beaconchurches

VALLEY FORGE, PA ( ABNS 07/11/08 ) — The Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Beirut, Lebanon, recently completed its Middle East Conference -- an event designed to foster understanding between Christians and Muslims in the Arab world, as well as foster understanding with the western world. Dan Buttry, a global consultant for peace and justice issues with American Baptist International Ministries, was a keynote speaker at the event, held June 16 through 20. Buttry was invited by the seminary's Institute of Middle East Studies.

Buttry said in published reports the Institute "is doing some groundbreaking work on the relationship of Christianity and Islam. They aren't just academics sitting back and studying the subject. They are facilitating people talking to each other, interacting constructively as communities, and exploring ways to move constructively into a hopeful and peaceful future in Lebanon, as well as other Middle Eastern contexts."

Buttry has worked in hotspots around the world, helping Christian leaders and non-Christian leaders learn better ways of overcoming their differences and resolving violent conflicts peacefully. He has worked in several places where there has been religious violence, such as Northeast India, the Republic of Georgia (of the former USSR) and Ethiopia.

Though Buttry travels the world working for International Ministries, he is based in Hamtramck, MI., near Detroit. He has worked with the substantial Arab and Muslim communities in the Detroit area as well.

He is the author of several books, including the recent compilation, Interfaith Heroes, a 31-day devotional, with brief biographies on several religious peacemakers, including Baptists such as Roger Williams and Martin Luther King, Jr., along with other Protestants, Catholics, Muslims, Jews and Hindus.

American Baptist International Ministries, organized in 1814, is the oldest Baptist mission agency formed in North America. We serve more than 2,500 short-term and long-term missionaries annually, bringing U.S. and Puerto Rico churches together with partners in 76 countries in cutting-edge ministries that tell the good news of Jesus Christ while meeting human needs.

While I understand what they are trying to accomplish, it won't work. The reason?? Simple. Middle East people have a different way of dialoguing that Western folks. They have no qualms about saying what people want to hear and then doing what they intend to do in spite of it. For years and years journalists and government officials have claimed to have an accord with various Middle Eastern, primarily Arabic and Muslim people and it just hasn't worked out. The US thought it had an understanding with Sadaam Hussein for example.

Another problem with conversing with Muslims is that the Muslims who will speak to Christians in a halfway civilized tone are the liberal and moderates. The terrorists and jihadists (okay, that was redundant) are Wahabbi and they want to wipe out or at least "convert" the liberal and moderate Sunni's and Shi'ia's to their form as it is the only "true" form of Islam. Where Wahabbis take over the goverments, Muslim cemetaries are bulldozed as tombstones are "idols" and any and all teachings other than converting or killing infidels (non-Wahabbis) are outlawed.

Anyone wanting to explore this further, I would recommend:

Inside the Kingdom by Carmen bin Laden
The Two Faces of Islam by Stephen Schwartz
and the book I'm presently reading
Faith at War by Yaroslav Trofimov

I don't want to say I don't trust Muslims but............