Elijah’s Board of World Religious Leaders releases an official response today to the divisive speech that set off three weeks of poor publicity for the new Papacy.
October 4, 2006 (Press Release) --
The board, which is part of the global Elijah Interfaith Institute and boasts more than forty pre-eminent leaders from the Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim faiths from fifteen countries, hopes to calm the feud in the run up to the Pope’s upcoming visit to Turkey and set a framework for constructive dialogue between all faiths. The significant points in its response to the Pope speech are (actual text on next page):
There is a need for all religious leaders to re-examine polemical works (such as the mediaeval text in question), which are inherently exclusive and unfavourable to ‘the other,’ and say whether the claims in them should be upheld, rejected or reframed in the light of the prevailing need for dignity and respect in inter-group relations
All religious leaders and adherents today have the responsibility to reframe their communications in accordance with core values and contemporary global realities
The controversy is an aberration in the culture of strong communications between the faiths. Sound bites are taken out of context and take on a life of their own, and all religious leaders and scholars need to be more mindful of the change in the media and communications environment
Engaging in polemics is the way in which religious communities have avoided the kind of self-criticism and rationality that the Pope highlighted as necessary for fruitful inter-faith dialogue. Religious communities need to engage one another in ways that are more appropriate for religious communities. Careful and full listening and mutually respectful dialogue are the only way of moving forward and the only remedy to violent reactions
The statement represents part of the ‘Response’ initiative, in which Elijah’s Board of World Religious Leaders along with scholars of the Elijah Interfaith Academy, respond to crises and contemporary issues about the role and relevance of faith in society. In an earlier statement, responding to the controversy surrounding the ‘Da Vinci Code’ film and the Muslim cartoon dispute, the board said ‘a critical investigation of religion and its institutions has to be undertaken with the same care and concern for accuracy and respect that is applied to the critical discussion of any other institution or domain of knowledge.’
Notes to editors:
Actual and full text of response available from simon@globaltolerance.com
The Elijah Interfaith Institute: further information on www.elijahinterfaith.org
There is a need for all religious leaders to re-examine polemical works (such as the mediaeval text in question), which are inherently exclusive and unfavourable to ‘the other,’ and say whether the claims in them should be upheld, rejected or reframed in the light of the prevailing need for dignity and respect in inter-group relations
All religious leaders and adherents today have the responsibility to reframe their communications in accordance with core values and contemporary global realities
The controversy is an aberration in the culture of strong communications between the faiths. Sound bites are taken out of context and take on a life of their own, and all religious leaders and scholars need to be more mindful of the change in the media and communications environment
Engaging in polemics is the way in which religious communities have avoided the kind of self-criticism and rationality that the Pope highlighted as necessary for fruitful inter-faith dialogue. Religious communities need to engage one another in ways that are more appropriate for religious communities. Careful and full listening and mutually respectful dialogue are the only way of moving forward and the only remedy to violent reactions
The statement represents part of the ‘Response’ initiative, in which Elijah’s Board of World Religious Leaders along with scholars of the Elijah Interfaith Academy, respond to crises and contemporary issues about the role and relevance of faith in society. In an earlier statement, responding to the controversy surrounding the ‘Da Vinci Code’ film and the Muslim cartoon dispute, the board said ‘a critical investigation of religion and its institutions has to be undertaken with the same care and concern for accuracy and respect that is applied to the critical discussion of any other institution or domain of knowledge.’
Notes to editors:
Actual and full text of response available from simon@globaltolerance.com
The Elijah Interfaith Institute: further information on www.elijahinterfaith.org
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