FENZA – DOC

N° 1  -  APRIL 2008

 

ABOUT CONVERSIONS FROM ONE CHURCH TO ANOTHER

OR FROM ONE RELIGION TO ANOTHER

 

 

The problem

 

We are all aware that conversion from one religious body to another one entails problems. We have heard about the reactions to the fact that Benedict XVI baptised a Muslim during Easter Night.  We are angry when ministers come to fish in our own Christian community. We know that Proselytism is forbidden in some Indian states and in some Muslim countries. We have heard about the priest who was recently arrested in Algeria for conducting a prayer service with Christian students. We are sorry for the way conversions have been forced in the past…Each one could easily add more facts to this list…

 

On one hand we know the great commission and the duty to propagate our faith.

On the other hand we know we must respect the freedom of each person and we are told that conversion has become a threat for religious diversity and harmony.

Conversion  has become a problematic issue.  Mission is seen as intolerance, lack of respect for other traditions.  Proselytism has become a dirty word, an aggression against the freedom of conscience.( art 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights). 

But  we also hear and read that  the respect of other religious traditions can be a sign of  relativism and lead to being unfaithful to the great commission (Mt  28,19-20)

 

The project:

Hence the interest of the following process:  The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID) and the Office for Interreligious Relations and Dialogue (IRRDF) of the WCC  have initiated a study project on the theme of conversion: Interreligious Reflection on Conversion – From Controversy to a Shared Code of Conduct. This project is extended on several years.

 

           

The first meeting:,  entitled: “Conversion – Assessing the Reality”,  was held in May 2006 in Lariano, (Italy). It was an interreligious assembly with members from Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Yoruba Religion. The aim was to listen to one another and to assess the situation: what are the facts? What are the issues? What do participants say about conversion? This was followed by discussion.  Here are the conclusions of the meeting: (a report not an adopted document)

 

This document summarizes the main points of view expressed by the participants. It also records some consensual recommendations for the consideration of our respective communities, and of the countries and organizations to which we belong.  

1.                   All of us believe that religions should be a source of uniting and ennobling of humans. Religion, understood and practiced in the light of the core principles and ideals of each of our faiths, can be a reliable guide to meeting the many challenges before humankind.

 

2.                   Freedom of religion is a fundamental, inviolable and non-negotiable right of every human being in every country in the world. Freedom of religion connotes the freedom, without any obstruction, to practice one’s own faith, freedom to propagate the teachings of one’s faith to people of one’s own and other faiths, and also the freedom to embrace another faith out of one’s own free choice. 

 

 

3.                   We affirm that while everyone has a right to invite others to an understanding of their faith, it should not be exercised by violating other’s rights and religious sensibilities. At the same time, all should heal themselves from the obsession of converting others.

 

4.                   Freedom of religion enjoins upon all of us the equally non-negotiable responsibility to respect faiths other than our own, and never to denigrate, vilify or misrepresent them for the purpose of affirming superiority of our faith.

 

5.                   We acknowledge that errors have been perpetrated and injustice committed by the adherents of every faith. Therefore, it is incumbent on every community to conduct honest self-critical examination of its historical conduct as well as its doctrinal/theological precepts. Such self-criticism and repentance should lead to necessary reforms inter alia on the issue of conversion.

 

6.                   A particular reform that we would commend to practitioners and establishments of all faiths is to ensure that conversion by “unethical” means are discouraged and rejected by one and all. There should be transparency in the practice of inviting others to one’s faith.

 

7.                   While deeply appreciating humanitarian work by faith communities, we feel that it should be conducted without any ulterior motives. In the area of humanitarian service in times of need, what we can do together, we should not do separately.

 

8.                   No faith organization should take advantage of vulnerable sections of society, such as children and the disabled.

 

9.                   During our dialogue, we recognized the need to be sensitive to the religious language and theological concepts in different faiths.

 

10.               Members of each faith should listen to how people of other faiths perceive them. This is necessary to remove and avoid misunderstandings, and to promote better appreciation of each other’s faiths.

 

Conclusion:  We see the need for and usefulness of a continuing exercise to collectively evolve a “code of conduct” on conversion, which all faiths should follow. We therefore feel that inter-religious dialogues on the issue of conversion should continue at various levels.

 

The second meeting , entitled: “Towards an Ethical Approach to Conversion, Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World”  was an Intra Christian meeting that took place in Toulouse (France) in August 2007. Were present Catholics, Orthodox Christians, Churches coming from the Reformation, Members of the World Evangelical Alliance and of Pentecostal Churches.

 

Participants were asked to provide material which could go in a “code of conduct”.  Five conferences were given. Ideas were discussed in groups and in plenary. No synthesis of the discussions  was made. It is still in process. Yet one could notice a convergence concerning a certain number of basic principles that should be included in a code of conduct. Here are a few examples:

 

1.       We have the duty  to evangelize

 

2.       We remember that we cannot convert someone. We can witness, we can explain what conversion means, we can call to conversion;  A human being can only convert himself to his creator and this conversion is only possible because of God’s grace.

 

3.       We should never belittle of condemn other religions

 

4.       We should respect human right to adopt, to practice and to leave a religion

 

5.       Never use unethical means of inducing people to convert to our faith e.g. financial help, material benefits, threats, harassment, lies, using authority of a function (teacher, doctor, magistrate…) ……

 

6.       Ministers of Christian churches functioning in the same area should work in harmony, thus giving the witness of Christian unity (Jn 17,21)

 

7.       Never encourage “sheep stealing” between churches

 

8.       Never separate evangelism, ecumenism and ethics. Those three dimensions must be interlocked in all our missionary endeavours. No evangelism which is not ecumenical and ethical,  no ecumenism which is not evangelical and ethical, no ethics which are not ecumenical and evangelistic.

 

These points are still being discussed through e.mail. When ready, the final version will become the basis for the third and final meeting of the project. “What is hoped is a modest “code of conduct” which will be agreed upon by Christians from a broad spectrum. This code of conduct” should not be a legal document but a sort of intra-christian agreement on evangelising the peoples by being sensitive to and respectful of their religious traditions” (F.Marchado, PCID) .

 

Conclusion

 

We do not need to stress the importance of this project. But it will become a reality when each one of us tries to clarify certain issues such as:  how to define evangelisation vs proselytism?  dialogue vs proclamation?  ethics of evangelisation?

 

more information on: www.oikoumene.org/en/programmes/interreligiousdialogue/current-dialogue/no-50-february-2008.html

 

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SHORT NEWS

 

ECUMENISM:

This year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the week of prayer for unity (New York 1908) and  the 60th anniversary of the WCC (Amsterdam 1948).  We are also preparing the 100th anniversary of the Ecumenical Movement (Edimburgh 1910)

 

Theologians of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches came to an agreement on the service of authority in the Church.

 

INTER-FAITH: Catholic Bishops and other officials from sub-Saharan Africa met in Nairobi in April in order to assess the Church’s progress in its relations with other religions, especially Islam. The meeting was chaired by Cardinal J.L. Tauran, President of the Vatican Council for inter-Religious Dialogue. Participants were invited to face the difficulties and tensions with a spirit of search for the truth  and  bridge-building between religions. 

 

ISLAMO CHRISTIAN DIALOGUE: Usually Christians had the initiative in this field. It is noteworthy to underline the fact that 138 Muslim Scholars sent a letter to Christian leaders inviting them to dialogue. Pope Benedict XVI accepted the challenge and invited them to the Vatican in order to initiate a platform of ongoing dialogue with Catholic theologians.

 

Another welcomed event is the opening of a Catholic church in Qatar. Discussions are under way in order to build a Catholic church in Saudi Arabia.

 

In Lusaka, on February 23rd,  the (Shiite) Islamic Centre of Zambia, in collaboration with FENZA, organised an Islamo-Christian Conference on the theme: The Role of religion in promoting  peace and reconciliation. 250 people listened to 6 speakers from the Muslim and Christian communities.

 

Lusaka: The Capuchin Friars are promoting a group of Catholics trying to promote islamo-christian friendship in the Franciscan tradition. It is called Damieta (place where Francis of Assisi met with the Sultan of Egypt).

 

CULTURE:  We welcome the edition of a splendid book on Zambian cultures: Ceremony! Celebrating Zambia’s Cultural Heritage edited by M. Kapwepwe, published by Celtel.

 

 

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FROM FENZA DESK

 

Fenza was officially opened on Jan 22nd  in the presence of the Nuncio, all the members of the Zambian Episcopal Conference, Rev Suzana Mutala, Secretary General of Christian Council of Zambia, Bishop Paul Mususu of the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia, the neighbouring religious communities, leaders of several Bauleni Churches, M.Afr, and Msola, and some friends (around 80 people)

 

Once a month Fenza organises a think-tank on Satanism for Pastors concerned by the topic.

 

We are starting the construction of a hall able to accommodate about 100 people.

 

Fr B.Udelhoven spent a few days in Kasama, working with a group of people doing research work on Bemba Traditional  Initiation.

 

The Damieta Group  (see supra) came to visit Fenza on March 2nd

 

Fr Udelhoven and Mathorel  animated a workshop for the young priests of Monze Diocese

with the title: “Ministering to people rich of their cultural and religious diversity”

 

From  23rd June to 22nd August, Fenza will organise an Intensive Bemba Course. 

For other courses, see www.fenza.org

 

 

FAITH & ENCOUNTER CENTRE. P.O. Box 320 076, Lusaka. Email: director@fenza.org. Web: www.fenza.org. Tel 0211 840 210