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Statement of the International Ecumenical Consultation on Peace in East Asia, Seoul, Korea, May 2-4, 2006As God’s people, followers of Jesus Christ who was crucified for peace and reconciliation, we church leaders and church representatives from countries in Asia, Europe, and North America have met to study, pray, discuss, and meditate on God’s Word in this International Ecumenical Consultation on Peace in East Asia held in Seoul, Korea May 2-4, 2006. The Conference was under the auspices of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK), and Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea (PROK). This meeting stands in the spirit of the conferences first held in Tozanso, Japan in 1984 followed by meetings in Glion, Switzerland and in other places which were initiated by the World Council of Churches and the Christian Conference of Asia. We thank God that Christians around the world are praying and working continuously for peace and justice in East Asia and for the reunification of Korea. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God." (Matthew 5: 9) If we take this statement seriously it can give us a new vision of our mission in the world. Peacemaking is not part of our mission; it is our mission in our day. Reflecting upon the Holy Scripture, we strongly affirm the holistic understanding of peace as the central concern and mission of the Church in the world. We reassert our conviction that security is never won through unilateral defense but through attentiveness to the injustice that afflicts other children of God—and, in Gospel perspective, everyone is a child of God! Holding this conviction, we can learn how to build true and lasting peace in the reality of today’s Asia. Despite the end of the cold war the North-East Asian region still does not experience peace. Under the armistice agreement the division of North and South Korea still remains as a legacy of the cold war. It continues to be a destabilizing factor in the region. One of the keys to establishing peace in North-East Asia is the peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula. But the Conference also identified further obstacles to peace and stability in North-East Asia: the power struggle between Japan and China, the Taiwan issue, the tension between Japan and North Korea and between the U.S. and North Korea. We consider that the U.S. strategic flexibility policy as applied to North-East Asia endangers the region more than it contributes to its security. In the global U.S. strategy, Okinawa and the expanded Pyongtaek military base in South Korea are given special geopolitical prominence as major hubs of its military operations. This may lead to situations in which people of various countries in North East Asia become involved in military operations initiated by the US without their consent. Encouraged by the progress made after the June 15 Joint Declaration of the 2000 South Korea-North Korea Summit, the people of North-East Asia are building a foundation for peace by embracing opportunities for cooperation, exchange and solidarity. The women of the region take a leading role in developing communities of peace by overcoming national, religious and ethnic boundaries. It is in these people and their efforts that we find hope for peace. We as Christians are called to stand in solidarity with the oppressed and marginalized and seek cooperation with all people committed to peace and reconciliation in East Asia. We propose that:
We encourage:
This Statement was adopted by participants of the Consultation on May 4, 2006 at PROK Academy House, Seoul, Korea posted by Tony Waworuntu on Wednesday, May 24, 2006 Vistas of Peace: Dealing with a Controversial Novel and FilmWill I lose faith because of what a novel and a film say about God or my religion? What kind of faith do I have if it is easily shaken by a book or a film? I read Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code like any novel. It did not shock or surprise me because I have read other publications before that tried to depict Jesus' special relationship with Mary of Magdala. A friend lent me a smaller novel that focused on that. Unfortunately, I cannot even remember its title and author. It obviously did not hit the headlines or create any stir, and there were no copyright issues around it. While preparing to teach feminist theologies at a seminary in the Philippines in 2000, I came across an interesting master's thesis by Ramon K. Jusino. Available in www.beloveddisciple.org, the essay uses extra-biblical resources as well as works of renowned Bible scholar Raymond Brown to support the theory that the "beloved disciple" constantly mentioned in the gospel according to John is none other than Mary of Magdala, who is also the author of the fourth gospel. The essay echoes what I learned in seminary: that nowhere in the Bible is Mary of Magdala named a whore or prostitute, which was a mere conclusion made by early church fathers based on the description that she was demon-possessed. My students were initially shocked by such a theory but by opening themselves to Jusino's arguments, we ended up having a healthy dialogue. More than the debate between fact and fiction, I think that one disturbing thing about Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" is its underpinning critique of religion: 'Every religion describes God through metaphor, allegory and exaggeration, from the early Egyptians through modern Sunday school. Metaphors are a way to process the unprocessible. The problems arise when we begin to believe literally in our own metaphors' (p. 451). Come to think of it -- this is a good reminder against the human tendency to idolize our metaphors for and images of God, our doctrines and theologies about God that may actually replace Godself! Additionally, religions have a fundamentalist tendency to cling to literal understandings of scriptures that make them normative for all times and all contexts. These, as we all know, have led to much hate and violence. Just as Dan Brown's novel is causing a stir, the discovery of the Gospel according to Judas has also come to light. Short of the number 80 that is mentioned in the novel, I remember learning from my Bible professors that there were many gospels that were written at that time. Even the four gospels in the Bible already indicate to us the diverse voices of the Christian communities that emerged as a result of the impact of the life of a man named Jesus who clearly demonstrated his divinity by living his life in accordance to God's will for fullness of life for all. What is my response as a Christian to such a "disturbing" novel? First, I affirm that God is much bigger than what I have come to know. Likewise, God is much bigger than what Dan Brown describes or what my religion teaches. Second, I continue to uphold the spirit of the gospel more than the orthodoxy of doctrines. Doctrines develop as believers try to make sense of their faith and respond to questions and challenges. But I believe that the Spirit of God continues to inspire people today especially in the wake of new realities and challenges in life. We should not suppress new lessons and new insights in response to new challenges in the name of orthodoxy. Third, as one grounded in pluralist thinking, I must be open and willing to listen to the diverse voices both within and without the scriptures. God's spirit continues to work in mysterious ways. We should not stifle those different voices for they may be carrying something that would help us learn and grow. Fourth, I affirm that if faith is based on our life-experience with God (and, for Christians, through our relationship with Christ Jesus), it should be able to withstand and grow in spite of all the challenges. Real faith is after all our life-response to the God who loves us first, not because of what a book, author, film producer, or teacher tells us what to believe in. My friend, Norma Dollaga from the Philippines, shared her own reflections on The Da Vinci Code: "Would one lose faith after reading the book and viewing the film? Will it have an effect on our faith and on our church? Faith is an eternal gift. How do we nourish this faith? Loving our neighbor, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, welcoming the strangers, visiting the prisoners and offering one's life for the sake of others are the lessons I learned in my Sunday School days. These are the essential things I learned in my church. Details about historical facts, latest theological discourses, and discovering new revelations about the Scripture are good things to know. But not necessarily the most important things in our faith journey. If they would assist us in making this faith more relevant, make us more humane, generous, righteous, just and wise, then let us welcome them with gratitude in our hearts. If they would help us to affirm and commit our lives in the missionary imperative of proclaiming the truth and living out the gospel of justice and peace, then let us open our hearts and collectively as a church, be inspired by them." Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. [1 John 4:11] By Hope S. Antone, CCA-FMU Staff
posted by hope on Thursday, May 18, 2006 Vistas of Peace: Affirming Press FreedomIn the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God spoke, "Let there be..." [taken from Genesis 1] And soon, there was a series of creation -- each one was unique, important, and beautiful. Through what was created, there was order -- from simple to complex. There was interdependence among all the creatures -- they needed each other in order to survive. There was also beauty -- for God saw that it was all very good. There was life -- for God breathed the breath of life! There was freedom -- to enjoy what was there. But there was also a sense of responsibility entrusted -- for there were some restrictions! Every 3rd of May is World Press Freedom Day. It is a time to remember the important role that journalists (writers and broadcasters) play in defending the basic human right of freedom of expression and in using their profession to ensure people's freedom or liberation. There are many journalists all over the world who, for doing their call and duty, are subjected to threats to their own freedoms and lives. Freedom of expression, however, should be tempered with responsibility. As the popular saying goes, one's freedom ends where the freedom of others begins. Our main criterion for asserting our freedoms is that it is for the sake of the vulnerable, struggling people, whose basic human rights to live decent lives have been curtailed or violated; and to restore the dignity and humanity of people and the integrity of creation. World Press Freedom Day was declared by the United Nations in 1993 to promote freedom of expression and freedom of the press as a basic human right and to foster media independence and pluralism. I believe that churches and religious communities have something to learn from the principles of independence and pluralism of expression. There is no independence in our thinking if our minds continue to be controlled by religious dogmas and traditions that were formulated long ago in specific times and contexts; or if we allow others, knowingly or unknowingly, with certain agenda, to control our thinking, what to think and how to think. In terms of pluralism, we need to affirm that while we Christians have one story of a man called Jesus who came to show us what it means to have life in its fullness, such a story has come down to us in various versions, appropriated according to the need of the time and situation. As our own experiences show, God comes to different people in different ways -- and we perceive those experiences with God also differently because of our various backgrounds and needs. We therefore need to be more open and welcoming of a variety of perspectives -- and to accept that just as God created the world in diversity, we people can also live in diversity but still affirm that we are all children of God. By Hope S. Antone, CCA-FMU Staff
posted by hope on Wednesday, May 03, 2006 |
