Javier Solana, the High Representative for the European Common, Foreign and Security Policy, has called for the Alliance of Civilizations to engage in concrete programmes rather than just inter-cultural dialogue. He made the comments following a two day summit convened by the organization in Madrid, which brought together representatives from over 60 nations of the world. The goal of the Alliance of Civilizations to improve understanding and cooperative relations among nations and peoples across cultures and religions and, in the process, to help counter the forces that fuel polarization and extremism.

Quote: "UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stressed the urgent need for inter-cultural dialogue to thwart the threat of extremist movements. "Never in our lifetime has there been a more desperate need for constructive and committed dialogue," Ban said, describing the Alliance of Civilizations as a "unique" platform for that purpose. It was easy to call for cultural bridges, Ban admitted, but it was much more difficult to turn the words into deeds influencing how people thought and acted. Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos urged the participants to engage to back US peace efforts in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, complaining of a "lack of political will" to create a Palestinian state.

The idea of the Alliance of Civilizations was first proposed by Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, following the Madrid train bombings in 2004. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair later backed his proposal, and the United Nations put the plan into effect. It's creation also followed the publication of controversial cartoons of the prophet Mohamed, which sparked a wave of Islamic violence across the globe, resulting in the deaths of many Christians. In an unprecedented step, Javier Solana took it upon himself to personally apologize to Muslim leaders on behalf of Europe. There were no protests in Egypt however, even though the same cartoons were printed in an Egyptian newspaper four months prior to those published in Europe. The riots continued for many weeks, and several hard-line Islamic governments were found to be actively involved in supporting them. But the schism between the Islamic and Western cultures has been healed of late, after a group Muslim clerics sent a letter to prominent politicians and religious leaders in the West, calling for greater understanding between the two sides. The letter urged Christians to set aside their differences with Islam, and focus on the values that are common to both, and "that we worship none but God, and that we shall ascribe no partner unto Him, and that none of us shall take others for lords beside God". As I commented at the time, no Christian in their right mind could agree to such a statement, for the Qur'an teaches that Jesus Christ is a created being and in the eyes of Islam, any person that believes the Deity of Jesus Christ is ascribing a partner to God. But many Evangelical leaders did respond to the letter, apologizing for the war in Iraq and calling for deeper dialogue between Islam and Christianity. I somehow doubt that dialogue will include telling Muslims of their need to be saved in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12).

There have been many calls for a "United Nations of Religions" over the past few years. And there are many organizations that are actively involved in pursuing the unification of all religions under one umbrella. On the surface, the values that these groups espouse seem to be admirable. World peace, tolerance, love, etc. And as Christians, the Bible commands us to follow peace with all men (Hebrews 12:14), and to love not only our neighbours but also our enemies (Luke 6:27). But the Bible states that God will not give His glory to another (Isaiah 42:8), and these organizations have placed every idol on an equal par with the God of the Bible.

Quote: "Rev. Marcus Braybrooke, a scholar of interfaith, describes it as follows: Religion too often has been used to justify killing people in 'holy' wars, crusades and persecution. The interfaith movement recognizes that God is present in every religion. It believes that people of faith and good will must cooperate to break down religious prejudice and work together for a better world.

Even those who profess to be Christians, such as US President Bush and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, have claimed that Islam and Christianity both worship the same God. As we can see from the above quotation, these men may be only following orders from the chief of this one world system, Satan himself. For this is the lie that all these organizations are bringing in, "we are one people, we can all get to God our own way". There is one verse in the Bible that stops this idea dead in its tracks...

John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 

You just can't get around that verse. Many have tried, even Joel Osteen tried it. But you just can't twist it. These organizations will continue to promote their religious ideas, as the world prepares for the coming of the Antichrist. The Bible states that during the tribulation period, a religious leader will emerge on the scene who will seemingly unite all religions under the authority of the Antichrist. As my friend Olli-Pekka has been commenting recently, it seems that many religions are now expecting the coming of a great leader who will usher in an era of peace upon this world. The world isn't anti-God. You can have your god and call him whatever you like, doesn't bother Satan one bit. People of the world will have no problem in adding one more god to their list of deities when the Antichrist appears on the scene. But the world is anti-Christ, and the Bible says that the tribulation saints will pay a heavy price for the proclamation of the Gospel (Revelation 20:4). May we continue to do so as good and faithful servants, until He comes.

Revelation 13:11-15
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

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