Needs of Christians towards other faiths

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32587, 22 April 1971, Page 5

Needs of Christians towards other faiths

The need for Christian churches to have a new sensitivity towards men of other living faiths was one of the important issues discussed at the recent meeting of the central committee of the World Council of Churches in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the only New Zealand representative on the committee, the Bishop of Waikato (the Rt Rev. A. H. Johnston) said in Christchurch this week.

Bishop Johnston was in Christchurch to address the monthly meeting of the executive committee of the National Council of Churches. Serious exploration of dialogue with men of other living faiths was not a question of Christians giving up their unique claims about Jesus Christ, but listening sympathetically to men who held equally sincere beliefs, he said. The central committee had been helped to form guidelines on this subject by a Greek Orthodox priest. Metropolitan G. Khodre, of Lebanon;and Dr S. Samartha, an

i Indian who in his address, had . combined Christian theology ' with Hindu thought Bishop Johnston said that ■ another important issue at the meeting was the need for ■ progress in renewal and unity. ■ This involved the field of faith i and witness, justice and ser- • vice and work through educai tion and communication. Bishop Johnston said that I the next meeting of the com- : mittee would be held in the Netherlands in August next I year. One of the tasks at ■ this meeting would be to i elect a new secretary-general • of .the council to replace Dr ■ E. C. Blake, who would retire.