Address delivered by HE Bishop Heinrich Bolleter on the Second World Conference of Inter-Religion and Inter-Civilization Dialogue
The role of religion shall lead to a new culture of respect, trust and cooperation and towards an open civil society. It is important that the religions are not be seen as factors of conflict in inter-cultural settings. Religion has a potential to work towards solutions in the problematic fields of nationalism and racism, environmental problems, and violence. On the one hand people of religion are not the experts on these global issues, but they are on the other hand experts on the moral and ethical life that strengthens and supports the vision of an open civil society.
The many and diverse religious denominations speak to people of good will around the world calling for awareness, study, and action birthed of hope rather than fear. We want to encourage especially the media to note the positive contribution that faith communities make in everyday life to the common good in the civil society.The Council of Bishops of the worldwide UnitedMethodistChurch has issued recently a Pastoral Letter describing the interconnected nature of poverty and disease, environmental degradation, weapons and violence as well as marginalization of people.The Council is sharing information about scriptures and beliefs as great sources of encouragement and hope, and also sharing information about the Methodist heritage of social engagement in order to provide a foundation for responses and recommending a variety of actions in an open cooperation with all people of good will. Having mentioned this, I am going to highlight one facet of the social climate in which the religious communities in our multicultural settings could engage together:Around the globe, the civil society is suffering undera culture of indignation!Indignation has become the normal reaction dealing with political decisions that are not congruent with our own convictions, dealing with inadequacies in the management of public issues and dealing with cultural or religious differences.Indignation is often a reaction, when we see people not being able, or even not willing, to adapt to the predominant culture where they are living.Indignation is like a disease that is affecting all the dimensions of our society. Indignation is not leading to dialogue or to a common search for a solution. It is always tending to accusation, aggression, division and misunderstandings.Watch the national or regional elections where ever they are happening. The candidates often are seeking support from the people by making populist statements and promises they will never fulfill, and by this are creating a culture of indignation. This may for a short period of time create more support for a candidate but he or she is not cultivating a climate that would really change the world for the better. Indignation is especially depriving the younger generations from a positive approach to responsibility for the common good, to practical cooperation as well as to faith and hope for the future.The contributions of the religious communities shall help to overcome this culture of indignation. Their efforts shall lead to a community of citizens shaped by mutual respect and by a sense of responsibility for the whole community, the minorities included.I am underlining the commitment to abstain from every thing, which is fostering a culture of indignation. It is evident, that there are circumstances and moments of brutality threatening the human rights and the survival of humanity, where we have to cry out and protest loudly, but it should not happen, that we please ourselves in this state of indignation. We will have to find ways and partners and hope in order to work intensively towards change and transformation. A culture of trust and understanding begins with the human dignity of the individual. The identity of the ‘other’ person must be respected. Intercultural dialogue is about building up relationships, which are not based on one-sided impressions and information. It includes the right to criticize the other side but on the basis of respect, and cooperation towards an open civil society. Committed to freedom of faith and conscience, the claim of the religions to be able to criticize other faith groups or social conditions in public, must include the readiness to allow to be put in question them-selves. My appeal is to watch carefully how we speak and how we act and what kind of social climate we are generating: a climate of indignation or a climate of respect and trust and hope. It might be an unpopular but it will be a strong contribution towards the transformation of society.
