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Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. II Corinthians 6:14-18
And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Revelation 18:1-5
The religious situation during the last days prior to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ continues to take shape, right on schedule--God's schedule, that is. The "Christian" church mentioned in the following article is affiliated with the extremely liberal and apostate United Church of Christ, mixing theological liberalism with contemplative spirituality.
As reported by Sierra Karst of the Omaha World-Herald, November 16, 2019 (links in original):
As the clock ticked toward noon, a smattering of people — from elderly couples to casually dressed young adults — congregated around a dust-blown construction site.Ms. Goldberg is the interim director of the Tri-Faith Center because the liberal United Methodist minister who was hired in 2018 as the Center's director is on leave while facing accusations of sexual misconduct. As reported by Christopher Burbach of the Omaha World-Herald, October 18, 2019 (links in original):
Enter Wendy Goldberg, interim executive director of the Tri-Faith Initiative, wielding a handful of colorful markers.
“Let’s shake up the pens and get it going,” she said.
The pens were for members of the initiative’s three congregations to sign a black beam that will be installed in the new Tri-Faith Center near 132nd and Pacific Streets.
Board members from the American Muslim Institute, Countryside Community Church and Temple Israel had signed the beam Friday night, and, when community members were done signing Saturday, the beam held more than 130 names.
The center will be the only completely shared building on Tri-Faith’s 35-acre plot. Plans for an interactive exhibit, a reflection room overlooking the entire campus and a tri-paneled front wall will celebrate the initiative as a whole.
The church, mosque and temple are already built and occupied, and the new center will be done in June, Goldberg said.
The initiative places Islamic, Jewish and Christian houses of worship on literal common ground to connect the congregations physically and socially. The goal is to encourage empathy, understanding and shared effort among the three faith’s members.
A larger multipurpose room and grand, bleacherlike staircase will allow for events such as educational presentations and weddings. Office spaces and a dual-use catering and teaching kitchen will allow Tri-Faith staff to gather and talk together, Goldberg said.
It’s been 13 years since the initiative was first incorporated as a nonprofit and started looking for available land. Goldberg called it “a slow-baked experience.”
“I believe that our mission moving forward is about deepening relationships and building trust,” she said. “Less focused on bricks and mortar.”
For the Rev. Chris Alexander of Countryside, the new center will be perfect for growing friendships with the initiative’s other faith partners.
As a participant in the initiative, Alexander said, she has discussed everything from what to name her church’s coffee drinks to how to deal with troublesome scriptures with her Jewish and Muslim counterparts, who have become friends.
“We wouldn’t just naturally come together and have a cup of coffee if we were 6 miles apart,” she said. “We interact in ways we never did before, and with this (new building), it’ll just expand that.”
For families like Cary and Rashid Mohiuddin and their two children, the Tri-Faith Initiative is about more than faith.
Raised Catholic and married to a Muslim man, Cary Mohiuddin said she loves attending educational Islam classes at the mosque. The community, with its accepting atmosphere and close relationships, is like a piece of utopia right here in Omaha, she said.
“To be able to build a fourth building devoted to all of the faiths under Abraham’s tent is very special,” she said. “It’s a great example of what humans are capable of if we keep love in mind.”
In light of the 85 headstones recently vandalized at the cemetery on North 42nd Street owned by Temple Israel, Goldberg spoke of the shared American value of religious freedom.
“The more that we come together for experiments like the Tri-Faith Initiative and hear the narratives of the religious other,” she said, “the less fear will fill that narrative and the more opportunities we have to believe that we were all created in the image of God.”
The former executive director of Omaha’s Tri-Faith Initiative, the Rev. Donald “Bud” Heckman, has been suspended from ministry by the United Methodist Church over accusations of sexual harassment and domestic abuse.
Four women filed complaints about Heckman’s behavior toward them between 2011 and 2015, according to a United Methodist News Service article. One of them was Heckman’s ex-wife. The other three were connected to interfaith ministry, a field in which Heckman is nationally prominent.
Heckman did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment Friday.
The dates of the alleged misconduct were before Heckman’s time as executive director of the Tri-Faith Initiative, a partnership among Temple Israel, the American Muslim Institute and Countryside Community Church on a single campus in west Omaha.
Heckman was the organization’s executive director from March 2018 to February 2019. Heckman was placed on leave when the initiative’s board learned of an allegation, and the organization severed ties with Heckman “as soon as we confirmed that there was some validity to the allegations,” said Wendy Goldberg, the initiative’s interim executive director.
“It was important that we act responsibly in putting the mission of the initiative ahead of any individual,” she said Friday.
Asked if there had been any complaints against Heckman at the initiative, Goldberg said, “None that we’re aware of.”
The organization released a statement that said, “The Tri-Faith Initiative is committed to providing an environment free of discriminatory intimidation or harassment. In keeping with this commitment, we maintain a strict policy prohibiting harassment in any form, including verbal, physical and visual harassment.”
The United Methodist News Service reported that the denomination’s West Ohio Conference confirmed that Heckman was suspended from active ministry. He could face a church trial in December.
The four women filed formal complaints after 15 women had raised allegations of harassment or domestic abuse against Heckman, according to the News Service.
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