In 2001 a UN Conference against Racism was held in Durban, which generated a lot of heated discussions and conflicts, in particular about colonialism and zionism. Now a follow-up conference – a Durban 2 conference – is being prepared for April 2009. This time it seems as if an even more serious conflict is building up. A number of Muslim countries under the umbrella of the Organization of Islamic Countries have proposed that islamophobia should be recognized as a racism, and that defamation of religion of religions therefore should be seen as a form of racism against which religious people should be protected.
Being a Dane I cannot help thinking that it is now pay back time for the Danish cartoons. In a way I appreciate that the reaction is diplomatic rather than violent, but still this move by Muslim countries has to be opposed as strongly as possible. In most countries we have laws against defamation of people – unwarranted attacks on somebody’s reputation - but now this concept of defamation is transferred to the realm of ideas, ideologies and religions, and therenby infringes on the freedom of expression of individual people.
I do not adhere to the position that we can have an absolute and unlimited freedom of expression. All ”freedoms”, irrespective of how fundamental and important they are, must by necessity be limited by other ”freedoms”. This also became very clear in the heated Danish debate in connection with the cartoon crisis. Freedom of expression is limited by laws protection the reputation of people, confidentiality and security, incitement to violence etc.
Another very basic human right is the freedom of religion. Some would say that defamation of religions infringes on people’s freedom of religion, but I hold the opposite view that any law forbidding defamation of religion is effectively undermining the individual’s freedom of religion. Practicing another religion than that of the dominant majority and advocating the beliefs of such a religion, which might contradict the dominant religion would very easily be understood as a defamation of that dominant religion.
Without the freedom to criticize religions – and to carry out critical research on religions – the freedom of expression becomes more or less empty and meaningless. For some Muslims Islam is not only a religion in a narrow sense of the word but a way of life encompassing all dimensions of human life, including politics. A prohibition against defamation of religions might easily be used as a legitmation to proscribe un-Islamic behaviours and statements. Furthermore, religions with their very strong both cognitive, emotional and social appeals to the loyalty of their adherents, are constantly in need of criticism in order to stay healthy and avoid becoming totalitarian.
Within a legal framework of freedom of expression and freedom of religion, in which defamation of religions is not criminalized, we must of course consider not only what is legal or unlegal to say or to do about other religions and their adherents, but also what is ethical and what is wise to do and to say if we want to live peacefully together and work together to develop our society in a healthy way and deal with the local and global challenges that face all of us irrespective of our religious or non-religious affiliations and views.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Mogens S. Mogensen
Visit my website www.intercultural.dk - click on "In English"
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Jesus enters Mecca
On Palm Sunday we celebrated Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, not as an general on a stallion, but as the humble servant of the Lord on a donkey. Today, on Good Friday, we remember, how he became the suffering servant of the Lord as he died on the cross for the sins of the world, and on Easter Sunday we shall celebrate his victory over death and his resurrection bringing new life to all the world.
This year on Palm Sunday more than 100.000 Christians in the small Arab Golf-state Qatar celebrate that they for the first time could gather for Sunday service in a church. It is only a Catholic chapel without church bells and visible crosses, but it is a church built on a plot donated by the local emir. The Christians experience a lot of difficult conditions in the Arab world, but now Saudi Arabia is the last country in the Arab world without a single church and where it is still strictly forbidden to build churches. Christianity, however, has a very long history in the Arab world, also in what is today Saudi Arabia. According the Acts of the Apostles Arab speaking people were present in Jerusalem on Pentecost Day when the Holy Spirit was poured out and gave birth to the church. 600 years later at the time of Muhammad there were Christians in Arabia, some of whom Muhammad no doubt met. According to the dominant Wahabi-Islamic tradition no other houses of worship are allowed in Saudi Arabia than mosques.
Nevertheless there are a very many Christians who work as guest workers in Saudi Arabia today, including 800.000 Catholics, in particularly from the Philippines and India. While these Christians are not allowed to gather for worship, and even less to build churches in Saudi Arabia, the largest Mosque in all of Europe was built in Rome already in 1995. Therefore there are good reasons to ask for at least a minimum of reciprocity for Saudi Arabia. No doubt, this is also one of the arguments that the Vatican is using in its present negotiations with the government of Saudi Arabia in order to get permission to build churches in the home country of the Prophet.
I fear that we may have to wait very long until the Catholic Church and other Christian denominations will get permission to build churches for their adherents in Saudi Arabia. But while we wait, we may rejoice that we live in a globalized world in which it becomes more and more difficult to maintain or defend the traditional borders. To the surprise of many I can reveal that a church has already been established in Saudi Arabia, and of all towns in Mecca. Not a physical church built by bricks but a virtual church, ”The Virtual Church of Jesus Christ in Mecca, Saudi Arabia”.
Happy Easter!
Tranum Strand, Denmark, Good Friday, March 21, 2008
Mogens S. Mogensen
This year on Palm Sunday more than 100.000 Christians in the small Arab Golf-state Qatar celebrate that they for the first time could gather for Sunday service in a church. It is only a Catholic chapel without church bells and visible crosses, but it is a church built on a plot donated by the local emir. The Christians experience a lot of difficult conditions in the Arab world, but now Saudi Arabia is the last country in the Arab world without a single church and where it is still strictly forbidden to build churches. Christianity, however, has a very long history in the Arab world, also in what is today Saudi Arabia. According the Acts of the Apostles Arab speaking people were present in Jerusalem on Pentecost Day when the Holy Spirit was poured out and gave birth to the church. 600 years later at the time of Muhammad there were Christians in Arabia, some of whom Muhammad no doubt met. According to the dominant Wahabi-Islamic tradition no other houses of worship are allowed in Saudi Arabia than mosques.
Nevertheless there are a very many Christians who work as guest workers in Saudi Arabia today, including 800.000 Catholics, in particularly from the Philippines and India. While these Christians are not allowed to gather for worship, and even less to build churches in Saudi Arabia, the largest Mosque in all of Europe was built in Rome already in 1995. Therefore there are good reasons to ask for at least a minimum of reciprocity for Saudi Arabia. No doubt, this is also one of the arguments that the Vatican is using in its present negotiations with the government of Saudi Arabia in order to get permission to build churches in the home country of the Prophet.
I fear that we may have to wait very long until the Catholic Church and other Christian denominations will get permission to build churches for their adherents in Saudi Arabia. But while we wait, we may rejoice that we live in a globalized world in which it becomes more and more difficult to maintain or defend the traditional borders. To the surprise of many I can reveal that a church has already been established in Saudi Arabia, and of all towns in Mecca. Not a physical church built by bricks but a virtual church, ”The Virtual Church of Jesus Christ in Mecca, Saudi Arabia”.
Happy Easter!
Tranum Strand, Denmark, Good Friday, March 21, 2008
Mogens S. Mogensen
Friday, February 15, 2008
Cartoon Crisis version 2.0?
A couple of months ago I was about to finish writing a book about the Cartoon Crisis in 2006. I thought that now this crisis must have passed over into history. I chose to calle the book "From Cartoon Crisis to Headscarf Row" because I considered these two conflicts to be closely connected.
The most obvious link between the two was Asmaa Abdol-Hamid. She was the spokesperson for the eleven Muslim organisations that responded to Prophet-cartoons by filing a lawsuit against Jyllands-Posten. She headed the protest against the Danish cartoons, and she became the target for the protests by many Danes against her headscarf. (She tried to be elected to Parliament, and announced that in case she was elected she would wear the veil in Parliament).
The cartoons were perceived as a provocation by many Muslims in Denmark as well as abroad: Muslims were challenged to accept the cartoons on the basis of the constitutional freedom of expression and freedom of the press. Asmaa’s headscarf (and her refusal to shake hands with males) was perceived as a provocation by many non-Muslims in Denmark: Danes were challenged on the basis the same freedom of expression and the freedom of religion to accept new forms of dress and behaviour.
While writing the book, however, I also feared that the Cartoon Crisis (and the Headscarf Row) was not an isolated historical event but that it was par tof the long and difficult process which Denmark goes through theses years, the transition form being a mono- to becoming a multi-society, also in terms of religion. Therefore, I gave the book the subtitle "Two Conflicts Changing Multi-religious Denmark".
Even though the events are very differenct in character and significance, still there the 9-11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in US in 2001 and the Cartoon Crisis in Denmark in 2006 have this in common that they were epoch-making. 9-11 meant that terror was brought to the heart of the United States and that the last remnants of a feeling of protection from the problems of the rest of the world by the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans evaporated. The Cartoon Crisis in a similar way destroyed the feeling of beeing a cosy and peaceful little corner of the world far away from the big conflicts of the world , when Denmark became the center of a global conflict, which cost many lives in other parts of the world.
My book "From Cartoon Crisis to Headscarf Row" is being published these days, but I had not imagined that it would be available for sale exactly in the midst of a situation where we may be witnessing the beginning of a "Cartoon Crisis version 2.0". My hope is that this new version will be withdrawn as soon as possible. It is more than sufficient with the "Cartoon Crisis version 1.0".
If you want to read more about my book, "From Cartoon Crisis to Headscarf Row", click here.
Christiansfeld, Denmark, Friday, February 15, 2008
Mogens S. Mogensen
www.intercultural.dk
The most obvious link between the two was Asmaa Abdol-Hamid. She was the spokesperson for the eleven Muslim organisations that responded to Prophet-cartoons by filing a lawsuit against Jyllands-Posten. She headed the protest against the Danish cartoons, and she became the target for the protests by many Danes against her headscarf. (She tried to be elected to Parliament, and announced that in case she was elected she would wear the veil in Parliament).
The cartoons were perceived as a provocation by many Muslims in Denmark as well as abroad: Muslims were challenged to accept the cartoons on the basis of the constitutional freedom of expression and freedom of the press. Asmaa’s headscarf (and her refusal to shake hands with males) was perceived as a provocation by many non-Muslims in Denmark: Danes were challenged on the basis the same freedom of expression and the freedom of religion to accept new forms of dress and behaviour.
While writing the book, however, I also feared that the Cartoon Crisis (and the Headscarf Row) was not an isolated historical event but that it was par tof the long and difficult process which Denmark goes through theses years, the transition form being a mono- to becoming a multi-society, also in terms of religion. Therefore, I gave the book the subtitle "Two Conflicts Changing Multi-religious Denmark".
Even though the events are very differenct in character and significance, still there the 9-11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in US in 2001 and the Cartoon Crisis in Denmark in 2006 have this in common that they were epoch-making. 9-11 meant that terror was brought to the heart of the United States and that the last remnants of a feeling of protection from the problems of the rest of the world by the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans evaporated. The Cartoon Crisis in a similar way destroyed the feeling of beeing a cosy and peaceful little corner of the world far away from the big conflicts of the world , when Denmark became the center of a global conflict, which cost many lives in other parts of the world.
My book "From Cartoon Crisis to Headscarf Row" is being published these days, but I had not imagined that it would be available for sale exactly in the midst of a situation where we may be witnessing the beginning of a "Cartoon Crisis version 2.0". My hope is that this new version will be withdrawn as soon as possible. It is more than sufficient with the "Cartoon Crisis version 1.0".
If you want to read more about my book, "From Cartoon Crisis to Headscarf Row", click here.
Christiansfeld, Denmark, Friday, February 15, 2008
Mogens S. Mogensen
www.intercultural.dk
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
2007 Christmas Greeting
Dear colleagues and friends!
In my small one-man company, Intercultural.dk, 2007 has been a busy year with many interesting challenges, which I will present below.
In early August, the World Council of Churches together with the Vatican had called for a conference in Toulouse, France, to discuss codes of conduct for interreligious conversions. The participants also included Pentecostal and Evangelical leaders. We were thirty-five participants from Europe, Africa, North and South America and Asia gathered to discuss the theme “Towards an Ethical Approach to Conversion. Christian Witness in a Multireligious World”. It was impressive to experience how Roman Catholics, Orthodox, mainline Protestant, Evangelical and Pentecostal leaders moved towards agreements on the issue of conversion. This was the second conference, and the third will be held next year. Read more.
On the 1st and 2nd September the second national conference for Christian and Muslim leaders was held. This time the dialogue meeting was hosted by the Shi’a Muslim community in their centre in Copenhagen. The forty leaders were gathered to discuss “Citizenship and Neighbourhood”. We experienced that good relations are developing between the Muslim and the Christian groups involved in the dialogue process. The opening of the conference coincided with the Swedish cartoon controversy, but this issue was handled with maturity in a way that it did not negatively influence the meeting.
From the 19th to the 22nd of September the biggest ever international conference on religion was held in Copenhagen. The conference marked the conclusion of the three year research priority area “Religion in the 21st Century” and the theme for the conference was “Transformations – Significance – Challenges”. Among the famous scholars lecturing were Philip Clayton, David Martin, Phil Zuckermann and Grace Davy. A number of books written as part of the research priority area were presented. Together with my co-editor John H. M. Damsager we presented the anthology on “Dansk konversionsforskning” (Danish Research on Conversion). Read more.
For many years I have focused my attention on Islam and Christian-Muslims relations, and this has been both very important and interesting. This year, however, I have been involved in a listening initiative regarding Buddhists, Hindus and people inspired by Eastern religions and spiritualities. The Chairman of the committee for dialogue in the Evangelical Lutheran Church and a dialogue secretary from Areopagos and I have during the autumn visited twelve groups and written a report on our findings. Next year we will go on with a new listening initiative among Christian pastors and other Christians who have been in close contact with these groups over the years.
At lot of my time this year has been spent on communication about intercultural and interreligious issues. I have been giving presentations and lectures about Islam, conversion, and church and mission all over the country. It has been interesting to meet people in churches, organisations and schools to discuss the challenges in church and society. Also this year, I have had the privilege to edit two issues of Ny Mission (New Mission), published by the Danish Mission Council..This year three books I had been working on for some time were also completed, and on top on that a small book based on my blog. Read more.
One of the absolute highlights of 2007 was the so-called Danish Church Days (Danske Kirkedage) that were held in May in Haderslev, close to where we live. The event which took place on the 17th to th 20th of May was hosted by the diocese of Haderslev, and I was deeply involved in the planning of it. The theme was “Church across boundaries” (Kirke over grænser), and among the main speakers were bishop David Zac Niringiye, Kampala, Uganda, and Dr. Mithri Rahab, Bethlehem. The event was a resounding success with about 3000 participants. In 2010 the event will be repeated in Viborg. Read more.
I wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Thank your for cooperation and fellowship in 2007. I look forward to meeting with you and working together with you in 2008.
Mogens S. Mogensen
N. J. Holms Park 55, DK-6070 Christiansfeld, Tele 7456 2282. Cellphone: 2617 5712
E-mail: mogensen@intercultural.dk . Website: www.intercultural.dk. (Click on: "In English")
In my small one-man company, Intercultural.dk, 2007 has been a busy year with many interesting challenges, which I will present below.
In early August, the World Council of Churches together with the Vatican had called for a conference in Toulouse, France, to discuss codes of conduct for interreligious conversions. The participants also included Pentecostal and Evangelical leaders. We were thirty-five participants from Europe, Africa, North and South America and Asia gathered to discuss the theme “Towards an Ethical Approach to Conversion. Christian Witness in a Multireligious World”. It was impressive to experience how Roman Catholics, Orthodox, mainline Protestant, Evangelical and Pentecostal leaders moved towards agreements on the issue of conversion. This was the second conference, and the third will be held next year. Read more.
On the 1st and 2nd September the second national conference for Christian and Muslim leaders was held. This time the dialogue meeting was hosted by the Shi’a Muslim community in their centre in Copenhagen. The forty leaders were gathered to discuss “Citizenship and Neighbourhood”. We experienced that good relations are developing between the Muslim and the Christian groups involved in the dialogue process. The opening of the conference coincided with the Swedish cartoon controversy, but this issue was handled with maturity in a way that it did not negatively influence the meeting.
From the 19th to the 22nd of September the biggest ever international conference on religion was held in Copenhagen. The conference marked the conclusion of the three year research priority area “Religion in the 21st Century” and the theme for the conference was “Transformations – Significance – Challenges”. Among the famous scholars lecturing were Philip Clayton, David Martin, Phil Zuckermann and Grace Davy. A number of books written as part of the research priority area were presented. Together with my co-editor John H. M. Damsager we presented the anthology on “Dansk konversionsforskning” (Danish Research on Conversion). Read more.
For many years I have focused my attention on Islam and Christian-Muslims relations, and this has been both very important and interesting. This year, however, I have been involved in a listening initiative regarding Buddhists, Hindus and people inspired by Eastern religions and spiritualities. The Chairman of the committee for dialogue in the Evangelical Lutheran Church and a dialogue secretary from Areopagos and I have during the autumn visited twelve groups and written a report on our findings. Next year we will go on with a new listening initiative among Christian pastors and other Christians who have been in close contact with these groups over the years.
At lot of my time this year has been spent on communication about intercultural and interreligious issues. I have been giving presentations and lectures about Islam, conversion, and church and mission all over the country. It has been interesting to meet people in churches, organisations and schools to discuss the challenges in church and society. Also this year, I have had the privilege to edit two issues of Ny Mission (New Mission), published by the Danish Mission Council..This year three books I had been working on for some time were also completed, and on top on that a small book based on my blog. Read more.
One of the absolute highlights of 2007 was the so-called Danish Church Days (Danske Kirkedage) that were held in May in Haderslev, close to where we live. The event which took place on the 17th to th 20th of May was hosted by the diocese of Haderslev, and I was deeply involved in the planning of it. The theme was “Church across boundaries” (Kirke over grænser), and among the main speakers were bishop David Zac Niringiye, Kampala, Uganda, and Dr. Mithri Rahab, Bethlehem. The event was a resounding success with about 3000 participants. In 2010 the event will be repeated in Viborg. Read more.
I wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Thank your for cooperation and fellowship in 2007. I look forward to meeting with you and working together with you in 2008.
Mogens S. Mogensen
N. J. Holms Park 55, DK-6070 Christiansfeld, Tele 7456 2282. Cellphone: 2617 5712
E-mail: mogensen@intercultural.dk . Website: www.intercultural.dk. (Click on: "In English")
Friday, July 6, 2007
Recognition between religions in a mulitreligious society
How can different religions live peacefully together? In the Danish Mission Council I have been involved in developing the following principles. I hereby invite Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Jews and atheists to discuss and comment on them.
Theses on the recognition of people of different religions in a multi-religious society
Preface – Christianity’s demand for freedom and liberal thinking
In his famous letter concerning toleration from 1689 John Locke begins his battle for religious freedom and other human rights by asserting that Christianity calls for ‘charity, meekness, and good-will in general towards all mankind’. Open-mindedness to those of a different religious persuasion “is so agreeable to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to the genuine reason of mankind, that it seems monstrous for men to be so blind as not to perceive the necessity and advantage of it in so clear a light.”[1] Christianity has not always been linked to the demand for freedom and open-mindedness to the faith of others, but Locke is right that Christian faith, according to the gospels, can only be embraced in freedom, and that Christians must therefore work for all people to enjoy the same freedom that the Christian faith demands. Jesus set people free. There is no room for coercion when it comes to the faith as we know it from the preaching of Jesus Christ.
To be Christian is to be set free in the belief in Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Saviour of mankind. Anchored in faith in Jesus Christ, Christians must show open-mindedness and thus allow other people the same opportunity for freedom of faith that they themselves enjoy: this is the essential starting-point for the following theses.
Theses addressed to the whole of society
1. In word, action and attitude all people at all times shall be recognised as equal and equipped with all individual freedom and citizen rights. Freedom of religion is a basic value and precondition for all other human rights. Everyone has the freedom and the right to think, believe and speak.
2. People’s right to live in accordance with their faith and convictions must be respected, including their freedom to express their distinctive cultural and religious features and values, which find their expression in, for instance, specific food habits, different dress codes and a different day, year or life rhythm. At the same time everyone must contribute to advancing the integration of new citizens into Danish society whatever their cultural and religious background, so that the spirit of community is promoted among all citizens and the development of parallel communities is avoided.
3. Freedom of religion implies that there must be no obstacles to prevent differing religions from exercising their opportunities, for example in relation to training religious leaders or establishing meeting-places and burial grounds. It is important that the state and society treat people of different religions in such a way as to demonstrate that they are recognised as fellow-citizens who are expected to be able to contribute to the joint community.
4. In communicating about religion in society there is no room for speaking with two voices. What is said to some should be able to be heard by others with impunity. Mankind’s belief in God (religious faith) must always be respected, but the varying images of God and theology must always be open to discussion.
Theses addressed to the Church
5. As Christians we must recognise all other people – of whatever religion or faith community – as people created in God’s image and therefore as fellow-beings for whose welfare we have a joint responsibility.
6. As Christians we must – in keeping with “the golden rule” – recognise people of other religions as they are, by working to give them the same freedom and opportunities that we wish for ourselves in our society, and the same freedom, rights and opportunities that we wish for Christians in societies dominated by other religions.
7. Since as Christians we regard the gospel as a message to all people, we wish to be able to talk to other people about their faith and our faith and to communicate the gospel to them. At the same time we must acknowledge that people of other religions with a universal message also have the right to communicate their message to us.
8. As Christians we find assurance in the Christian faith and regard Jesus Christ as the true path to fellowship with God. In the meeting with other religions we must be open to criticism and reflection on our own religion just as much as we must relate critically to other religions.
Theses addressed to people who belong to other religions
9. People of other religions must, as Danish citizens, respect the legal basis of society, including freedom of religion and other human rights and the democratic rules, and they are expected – on the basis of their religious commitment – to make a contribution to the common good of society.
10. Just as people who belong to other religions have the right to share their faith with Christians and to work for conversion to their faith, so must people who belong to other religions also accept the Christians’ right to share their faith with them, and the right of all to change religion without being exposed to persecution or other reprisals.
11. Just as people who belong to other religions have the right to express themselves critically about Christianity, so must people of other religions accept that their religion is exposed to criticism, provided such criticism falls within the framework of the law.
12. Those rights which religious minorities in Denmark enjoy or are fighting to gain they must also help to acquire for other religious minorities, for example Christians, in countries where their religion is in the majority.
Adopted by the Committee of the Danish Mission Council on 18th April 2007
[1] John Locke: A Letter Concerning Toleration (1689)
Theses on the recognition of people of different religions in a multi-religious society
Preface – Christianity’s demand for freedom and liberal thinking
In his famous letter concerning toleration from 1689 John Locke begins his battle for religious freedom and other human rights by asserting that Christianity calls for ‘charity, meekness, and good-will in general towards all mankind’. Open-mindedness to those of a different religious persuasion “is so agreeable to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to the genuine reason of mankind, that it seems monstrous for men to be so blind as not to perceive the necessity and advantage of it in so clear a light.”[1] Christianity has not always been linked to the demand for freedom and open-mindedness to the faith of others, but Locke is right that Christian faith, according to the gospels, can only be embraced in freedom, and that Christians must therefore work for all people to enjoy the same freedom that the Christian faith demands. Jesus set people free. There is no room for coercion when it comes to the faith as we know it from the preaching of Jesus Christ.
To be Christian is to be set free in the belief in Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Saviour of mankind. Anchored in faith in Jesus Christ, Christians must show open-mindedness and thus allow other people the same opportunity for freedom of faith that they themselves enjoy: this is the essential starting-point for the following theses.
Theses addressed to the whole of society
1. In word, action and attitude all people at all times shall be recognised as equal and equipped with all individual freedom and citizen rights. Freedom of religion is a basic value and precondition for all other human rights. Everyone has the freedom and the right to think, believe and speak.
2. People’s right to live in accordance with their faith and convictions must be respected, including their freedom to express their distinctive cultural and religious features and values, which find their expression in, for instance, specific food habits, different dress codes and a different day, year or life rhythm. At the same time everyone must contribute to advancing the integration of new citizens into Danish society whatever their cultural and religious background, so that the spirit of community is promoted among all citizens and the development of parallel communities is avoided.
3. Freedom of religion implies that there must be no obstacles to prevent differing religions from exercising their opportunities, for example in relation to training religious leaders or establishing meeting-places and burial grounds. It is important that the state and society treat people of different religions in such a way as to demonstrate that they are recognised as fellow-citizens who are expected to be able to contribute to the joint community.
4. In communicating about religion in society there is no room for speaking with two voices. What is said to some should be able to be heard by others with impunity. Mankind’s belief in God (religious faith) must always be respected, but the varying images of God and theology must always be open to discussion.
Theses addressed to the Church
5. As Christians we must recognise all other people – of whatever religion or faith community – as people created in God’s image and therefore as fellow-beings for whose welfare we have a joint responsibility.
6. As Christians we must – in keeping with “the golden rule” – recognise people of other religions as they are, by working to give them the same freedom and opportunities that we wish for ourselves in our society, and the same freedom, rights and opportunities that we wish for Christians in societies dominated by other religions.
7. Since as Christians we regard the gospel as a message to all people, we wish to be able to talk to other people about their faith and our faith and to communicate the gospel to them. At the same time we must acknowledge that people of other religions with a universal message also have the right to communicate their message to us.
8. As Christians we find assurance in the Christian faith and regard Jesus Christ as the true path to fellowship with God. In the meeting with other religions we must be open to criticism and reflection on our own religion just as much as we must relate critically to other religions.
Theses addressed to people who belong to other religions
9. People of other religions must, as Danish citizens, respect the legal basis of society, including freedom of religion and other human rights and the democratic rules, and they are expected – on the basis of their religious commitment – to make a contribution to the common good of society.
10. Just as people who belong to other religions have the right to share their faith with Christians and to work for conversion to their faith, so must people who belong to other religions also accept the Christians’ right to share their faith with them, and the right of all to change religion without being exposed to persecution or other reprisals.
11. Just as people who belong to other religions have the right to express themselves critically about Christianity, so must people of other religions accept that their religion is exposed to criticism, provided such criticism falls within the framework of the law.
12. Those rights which religious minorities in Denmark enjoy or are fighting to gain they must also help to acquire for other religious minorities, for example Christians, in countries where their religion is in the majority.
Adopted by the Committee of the Danish Mission Council on 18th April 2007
[1] John Locke: A Letter Concerning Toleration (1689)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)