wfn.org | ABCUSA: General Board Addresses Inter Religious Prejudice

["SCHRAMM, Richard" <Richard.Schramm@abc-usa.org>]

American Baptist News Service (Valley Forge, Pa. 11/15/03)--The General
Board of American Baptist Churches USA, meeting here in semiannual sessions,
yesterday affirmed (with a vote of 112 yes, 1 no, 4 abstentions) an
"American Baptist Resolution on Inter Religious Prejudice."

The resolution, in part, states:

"...Increased religious diversity in the communities in which we live and
minister is no longer an avoidable subject for our churches. For many of our
congregations, inter religious and intercultural relations are an integral
part of community and family life. Many church members have children,
parents, sisters and brothers, spouses or other relatives who belong to
another religious tradition. People of other faiths confront, as do many
Christians, discrimination in access to housing, job opportunities, or
political and social position. In their efforts to address community
problems, provide hope for a better society, and work for justice,
Christians find themselves working side-by-side with men and women who
practice religious traditions other than their own.
		
"Events in the United States and across the world have made us more aware of
the significance of the world's religions and their influence on politics,
economics, and cultures. At home and abroad, the world of building Christian
unity and our efforts for peace and human development are increasingly
intertwined with questions regarding our relationships with those religious
traditions outside the churches among whom we have traditionally
participated in dialogue....

"Call to Action:
(1) To call on American Baptists to devote further attention and study to
the gospel and our own historic Baptist teachings and traditions, that we
might be informed, compassionate neighbors, bearing witness to the lordship
of Jesus Christ and salvation through his name to those of other faith
traditions experiencing prejudice;
(2) To encourage American Baptist professional church leaders and laity to
educate themselves in a better understanding of other faith traditions, to
devote further attention to issues of interpreting scriptural teaching; and
of the issues which have united and divided us, particularly in areas where
conflict is imminent;
(3) To encourage dialogue with Americans of other religions to promote peace
and justice in the U.S. and around the world; and in particular with
American Jews and Muslims as integral to the churches efforts for peace in
the Middle East; to encourage inter religious dialogue in other situations
in which religion is identified as a factor in conflict situations;
(4) To condemn all forms of bigotry which turn religious differences into
excuses for defamations, stereotyping, and violence; to defend their
victims; to challenge and rebut statements about other faith groups or
individuals that embody religious stereotyping, prejudice and bigotry;
(5) To challenge and commit our staff and our churches to examine and to
uproot all that might contribute to prejudice in our teaching, life and
ministries; including both intolerance toward Christians and Christian
intolerance of others;
(6) To recommit ourselves to the historic Baptist principle of the
separation of church and state which has allowed us freely to worship in a
free land; to uphold its implication of religious freedom for all persons;
to defend the rights and liberties of cultural, racial and religious
minorities; in the same manner that we defend our own;
(7) To support ongoing work with cooperatively related organizations and
people of other religions and cultures in public policy advocacy; refugee
resettlement, and overseas programs; the prevention of family violence and
abuse; and to initiate work in other program areas."

K/2003ABNS/03ABN138

American Baptist News Service: Office of Communication, American Baptist
Churches USA, P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851; (800)ABC-3USA x2077
/ (610)768-2077; fax: (610)768-2320; www.abc-usa.org;
richard.schramm@abc-usa.org