Church newsletter on Islam does not represent the majority of Christians

By REV. DR. GORDON E. WEIGHTMAN

It is not my aim or desire to condemn anyone. However earnest Pastor Jones was in his newsletter essay, it is not representative of the vast majority of people who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ.

In the spirit of love, rather than be limited by one parochial viewpoint, most Christian thinkers recognize that ultra extremism and fanatical ignorance in religion are the very catalysts that orchestrate terrorism. Our most vivid recollection is that of ultra-extremist Bin Ladin, who preys on secular and religious ignorance within Islam and the followers of Muhammad. He instills hatred for western imperialism, specifically the U.S., thus demonstrating that a few can charismatically coerce misguided people into violence. To my knowledge, the Qu’ran and the Islamic world utterly condemn this kind of action.

Most Christian thinkers affirm that self righteousness, judgementalism and the worship of religious doctrine expose one’s own spiritual blindness. Jesus said that in His great sermon on the mount. Most Christians also seek unity, mutual respect and peace. If ever God’s children everywhere need to be ecumenically united in our war-torn, fragmented societies and world, it is now!

It is my understanding that commonality between and within the religions of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism begins with the basic affirmation of the simple great commandment of loving God with one’s whole heart and our neighbor as God loves. It appears that Islam and Judaism have more in common with each other than with Christianity, but then again, Jesus wasn’t a Christian. For Christ’s followers today, we approach our most important festival, that of Christmas and the incarnation of the long awaited “Prince of Peace.” I would think people of any religion will be praying for peace on earth and good will to all.

[The Rev. Dr. Gordon E. Weightman is the pastor of the Beach Lake United Methodist Church. He recently completed a course at Middlebury College entitled “Religious Conflict in the Middle East.”]