From: vivitci{at}gmail.com

On 28 Mart, 09:28, "arah"  wrote:
> World Church: Statement on Islam to Provide 'Relationship Tool' for
> Christian, Muslim Communities
>
> March 27, 2007 Beirut, Lebanon .... [Elizabeth Lechleitner/ANN]
>
>  At the St. Albans, England, headquarters of the church's Trans-
> European region, church officials are calling for mutual trust and
> dialogue between Christian and Muslim faith communities. [Photo:
> Rajmund Dabrowski/ANN]
>
> As almost any psychologist will tell you, open-minded dialogue is
> vital to achieving mutual respect and understanding. That advice also
> applies to communities of faith, according to Seventh-day Adventist
> leaders in the church's Trans-European (TED) region, where an
> estimated 60 to 65 percent of citizens are Muslims.
>
> Adventists in the region recently adopted an official Statement on
> Islam to help foster a more constructive relationship between Muslims
> and Christians. "As [the Adventist] movement continues to grow in the
> world," the statement begins, "we are looking for [a] good
> relationship with Islam, a faith with a similar sense of godly calling
> that is followed by one-fifth of the world's population."
>
> The Statement draws parallels between Islam and Christianity, such as
> submission to the Creator God and a common Abrahamic heritage. It also
> applauds the scientific, literary and philosophical contributions of
> Muslims throughout history and recognizes Islam's prophet Muhammad as
> "a spiritual and social reformer at a time of confusion and
> ignorance."
>
> "We believe that among peoples of all faiths, God has through history
> preserved a people of authentic submission in the face of apostasy,
> oppression and persecution. We acknowledge that within Islam there are
> such people ... Within this group of sincere believers we see
> potential partners for further exploring our spiritual understanding
> of the One true God," the Statement reads.
>
> The Statement ends with a call for Adventists to commit to "honesty,
> fairness and respect in describing Islamic faith," and vice versa. It
> acknowledges doctrinal differences--such as belief in Christ as Savior
> and Son of God--but says such differences should "not be made points
> of controversy or generate attitudes of superiority, but rather
> provide an opportunity for respectful dialogue, knowing that it is
> ultimately God who brings conviction to the heart."
>
> Bertil Wiklander, president of the church's Trans-European region,
> says, "We must show Muslims that they can trust us, while we stand by
> our Adventist faith ... We should not underestimate the challenges,
> but I feel that times are changing and that we can look forward to
> dialogue and, I pray, successful work among Muslim people."
>
> Regional church leaders have sent the Statement to world church
> headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, where officials will decide
> how such a statement would "best benefit the mission of the world
> church," says Pastor Michael L. Ryan, a world church vice president.
>
> While Ryan admits "statements are not nearly as important as the way
> church members interact and behave toward people of other faith
> groups," he does believe they bolster positive relations. "The Gospel
> Commission instructs the church that every person is invited to know
> Jesus Christ. This [statement] will provide a relationship tool to
> help Adventists better understand the people [they] are inviting."
>
> "People, regardless of background and religious affiliation," Ryan
> adds, "need to be perceived by the church as worthy of genuine
> respect. Statements such as this one help get that message across."

bu ne karde¤im

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