Notice how the invitation is put—they invite Christians to come together with them on the basis of what is common to them. As if we do not practice the commands of love of Jesus correctly, (according to them we do not). I believe this to be the only conclusion we can come to on the basis of a number of their beliefs (besides what they wrote) 1) they believe the Bible is corrupted, untrustworthy, ( I can only wonder why they are quoting it). 2) Christians are unbelievers (this will be made clear as we go on). The last statement qualifies the meaning-- those who stray and those who go aright- what category do you think the Christian is in?

This same sentiment is repeated in a different manner:

“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 … Let this common ground be the basis of all future interfaith dialogue between us, (Aal ‘Imran, 3:64).

Notice what it actually says about no partner, this means what we believe about Jesus Christ.

“A Common Word Between Us and You," was signed by 138 Muslim scholars, clerics, and intellectuals from all over the world. Claiming common ground shared by Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Saying this is about “building true communities of justice, peace, and a lasting security for all,” Sound familiar; it’s not as if this hasn’t been tried before.  The Vatican seemed to stand more on Christian principles, unfortunately, others did not. They responded in afar more conducive manner showing a lack of wisdom.

The statement was well received by scholars at the Yale Center for Faith and Culture. Moved by the "Muslim hand of conviviality and cooperation extended to Christians worldwide," in response they extended their "own Christian hand in return,…so that we may live in peace and justice, loving God and neighbors.”

After 138 Muslim scholars and clerics sent an open letter "to leaders of Christian churches, everywhere," titled A Common Word Between Us and You, ( at www.acommonword.com.) many of America's top Christian leaders and scholars signed onto a response of support to "A Common Word Between Us and You."

The following response was drafted by scholars at Yale Divinity School's Center for Faith and Culture. In the name of the Infinitely Good God whom we should love with all our being, Loving God and Neighbor Together: A Christian Response to A Common Word Between Us and You.”

In the Preamble Yale's scholars claim that Christians sinned against Muslims in the Crusades, and still do so by our “excesses in the war on terror.” many Christians have been guilty of sinning against our Muslim

Neighbors.” They say that if we could achieve religious peace with Muslims, world peace would likely follow.

This was issued by Harold W. Attridge, Dean and Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament, Yale Divinity School--Joseph Cumming, Director of the Reconciliation Program,Yale Center for Faith and Culture, Yale Divinity School --Emilie M. Townes, Andrew Mellon Professor of African American Religion and Theology, Yale Divinity School, and President-elect of the American Academy of Religion--Miroslav Volf, Founder and Director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture, Henry B. Wright Professor of Theology, Yale Divinity School. It was endorsed by almost 300 other Christian theologians and leaders,

[It was published in its entirety as a full-page advertisement in the New York Times on November 18, 2007]

Out of the 300 plus signatures, here are some of the more recognized names that we should know signed onto this. By signing this document we can see where they stand on issues that concern the health and protection of the church that they claim to be shepherds over.

George Verwer, Founder and former International Director, OM

Berten A. Waggoner, National Director, Association of Vineyard Churches

Richard Mouw, President, Fuller Theological Seminary

Brian D. McLaren, Author, Speak

Rick Warren, Founder and Senior Pastor, Saddleback Church

Tony Jones, National Coordinator, Emergent Village

Bill Hybels, Founder and Senior Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church

Lynn Green, International Chairman, YWAM

David Neff, Editor in Chief and Vice-President,

Christianity Today Media Group

Robert Schuller, Founder, Crystal Cathedral and Hour of Power

Jim Wallis, President, Sojourners

Joseph Hough, President, Union Theological Seminary, NY

David Yonggi Cho, Founder and Senior Pastor, Yoido Full Gospel Church, Seoul, Korea

Richard Cizik, Vice President, National Association of Evangelicals

Emilie M. Townes, wrote a book with Peter Wagner

I have to wonder if any of the Christian signatories are aware of the peace and justice practiced by Islam in their own countries. Do these learned men not know what the Qur’an says?

The signing is mostly from the religious left wing of the church. Liberal evangelicals are so predictable, like politicians they promise something they should not, something they cannot deliver. I’m not surprised to hear of neo-evangelicals, emergent promoters of a new Christianity take part in any interfaith movement agreement with the other religions. Don’t be surprised to see a type of ECT signing in the future if these dialogues continue (Evangelicals and Catholics Together). After all, there care for the church is not protective as the apostles, Jesus said He gave his life for the church but this same attitude is not in these men.

Thankfully, some spoke out, but their voices were not many. “The response drew sharp criticism from highly respected theologians R. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and John Piper, pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church, and other Christian leaders.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1T4GGLJ_enUS233US233&q=Evangelical+Christian-Muslim+Dialogue++&btnG=Search

Shortly after this Administrators from one of the most influential evangelical colleges in the country removed their names from a controversial letter addressed to Muslim leaders that some say compromises the Christian faith.

Wheaton College president Duane Litfin, provost Stanton Jones and chaplain Stephen Kellough decided to back away from the letter that they had originally endorsed …"I signed the statement because I am committed to the business of peace-making and neighbor-love,” Litfin stated on Friday in The Record, the student publication of Wheaton College. “I did not savor the document’s unnuanced apology section, but swallowed that in order to be a part of reaching out a hand to these Muslim leaders who had courageously taken the initiative. Though the statement was not written in the way I would have written it, it seemed to me that I could sign it without compromising any of my Christian convictions.” (“Influential Evangelicals Withdraw from Christian-Muslim Statement” By Lilian Kwon Christian Post Reporter Feb. 09 2008)

I commend these men for having the courage to turn and to step away from the decision they first made with these other men who lack wisdom. Don’t be fooled by this so called peace offering, its no less deceptive than the trojan horse was. The goal of Islam is for every person to submit to Allah to have peace and this is clearly read in between the lines. I see the intention of the letter being to expose Christians to the message of Islam, diminishing any opposition to its teachings. This is step one in many to prepare Christians to embrace Islamic teaching. In Islamic law Islam cannot make war against the infidel without the infidels first being offered an opportunity to submit to Islam, I see this letter as part of that concept.

Read other comments about it:

http://caribouyah.blogspot.com/2008/01/more-on-common-word.html

http://www.newswithviews.com/PaulProctor/proctor137.htm

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20071123/30194_Christian_Leaders_Invite_Muslims_to_Love_God,_Neighbors_Together.htm

http://www.yale.edu/faith/abou-commonword.htm

http://www.worldevangelicals.org/We_Too_Want_to_Live_in_Love,_Peace,_Freedom_and_Justice.pdf

To have peace between two of the world's greatest religions is a noble goal. The end of the letter reads:

How can Muslims who do know know the one who brings peace to earth work for peace? World peace (or a peaceful co-existence) is to be led by this coalition of Muslims and Christians together. A promise of "peace" from the enemies of God and Israel should not sit right with anyone who believes in Jesus Christ. Maybe they can demonstrate what they mean by loving the Jews in Israel. Or is that too much to ask from either side?

Since when is peace up to us? The call for peace from the Muslims necessitates submission to Allah, there is no other way for them.

Their Scholars used quotations from both the Bible and the Qur'an to show the similarities between the two Religions (they call faiths) such as the requirement to worship one God and to love one's neighbour. But what a Muslim means by one God and Christians are two completely different concepts. The signers assume Islam and Christianity have strong similarities: love of the same God. This is the most outrageous false statement of them all.

One of many verses from the Qur’an quoted in the letter "A Common Word Between Us and You “ Say: O People of the Scripture! Come to a common word between us and you: 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. And if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we are they who have surrendered (unto Him). (Aal ‘Imran 3:64)

Think about what this last portion is actually saying--Islam means "one who submits to God." How anyone can be this ignorant of what they meant by this letter is beyond comprehension. Only Muslims bow to (God) Allah's will.

If one were to continue to read the portions[s] of the Qur’an that they quote it is not a request for peace at all but a scolding, a rebuke. In the following verses 65-71 we find exactly what it means:

Sura 3:70-71: Ye People of the Book! Why reject ye the Signs of Allah, of which ye are (yourselves) witnesses? Ye People of the Book! Why do you clothe Truth with falsehood, and conceal the Truth while ye have knowledge?

In its context, the Qur’an, is bringing forth a condemnation on both Christianity and Judaism. We need to remember the signatories of this letter are some of the most learned scholars of Islam, they know what they intend it to mean.

This is more than disappointing for evangelicals to respond to this by a mutual agreement, it brings it on treasonous grounds- making it common shared faith when it is not.

Islam believes Allah is the only true God, the Qur'an says Allah has no son, Jesus did not die for our sins on the cross nor did he raise from the dead. On this there is no unity from them. The Jesus of the Qur'an did not die on the Cross but was replaced by another individual. Surah 4:157: “That they said in boast ‘we killed Christ Isa, the son of Mary’…but they killed him not, nor crucified him.”

This is the basis of the Christian message that “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son...,” (Jn. 3:16) “the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world” Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God” (1 Jn. 4:14-15). This is the love of God, it was an action taken on our behalf of which Islam denies vehemently. What common ground could we possibly have with those who reject these Christian tenets of OUR FAITH?

For the Qur’an states: “In blasphemy indeed are those that say that Allah is Christ the son of Mary. Say: "Who then hath the least power against Allah, if His will were to destroy Christ the son of Mary, his mother, and all every-one that is on the earth? For to Allah belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between. He createth what He pleaseth. For Allah hath power over all things" (Surah 5:17).

Not only does the Qur'an not teach of the same God that Christians and Jews worship, but the Jesus of the Qur'an is only a prophet on the level of Moses or Muhammad. Despite the apparent and huge differences, their point was to present Islam and Christianity as sharing the same Divine Origin (Abrahamic) to begin the road to co-operation and worldwide co-ordination by our holding to two greatest commandments. They quote “None of you has faith until you love for your neighbor what you love for yourself,” the Prophet Muhammad said. In the New Testament we similarly read, “whoever does not love [the neighbor] does not know God” (1 John 4:8)

In response the Christian signatories stated: we want to begin by acknowledging that in the past (e.g. in the Crusades) and in the present (e.g. in the excesses of the “war on terror”) many Christians have been guilty of sinning against our Muslim neighbors. Before we “shake your hand” in responding to your letter, we ask forgiveness of the All-Merciful One and of the Muslim community around the world.”

Are we now to ask forgiveness for defeating the Islamic armies that were trying to take over Europe and what is the difference of what they are doing today throughout the world?

They made this an open letter for a purpose. It’s intention is twofold: 1) to influence the Christian church and 2) have the public believe they have good intentions. The fact that the Christian signatories didn’t get it does not help the public. I see this as a means to turn more of the church to support the Palestinian efforts and to undermine Israel. Muslims know that a small by dedicate contingent of the church supports Israel. If they can turn this around they will have victory and destroy Israel just as they promise over their airwaves and in their prophecies.

While Evangelicals enter into dialogue, they had to first strain themselves to find something in common as the killing from Islam continues. Would it not be more efficient for them to talk to their own who are killing in their gods name, for the cause of jihad? Should we not insist on our seeing them do something instead of dialogue with us as if we are to blame.

Sixteen times the Qur'an says Allah is not a Father and has no Son. But the very foundation of Christianity is that "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son" (Jn. 3:16).

Surah 5:73: “They do blaspheme who say God is one of three…for there is no Allah except one Allah.”

Surah 5:116: “And behold! God will say: O Jesus the son of Mary didst say unto men, ‘worship me and my mother as gods’ in derogation of Allah?

Surah 4:157: “That they said in boast ‘we killed Christ Isa, the son of Mary’…but they killed him not, nor crucified him.”

Their Jesus is not the Jesus of the Bible, He is not God incarnate. how can a knowledgeable Christian consider the Muslim god the Muslim as something we can cooperate with for the purpose of peace? What kind of Christian leaders are these?

Again from their Qur’an Sura 9:30: The Jews call ‘Uzair a son of Allah, and the Christians call Christ the Son of Allah.; That is a saying from their mouths; (in this) they but imitate what the Unbelievers of old used to say. Allah's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from Truth! They take their priests and their anchorites to be their lords in derogation of Allah, and (they take as their Lord) Christ the son of Mary; Yet they were commanded to worship but One Allah: There is no god but He.”

How do we have common ground with those who reject the core teaching of Christ and God? They are

seeking common ground outside the parameters of the Christian faith not from within it. "Loving God and Neighbor Together" divorces us from the only message we have to proclaim to the Muslim people! Proclaiming Jesus Christ and Him crucified is the greatest means in our showing love to the Muslim people. So this has us abandon the our commission from Christ.

The Qur’an also states to the Muslim "Believers! wage war against such of the infidels as are your neighbours, and let them find you rigorous: and know that God is with those who fear him." (Sura 9:124). As already established, if you believe Jesus is the Son of God and worship God in Trinity you blaspheme and are an infidel.

Does God turn against his own people? Allah tells his followers to not take Jews and Christians as friends and even to kill them as infidels. Hardly a suitable religious group to have peace with. While this agreement does not include other “faiths” it is the first step toward that by the two largest religions that have hostilities to abandon them for peace.

This letter is a test for the leaders in the church and they have failed to see its intention.

Would Jesus tell the church to agree that they worship the same God (in spirit and in truth) or to work with other religions to have a peaceful co-existence acknowledging each other as sharing the same truths! He didn’t even do this with the Religious leaders of his day who taught the Old Testament and added their own laws to uphold it.

Christian signatories in response “We share the sentiment of the Muslim signatories expressed in these opening lines of their open letter: Which is-- Without peace and justice between these two religious communities, there can be no meaningful peace in the world. The future of the world depends on peace between Muslims and Christians.

Paul quotes a Greek poet to the Corinthians who had trouble receiving the word of God hoping they would understand a practical principle from their own culture. “Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits." This concept is all through the book of Proverbs and both Testaments which say “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers . For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? (2 Corinthians 6:14-16)

We have a dilemma. What their book says about us, ours says about them (minus anything about killing- instead separation). “Do not be unequally yoked with unbeliever: One needs to make up their mind on what Islam actually is and what their relationship to Muslims is without compromising their faith.

To have wisdom shows one can recognize these differences and remove themselves from it. Proverbs 2:6-7: “For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly”

There are some Christian signatories that feared for Christians could suffer in Muslim lands if they did not sign. It really is the very opposite. This is a betrayal of Christian brothers and sisters that are laboring with their lives for the gospel in the Muslim lands! These men are convinced that dialogues and peace conferences will bring the desired result of peace between the religions. And it will, temporarily, as the false Messiah signs the treaty (covenant) with many for 7 years. Or did we forget that this is coming in the future?

It is incredulous for these men who signed on do not to see where this is headed. This is to dream the impossible dream-- peace without Christ ruling over the earth. It will never happen without Him.

Let me point out further that there is a concerted effort by a number of these same signatories to have Israel give up land thereby giving up her security against the enemies that surround her. A number of these “leaders” have a track record on this.

The support for Israel to be there own nation and governed freely is being opposed by certain evangelicals. Over 30 evangelical leaders stepped forward to say these efforts have given the wrong impression about the stance of many, if not most, American evangelicals. They “sent a letter to President Bush saying that both Israelis and Palestinians have “legitimate rights stretching back for millennia to the lands of Israel/Palestine,” and that they support the creation of a Palestinian state “that includes the vast majority of the West Bank.”

“We think it’s crucial that the Muslim world realize that there are evangelical Christians in the U.S. in large numbers that want a fair solution,” Mr. Sider said.

They believe “that both Israelis and Palestinians have legitimate rights stretching back for millennia to the lands of Israel/Palestine.”

see our Question answer section on- are there Palestinians.

This is their way to solve the matter, appeasement, when they have no grasp on the real issues- people will die from decisions like these.  So to say they are for the security of Israel is only moot words. They are sending a clear message they oppose those who are dispensational (meaning that those who make a distinction between Israel and the church) because many hold to a replacement teaching- that the church is the new Israel.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/29/us/29evangelical.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

To read the letter sent to President Bush to lobby for this unbiblical position and see who the signers are:

Go to-- http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/29/us/evangelical_letter.html

 Walking in the sunset of Ecumenism pt.2-