May 26th, 2008. There seems to be a dispute among the clergy within the Church of England over whether the church should seek to convert British Muslims to Christianity.
The Bishop of Rochester, the Right Reverend Michael Nazir-Ali, who was born is Pakistan, claims that the church is not really seeking to convert British Muslims to Christianity and should be:
“I think it may have gone too far. … Our nation is rooted in the Christian faith and that is the basis of welcoming people of other faiths. You cannot have an honest conversation on the basis of fudge.”
Other church leaders feel that the church should be more respectful of other religious traditions. According to the Right Reverend Stephen Lowe, the former Bishop of Hulme:
“Both the Bishop of Rochester’s reported comments and the synod private members’ motion show no sensitivity to the need for good inter-faith relations. Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs are learning to respect one another’s paths to God and to live in harmony. This demand for the evangelization of people of other faiths contributes nothing to our communities.”
Response: It is the duty and and always has been the responsibility of the church to fulfill the ‘Great Commission’ of Jesus Christ and preach the gospel and bring everyone to Jesus. Those who teach that there is an equivalence among religions are entirely wrong and have no business being in the leadership of a Christian church. Rev. Stephen Lowe, in particular, is entirely wrong if he contends that there is ‘another’ path to God.