300 Crosses Taken Down in Churches across America

[MORTARDUDE]

After 300 Crosses Taken Down in Churches across America, Muslim, Jewish & Christian Scholars, Leaders Confront Barriers to Peace

>8/20/03 800 PM

To: Assignment Desk, Daybook Editor

Contact: Rev. Phillip Schanker of the Family Federation for World Peace, 202-302-1110; 202-319-3201 (fax)

- The Cross Reconsidered: After 300 Crosses Taken Down in Churches across America, Muslim, Jewish & Christian Scholars and Leaders Confront Barriers to Peace and Reconciliation.
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>WHAT: SYMPOSIUM on Jewish-Christian-Muslim Reconciliation and Middle-East Peace: "Harmony Amongst the Children of Abraham"
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>WHERE: Union Theological Seminary, 3041 Broadway at 121st Street, New York, N.Y.

>WHEN: Thursday, August 21, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Call for detailed schedule)

>WHO: Rabbi David Ben-Ami- American Forum for Jewish-Christian Coooperation;
>Imam Amir Salahuddin- Islamic Center of Patterson, NJ; Dr. Lonnie McLeod- New York Theological Seminary; Archbishop George Augustus Stallings, Jr.- African-American Catholic Congregation; Rev. Michael Jenkins- American Clergy
Leadership Conference; Joseph Puder- American Jewish Congress; Dr. Tyler Hendricks-
>Unification Theological Seminary; Mr. Dan Fefferman- International Coalition for Religious Freedom; Dr. Frank Kaufmann- Interreligious Federation for World Peace...
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>BACKGROUND: Since April of this year more than 300 Christian pastors nationwide have removed the crosses from their churches, not denying the central place that the crucifixion plays in Christian belief, but recognizing that the cross symbolizes a history of religious intolerance, forced conversions,inquisitions, and even racism as used by white supremacists. In May, 2003,
120 of these Christian leaders journeyed to Israel, in the midst of bombings and bloodshed, on a peace pilgrimage, and met with hundreds of rabbis, imams,and other leaders for reconciliation. An interreligious peace march of international clergy is planned in Israel in September, despite the terror. Leaders of this effort, together with distinguished scholars from the Abrahamic faiths,
will address these issues in a dramatic dialogue sponsored by the American Clergy Leadership Conference, to be held at Union Theological Seminary.
Participants will address the common root of the 3 Abrahamic faiths, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, reconsider the symbol of the cross and its meaning for Christians as well as other faiths, and consider the power of interreligious harmony to create peace where political and military efforts may fail. "Jesus is no longer on the cross," noted one ACLC pastor. "He overcame the pain and
suffering of the cross, loved his enemies, and blessed those who hated him. If we can do the same, then we can resurrect our communities, our nation, and even the war-torn middle-east from death and hatred to life and love."

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