ISNA), currently in session in Washington DC.
“It needs to be challenged not by one group, in other words Muslims challenging Muslim stereotypes and Christians challenging Christian stereotypes.
“We need a coalition of people…who’d say that we’re not going to allow stereotyping of anybody.”
Warren, one of the most influential Christian leaders in the world, told his Muslim audience that “the two largest faiths on the planet” must start action to combat bias and solve global problems.
“Talk is very cheap. I am not interested in interfaith dialogue; I am interested in interfaith projects.”
Outlining practical steps, Warren called on Muslims and Christians to work together to promote peace, restore civility and create respect among people.
“This is the time for action; this is the time for civility; this is the time for respecting each other; it’s the time for the common good.”
He also urged them to be partners in working to end “the five global giants” of war, poverty, corruption, disease and illiteracy.
“Some problems are so big you have to team to tackle them.”
ISNA’s annual convention, which dates back to 1963, is the largest gathering of Muslims in North America attended by tens of thousands every year.
This year’s convention, which ends on July 6, features some 300 speakers touching on several key issues such as spirituality, economic development, family, Islamic banking and outreach.
Muslim Bias
Warren, a popular evangelist whose churches minister to some 20,000 people every week, expected criticism for accepting the invitation to address the Muslim gathering.
“It’s easier to be an extremist of any kind because then you only have one group of people mad at you,” he said in his 20-minute speech.
“But if you actually try to build relationships — like invite an evangelical pastor to your gathering — you’ll get criticized for it. So will I.”
Anti-Muslim sentiments have been on the rise in the US, home to nearly seven to eight million Muslims, since the 9/11 attacks.
Many American Muslims face discrimination and stereotyping because of their Islamic attires or identities, while others blame the problem on misconceptions about their faith.
“The fastest way to raise money is to demonize the enemy and make people hate them,” Warren underlined.
“The fastest way to raise ratings on television is to create conflict.”
The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that the negative view of Islam in society is largely affected by the media.
The head of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), America’s largest Jewish movement, has accused US media and politicians of demonizing Islam and portraying Muslims as “satanic figures.”
“I love my next door Muslim neighbour and I love you,” Warren told a cheering, receptive ISNA audience.”
If Warren can help improve the relationships between Christians and Muslims in America, that is a good thing.
I am not a fan of the ‘purpose-driven’ approach, but if an influential person can help improve social harmony in this area, good.
There are however many cultural issues that would require understanding from both sides; perspectives on some of these issues would always be poles apart for many people of each faith. The hope would be for people to live together without violence and aggression, in mutual respect.
A great movie to watch is called The Imam and the Pastor from here
The Bible and the Qur’an – A Christian /Muslim dialogue
http://sharpens.blogspot.com/2009/06/blog-post_26.html
Next thing you know we will have gay muslim leaders running Churches…
That was me
Thanks LF! Otherwise I might have thought you were impersonating Teddy. (I sympathise with your interface troubles, Teddy.)
Good on him! Muslims are people who God loves, just like you and I, who need the saving grace of Jesus.
Yes, agreed Marija. The controversy re Rick Warren is that people wonder if he compromises the gospel in order to reach out to other faiths, or if he waters it down. For example, he might use the name ‘Allah’ in a prayer with a Muslim audience, which is polite, but it can be argued convincingly that Allah and our God are not the same Person from a Christian perspective. Warren might mention Jesus, but refrain from asserting that Jesus is the Son of God who died for us to be saved, as Islam doesn’t acknowledge that.
In terms of establishing peaceful co-existence I’m all in favour of people from all different faiths getting to know and understand each other better. If Warren can help achieve this, then great. This would have to happen with all parties understanding that no-one has the agenda of evanglism, because that would immediately create problems.
I’d separate the evangelism from the efforts to learn to exist peacefully and understand one another, but I’m not saying we shouldn’t evangelise. Our faith tells us to. The nature of evangelism in either direction creates tension. Is it possible for us to all learn to live with that kind of tension, without violence?