Comment from UTT:

Ecumenical madness! This is the only way to describe the situation that is unfolding. Now we have the Evangelical Lutheran Church calling for Christians to unite with Muslims, suggesting that Muslims are "Peoples of the Book" - what book?

Think about what is happening - Catholics are already getting together with Muslims. The Orthodox Church and the Anglicans are discussing unity with Rome. Now we are told that everyone can get together in unity based on the environment.

Whatever happened to the gospel of Jesus Christ? It seems to me that those who stand firm and proclaim the gospel according to the Scriptures will be standing alone.

July 6 - Holy Land call for Christians and Muslims to engage on ecology

Article: Ecumenical Movement - Misc.

Holy Land Bishop Munib Younan has said that Christians need to have a stronger voice in Jerusalem in order to prevent tensions spreading there, and that Muslims and Christians should work together on ecology issues.

Younan, the Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land since 1998, appealed for Jerusalem's multi-faceted character of "holiness and inclusivity" to continue. Jerusalem, he said, is still the Holy City of and for Christians, Jews and Muslims, who are all, "Peoples of the Book".

"The Christian world needs a stronger voice on Jerusalem.otherwise extremism will become the norm," Younan told the LWF council. "Extremism is not only in Iran and in the USA," he added, noting that he believed extremism in the Middle East could only be fought by interfaith dialogue.

"Europe is suffering because [Christians] do not know how to talk with Muslims. Africa is also having problems on how to talk to Muslims. Ecology is the way to speak to the Muslims because we share the environment," Younan said.

The LWF general secretary, the Rev Ishmael Noko, a Zimbabwean, said in reply to Younan on 25 June, "I am very sensitive that we Christians in Africa have tried to bring peace as Christians only. We have forgotten other groups. We see things as Christians. There are others who we share the environment with."

German Lutheran Bishop Maria Jepsen from Hamburg said, "Inter-religious dialogue must also include Jews. There is a lot of anti-Semitism in the world, not only in Germany and Europe."