General Assembly dismantles overture calling for affirming ‘common Abrahamic heritage
John H. Adams, The Layman Online , June 20, 2006
217th General Assembly
Birmingham, Ala. BIRMINGHAM — The 217th General Assembly voted Monday to dismantle completely an overture from Newton Presbytery that called for affirming “a common Abrahamic heritage” among Christians, Jews and Muslims.
The commissioners did approve the version of the overture recommended by the Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations Committee, but it was a far cry from what Newton proposed. Key portions of Newton’s overture, including a statement proclaiming that “Muslims Jews, and Christians worship the same God,” were deleted from the proposal.
What was left after the extractions was a bland statement affirming “the current mandate of the Office of Interfaith Relations to promote the common effort of Christians, Muslims and Jews to work together for peace, justice and righteousness.”
Newton wanted to call that common effort “an equal concern of each of the three faiths” — but that assertion was also lopped.
The advocates of the Newton overture didn’t yield willingly. Members of the Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations Committee attempted to get their Abrahamic heritage unity theme back in the statement through a minority report, which was defeated soundly.
A youth advisory delegate supported the minority report, urging the assembly to reaffirm “that which we have in common with others” and “reclaim part of the original intent of the Newton overture, affirming our shared heritage.”
But the problem with that assertion, said William Shurley, a theological student advisory delegate who is studying at Princeton Seminary, is that the three religions, while claiming a common link with Abraham, do not share a theological heritage with each other. They would compromise Christianity’s understanding of the Triune God, which Jews and Muslims find unacceptable, Shurley said.
Dr. Jay Rock of the denomination’s ecumenical office was asked to address the issue as a staff resource person. “While all three religions refer to Abraham, it is not clear to say we claim a common heritage,” Rock said. “Judaism, Christianity and Islam each interpret Abraham in quite distinct ways. We felt to use the language of common heritage was confusing.”
After rejecting the minority report by a vote of 340-160, the commissioners approved the final statement 466-29 eliminating any reference to a “common heritage.”