An Overture that reeks of apostasy

Once again Presbyterians (USA) are being asked to ‘affirm’ that Christians, Jews and Muslims worship a common God. Newton Presbytery has sent an overture to General Assembly –07-01 On Calling for Tolerance and Peaceful Relations Between the Christian and Muslim Communities. The title is perfectly acceptable but some of the recommendations are totally unacceptable. For instance recommendation 2 states:

"State that the PC(USA) affirms that Jews, Christians, and Muslims worship a common God, although each understands that God differently; and that, as children of this loving God, we share the commandments of love for God and neighbor, the requirement to care for the poor; and acknowledge Abraham as an expression of our common commitment to one God." (Emphasis mine)

The 3rd recommendation also has some problems. It is:

"Build on this understanding by calling for further dialogue among Jews, Christians, and Muslims, viewing each other as equals, and learning from one another to

· promote peace, resolve conflict;
· ensure human rights, prevent discrimination;
· develop dialogue, emphasize commonality;
· recognize differences, celebrate diversity;
· advocate justice, oppose bias." (Emphasis mine)

First of all it is true that many members of these three faiths adhere to monotheism, that is, they believe in one God. And many members also believe in a personal God and a God who reveals himself in a sacred text.

Beyond that, affirming that the Jewish people and Christians worship the same God is under most circumstances not difficult. I will explain.

The Christian sees in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament a God who reveals himself in Jesus Christ. As Calvin puts it the Hebrew Bible shadows forth Christ while in the NT Christ is “already come and manifested. (Institutes, Book four XIV (20) I am not saying here that the Jews believe in Jesus, but I am saying that their sacred text points to him.

This of course changes with some forms of Judaism such as P’nai Or or ALEPH Alliance for Jewish Renewal which is syncretistic, “absorbing and utilizing the spirituality of other religions and spiritual paths as well as incorporating modern psychology and philosophy. Therefore, in addition to Hasidism and Kabbalism, it encompasses elements from Sufism, Buddhism and Native American Religion …” 1

On the other hand the sacred text of Islam does not reveal Jesus Christ as very God of very God although they do speak of Jesus. The Christian does not find grounds for the deity of Christ in any part of the Qur’an and no part of the Qur’an shadows a Messiah who comes to save his people from their sins.

So to return to recommendation 2: State that the PC(USA) affirms that Jews, Christians, and Muslims worship a common God, although each understands that God differently—This overture’s recommendation suggests that our human understanding about God is the reason for our differences. That is theology from below; theology only understood on human terms. But God’s revelation has come to us in Jesus Christ who is God in the flesh, the Incarnation. We can only know God through Jesus Christ. That is not an understanding but rather revelation given from God’s side. We cannot get behind Jesus Christ to any other God. So we do not know the God of Islam. He is not our God.

And the problems with recommendation 3: emphasize commonality—Perhaps in our witness to Muslims we might want to emphasis at first what we have in common, but if we are doing this as a means of avoiding speaking of Jesus Christ and who he really is as well as his great gift of salvation: well, one remembers Peter who for a few tragic hours was unfaithful.

Celebrate diversity—this could only mean celebrating the different views of God we have. That is apostasy.

Oppose bias—if this means we are to oppose the Biblical belief that Jesus Christ is the only Lord and Savior, once again all that can be said is apostasy.

The Barmen Declaration is quite sufficient here:

"Jesus Christ, as he is testified to us in Holy Scripture, is the one Word of God, whom we are to hear, whom we are to trust and obey in life and death.

We reject the false doctrine, as through the Church could and would have to acknowledge as a source of its proclamation, apart from and besides this one Word of God, still other events and powers, figures and truths, as God’s revelation." (8.11-8.12)

Timothy George in his very helpful book Is the Father of Jesus the God of Muhammad? has a wonderful poem by Edward Shillito entitled Jesus of the Scars. The last verse is:

"The other gods were strong; but thou wast weak;
They rode, but thou didst stumble to a throne;
But to our wounds only God’s wounds can speak,
and not a god has wounds, but thou alone."

These are also words sufficient to help us offer a resounding no to such an overture.


1 Shirley Lucass, “Aleph: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, New Religions: A Guide: New Religious Movements, Sects and Alternative Spiritualities, Editor Christopher Partridge, Forward J. Gordon Melton (Oxford: Oxford University Press 2004) 117.