The Irish Council of Churches together with Evangelical Alliance Ireland and Evangelical Alliance Northern Ireland, has joined with church and world leaders in expressing dismay at and condemnation of the plans of US pastor Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida to publicly burn the Koran and call on him to immediately cancel the plan.
Muslims throughout the world have just celebrated the Holy month of Ramadan and as they ask forgiveness from each other and renew relationships it is offensive and entirely wrong that any person or group would engage in such a deliberate act of provocation.
Bishop Richard Clarke, President of the Irish Council of Churches states that “burning the Koran or any sacred text is a depravity and an act of sacrilege. We wish to reassure all Muslims throughout the island of Ireland that we entirely deplore what is being done. This is an act of a lone Pastor and must not be seen to be done in the name of Christianity. We pray that we can continue to build on good relationships between Muslims and Christians on this island and that our friendships will deepen and our understanding of each other’s faith will help us work together for the common good in Ireland”
Stephen Cave, Northern Ireland Director of Evangelical Alliance adds “This un–Christlike action not only makes a mockery of the Christian faith but endangers the religious liberty and free speech argument behind which Pastor Jones hides. Inciting others to violence, which will be the inevitable consequence of this offensive stunt, should have no place in a Christian’s response to conflicting worldviews, no matter how dangerous they perceive them to be.”
Seán Mullan, General Director Evangelical Alliance Ireland continues, “The teaching of Jesus is clear. His followers are to love their neighbour as themselves –this includes loving those who may be their enemies. Burning a book that your neighbour views as sacred is a violation of those commands. Dr. Jones should think again and those who publicise his actions should question the wisdom of doing so”.
Note to Editors:
The Irish Council of Churches is comprised of fourteen member Churches: The Antiochian Orthodox Church, The Church of Ireland, The Greek Orthodox Church in Britain and Ireland, LifeLink Network of Churches, The Lutheran Church in Ireland, The Methodist Church in Ireland, The Moravian Church (Irish District), The Non–Subscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland, The Presbyterian Church in Ireland, The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Ireland, The Rock of Ages Cherubim and Seraphim Church, The Romanian Orthodox Church in Ireland, The Russian Orthodox Church in Ireland, The Salvation Army (Ireland Division)
The Evangelical Alliance UK, formed in 1846, is an umbrella group representing over one million evangelical Christians in the UK and is made up of member churches, organisations and individuals. As part of a movement ‘uniting to change society’, the Alliance promotes unity and truth, acts as an evangelical voice to the state, society and the wider Church, and provides resources to help members and other evangelicals live out their faith in their communities.
The Evangelical Alliance Ireland is a movement of churches, organisations and individuals coming together to express their common identity and purpose and to engage Irish society with the challenge of the gospel.
