UTS Releases Prayerful Response to Recent Attacks
Dr. Hugh Spurgin, President of the Unification Theological Seminary (UTS), issued the following statement today:
On behalf of our UTS community, we mourn the death of the innocents that occurred on Friday in Paris and lift up our hearts in prayer for those killed, wounded and bereaved, together with citizens of civilizations the world over who join us in prayers for peace.
On November 13th the City of Paris was the scene of the latest savage attack by several militant Islamists in the heart of Europe. God Bless the First Responders to these attacks who rushed forward to help the victims at the risk of harm to themselves. By some accounts, this is the 28th attack claiming more than 100 innocent lives in the name of a religious ideology since 9/11. As we pray for the victims in France, we acknowledge the genocide that is taking place against Christians, Yazidis and other religious minorities in Syria and Iraq, who continue to suffer under the occupation of Islamist terrorists. In the last few years, hundreds of lives have been claimed in Europe, even as thousands of lives in the birthplace of Christianity have been taken.
By their teaching and their example, the co-founders of the Unification Theological Seminary have made clear that the resolution of conflicts of religious identity and ideology will not be achieved by force alone. Hence, the stakeholders of Unification Theological Seminary will continue to engage theologians of all faiths and scholars of conscience for the purpose of reaching toward the goal of religious harmony and a commitment by people of faith to speak as one voice in the war of ideas against hatred and violence of all kinds, including fanatical acts carried out in the name of religion.
Let people of faith and conscience join hands in prayer and with a common resolve to meet the ongoing terrorist threat that confronts the whole of humanity, by affirming that even in this dark moment in which we are surrounded by tragedy, there are prospects for peace. Let each of us call for candid dialogue among civic leaders as to how to affirm and to seek to achieve the universal goal of peace on earth.
Dmitry
| #
126 Islamic scholars have condemned ISIS. The Secretary-General of world Union of Muslim Ali al-Karadagi one of the signatories to the fatwa.
link to original http://www.lettertobaghdadi.com/14/english-v14.pdf
Reply
Edy Iversen
| #
Dear Hugh,
Thank you for your excellent article and your support for France and all innocent people of the world that have been touched by this violence. On Dec. 12 we are organizing a very important interfaith meeting here in France, and we asked for prayers from our brothers and sisters throughout the world for its success. Only through long term thinking, interfaith dialogue, and service can we win the hearts of those who hate us and oppose us. War is never ending, but love is eternal.We must find a way to reach people with our ideology of peace, even those who come against us.
Reply
Dmitry
| #
The terrorist attacks in France is no worse than the terrorist attack in Russia and other countries. But is this religious terrorism?! This is just geopolitics. The collapse of attempts to “control” terrorism in such countries as Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Senior U.S. officials maintained close contact with al-Qaeda terrorists and ISIS. The US trained and supplied arms to those who then become terrorists.
Now terrorism is only the mask of religion. Politicians are using religious fanaticism to destroy national States and the establishment of quasi environment.
I don’t know if it’s bad. But it becomes terrible methods.
Reply