Post by Daniel on Jun 4, 2015 8:27:22 GMT -5
The Omaha Tri-Faith Initiative: Nebraska’s Potemkin Village?
June 4, 2015 by Dr. Stephen M. Kirby
The phrase “Potemkin village” is based on a supposed incident in which Russian Prince Grigory Potemkin erected fake settlements along the banks of the Dnieper River in order to fool and impress Russian Empress Catherine II and her entourage during a trip to “New Russia” (Crimea) in 1787. The supposed purpose of these fake settlements was to create an image of development and prosperity where there was none.*
In the Heartland of the United States, along the banks of the Missouri River, lies the city of Omaha, Nebraska, where there is currently underway an experiment in interfaith dialogue and coexistence: the Tri-Faith Initiative. The goal of the Tri-Faith Initiative is to have a synagogue, a mosque, and a church located on a common piece of land, each with its own separate building; the Tri-Faith hopes to later add a fourth building as a shared Tri-Faith Center. The location for this venture is 35 acres in the Sterling Ridge development in Omaha. The religious partners are Temple Israel, the American Muslim Institute (formerly the American Institute of Islamic Studies and Culture), and Countryside Community Church, the new Christian partner.
The goal of the Tri-Faith “is to build bridges of respect, trust and acceptance” between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. But Islamic doctrine prohibits Muslims from respecting, trusting, or accepting Jews and Christians, so how can Muslims support it? Does Nebraska have its own Potemkin village along the banks of the Missouri River? Let’s first review Islamic doctrine.
Islamic Doctrine
We do not believe in the same God: A foundational belief of the Tri-Faith Initiative seems to be that Jews, Christians, and Muslims all believe in the same God, the God of Abraham. But the god of Islam hates and curses Jews and Christians, orders Muslims to fight them, and condemns Jews and Christians to Hell simply because they are not Muslims. I have addressed this topic in more detail in a previous article.
Muslims cannot be friends with Jews and Christians: Building bridges of respect, trust and acceptance among these three religions requires a certain element of friendship between the adherents of these religions. But 5:51 of the Koran, and the teachings of Muhammad, specifically command Muslims not to be friends with Jews and Christians. There is only one exception found, and that is in 3:28 of the Koran, which allows Muslims to pretend to be friends with non-Muslims. I have provided more detail about this issue here.
Christianity is a false religion based on a fraud: Islam teaches that Jesus was not crucified; instead, Allah took Jesus bodily into Heaven and made one of Jesus’ followers look like Jesus, and that follower was crucified. Islam also teaches that Jesus’ apostles were aware of the substitution, but, nevertheless, they then proceeded to spread the new religion, knowing it was based on a fraud. So a Muslim who knows his religion will look at a crucifix or a painting of the Crucifixion and see an imposter hanging on the cross. Given this, how can Muslims respect Christianity? For more details about this, see my previous article.
continue reading
www.frontpagemag.com/2015/dr-stephen-m-kirby/the-omaha-tri-faith-initiative-nebraskas-potemkin-village/
June 4, 2015 by Dr. Stephen M. Kirby
The phrase “Potemkin village” is based on a supposed incident in which Russian Prince Grigory Potemkin erected fake settlements along the banks of the Dnieper River in order to fool and impress Russian Empress Catherine II and her entourage during a trip to “New Russia” (Crimea) in 1787. The supposed purpose of these fake settlements was to create an image of development and prosperity where there was none.*
In the Heartland of the United States, along the banks of the Missouri River, lies the city of Omaha, Nebraska, where there is currently underway an experiment in interfaith dialogue and coexistence: the Tri-Faith Initiative. The goal of the Tri-Faith Initiative is to have a synagogue, a mosque, and a church located on a common piece of land, each with its own separate building; the Tri-Faith hopes to later add a fourth building as a shared Tri-Faith Center. The location for this venture is 35 acres in the Sterling Ridge development in Omaha. The religious partners are Temple Israel, the American Muslim Institute (formerly the American Institute of Islamic Studies and Culture), and Countryside Community Church, the new Christian partner.
The goal of the Tri-Faith “is to build bridges of respect, trust and acceptance” between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. But Islamic doctrine prohibits Muslims from respecting, trusting, or accepting Jews and Christians, so how can Muslims support it? Does Nebraska have its own Potemkin village along the banks of the Missouri River? Let’s first review Islamic doctrine.
Islamic Doctrine
We do not believe in the same God: A foundational belief of the Tri-Faith Initiative seems to be that Jews, Christians, and Muslims all believe in the same God, the God of Abraham. But the god of Islam hates and curses Jews and Christians, orders Muslims to fight them, and condemns Jews and Christians to Hell simply because they are not Muslims. I have addressed this topic in more detail in a previous article.
Muslims cannot be friends with Jews and Christians: Building bridges of respect, trust and acceptance among these three religions requires a certain element of friendship between the adherents of these religions. But 5:51 of the Koran, and the teachings of Muhammad, specifically command Muslims not to be friends with Jews and Christians. There is only one exception found, and that is in 3:28 of the Koran, which allows Muslims to pretend to be friends with non-Muslims. I have provided more detail about this issue here.
Christianity is a false religion based on a fraud: Islam teaches that Jesus was not crucified; instead, Allah took Jesus bodily into Heaven and made one of Jesus’ followers look like Jesus, and that follower was crucified. Islam also teaches that Jesus’ apostles were aware of the substitution, but, nevertheless, they then proceeded to spread the new religion, knowing it was based on a fraud. So a Muslim who knows his religion will look at a crucifix or a painting of the Crucifixion and see an imposter hanging on the cross. Given this, how can Muslims respect Christianity? For more details about this, see my previous article.
continue reading
www.frontpagemag.com/2015/dr-stephen-m-kirby/the-omaha-tri-faith-initiative-nebraskas-potemkin-village/