Rabbi Calls For 'UN Of Religions'

[cmotherofpirl]

Rabbi calls for 'UN of religions'
By Danny Wood
BBC News, Seville



The Chief Rabbi of Israel, Yona Metzger, has called for the creation of a world body with representatives from the major religious groups.
Rabbi Metzger was addressing the International Congress of Imams and Rabbis for Peace in Seville, Spain.

He called for the formation of a "United Nations of religious groups".

The Imam of Gaza, Imad al-Faluji, said politicians lied but religious leaders had a different objective - to work towards a higher good.

The imams and rabbis at this conference, which opened on Sunday, say the world is in crisis and it is time they acted to restore justice, respect and peace.

Straight talking

The delegates have made it very clear that now is the time for concrete initiatives.

At the opening ceremony Rabbi Yona Metzger said his idea of a "United Nations of religious groups" could "bring a bridge between religions to help the bridge of the diplomatic way".

That plan has broad support from key participants like Frederico Major, the co-president of the Alliance for Civilisations, the lobby group for international conflict resolution, supported by the United Nations and initiated by Spain's Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

The speeches at this conference rather than using polite, diplomatic language have at times been brutally direct. When the Rabbi Metzger harangued mainstream Muslims for not standing up to Osama bin Laden, Islamic leaders nodded in agreement.

Both Muslim and Jewish leaders have shown a preparedness to take criticism.

There have also been strong expressions of opposition to any killing in the name of religion.

At the end of the opening ceremony, the Muslim delegation sang an oration to the Prophet Mohammed before resuming discussions about the ideas they plan to present to their Jewish counterparts.

The religious leaders have three days to come up with a manifesto that aims to convert their words into actions.

[catholicinsd]

I think that would be a great idea.

[Groo the Wanderer]

Might be good. Couldn't be any less impotent than the current UN, imho.

Can we get representation based on number of adherants? That would put the #1 position into...oh...us!


j/k - would be nice to have something like this, as long as it doesn't degenerate into a christian-bashing forum

[goldenchild17]

creepiness... Things are coming along faster than I thought.

[goldenchild17]

creepiness... Things are coming along faster than I thought.

[mulls]

sure, that would be great. you would never have to worry about anyone sharing the gospel with you ever again.

or people pursuing truth. and about 700 trillion other things that point to Christ for who He really is.

[goldenchild17]

Amen.

Edited November 13, 2006 by goldenchild17

[Winchester]

[quote name='mulls' post='1118938' date='Nov 13 2006, 01:32 PM']
sure, that would be great. you would never have to worry about anyone sharing the gospel with you ever again.

or people pursuing truth. and about 700 trillion other things that point to Christ for who He really is.
[/quote]

The "700 trillion" has been debunked for quite some time.

[Extra ecclesiam nulla salus]

[quote name='catholicinsd' post='1118848' date='Nov 13 2006, 11:49 AM']
I think that would be a great idea.
[/quote]


WOW! honestly how can you think that is a good idea?

[Fidei Defensor]

[quote name='Extra ecclesiam nulla salus' post='1119233' date='Nov 13 2006, 05:53 PM']
WOW! honestly how can you think that is a good idea?
[/quote]
It would be good in so much as there would be less shouting around the world at eachother. There could be one place to meet and dialogue.

[Extra ecclesiam nulla salus]

sounds like a one world religion to me...

[Socrates]

Wholly unnecessary, and a bad idea.

In practice, such a "world body of religions" would be at best useless, and at worst could lead to some very serious evils. (much like the actual U.N.)

If this body were to have any actual power, it takes little imagination to see its abuses.
Why should the Catholic Church be beholden to what the Jews, the Muslims, or the Unitarians say? It could very easily become an attempt to undermine the autonomy and authority of the Catholic Church.

Stay out, I'd say!

[goldenchild17]

Agreed. To me, most likely very evil intentions. At the very least completely useless.

[Fidei Defensor]

[quote name='Extra ecclesiam nulla salus' post='1119248' date='Nov 13 2006, 06:22 PM']
sounds like a one world religion to me...
[/quote]
Simply because leaders of the world's religions would have one place to come together and dialogue?

You fail to make the distinction between dialogue and compromise. The Church's mission is to dialogue in order to bring everyone into Christ's one true Church. You seem to believe that everytime a person talks to someone of another religion, they must compromise. This is simply not the case.

Besides, the whole idea behind a UN of Religions would be to work towards a greater good - i.e. providing for the poor, helping end violence, etc. These are truths which exist in all religions. You cannot deny what is true in other religions, even if they are false as a whole. But just because you admit to truths they have, doesn't mean you are compromising. You are simply calling good what is good.

[Extra ecclesiam nulla salus]

[quote name='fidei defensor' post='1119252' date='Nov 13 2006, 08:29 PM']
Simply because leaders of the world's religions would have one place to come together and dialogue?

You fail to make the distinction between dialogue and compromise. The Church's mission is to dialogue in order to bring everyone into Christ's one true Church. You seem to believe that everytime a person talks to someone of another religion, they must compromise. This is simply not the case.

Besides, the whole idea behind a UN of Religions would be to work towards a greater good - i.e. providing for the poor, helping end violence, etc. These are truths which exist in all religions. You cannot deny what is true in other religions, even if they are false as a whole. But just because you admit to truths they have, doesn't mean you are compromising. You are simply calling good what is good.
[/quote]


ok. I Still do not see a point in a "UN" type dialouge with each of the world's false religions put on an equal level to the Church, while many of them may have evil intentions and try to hurt or undermine the Church. I do not see why the Catholic Church needs to work with false religions to help people, it seems like something we can do by ourselves and have always done by ourselves. I am not denying what is good in false religions, but i just don't see why the good in their religions (no matter how big or small) has to do with this conversation.