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The Truth About "A Common Word..." and "A Christian Response..."
21st century Christendom has received the historic equivalent of the same "Common Word" invitation and call that has echoed down through the ages from Muhammad's time until today-but it is instead being hailed by elements within Christianity as a benevolent "invitation" to dialogue and fellowship based on the common ground of "love of God and love of neighbour". In stark contrast to this wishful thinking, history tells a different story. All "Common Word" letters coming from Islamic authorities, such as one of the first sent during Muhammad's lifetime to the Emperor in Byzantium in the 630 A.D., are based on Sura 3:64 which defines the only kind of common word or common terms possible in seeking peace with Islam, so that the wordings have been essentially the same-starting soft, but ending always with the "either-or" of the spectre of the sword. That spectre appears to be missing in the current exchange of letters and follow-up dialogues between 138 Muslim clerics and 300 Christian leaders. But, is it? (more)
First we would ask you to read our treatise, "The Truth About "A Common Word..." which attempts to analyze and expose the carefully constructed illusion of common ground contained in the Muslim letter, by showing how it cannot be supported either by the Qur'an, the Hadith, or the Islamic doctrines in Sharia Law- nor can it be supported by the Torah and the Gospels as claimed by the signatories of the Christian response.
Secondly we encourage you to read the two letters of exchange, the "A Common Word Between Us and You" written by 138 Muslim clerics to all of Christendom, and the reply written by the Yale Centre for Faith and Culture's Reconciliation Program, and signed by 300 Christian leaders entitled "Loving God and Neighbour Together: A Christian Response to 'A Common Word Between Us and You'." In so doing, you will get the full picture of what has been offered by the Muslim clerics, and what has been accepted by a small but significant sub-set of Christian leaders.
A major issue to keep in mind as you read is that here we have situation wherein certain seminary professors and missions groups- those who have re-defined the Word of God to make it more acceptable to Muslims - have taken centre stage to build a bridge without foundation and to accept terms which would both deny the underpinnings of Christianity, and appear to commit the whole Church to a dramatic course of action that has neither been agreed upon, nor does it comply with the whole counsel of the Word of God.
A major purpose of this treatise is to wake up the Church at large, and to exhort these elements within Evangelicalism to the danger to which they are subjecting us all-and the danger to which they are subjecting former Muslims who have come to Christ the old fashioned way-by taking up the cross, and being born of the spirit and the blood.
Therefore, after you have read it and thought it through, we ask you then to prayerfully consider signing your name to this document.
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