Christians Urged to Adapt to Fluid World

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: May 10, 2005

Filed at 8:19 a.m. ET

AGIOS ANDREAS, Greece (AP) -- Christian churches must set aside differences and adopt less confrontational approaches toward other faiths in an age of mobile populations and strains between the West and the Islamic world, the head of the Greek Orthodox Church told a global religious conference Tuesday.

''The consequences of globalization, terrorism and the war on terror require that Christian churches rediscover their prophetic voice ... to raise their voice and be on the side of peace,'' Archbishop Christodoulos said, opening a weeklong gathering of more than 500 Christian leaders and theologians here to examine challenges to the faith.

The secretary-general of the World Council of Churches -- the organizers of the conference -- also noted the ''demographic center'' of Christianity is shifting into the southern hemisphere led by explosive growth in African congregations and rising populations in Latin America.