Comments on: Sermon preached on 28 Feb 2010

By: dmitri

dmitri — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:14:22 +0000

At my seminary in Connecticut they have tried to promote the “Abrahamic religion” idea for many years. As a Christian, I have never felt comfortable with it. Muslims and Jews may trace their roots through Ishmael and Isaac to father Abraham (but not mother Sarah). The Christian gospel however begins with John’s warning: “Don’t say you are sons of Abraham. God can raise up stones to be sons of Abraham.”
To say that the Abrahamic religions have much in common is to draw the circle a little wider than Judaeo Christian to include Muslims which seems like a good idea but only at the expense of seeing our commonality with Hindus and Buddhists and others. Not the best interfaith tactic after all.

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:05:31 +0000

Nods. That sounds like a good one.

By: kelvin

kelvin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:48:00 +0000

Belief in God?

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:50:50 +0000

Leaning pulpit or no, I’m glad to have the opportunity to listen to this sermon. I find it intriguing, if somewhat troubling as well. The image of Jesus as mother hen is quite compelling to me, but I wonder what you think might be a site of commonality between Jews, Muslims and Christians if Abraham is problematic (for all the reasons you mention)?

By: Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 06:01:21 +0000

Reading Genesis, it always struck me what a rotter Abram was. In modern times he would have been charged with trafficking women and child abuse. I was glad to hear you agree with this view.
Maybe it is because the Abrahamic faiths have him in common that we are always at each other’s throats.