Posted on 07/30/2004 5:24:01 PM PDT by flying Elvis
Imagine walking into an Episcopal Church and seeing kids learning how to pray to Allah.
Kids and adults got the chance to learn about different faiths this week at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Rome during Vacation Bible School with a twist.
This year the church taught their members, and members of other congregations, about other faiths and how they relate to Christianity.
The World Peace Village looked at Islam on Thursday night. The week-long event also investigated Buddhism, Native American beliefs, Hinduism, Judaism and briefly touched on Christianity.
“It’s a study to promote peace and understanding and tolerance of other beliefs,” said Wanda Hodges, coordinator of the event.
Kids were taught that the “Golden Rule” of treating others how you would want to be treated applies to all six religions.
“The Islamic faith has respect for all religions,” said Widad Akrayee, a Kurd whose family fled Northern Iraq in 1996.
She was joined by her daughter-in-law, Hileen Akrayee, who showed the kids how to use a prayer rug. She also explained that Muslims stop to pray several times each day.
Widad Akrayee also spoke about how many of the differences between religions are manmade.
“We are all created by one god, and only one belief,” she said.
For each night, food was made associated with that night’s religion. The food served Thursday was Fool Ma’ Rizz Rice, pumice and pita bread, and apple blossom punch.
Following dinner, adults attended a discussion led by Rob Nash, dean of the school of religion at Shorter College. (Formerly supported by the Georgia Baptist Convention
“It’s been a meaningful experience for a congregation to open to other religions, “ said Nash, “simply for what they are, and not evangelizing but understanding.”
Nash discussed the ideals of monotheism in Islam and how it relates to other religions.
While the adult discussion was going on, one group of kids made prayer mats made of burlap, another group learned about Ramadan, a Muslim holy celebration that includes fasting, and a third group were learning a mixture of songs from the six religions.
“It was a new experience, ...” said Alexandra Carlton, 9. “It was fun hearing stories, singing songs and doing the crafts.”
Did they also teach the kids how to decapitate an infidel?
I hope they pointed out the Christianity is the only of these religions that is not succeeded through works but rather redemption.
I'm sorry, but the Episcopal Church seems completely lost.
I'm sorry, but the Episcopal Church seems completely lost.
Whopping, verifiable lie.
Not yet. The propaganda needs to progress before they teach them the interesting details.
That's the foolish irony here - these "kind", "understanding", and "tolerant" morons would be among the first to go should the radical followers of Islam gain the upper hand in world geopolitics.
It's ok. I bears repeating.
SEEMS?
If no one in the church was able to do more than this, they should have brought in an outsider.
I consider myself fairly conservative about religion to the extent that I left the Episcopal church over its current teachings. With that in mind, I have no problem with educating members about other faiths.
They'll make good dhimmis some day.
It reminds me of a story Diane Knippers tells. She was serving on an Episcopal ecumenical committee (probably a bad idea in and of itself). At the first regular meeting, the members were to "share" ecumenical ideas. One member discussed how their parish was inviting a Buddhist to conduct a prayer service in their sanctuary. The committee thought that was great - just the sort of thing they were looking for. When it was Diane's turn, she said she was contacting the Southern Baptists so they could do some door-to-door mission work together. There was a painful silence until someone meekly asked, "Southern Baptists? We really don't have anything in common with them."
No no no no...
this is one of the very reason i gave up going to the Presbyterian Church I attended because of things like this. I can't think what some of these Christians are thinking.
You bet they do!
Like it says in Sura 9:5 in their koran "..Slay the unbelievers wherever you find them.."
Seriously, I'm waiting for the ECUSA to ordain moose-limb imams into their clergy. It's all because of tolerance and open-mindedness, you know.
If this church is in Rome GA the Episcopal church is lost. This is the Bible belt.
I learned about many faiths growing up. Dad considered it part of my education as you must understand the religion to understand the culture. However he also made sure I was rooted and grounded in my own faith first.
With this, "touching on Christianity" I would say that that was not the case here but that the nastier bits of other religions were left out and probably the virtues of Christianity were at best muted if not twisted so completely as to be unrecognizable.
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