Playing Footsie With The Muslims<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
Bob Burney
 
This past September 138 of the world's most prominent Muslim theologians, scholars and leaders sent an "open letter" to the worlds Christians.  The title of the document was A Common Word Between Us And You.  It was an extraordinary and somewhat unprecedented communication from the Muslim world.  Ecumenicists around the world were leaping for joy at this "olive branch" from Islam to Christianity.  There were quick and positive responses from the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Vatican, the Archbishop of Canterbury and several main-line American Denominations.  It was as if the century's old strife between Christianity and Islam would soon be buried and we would soon all be standing beside a campfire, holding hands and singing Kum Byah.
 
Not to be left in the interfaith dust, Yale Divinity School drafted an "open letter" responding to the Muslims and representing all Christians.  The letter heaped praise on Islam for their openness and sincerity.  It trumpeted the wonderful and abundant "common ground" between the worlds's two great mono-theistic religions.  These Christian leaders assured the world of Islam that we're just one big, happy spiritual family.  Get the kindling, the campfire starts any minute.
 
A closer analysis of both documents should put some water on the fire.  First, the open letter from the Muslims is disingenuous at best and downright deceptive at worst.  There is an abundant amount of references from the Qur'an about love, peace and brotherhood.  Unfortunately, they are a gross misrepresentation of the actual teaching of this "Holy Book"  Just one example.  A Common Word Between Us and You has the following quote at the end of the document:
Finally, as Muslims, and in obedience to the Holy Qur'an, we ask Christians to come together with us on the common essentials of our two religions … that we shall worship none but God, and that we shall ascribe no partner unto Him, and that none of us shall take others for lords beside God … (Aal 'Imran, 3:64).
Let this common ground be the basis of all future interfaith dialogue between us, for our common ground is that on which hangs all the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 22:40).
 
Doesn't that sound warm and fuzzy all over?   Here's the problem – the rest of the context.  Aal 'Imram 3:64 is quoted as a proof that Muslims just want to get along.  Please read the verses that follow:
3:65: Ye, People of the Book! Why dispute ye about Abraham, when the Law and the Gospel were not revealed till after him? Have ye no understanding?
3:66: Ah! Yes are those who fell to disputing (even) in matters of which ye had some knowledge! But why dispute ye in matters of which ye have no knowledge? It is Allah who knows and ye who know not!
3:67: Abraham was not a Jew, nor yet a Christian, but he was true in Faith, and bowed his will to Allah's (which is Islam) and he joined not gods with Allah.
3:68: Without doubt, among men, the nearest of kin to Abraham are those who follow him, as are also this Apostle and those who believe: And Allah is the Protector of those who have Faith.
3:69: It is the wish of a section of the People of the Book to lead you astray. But they shall lead astray (not you), but themselves, and they do not perceive.
3:70: Ye People of the Book! Why reject ye the Signs of Allah, of which ye are (yourselves) witnesses?
3:71: Ye People of the Book! Why do you clothe Truth with falsehood, and conceal the Truth while ye have knowledge?
Talk about selective editing!!  The verse quoted from the Qur'an as a proof that "we all serve the same God, so let's just get along" – is actually the beginning of a section condemning Christians and Jews alike.  If you look deeper – this is just the tip of the proverbial theological iceberg.
Now, the Christian "response" which is titled Loving God And Neighbor Together.  The document begins by begging for forgiveness of the Muslim Community for the evils of the Crusades and the "excesses of the war on terror".  Say what!  Can someone explain why American Christians were responsible for the Crusades!  Then there are the "excesses of the war on terror".  When did the Christian world get together and vote to kill a bunch of Muslims – all in the name of the war on terror?  Now, that should lead to warm fuzzies in the Muslim world – a bunch of Christians "admitting" that this whole war on terror thing was aimed at killing Muslims.  It actually goes downhill from there – literally.  This blatant political statement is followed by paragraph after paragraph of ecumenical mumbo jumbo about "our common ground", "your courageous letter", "our common good" ad naseum and nauseating. The incredibly arrogant statement is made that:
It is therefore no exaggeration to say, as you have in A Common Word Between Us and You, that "the future of the world depends on peace between Muslims and Christians."
The future or the world depends on the sovereign plan of God – not human dialogue.  In addition and sadly, while the Muslim document is absolutely filled with quotations from the Qur'an proudly proclaiming that their god is the one, true god and indirectly attacking the deity of Jesus Christ; the "Christian" document uses almost no scripture and there is absolutely no proclamation of the deity of Christ. 
The downward spiral of false theology climaxes in the following statement:
The future of the world depends on our ability as Christians and Muslims to live together in peace. If we fail to make every effort to make peace and come together in harmony you correctly remind us that "our eternal souls" are at stake as well.
"our eternal souls" depends on Christians and Muslims getting along together?  What Bible have these "Christian" leaders been reading?  Has someone spiked their Starbucks?  Are these scholars and leaders so ignorant of scripture that they put their "eternal soul" in the hands of this dialogue and not the finished work of Christ?
No true Christian desires conflicts between Christians and Jews.  A Christian who follows the directives of scripture will love Muslims and respect them.  They will not, however, compromise the Truth of Scripture to start a dialogue.  They will be harmless as doves – but they will also be wise as serpents.  With all due respect, the signers of this document are neither.  The signatories make up a who's who of the flaming liberal left, but a number of prominent Evangelical leaders are there as well – which is especially troubling.
Both documents should be viewed at:
http://www.acommonword.com/index.php?lang=en&page=option1
http://www.yale.edu/faith/abou-commonword.htm