Green Energy
From BBC News:
A traditionalist Anglican has said he will continue with a campaign for the Church of England to work explicitly to convert Muslims to Christianity.
Paul Eddy, a lay member of the General Synod, has come under intense pressure from bishops to withdraw his plan.
But he has secured enough support for his motion to be debated at the next meeting of the Church's ruling body.
The motion calls on the Church to proclaim Christianity as the only route to ultimate salvation.
Mr Eddy, who is training to become a priest, has been denounced by some Muslims, but says the Church can no longer avoid hard questions about its beliefs.
He said he had received angry e-mails and telephone calls from senior figures in the Church denouncing his motion.
No-go areas
Mr Eddy claims to have the backing of at least 124 members of the synod, including the Bishops of Rochester, Carlisle and Chester.
Speaking to the Sunday programme on BBC Radio Four, he said that in an effort to be inclusive and inoffensive, the church had "lost its nerve" and was "not doing what the Bible says".
"Both Christianity and Islam are missionary faiths," he said. "For years, we have sent missionaries throughout the whole world, but when we have the privilege of people of all nations on our doorstep, we have a responsibility as the state church to share the gospel of Jesus Christ."
Mr Eddy claimed that 20% of parishes contained populations in which 60% of people were not Christian.
And he said that without a concerted effort, the church was in danger of creating "no-go areas for the gospel".
"Most Muslims that I've talked to say, 'I really wish that Christians would stop watering down their faith and expecting us to do the same.'
"Until we start really saying what we really believe in our faith, there will be no respect.
"Actually, to present to a Muslim that we believe Jesus is the only way to God, they'll say, 'We know that'.
"They will expect us - if we're true Christians - to try to evangelise them, in the same way they will expect us, if they're true Muslims, to adopt their faith."
Risk of alienation
Mr Eddy called for a code of good practice to be drawn up by bishops to give church members advice on how to evangelise.
It should also give advice, he said, on how to support Muslims who choose to convert and are then ostracised by their communities.
BBC News religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott says Mr Eddy's stance is likely to alienate many Muslims at a highly-sensitive time in the relationship between Islam and Christianity in the UK.
Our correspondent added that the motion is a sign of the conservative evangelical wing of the Church flexing its muscles to oppose what it warns is a watering down of Christian values in deference especially to Muslims.
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Green Energy
Anglican Church To Debate Motion On Converting Muslims
From BBC News:
A traditionalist Anglican has said he will continue with a campaign for the Church of England to work explicitly to convert Muslims to Christianity.
Paul Eddy, a lay member of the General Synod, has come under intense pressure from bishops to withdraw his plan.
But he has secured enough support for his motion to be debated at the next meeting of the Church's ruling body.
The motion calls on the Church to proclaim Christianity as the only route to ultimate salvation.
Mr Eddy, who is training to become a priest, has been denounced by some Muslims, but says the Church can no longer avoid hard questions about its beliefs.
He said he had received angry e-mails and telephone calls from senior figures in the Church denouncing his motion.
No-go areas
Mr Eddy claims to have the backing of at least 124 members of the synod, including the Bishops of Rochester, Carlisle and Chester.
Speaking to the Sunday programme on BBC Radio Four, he said that in an effort to be inclusive and inoffensive, the church had "lost its nerve" and was "not doing what the Bible says".
"Both Christianity and Islam are missionary faiths," he said. "For years, we have sent missionaries throughout the whole world, but when we have the privilege of people of all nations on our doorstep, we have a responsibility as the state church to share the gospel of Jesus Christ."
Mr Eddy claimed that 20% of parishes contained populations in which 60% of people were not Christian.
And he said that without a concerted effort, the church was in danger of creating "no-go areas for the gospel".
"Most Muslims that I've talked to say, 'I really wish that Christians would stop watering down their faith and expecting us to do the same.'
"Until we start really saying what we really believe in our faith, there will be no respect.
"Actually, to present to a Muslim that we believe Jesus is the only way to God, they'll say, 'We know that'.
"They will expect us - if we're true Christians - to try to evangelise them, in the same way they will expect us, if they're true Muslims, to adopt their faith."
Risk of alienation
Mr Eddy called for a code of good practice to be drawn up by bishops to give church members advice on how to evangelise.
It should also give advice, he said, on how to support Muslims who choose to convert and are then ostracised by their communities.
BBC News religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott says Mr Eddy's stance is likely to alienate many Muslims at a highly-sensitive time in the relationship between Islam and Christianity in the UK.
Our correspondent added that the motion is a sign of the conservative evangelical wing of the Church flexing its muscles to oppose what it warns is a watering down of Christian values in deference especially to Muslims.
-
Egypt: 4000 Muslims chanting "Allahu akbar" torch church, attack Christian homes"The father of the Muslim woman was killed by his cousin because he did not kill his daughter to preserve the family's honor, which led the woman's brother to...
- Christian Evangelists Target Dearborn's Large Islamic Population
From the Detroit Free Press: Standing amid a crowd of Muslims at June’s 2009 Arab International Festival in Dearborn, the Rev. George Saieg declared: “I’ve been commanded as a Christian to reach out to these people.” The California man is part...
- Uk: Practising Muslims 'will Outnumber Christians By 2035'
(Thanks to Michael) From the Telegraph: Practising Muslims will outnumber worshipping Christians in Britain within 30 years, according to research published today. By 2035, there will be about 1.96 million active Muslims in Britain, compared with...
- Hoorah For The Archbishop
Having just watched the BBC 10'0 Clock News it is now obvious that Rowan Williams has done England a favour. The shock and outrage at his speech on sharia law has spread far and wide. From Archbishops and parish priests to ordinary church goers they...
- Is There No End To This Nonsense?
Only a matter of some days ago, we learnt that the United Kingdom is to recognize polygamous marriages. This, of course, is to accommodate the Muslims. The taxpayer will have to pick up the tab. It will hasten the Islamization of our once great country,...