He is specifically thinking of reaching out to Muslims; I expect that surprises you. Not to convert them to Christianity – perish the thought – but to assure them that we are all still good ecumenical pals and that the notion that Islam has anything to do with these terrorist attacks never crossed our minds.
From here:
When asked about the role of the church in situations of national tragedy, Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, said that the churches’ primary response must be to call the nation to prayer. He went on to note that in this particular situation, churches should also strengthen ties to other faiths. “I think there is an opportunity for churches to reach out to people of other faith traditions…I think lots of Muslims are feeling pretty vulnerable right now.”
[…]
The Muslim Council of Greater Hamilton has invited grieving members of the community to come to any of their mosques on Friday to hear sermons in honour of Cirillo.
I assume Fred Hiltz will be there.
I expect the moslems are wondering when he’ll pony up the jirzeh – the soecial tax Christians have to pay in moslem states. Until he does, he’s just mouthing words.
Humans are capable of holding different beliefs about the nature of ultimate reality. Some people believe in agnosticism. Others believe in animism, atheism, deism, dualism, henotheism, humanism, monism, monotheism (e.g. Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Baha’i, Sikh), naturalism, panentheism, panpsychism, pantheism, polytheism, solipsism, spiritualism, or theism. Today’s Christians find it very challenging to bear witness to Jesus Christ in our world of many different beliefs.
Can’t imagine so. It’s no different to 1st c. AD.
Apparently according to Scripture, it appeared to matter to Christ who his disciples thought he was. When Simon Peter responded ” You are the Christ the Son of the Living God” Jesus told him that this belief and knowledge came from the Father through the Holy Spirit. We assume that ordained leaders in the Church today have all been baptized in the Spirit. However, 1 Tim 4:1-3,6-7 (Phi) God’s Spirit specifically tells us that in later days there will be men who abandon the true faith and allow themselves to be spiritually seduced by teachings of demons, teachings given by men who are lying hypocrites, whose consciences are as dead as seared flesh. I fear these days are upon us.
To the letter.
We need more religion. But religion must be able to change. It has before, still can, and will. If compromising religion leads to less violence, then more compromised religion is what we need.
Conservative Christians need to accept homosexuals and their relationships. Orthodox Jews need to realise that women can be more than childbearers. Conservative Muslims need to understand that other religions have a right to exist.
You don’t even have to be inclusive, if you’re the kind of person who has a problem with that. Just live and let live.
God can take it.
Vincent, based on what you have said I think I am safe in assuming that you believe that Christ is not the only way to redemption and there are other paths to God. Therefore I can also assume that you either think that Jesus never said “I am the Way the Truth and the Life and that no man can come to the Father but through me.” or that He was mistaken. You would certainly not be alone in this thinking. The vast majority of people in the world today would agree with you. Many of them would also claim to be Christians and have found church homes where the message that they hear each Sunday supports their view as to how they see Jesus and God the Father. Jesus recognized two thousand years ago that the road is narrow and that few would choose the narrow path that He gave us to follow. It is much easier to create an image of God that we can feel comfortable with and choose a path that we want. However, if Jesus spoke the Truth, and He is who He said that He was, all those who rejected His atoning death and sacrifice will have rejected Him. Jesus spoke on what would have to those that rejected Him, but that only matters if you believe that scripture is truth.
Thanks for this considered reply.
Pondering that quote, though, and putting myself in the shoes of someone who is certain that Scriptures are crystal clear: how can a woman come to the Father?
It’s language. We hardly ever know what language means. We’re still arguing about it two thousand years later. Meanwhile real people die.
I’ll keep to my apostate Anglican Church of Canada. We don’t make so many innocent people cry.
Vincent
That’s quite an indictment of the Gospel!
If naming one’s sins for the edification of their soul makes them cry, that is a small price to pay for their salvation.
If we could save ourselves, we wouldn’t need Christ on the cross.
If feeling good is the standard, why wouldn’t one join a glee club instead?
For Vincent Lauzon:-
You can indeed stick with the ACoC but in doing so you should review the consequences of rejecting the authority of Scripture and the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. If Jesus’s words are not true in John 14:6 then the Eucharist is nothing less than blasphemy and makes God, the Father, extremely unjust in sending His son to the Cross for the redemption of the world. Tragically many so-called bishops within the ACoC are more concerned with their position and pensions then in upholding the vows they swore both at their ordination and consecration.
We all need to cry more — not because we are innocent — to seek comfort and direction to reform our lives. In the ANIC and the ACNA we support each other in our faith and determination to uphold both the authority of Scripture and the uniqueness of Jesus Christ.
You may need more religion. The rest of us don’t. Nor do we “need” to endorse vice; rather the opposite. I don’t know which god you talk about but I rather doubt I care what his opinions are.
You all sound like conservative Muslims.
Wow. What a revelation!
And I thought Islam didn’t recognize Christ as Lord and Savior.
And where in the Koran will I find this Good News?
You sound like a cheap slave.
Thank you.
Andrew,
Vincent is our brother.
He sometimes gets dramatic when we do not see the wisdom of his arguments -even when they are beautifully crafted.
He is, however, well intentioned.
Trusting that the time of reflection will offer assurances of being
“immediately admitted to heaven” (q. UK Imam Choudary’s tweet re. Rouleau;
both Rouleau and Bibeau were two of his 20,000 ‘followers’ on Tweet)
for both Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent and Corporal Cirillo.