Fort Hood and Interfaith Initiative

from Senior Minister George Anastos

Church member Anne Kleinkopf and I are members of the steering committee of the Abrahamic Initiative. The mission of the Abrahamic Initiative is to provide a forum for dialogue among Jews, Christians, and Muslims and to foster mutual understanding and appreciation for the faith perspectives of the three traditions. You can learn more about the Abrahamic Initiative at sjcathedral.org.

In light of the Fort Hood shootings last week, Anne and other members of the Initiative's steering committee wrote:

"The Abrahamic Initiative affirms its belief that Islam, alongside Judaism and Christianity, is a religion of peace, tolerance, and compassion with its core values rooted in the love of all people. We further affirm that hatred and violence are not part of the teachings of Islam and that the vast majority of Muslims absolutely reject the use of violence. Further, we recognize our Muslim compatriots to be as patriotic and loyal to America as any other constituency.

"We therefore call upon all citizens of Colorado to resist the urge to categorize any persons with stereotypes that may be harmful and unjust and to remember the universal admonition to love our neighbors as ourselves, and during this difficult time, to reach out to our Muslim neighbors with compassion, respect, and understanding."

May it be so.