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        Whether he endorses the use of the word "Chrislam" or not, Rick Warren has surely endorsed the premise. In 2007, Warren signed the Yale document "Loving God and Neighbor Together: A Christian Response to a Common Word Between Us and You." which declares that Allah and Jehovah are the same deity. Among others, signers included Robert Schuller, Bill Hybels, Jim Wallis, Brian McLaren, Leith Anderson, Richard Mouw. Allah is not Jehovah and every Muslim cleric knows it! They surely do love the mileage they're getting from these foolish Christian leaders. When are authentic Christians going to wake up to what these fakers are doing - and where they are attempting to lead us?

        Eric Barger
        Take A Stand! Ministries
        Rowlett, TX
        www.ericbarger.com

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          Eric Barger,
          It is good to take a stand for Christ but one should not bear a false witness while attempting to do so. I just read the Yale document and nowhere does it mention that “Allah and Jehovah are the same deity”. The word Allah is not even mentioned in the entire document.
          Funny how a search on Google on with the words “rick warren Allah and Jehovah” shows your name in the first link.
          My intention is not defend Warren (I disagree with a lot of what he has to say), but I need to take a stand (pun intended) against false witness.

          While I am not convinced that this particular attempt at common ground will bear fruit for the kingdom because of the absence of the gospel (although it cannot hurt to maintain peace with moderate Muslims), there is a biblical precedent in using “common ground” for the presentation of the Gospel.

          2 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.
          23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship--and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.
          28 'For in him we live and move and have our being.'1 As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'2 (Act 17:22-28)

          As such, even the use “All-Merciful One” is not outside biblical boundaries. The Bible uses a few titles for God that were first used to designate the supreme God in pagan religions. “El” was the name of the supreme God in Canaanite religion, the same cognate word is use in Hebrew (as in El Elyon, God Most High) and in Arabic as the root Al as in “Allah”. The same principle is behind the English “god”

          Using a generic word to address the deity is not the same as declaring that God and pagan deities are one and the same.

          Why don’t you let Warren clarify what he meant instead on putting words in his mouth and thoughts in his mind?

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              BereanMan,
              The very premise of the Yale dialog was that we all worship the same "god." Every defender of Warren, Hybels, McLaren, Mouw, Anderson, etc., on this issue should go and simply read the Yale document. The very starting point for dialog - their premise - is that Allah and Jehovah are the same deity. Considering this, what spiritual dialog can we have? “What fellowship has light with darkness?” (II Cor 6:14-7:1)

              Instead of asking what we have in common with false religions, Bible believers need to discern the things we can NEVER have in common. In this case, Islam worships a different god. The Muslim’s only hope is Jesus Christ. End of argument. Frankly, how dare those who claim to represent evangelicals try and gloss over the forever and unchangeable differences between Islam and authentic Christianity with politically correct double talk. When we fail to shine the light of truth on false religion the lost remain lost. This is exactly what has happened in this case.

              God help us that we give clear signals to the world around us. Islam has assured the eternal destruction of every person who has ever embraced it. How surreal that at a time when more Muslims are coming to Christ in hostile environments around the world then ever before, American “evangelicals” are seeking PC driven dialog - instead of clearly enunciating which religion is true and which is false.

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                I find I am in mild agreement with both you and Eric (whom I know personally).  One thing I might caution you about.  When it comes to interpretation/translation principle, it is dangerous to look at the etymology of a particular word and derive from that a contemporary meaning.  The fact that the root of "Allah" bears a cognate relationship to the Hebrew "Elohim" in no fashion allows for arriving at a similarity in current usage.  The fact remains that the god contemporary Islam labels as Allah is not historically or theologically the same as Jehovah.  This is clear from history, and abundantly clear from even a cursory overview of how the Christian scriptures express Jehovah and how the Koran portrays Allah.  In neither religious system are the followers allowed to freely conceive of their God in whatever fashion they desire.  Both sets of holy writings paint a clear and undeniable picture of their supreme God, and while there are certainly similarities, the conflicting considerations regarding character and law are unmistakable.  I have not read the Yale document so I cannot speak to the statement that it somehow goes on record that Jehovah and Allah are the same.  It is, however, a fact that they are not.

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                    Allen, I am in complete agreement with you about the etymology fallacy. Actually this is part of
                    the point I am making. It is not because one uses an expression or words common
                    to Christianity, Islam and pagan religions from the perspective on etymology
                    that one is equating God with these other deities. It is surely  not true for the Canaanite El and the Hebrew
                    El/Elohim.
                     The Old Testament writers did not believe that even though
                    they used terms and expressions borrowed from other languages (as a language, Hebrew owns a lot to older Northwest Semitic languages like Ugaritic and Aramaic).
                    As such, the use of Islamic expression “the All-Merciful One” in the Yale document
                    should not be seen as equating Allah with Yahweh (and we all agree they are not
                    one and the same, this however, not was the focus of my response which was
                    about truth versus false witness).

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                        I have great respect for Rick Warren and Bill Hybels. In fact, I find their materials for the most part (not whole because I disagree with certain points) biblical and relevant and use them in our church. When I read the Yale document though, one phrase that really shocked me beyond belief is this: "Before we 'shake your hand' in responding to your letter, we ask forgiveness of the All-Merciful One and of the Muslim community around the world."
                        Are they and other signatories of this document really asking forgiveness from a false god? Of course, they know that the muslim god do not exist, so why include this in this document as if this god exists and worse, why ask forgiveness? I understand about asking forgiveness from your fellowmen but from a false god???!!!
                        I believe these leaders should repent and ask forgiveness from Jehovah, the God of the Bible.

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                      There is NO such thing as a moderate Muslim. They all believe in the Mahdi, (our anti-Christ) and sharia jurisprudence which involves misogyny, murder, beheading, amputations etc.
                      Please don't call any practicing Muslim 'moderate'.

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                      I do have one question though- If Jack Van Impe's claims are 100% false, then why would this Islamic group ask Pastor Warren to speak at their convention?

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                        2 Corinthians 6:14: Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

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                            I am so tired of the vicious people who constantly are on the attack against other Christians.  Rick Warren is a man of character and integrity who is telling the truth about himself.  Let's bury this and get on with Kingdom business

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                              All Interfaith pastors are denying our LORD Yahshua.

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                                    How is he positioned to extend Christ to the Muslims?If the whole idea is to put aside differences and so that can just love each other, how can the truth be extended to them if indeed it is those very differences that the truth of Christ is found。 He has positioned himself to either continue to withhold the truth about Christ being the only way, or do a bait and switch by back peddling and speak the truth about salvation in Christ。 We would do well to take to heart Paul‘s words。

                                    2 Corinthians 4:1-6
                                    1Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

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                                      "You cannot win your enemies to Christ" Huh? The faulty premise of the seeker-friendly crowd has corrupted American churches. The goal is now to gain the approval/friendship of the world--the exact opposite of biblical teaching.

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                                          Yes, Jesus was  a friend to sinners not to those who were openly hostile to His teaching. He called a snake , just what it was.Yes, He ate with publicans, sinners, and even had His feet washed by a repentant prostitute. Let"s not forget where He said, "What fellowship does light have with darkness?" When you mingle the truth with a lie it's corrupt and no longer truth. A half truth is a whole lie. Jesus also said you will know them by their fruit.

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                                            “Let this common ground” – the dual
                                            common ground of love of God and of neighbor – “be
                                            the basis of all future interfaith dialogue between us,” your
                                            courageous letter urges. Indeed, in the generosity with which
                                            the letter is written you embody what you call for. We most
                                            heartily agree. Abandoning all “hatred and strife,” we must
                                            engage in interfaith dialogue as those who seek each other’s
                                            good, for the one God unceasingly seeks our good. Indeed, together
                                            with you we believe that we need to move beyond “a polite ecumenical
                                            dialogue between selected religious leaders” and work diligently
                                            together to reshape relations between our communities and our
                                            nations so that they genuinely reflect our common love for God
                                            and for one another.
                                            Rick Warren put his name to this statement.
                                            "reflect our common love for God
                                            and for one another."
                                            We as Christians do not have a common love for God with islam. The god of islam is not the God of true Christians

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                                                These lies are like so many right-wing lies -- told over and over until people think that there must be some truth about them.  If Christians acted the way the Bible -- and Rick Warren -- states, there would be MUCH less hate and MUCH more truth being passed around.

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