World asked to help craft online charter for religious harmony

Breitbart via Drudge ^ | November 15, 2008 | AFP

[Marylander]

A website launched Friday with the backing of technology industry and Hollywood elite urges people worldwide to help craft a framework for harmony between all religions. The Charter for Compassion project on the Internet at www.charterforcompassion.org springs from a "wish" granted this year to religious scholar Karen Armstrong at a premier Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) conference in California.

"Tedizens" include Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin along with other Internet icons as well as celebrities such as Forest Whittaker and Cameron Diaz.

Wishes granted at TED envision ways to better the world and come with a promise that Tedizens will lend their clout and capabilities to making them come true.

Armstrong's wish is to combine universal principles of respect and compassion into a charter based on a "golden rule" she believes is at the core of every major religion.

[wmfights]

There is only ONE Great Commandment:

You are so right, but that commandment is not the "core of Christianity".

The Core of Christianity is summed up in two words:

Christ Crucified

[DennisR]

I do not have a problem with this as long as the first requirement is to confess that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life - no man comes to the Father except through Him. So I do not think it will work for me.

[piytar]

Most, the sole exception being Islam with respect to non-Muslims (jizza tax, right to worship, taqqiya, ad nauseum).

Start of a non-Christian One World reigion, eh? Now we just need an anti-Pope to sign on...

[little jeremiah]

This is called “dumbing religion down”.

If they want actual monotheism to be “one” with paganism and claptrap, it will raise up paganism and claptrap to a false equal position with real monotheism. And the people who are pushing this are alarm bells or sirens that should warn everyone about their real intentions.

[little jeremiah]

>>>Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. – Matthew 22:37-38

To God be the glory, not man, never man. <<<

I am in absolute agreement.

[big'ol_freeper]

Ah, you gotta love heretics of every stripe

Sister Joan Chittister bio on Wikipedia:

“Critics cite her association with Call to Action and women’s ordination, both in direct conflict with official Catholic teaching.

Chittister has clashed with the Church authorities on several occasions. She attended the first Women’s Ordination Worldwide Conference of June 30, 2000 as one of two nuns instructed by the Holy See not to do so. In another instance, Chittister rejected the Church’s strictures against the 23 nuns who ran an advertisement in the New York Times attacking the Church’s teaching on abortion.

The Benedictine Sisters of Erie, Pennsylvania’s homepage has received a “danger!” rating on fidelity from the website CatholicCulture.org, a private organization not endorsed that rates the web pages of various Catholic organizations for orthodoxy and fidelity to Catholic teaching. Criticisms include its alleged New Age content, and a note on the actions taken by Sister Christine Vladimiroff, Chittister’s prioress, against the Vatican directive related to Chittister’s attendance at the Ordination Conference in 2000.”

Liberal scum. All of them.

[Alex Murphy]

Check out the "Kluster program" in my post #10.

[piytar]

Christ died for our sins.

That said, Christianity is at least consistent with the Golden Rule. Islam is not.

[Alamo-Girl]

Indeed aimhigh, I John amplifies the message of love:

Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

We love him, because he first loved us.

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. – I John 4:15-21

And truly, wmfights, Christ Himself - God with us (Immanuel, Emmanuel) - is the core of the Christian faith. And He tells us of the vital importance of loving God surpassingly above all else by His words to the church of Ephesus.

Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. – Revelation 2:1-5

So again I aver, when speaking of ”commandments” (i.e. with reference to the “Golden Rule” common among many beliefs) – the core of Christianity (and Judaism, btw) is that we must love God surpassingly above all else.

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.

And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. – Matthew 22:37-40

Loving God above all else is the one needful part which, once we choose it, will not be taken away from us. In the following passage, Mary was absorbed with Jesus Himself, loving Him, hanging on His every word. Martha, like the Church of Ephesus, was trying to do the right thing:

Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.

But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. – Luke 10:38-42

Again,

Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I [will be] with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. – Psalms 91:14-16

And again,

And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live. - Deuteronomy 30:6

And again,

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.

And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare [it]: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. - John 17:20-26

Bottom line, "doing" good to one's neighbor is not enough.

little jeremiah, I strongly agree with you that this present attempt to compromise and reconcile between faiths should be raising “red flags” to all of us. It could be a “sign of the times” in which case, Maranatha, Jesus!!!

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. – 2 Timothy 3:1-5

After all, the "me" generation just won the last general election in the most powerful nation on earth. And putting self and neighbor first is at the core of "Liberation Theology" - the "spiritual" root of the President-elect.

Love God. Believe Him. Trust Him.

[rollo tomasi]

Let us gather together and worship the sweetness that the magical syrup offers. We shall all sing in perfect harmony and buy the world a home as well as furnishing it with love.

[yorkie01]

I thought that this was all flushed in the 60’s with the Kumbaya flower child like Stanley Dunham Obama.

[exnavy]

I knew there would be lots of folks here that would know this one!!!!! Praising Him with all that we do!

[Quix]

INDEED
THIS AMALGAMIZING, HOMOGINIZING, OBLITERATING
ALL RELIGIONS INTO ONE
HAS LONG BEEN A BIBLICLY PREDICTED
GOAL OF THE BUREAUCRATS FROM HELL!
[as the quotes at my tagline link and post attest]

This, with the outrageously horrific public plans of Obamao should have most of us out on the streets in sackcloth and ashes; 24 hour prayer vigils and endless 'Jerico Marches' around the White House and wherever the TO [Traitorous One' is staying.

The responses of the Vatican, Cantebury, Salt Lake City and the like will be most telling.

This is truly a most horrific development. It's just that it's the groundwork of the horror awaiting the nonconformists.

Those behind Obamao realize they have rode in on the coattails, backs and web fingers of the very rebels and nonconformists they plan to exterminate early on. But they are not done with them yet.

Some will help make suitable supplecants and mantra hypnotized cantationists hailing the new world leader . . . of whom Obamao is merely the one to sweep away the cobwebs and road kill before.

The truly MOST HORRIFIC times await all complying and those leading this Pied Piper's dance into carefully prepared cells in hell for one and all thereby attracted . . . and on the train.

The goats are choosing more and more overtly the goathead they will bow before.

The pace is picking up.

They are licking their chops at the scheduled bloodflow.

!!!!MARANATHA!!!!
!INDEED!

BTW, END TIMES, DREAMS, VISIONS, PROPHECY PING LIST . . . am prayerfully pondering calling together a COMODO-PRAYER LIST [I mangle some words because of certain 'bureaucratic' search engines] toward flushing out and flushing away enemy stuff. If you have read some of my prayers re Obamao AND IF YOU HAVE FELT A STRONG AGREEMENT IN YOUR SPIRIT, PLEASE CONSIDER prayig about joining such a prayer group.

We know that prayers of agreement put more of the enemy's stuff to flight. HOWEVER, PLEASE DO NOT SEEK TO JOIN WITHOUT FEELING PARTICULARLY LED TO DO SO.

I'm NOT envisioning any sort of long hours, strict discipline sort of group . . . folks would mostly be encouraged and alerted to pray along certain lines AS HOLY SPIRIT LED !!!!THEM!!!! in more or less agreement with anyone in the group calling us to prayer. We would communicate by email most probably, possibly also by FREEPMAIL if y'all wished.

I'm reminded of a science fiction book . . . the lead character was empowered somehow with the ability to destroy nuclear arms etc. by his thoughts. So warfare becam notifying him of various things in various places.

I totally believe that the prayer warriors and intercessors of these end times will have that kind of authority in and before God Almighty. HOWEVER, IF YOU DO NOT FEEL LED TO BE ANY SORT OF PRAYER WARRIOR AND INTERCESSOR, PLEASE avoid signing on. IF YOU DO SO FEEL LED, PLEASE avoid declining. HOLY SPIRIT MUST BE YOUR GUIDE. Just make it a very sober, prayerful choice.

Again, I'm not envisioning hours a day of prayer. Those specifics would be left to each individual before God. Praying in tongues or otherwise as one goes about one's daily tasks would be quite kosher, imho. THE MAIN POINTS ARE: 1. PRAYERS OF MORE OR LESS AGREEMENT along such lines as I've typically demonstrated hereon and 2. ALERTING ONE ANOTHER to such a prayer concern as we each are led in our own daily walk and awareness.

Alamo-Girl; betty boop; P-Marlowe; DarthVader; iThinkBig; John Leland 1789; MarySecretary; Joya; and any other of my regular correspondents . . . I'm particularly interested in hearing from you on this idea whether or not you feel led to join-in.

[Momaw Nadon]

This is scary.

It sounds like something out of The Book of Revelation.

[Quix]

This is scary.

It
sounds like
IS
something out of
The Book of Revelation.

fixed. [except I can't seem to get the STRIKE to show.

Thx

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you so very much for sharing your insights and concerns, dear brother in Christ!

The prayer that rises in me whenever I perceive "signs of the times" is always the same:

He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be] with you all. Amen. - Revelation 22:20-21

Maranatha, Jesus!!!

[RightWhale]

Mercy

[Moonman62]

Matthew 7:12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

I think Jesus disagrees with you. Of course, Jesus borrowed the line from Hillel, so who really knows.

[sageb1]

No.

[betty boop]

little jeremiah, I strongly agree with you that this present attempt to compromise and reconcile between faiths should be raising “red flags” to all of us.

And I strongly agree as well! The "deliverable" of such an attempt would likely end up being the product of an "expert committee," all "rationalized" doctrine and zero spirit. And then where would we be? Instead, I say: respect all the living traditions; you don't have to completely "reconcile" them; rather what you can do is see, not how they are different (and thus subject to reconciliation), but what they share in common: Which is ultimately participation in the Life of God and His abiding Truth.

We Christians are free to quibble about the details of sectarian conflict all we want to, of course; but it seems a useless exercise to me. For one thing, we do not see as God sees; and it is perilous to think the judgment of our fellow men belongs to us. We need to remember that faithful Christians are all members of the One Body of Christ; and we are called, not to dispute with each other, but to love one another as God commands us, for our love of Him.

But I believe you are absolutely right to focus on the ultimacy and primacy of the First Commandment, to love God with all your heart and soul and mind — to love Him surpassingly above all else. When we do this, all else in heaven and on earth finds its proper place.

IMHO, FWIW.

Thank you so very much for your glorious essay/post, my dearest sister in Christ!