09/27/2004: "Methodists call for evangelization of Muslims"

The Executive Committee of the World Methodist Council has put out an interesting statement on relations between Christianity and Islam that, among other things, calls on Methodists to evangelize Muslims, a call sure to result in popped blood vessels in the "interfaith community":

We believe that God calls us to affirm the dignity and wholeness of every human being, and we respect the right of all persons to worship God in the way that is most meaningful to them. Therefore, we hope and pray that governments will not impose laws that infringe on the religious rights of their citizens. We affirm that if it is acceptable to build Mosques in Christian cultures, it should also be acceptable to build Christian Churches in Islamic cultures. As Christians, we also believe that we are called to share God�s love, forgiveness, and gracious action in the person of Jesus Christ with everyone.

Christians seek to live in a world community that is shaped by the reign of God, and we pray for and expect the kingdom of God, righteousness, peace and love to come on earth as it is in heaven.

Therefore, all Wesleyan/Methodist Christians are called by God, first, to lovingly accept Muslim brothers and sisters as persons of faith; second, to stand firm against violence and hatred in all its forms; third, to stand with persons who are being persecuted and are suffering for their faith; and fourth, trusting in the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit, to share with all persons, including Muslims, the love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ through our words, deeds and signs by the power of the Holy Spirit, and invite them into life-changing relationships with God through Christ.

I'm not sure they got everything right in the statement. For instance, they claim that "aggression against people or nations, for any reason other than self-defense or the defense of others, is in conflict with the teachings of Christianity and Islam, in both the New Testament and the Qur�an"; certainly the historic actions of Mohammad and his immediate successors would seem to mitigate against that.

Nevertheless, the writers are to be commended for several things: referring to historic crimes by adherents of one religion against those of the other as a two-way street; forthright acknowledgement that Christianity and Islam are not simply two paths to the same destination, but significantly different ways of viewing God, salvation, and life in the world; and especially the willingness to call Christians to witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not bad, folks.