- REUTERS
Pakistani Islamists from Jamiat Ulma-e-Pakistan group burn Danish, Norwegian and French flags during a rally in Lahore earlier this month. Muslim outrage spread through Asia over publication of cartoons in European newspapers depicting the Prophet Mohammad as a terrorist.
The following article is contributed by the Forum for Caribbean Theological Discussion, an ecumenical grouping of Jamaican ministers of religion.
A FAMOUS German-American leader of thought, Reinhold Niebuhr, once referred to the United States of America as being largely a nation of adolescents. By this he meant that in many of the issues and challenges of individual and corporate life, too many adults respond or react in the way typical early adolescents are normally expected to do.
It is interesting that one of the Americans asked to comment on the current debate on the impasse between Muslim fundamentalists and Christian fundamentalists, said that the major problem with most of his fellow Ameri-cans is ignorance about global realities.
Whether the root cause of the escalating conflict between militant Euro-Christians and militant Muslims of Asia and the Middle East is chronic arrogance or chronic ignorance, the plain fact is that the situation is threatening to develop into a full-blown world war, in which much that humankind has achieved today will be senselessly destroyed, with most of the human casualties being totally innocent.
The consequences of the callously selfish action by the editor and cartoonists of a Danish newspaper illustrates most vividly the notion that there is no decision made or action taken by a single individual anywhere in the world that does not have consequences for the rest of the world, including the person deciding and acting. Of course, this means among other things, that whatever our level of sophistication, religious orientation, political ideology or racial identity, we share space in one world with all other human beings, regardless of what we think of those whose identity does not correspond with ours.
ABSOLUTE TRUTH
Unfortunately, there are too many significant persons in the world who, because of their economic and military power, do not think they need to take this fact too seriously, since none of those whom they hurt is capable of
hurting them seriously at the present time. Just about two days after the assassination of the American martyr for peace, Martin Luther King, the President of Princeton Theological Seminary, Professor John McCord, began his sermon in the Miller Chapel with the words: "The party is over."
He continued: "For a long time, the people of Western Europe and North America have been having a party at the expense of the rest of the human family. I am announcing at this time that that party is over." The message of those words has not been received or heeded by most of those who refer proudly to themselves as being Western, Democratic and 'Christian'. Their utterances, in reference to those not entitled to use those adjectives of themselves, convey the impression that despite everything about the latter, they do not deserve to be affirmed, respected and treated as full human beings, bearing the image of God.
The behaviour of the editors and the cartoonists of the European newspapers reported to have carried what obviously is the epitome of the contempt in which the people of the so-called 'Christian West' hold persons in other parts of the world who dare to speak of things of ultimate concern in language that differs from that used by those who claim to be sole custodians of divine truth, and the authority to determine what is best for humankind.
The violent reaction of the people in the so-called Muslim world sends a message to those who claim to be the sole custodians of absolute truth. It also challenges those who can discern the signs of the time to use everything in their power to help the purveyors of 'enemy love' recognise that among other things:
i. We live in a world of pluralities - cultural plurality, religious plurality, plurality of perspectives on everything in this world;
ii. In religious terms we need to make the distinction between the supreme God and the notions of God held by followers of the various religious communities throughout the world;
iii. In this world of plurality in everything, we need to do the following if we are to avoid bringing about the destruction of the world by those afflicted with cultural arrogance and religious bigotry:
a. Show respect without reservation for the religious beliefs and the cultural and political values of those whose orientation differs from our own;
b. Be willing to live together with those whose beliefs, lifestyle and values differ from those of the traditions in which we have been socialised;
c. Be open to dialogue about the beliefs we now hold with special reference to religion and morality, with a view to making allowances for our fellow inhabitants of the earth who at the present time hold views that are diametrically different from ours;
d. Be willing to defend the rights of other persons to follow their inherited traditions until hopefully they can be persuaded to either modify or to change them in the interest of both themselves and those who share the world with them;
e.Be willing to see members of the local, national, regional or global community not only in relation to religious, racial or political characteristics, but also without reference to any of these - in other words, just as fellow human beings with whom we have the privilege of sharing space in God's world.
APPREHENSION ABOUT PLURALISM
Part of the discipline needed in an inevitably pluralistic world is the willingness to affirm persons essentially as fellow human beings, deserving to be respected, loved, empowered and defended if needs be.
Apprehension about pluralism is due to some fears that are common to all human beings, and therefore, worth mentioning here with special reference to religious beliefs and convictions:
i. Fear of compromising our cherished inherited beliefs and faith commitments;
ii. Fear of offending God whom we revere;
iii. Fear of losing depth in our personal spiritualit;
iv. Fear of becoming a convert to the other religions that we have come to regard as 'false', 'untrue' or 'inadequate';
v. Fear of becoming completely secular, non-believing or spiritually marginalised.
These fears are not only common but also real and we should summon the courage to admit them so that we may be able to examine them carefully, since it is because of them that we sometimes behave irrationally and even violently towards those holding beliefs to which we are opposed.
CONVICTIONS AND VALUES
Needless to say, much of the ugliness that characterises the relationships, especially between those who follow the teachings of Christ and the followers of the other faiths, arises out of these fears which some of us may be afraid to admit. And it should be remembered that when persons feel secure in their faith, they are free to be gracious towards those whose beliefs, convictions and values do not coincide with theirs.
The current conflicts between Christian fundamentalists and Muslim fundamentalists are rooted in the fears referred to. And we will all eventually be consumed by them if as co-inhabitants of God's world we do not try to deal with them graciously and rationally.
We in the Caribbean now lead the rest of the world in the matter of the acceptance and accommodation of racial, religious and political plurality. This is part of the legacy of our history. It is incumbent on us both to build on what we now have in terms of our openness to differences and our willingness both to listen to others and to guard against using the liberty we have to offend, exclude or insult others thus jeopardising the possibility of living in peace not only with God, but also with the rest of God's people and indeed, with those non-human creatures who share God's world with us humans. (Isaiah chapter 35).
The ecumenical group members are: Revs. Byron Chambers, Neville Callam, Ernle Gordon, Roderick Hewitt, Strotrell Lowe, Richmond Nelson, Garnett Roper, Ashley Smith, Burchell Taylor, Karl Johnson and Wayneford McFarlane.
