Sunday, January 16, 2005

Religiously Ignoring God Question

Scrolling through my "Sent" files, I find this one to the Sunday programme, a BBC Radio 4 religious talk show. It went unacknowledged and unanswered.

Dear Roger Bolton

Throughout history, at times of theological crisis, there have been great councils which have met to make serious pronouncements. In the present climate, it might be helpful if the leaders of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism were to get together and address this question: "Do the words "Yahweh", "God", and "Allah" refer to the same entity or to different entities?”

I would suggest that the way to tackle this would be for them to meet, not for debate, but to sit in silent meditation on the One that they worship, while also contemplating the above question for a couple of hours, and then for each to write a few words to encapsulate their view of the situation; and for the words then to be perhaps composited into a short phrase that all three Abrahamic religions could assent to.

If the religious leaders can declare that monotheists are indeed worshipping the same infinite loving Being, some behavioural modification of the millions of believers that they lead may be expected to flow. Not a lot, of course; it will take a great deal more than the words of a few leaders to heal humanity's current wounds; but as part of a number of political measures designed to address global injustice and inequity, it will help a little. It will give a lead.Is this proposal flawed? Might it be helpful? Is it something that you could spend a little time on?


Onviously this was not something they thought worthy of spending a little time on. If anyone wants to send it to him again in the interests of world peace, the address is mailto:Sunday@bbc.co.uk

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