Bishop John | an Imaginary Diocese blog

Beyond frailty to beauty@Christmas

Posted on December 19, 2009 by Bishop John

Looking beyond the frailties of the Christmas festivities to the beauty and truth that it obscures.

We eagerly watched the evening television news. Would the presentation of the ‘reason for the season’ in the Hobart Christmas parade be on the television? We had been told that the Combined Churches’ presentation may have won an award.

The Churches’ presentation was extensive, being led by Mary, baby Jesus and Joseph on a donkey, children dressed as angels and shepherds, followed by more children dressed as parcels and then came a big parcel mounted on a utility, with the words, ‘The best present of all is Jesus’.

Had we won a prize? More importantly, was there footage and commentary on the birth of Jesus as presented by the Churches’ float? Depending on the media we neither heard nor read of the Churches’ float, nor of an award, let alone of Jesus, ‘the best present of all’.

Why is it that we so often overlook truth and beauty?

Is it our human frailty? The frailty that even at our best moments senses the good but somehow smothers it?

I am reminded of the overtaking lanes that pop up every so often on the Midlands Highway. These lanes are a good idea.

They allow vehicles to pass slower vehicles in safety, as the single lane opens up a second overtaking lane. The question is, ‘Does this system of safe overtaking work effectively?’ Sadly, it often does not.

But why is this? As any Tasmanian who drives the Midlands Highway will tell you, ‘Because the slow vehicles speed up when they get to the overtaking lane. You then have to break the speed limit to get past them!’

The frailty of our human nature dampens the opportunities for good; for building community and discovering truth and beauty.

At the Cathedral

After vainly watching the television to see the Combined Churches’ presentation in the Hobart Christmas parade, ‘The best present of all is Jesus’, I decided to forget the frailties of people and to look beyond them to the beauty and truth of the gift of love; the Baby of Bethlehem.

Why, that very afternoon in the Cathedral, in the street where the parade paraded, four followers of the Baby whose birth Christmas celebrates, had responded to the call of God to ordained ministry.

There had been nervousness, expectation, joy, humour, a noisy mob on a bus from Ulverstone, processions, pageantry, prayer, praise and applause – a Cathedral celebration of God’s goodness and grace to his people. What joy!

Yes, Lord Jesus. Help me to look beyond the frailties of the annual Christmas Parade to the beauty and truth that it seems to obscure.

Help me to see the Baby in the cradle.

Help me to see the anxious young peasant mother and unsure husband, with those shepherds on the margins of society and yet to whom the heavenly chorus sang, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’

Help me to look beyond the frailties of the annual Christmas season to the beauty and truth that started it all, the Baby who is Emmanuel, God with us.

‘The best present of all is Jesus’.

More reading from our Diocesesan Magazine here December 2009 ‘Tasmanian Anglican’.

‘Montgomery of Tasmania’-Review

Posted on December 19, 2009 by Bishop John

Montie

Revd Will Briggs recently wrote a stimulating book review on ‘Montgomery of Tasmania’ by Robert Withycombe, Acorn Press, here are some excerpts,

Montgomery was a man empassioned by the mission of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Into a pre-WWI world of colonial fervour he contextualised and embodied this gospel meaningfully and zealously. I look back on that era a century ago and I can see the fruit of his and so many other’s labours. So many of our buildings and organisations were in foment in that pioneering era. It is cause for great affection and respect.

In this book we are given an insight into that passion and heart. To read about a Bishop demonstrating a real and living gospel, holding a roadside confirmation while walking near where I would spend my own childhood ninety years later stirs the soul (Page 88).

There is something to aspire to in the eulogising words of a “Mercury editorial on the day before he departed… ‘He has met the swagman on the road, and has talked to him, not as the Bishop of Tasmania, kindly condescending to notice an inferior, but as one man speaking to another, with the same earth to live on, and with the same God above them.'” (Pages 266-267)

Whenever we study our forerunners we have cause to grip more tightly to those things that are eternal and to loosen our grip on those things that so evidently will fade as grass. . . . That is the case of this excellent book. It is good to find a forerunner so close to home.

Thanks, Will. My related blog posts Mongtomery of Tasmania Book Launch, My Commendation for the Publisher and Media Release- Mutton Bird Bishop.

Parliament of Religions–Review

Posted on December 16, 2009 by Bishop John

My personal reflection upon the parliament of the World’s Religions 2009 in Melbourne include the following,

I met some marvellous people from many religions at the Parliament. I give thanks to God for this wonderful privilege of meeting in a safe space and for allowing the possibility of friendship. Truly, we are made by a loving God in love and for love. This is seen supremely in ‘God who was in Christ reconciling the world to himself’ [2 Corinthians 5:19]. Thank you to all those who took time to spend with me. I am enriched by your gift.

The “common” ground around which the world’s religions gathered was compassion, poverty, climate change and an ethic for the global economy. These three areas received significant attention during the Parliament and various declarations of commitment were made. This was all very good. In the area of social cohesion which was a major area to which I dedicated some time, it was very difficult to go beyond a fairly superficial treatment of key themes such as mutual respect, compassion and justice.

Speakers were reluctant to ask the hard questions of other religious adherents. And even when a “difficult question” was asked, for example, “Why is Muslim-Hindu dialogue so sparse?” the Muslim and Hindu participants failed to engage in any significant way with this question. To say this in another way, participants tended to overstate the positives of their own religious communities and to understate the negative aspects of their own religious communities. The question is, Do I do the same? Participants were largely from the moderate and liberal sections of their particular religious group. This meant that the so called fundamentalist and conservative extremes were absent. An unfortunate result of this was the above mentioned superficial treatment of some issues.

A positive aspect of the Parliament was the good will that existed. This made for helpful personal conversations at meal times and also a civility within the seminars and major sessions. It was a good opportunity to learn of the world’s religions. I particularly appreciated the Hindu and Buddhist delegates who presented their religions without some of the westernised aspects of Hinduism and Buddhism that appear in the Australian context.

I have no doubt that the only way to engage productively in inter-faith dialogue and activities is for the participants to clearly retain their religious integrity.

Outside of the conference centre a group of Christians held two big banners declaring that Jesus is the only way to God. To my mind, their approach was not an effective way to engage with the participants in communicating Christ and it was unnecessarily offensive. A better approach is to be like the Apostle Paul in the marketplace at Athens where he spoke with people and then was able to enter into conversation with them about the “unknown god” (Acts 17). I appreciate that Paul was run out of the marketplace! However, it does seem to me that he was able to quote two of their poets to them and had entered into some understanding of their cultural context before speaking of the resurrection. The Anglican worship service was attended by some non-Christian people and we received very favourable comments. I preached on repentance for forgiveness of sins, reconciliation and life in Christ – in 15 minutes!

A major benefit of spending a week with people of other religious beliefs was the opportunity to understand their beliefs and practices more fully. The experience allowed me to continue to improve my conversational skills in speaking with people of other faiths. I find it important to have a vocabulary that connects with people and avoids unnecessary misunderstanding and offence.

Perhaps my major regret was that I did not invite two or three younger Tasmanian Anglicans to accompany me to the Parliament. This would have been a great opportunity for them and also for me to learn through their eyes.

My final reflection: there is a Helper who in grace and mercy has reached down and walks beside us, empowering and transforming us to live as our Creator created us to live. While there are many noble goals and disciplines in the non Christian religions there is No One to redeem, empower or plead for them before the heavenly throne. The absence of the Tri-une God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit who is relational within Godself leaves a world without hope. The outstretched arms of Love seek to bring reconciliation and meaning. In my estimate, one of the reasons why there are mystical elements within the world’s religions is that adherents are seeking personal communication and experience with the “Unknown.”

A self-descriptive sentence which came to me while on retreat some years ago continues to capture my ongoing walk with God: I am a child of God on a pilgrimage of faith in Christ in the midst of a chaotic world.

It was a good decision to attend the Parliament of the World’s Religions 2009.

Parliament of Religions-Prayer

Posted on December 16, 2009 by Bishop John

At the Closing Ceremony of the Parliament of the World’s Religions an outstanding prayer was made by the Archbishop of Melbourne, Philip Freier. It is a great example of a Christian prayer being offered with integrity in a multifaith garthering. I have Archbishop Philip’s permission to share it with you, the opening being from Jesus Christ’s Sermon on the Mount recorded by Saint Matthew in his account of Jesus’ life in chapter 5 and verses 3 to 12, New Revised Standard Version of the Bible,

Hear the words of Jesus when he spoke about blessedness:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

O LORD our heavenly Father, high and mighty, King of kings, Lord of lords, the only ruler of princes, who beholds all the dwellers of earth from your heavenly throne, look with mercy on all who seek truth that they may find it in you who has revealed yourself as one God in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Grant to us all such a measure of your love and the spirit of compassion that makes for understanding that we might work together to face the challenges of our age, guard us that we neither fall into sin or despair but give us the courage that can meet the challenges of our times in hope, faith and trust.

Go with us Lord in all our doings with your most gracious favour, and further our search for peace and justice in your world.

I pray this in Jesus’ name

Amen

For more info see Parliament of the World’s Religions – Day 7 and the Closing Ceremony of the Parliament.

Parliament World Religions Day 7

Posted on December 16, 2009 by Bishop John

This, the final day of the Parliament, Colin and I decided to join with the Sikh community in their morning observance. This interest in the Sikh observance links back to the Sikh taxi driver I had coming to the Parliament and also an extended conversation with a Sikh participant at the PWR on Sunday.

‘Sikh prayer and meditation’ inculcates a deep sense of inner peace through interactive chant. The words were translated and a cantor led the chanting of the responses for the recitation of the attributes of the Merciful, the Lord Master, and upon completing numerous repetitions of the chant, “I cannot survive without seeing my Beloved. My eyes are welling up with tears” I saw that an elderly man was wiping tears from his face. A very moving time of devotion. There is no formal priestly caste and public worship can be led by appropriately initiated male or female Sikhs. Meditation and prayer seek communication with the Unknown. See more at www.sikhinterfaithvic.org.au.

‘The Future of Religion in Australia? Melbourne’s Religious Leaders in Dialogue with Young People (Seminar 2)’ interestingly canvassed three questions:1. Is there a future for religion among young people in Australia? 2. How does your religion approach inter-religious marriage? 3. How do young people handle homelessness, substance abuse and mental illness? This was a superior panel engagement than for Seminar 1 because the young people who had formulated the questions also joined in answering them. Very valuable.

‘Milestones and Signposts in Interfaith Relations’ were indicated by three panellists: Hindu, Muslim and Christian. The latter took St Francis of Assisi and his engagement with the Sultan in 1219 AD as an example; concluding: 1. Draw near in powerlessness; 2. Reject nothing that is true in other religions; 3. Do acts of service; 4. Witness to our faith. The Muslim speaker presented the ‘Medina Charter’ of Mohammad with the non-Muslims of Medina as an interfaith signpost. But this did not get us far because Mohammad ended up expelling them and killing the third Jewish tribe. Muslim and Jewish accounts of the failure differ but it is hardly seen as a model of good interfaith relations! The Hindu speaker presented the ‘giant umbrella’ of Hinduism with its emphasis on ritual rather than creedal faith under which innumerable groups can find shelter and live in harmony. Gandhi as the model peacemaker using non-violence to topple British rule.

‘How can we all get on? It’s the big question of our time.’ was from Day 5 and relates to the above session. It is from Compass presenter Geraldine Doogue and a panel of five high profile international and Australian guest speakers attending the Parliament and recorded for an ABC Compass episode (13 December 2009) on Parliament of the World’s Religions.

Lunch included conversation with a Christian Spiritualist and getting ready for the Closing Ceremony. The security and queues were significantly increased, was the Australian public becoming increasingly interested in the Parliament of the World’s Religions? No, in just one very famous religious person, the arrival of the Dalai Lama to the final session.

The media’s interest in the PWR? Throughout the Parliament there was some excellent coverage from the Age newspaper’s Religious Editor, Barney Zwartz and the ABC team led by Margaret Coffey. But the biggest circulation Melbourne newspaper the ‘Herald-Sun’ did not cover the seven day international event of 5,000 delegates. Rabbi Levi suggested that we may have received increased media coverage if the PWR had been a ‘sexpo’ rather that a religious parliament! A sad reflection on the very secular nature of Australian people. We do not seem ‘to get’ religion and its formative shaping of our lives and culture. A huge focus for our prayers.

‘Closing Ceremony of the 2009 Parliament of the World’s Religions’. A highlight was Archbishop of Melbourne, Philip Freier’s blessing based on the Beatitudes – see it here. Sand animation artiste to the playing of the Didgeridoo and Tibetan music. Dalai Lama spoke of peace and an enchanting scene where he was presented by Wurrunjeri Senior Elder Joy Wandin Murphy with the traditional gum branches and leaves and also the hide of a possum! The latter causing clear perplexity to the Dalai lama who placed it cautiously on a chair, it started to fall and after some to-ing and fro-ing between himself and Joy Murphy, finally had the possum hide placed on his knee. I think we all enjoyed this engagement between vegetarian and carnivorous communities which was done with respect and goodwill. A good example of the safe space for religious conversation, learning and co-operation that the PWR engenders. Photo of the exchange here.

ABC Video Day 7 – Farewelling Friends and much more on the ABC Religion Blog of the PWR with thanks to Margaret Coffey and her Team.

Interesting note on USA sending delegates to find out more at ‘Obama team seeks enlightenment on Muslim relations’. Also Hindu delegates issued a statement about climate change – see ABC report here. Further videos, photos and news available at 2009 Parliament Coverage.

My blog articles can be found at: Parliament of Religions – It’s coming!, and at Multi-faith society – an oxymoron? and also at Parliament World Religions Day-1 and at Parliament World Religions Day 1 and Parliament World Religions Day 2 and Parliament World Religions Day 3 and Parliament World Religions Day 4 and Parliament of Religions Day 5 and Parliament of Religions Day 6.

Parliament World Religions Day 6

Posted on December 12, 2009 by Bishop John

‘Praying together in Times of Happiness, in Times of Sorrow? The Ongoing Dilemma for the Interfaith Movement’ was a wonderfully honest session. It was just so good to hear adherents of faiths struggling to know how to demonstrate solidarity with people from other faith communities or of no faith, while maintaining their personal integrity.

For the Christian ‘Jesus’ is not optional. For the Muslim and Jew ‘God’ is not optional. Buddhism does not name ‘God’ as in these traditions. We must not ask people to leave their identity at the door of interfaith gatherings. Some questions for further conversation: Can I listen to a non-Christian pray? Can a non-Christian listen to me pray? If we pray with non-Christians, am I agreeing with the existence and nature of the god or reality being addressed by the prayer and/or with the content of the prayer? I have written elsewhere of the struggles: Where do we find consolation? and Muslim Ramadan and Christian prayer.

Ideas for interfaith gathering: 1. Words. But be careful – Are words exclusive and excluding of one another? What words are inclusive yet retain each participant’s faith integrity? An interfaith event could include words of introduction and linking of themes: the sorrow, personal testimony, people and services who assisted victims, thanks of family and friends, the recovery task, our human solidarity. 2. Silence 3. Outdoor or neutral religious location 4. Images 5. Actions of Prayer – lighting candles, sorrow, placing stones, laying of flowers, wall of letters, etc.

‘Islam and the West: Creating an Accord of Civilisations’ This is a in contra-distinction to Samuel Huntington’s ‘Clash of Civilizations’. A range of views but all the panel members were Muslims and this limited the session. However, the greatest limitation was the poor moderating: he talked too much and failed to gain interaction between the diverse views of the Muslim panelists. Some views expressed: Problem is power but as the West is in decline this dominance will soon end; We flourish together or we perish together; Fear of the West in Muslim countries and fear of Muslims in Western countries; Secular states seek to minimise all expressions of religion; Some media and party interests demonise; Mainstream Islam accepts democracy; A minaret is not a requirement for Muslim worship; A mosque without a minaret is an invisible and unacceptable Islam; Fear of gradual Islamisation of the West; The Declaration of Independance is Sharia compliant; Differences between Islamic and Western perceptions, eg. the Danish cartoons depicting Mohammad were disrespectful of the venerated Prophet (Muslim narrative) or the exercise of freedom of speech and freedom of religion (Western narrative); Societies that have a true ‘God-consciousness’ would not allow the family to lose its place and value and would be a healthy society; Pattern of power is held by the Western elite. See West’s decline article here and a later composite article with the Muslim participants who are more optimistic about the West and Islam here

I felt some issues were not adequately dealt with and some not even mentioned: Islamic extremism, Sharia states in Malaysia and Nigeria, Treatment of Non-Muslim minorities in Islamic nations, Is the secularisation of the West threatened by Islam? Are China and India the West? – and if not, What drives Muslim relations there?

‘Interfaith Australia, Social Cohesion and the Muslim Communities’ The results of a 2007 and 2009 study of social cohesion in Australia by Andrew Markus was very interesting – Summary Report is here. Other panelists shared stories of Muslims working to understand and to be understood in Australia. Also the challenges of Muslim parents and children to understand each other. Are young people’s dress styles, parties and alcohol a rejection of the traditional culture? Or does a Muslim young person’s sense of marginalisation from mainstream Australian culture lead to crime or radicalisation? I learnt more of ‘Bridging the Gap’ between diverse Australians: see the Australian Multicultural Foundation.

For myself: I see social cohesion as a process which starts in the short term and will find its fruits in the long term: an investment not an expense.

There was a market place where I enjoyed conversation with a Sikh man, Marcia from the Bible Society and others. See A market replete in articles of faiths by Farah Farouque.

Also ABC Video on Day 6 and Youth and their absence at the PWR.

Further posts can be found at: Parliament of Religions – It’s coming!, and at Multi-faith society – an oxymoron? and also at Parliament World Religions Day-1 and at Parliament World Religions Day 1 and Parliament World Religions Day 2 and Parliament World Religions Day 3 and Parliament World Religions Day 4 and Parliament World Religions Day 5.

See video, Day 6 at the PWR: Youth at the Parliament

Further videos, photos and news available at 2009 Parliament Coverage.

Parliament World Religions Day 5

Posted on December 10, 2009 by Bishop John

An environmental protester, a performance artist, greets us as we enter the PWR – photograph and brief ABC article at environmental protest.

I attended an early morning observance led by a Sufi Imam on, “So that you may know one another”: the call for social cohesion in the Quran”. Sufism, mystical Islam, emphasizes experience of God. An illustration: it is only possible to describe eating an apple by saying, for example, that it is sweet. But to know what an apple tastes like you must eat an apple – experiential knowledge. The whirling dirvishes dance from last night’s program is a form of entering into a trance to deepen spiritual experience.

The verse, “So that you may know one another” comes from Sura (Quran chapter) 49:13 which our presenter said was the most famous verse in the Quran. It speaks of Enjoining goodness; Personal transformations; and Inter-personal principles. Social cohesion is the result of human joining with the attributes of God. Thus a sufi practises: Dedication to God; Acts of mercy; Remembrance of God and his attributes; Take our worship into privacy; and strip ourselves of all desires.

In conversation the Sufi Imam said there is no Islamic country in the world: Saudi Arabia is Muslim majority populated but not Islamic. On the role of women he stated that in the West women have been reduced to an economic dollar value. He supported this from Anne Summers, ‘The End of Equality’ which he stated demonstrates the decline of the status of women in Australia. By way of contrast the high value of women in Islam is shown by the fact that a woman’s prayer at home is the value of a man’s prayer at the mosque. This is also why women do not have to go to the mosque.

Participants speak on Social Cohesion, a PWR theme, at ABC video re Social Cohesion.

I have struggled through a number of the theological tomes of German theologian Hans Kung and it was good to see and hear him in the flesh. He presented ‘A New Ethical Manifesto for the Global Economy’ at the first session and then a further round table conversation. Felicitously, I was joined here by Ian Harper and we were able to chat a bit over lunch. Roland Ashby from The Melbourne Anglican seized the opportunity and we are each to write for the February edition! Ian on the Kung manifesto and myself on the collectivity of sin. The Ethics’ manifesto is a well researched appeal to the moral basis of our life together. The Manifesto is here.

”Laws are not enough,” Dr Kung told the Parliament of the World’s Religions. ”You need the political will to fight corruption, greed and aggrandisement. But the political will is often weak because it is not accompanied by ethical will.” See Barney Zwartz Creed v greed: an ethical charter.

The role of the followers of Jesus to live and engage in the moral basis of our personal and collective life is as imperative as when Jesus asked us to be salt and light in society. (Matthew 5:13-16)

Also by Barney Zwartz re different religions in Australia catholic church bolstered by immigrants to Australia.

Further videos, photos and news available at 2009 Parliament Coverage.

Parliament World Religions Day 4

Posted on December 7, 2009 by Bishop John

8am Holy Communion in the Anglican style “Thank you for a welcoming service” began the Sabbath Day at the PWR Convention – room105! +Philip Freier of Melbourne led, Colin prayed and I preached. A special occasion of worship amidst the cacophony of the world’s religions.

Advent 2, Luke 3:1-11 (and Luke 1:68-79) on John the Baptist proclaiming a repentance for the forgiveness of sins and prophesying of the coming Saviour. We looked at sins(acts) and sin(my being a rebel who is in proud disloyalty to God); sins individual(camera flashes going off despite our being asked not to at the Opening Plenary-see Day 1 post), and collective (“City of Wrong: A Friday in Jerusalem” by Karmel Hussein) and the GFC; yet, noting that it is too easy to point at the wrong doing of others: What are the wrongs of commission and omission of which I should repent?

The law condemns but it cannot save. Education is frustrated by our human perversity and pride. Then, if we are incapable of saving ourselves, what is God to do to bring reconciliation? God sends a Saviour, “Prepare the way of the Lord”. In Jesus we see the clash between the claims of God and the self-centred claims of human beings: this latter taking the Sermon on the Mount to the Cross on Calvary. What does love do? -Evil and love is resolved within the person of God. As we draw near to the baby in the crib we see the adult who dies that we might live: a Saviour who is Christ the Lord.

CharterforCompasssion is a dream to draw all religious groups together around the theme of, yes, compassion. The ‘Golden Rule’ is taken to be common between religions and Karen Armstrong and others have written a 4 paragraph Charter that they want 100,000 people to sign. We were not given a copy which seemed a major oversight, but some people signed the petition after it was read out. Is this just another ‘chasing after the wind’ or could it acheive something? It is a little odd that this is being promoted independantly of ‘A New Ethical Manifesto for the Global Economy’ that Hans Kung is to present on Monday. I get mildly irritated still when “all religions have the Golden Rule”. In fact they have, “Do not do to others what you do not want done to you”, whereas Jesus said, “Do to others as you would have them do to you”! This is the call to the generous exaggerated love of self sacrifice, not the restraint of evil in “Do not do to others what you do not want done to you”.

Role of Religion and Spirituality in the Public Discourse +Philip Freier and Rabbi David Saperstein with Penny Mulvey moderating looked at the difficulties in Australia and the USA of getting a serious and sustained conversation with the public through the media. eg, In Australia a ‘sound bite diet’, a ‘living in the moment’ attitude; the widely held but erroneous understanding of the ‘separation of church and state’ and the word ‘secular’ misunderstood as non-religious or non-spiritual. I explain the issue, ‘we Australians live in a secular state and a spiritual society’. ‘Secular’ as applied to the state means that the state is not to favour one religion or denomination over another. Thus, no one religion would dominate public discourse. The sad result has been that religious discourse has been relegated to private discourse!

In the USA, you will not be surprised to know, things are different! David was excellent and I learnt heaps. eg, due to the very high importance given to free speech, broadcasters, writers and commentators can readily sensationalise conflict and extreme views to exercise their power and so advance their ratings and views. Twenty years ago the hate speech that is now heard on USA media would not have occurred because the cultural norms of the day would have restrained them. Do you speak out against this and so draw more attention to it, or do you stay silent and seek to address it through grass roots activism and cultural change? We have a role to play!

Proselytisation and Religious Freedom was a session that demonstrated the enormous differences between religious groups in this area. The biggest surprise was a Sufi speaker who opposed the right of a person to change their religion because it would upset the stability of the current social order. The UN Declaration of Human Rights included the freedom to change one’s religion but when the Charter which gave legal legs to the UN Declaration was drawn up, this freedom was deleted due to opposition from Islamic nations. The death penalty for changing your religion in some Islamic nations applies today, the law of Apostasy. For general comment on this theme see my post on Evangelism is not proselytism.

Religious Leadership in a Global Perspective The question, ‘What is the role of the leader in your religious community?’ was nearly uniformly answered across the 9 panelists as ‘to teach’.

The Sacred Music Concert in the evening was inspiring but ran late due to technical difficulties. We left after the Whirling Dervishes.

Oh! And the flash cameras continued to ‘flash’, despite specifically being asked at the beginning and a second time during the concert. Attendants went around trying to stop the people disregarding and disobeying the clear will of the organisers to give the performers an uninterrupted run. If the leaders of the Parliament of World Religions cannot discipline themselves then what hope, etc – Yes! I know, telling of our sin and brokenness gets boring. Sleep well.

Day 4 (Sunday) from the ABC Religion Blog on the PWR led by Margaret Coffey has an interesting video report on the Indigenous Peoples.

An atheist’s perspective on this PWR 2009 and the Global Atheist Conference 2010 at this same venue.

Further videos, photos and news available at 2009 Parliament Coverage.

Parliament World Religions Day 3

Posted on December 6, 2009 by Bishop John

I began the morning with meditation lead by Father Laurence Freeman of the Australian Christian Meditation Community. I was refreshed by the introduction and a time meditating. A distinction was made between meditation and contemplation: meditation is the work we do to receive the gift of contemplation. As an aside, we heard that when the Dalai Lama was asked what he would ask Jesus if he were to meet him, he replied, “What is the nature of the Father?”

‘Islam and Politics: Faith, Governance and society’ was a stimulating look at the role of faith and governance in majority Muslim societies like Malaysia, secular or multi-religious or a high religious values society. Anwar Abrahim gave a fine response, as the excellent and diverse panel of 6 Muslims engaged. There was also a protest at the Iran Government treatment of the Bahai following some bland statements from Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran (a panelist). It is written up well by Age journalist Barney Zwartz who attended the session, see Muslims urged to accept minorities.

Interfaith Dialogue and Education for a Culture of Peace: A workshop for Empowerment and Transformation was very well run. It acheived its aim of participants listening respectfully to one another, through small group role acting, our group were a poor Muslim fishing village in India facing ruin as a big aquaculture corporation was taking away our livelihood, and an excellent facilitator.

At lunch I received the papers on ‘Contemporary Spirituality’ from Harold and we spent an animated time together – what a pleasure to be with a dedicated educator.

Multi-faith perspectives on Inter-religious holidays and celebrations drew out some creativity from Norman Habel presenting material to celebrate creation and with creation; see A Season of Creation. He deftly uses words and I winced at his caricature of the attitude, ‘We are all going to heaven, so to hell with the earth!’

The difficulties of any form of multi-religious activity was brought home when a Pagan panelist commented with sadness that the Opening Plenary claimed to be inclusive of religions but it did not include Pagans because it had named ‘God’. The danger of the multi-religious agenda is its being reduced piece by piece into the most minimal of acceptable meeting places. One panelist went so far as to say that words are limiting and the less we talk the easier it is to get together! Taken positively, multi-religious events are best done in a natural setting, for a very particular community purpose and people given a framework of time and then for there to be silence in which each person can pray and read silently for the particular purpose. In this way nobody has lost their integrity because ‘God’ has been spoken by or for the Pagan, and nor has prayer been offered without the triune formula for the Christian.

A pleasant late cuppa at Bishopscourt with +Philip and Colin discussing inter-faith issues and solving some of the broader issues of life! Another satisfying day.

Oh! and I need to finish writing my sermon for our Anglican worship in the morning; the 2nd Sunday in Advent when we do the prophetic ministry of John the Baptist, Luke 3:1-11, and his call of repentance and the announcement of the Saviour.

Further posts can be found at: Parliament of Religions – It’s coming!, and at Multi-faith society – an oxymoron? and also at Parliament World Religions Day-1 and at Parliament of World Religions Day 1 and Parliament of World Religions Day 2.

PWR 2009 presenter interviewed on “Why I’m here”

Further videos, photos and news available at 2009 Parliament Coverage.

Parliament World Religions Day 2

Posted on December 4, 2009 by Bishop John

The tram was thankfully not full at 7.30am. Not even the ticket verifying machines were awake- all of them out of order! Colin and I attended the 8am session,

‘Calling out to Allah: The Role of Du’a (supplication) in Islam and its benefits for inner peace’. In Islam, supplication prayer starts with the understanding that Allah is perfect in every way and that the Muslim is a Servant of Allah. Supplication is worship, close connection to God and is pleasing to Him. We humans are poor and weak in our understanding and therefore we ask for help from God, the most merciful and most powerful One. Supplications in the Quran and Traditions were presented, as were the conditions necessary for God’s acceptance of the Muslim’s supplications. An Islamic ‘etiquette’ of supplication: Accept God’s decision; No conditions to our supplications; Continue in prayer; and Be sincere in your heart. Very well presented and thought provoking.

The session was an encouragement to put my requests before God. I am grateful to have been able to learn further of prayer in the Islamic tradition: it has been a long term interest of mine. However, for me there were very important and sad absences: The Redeemer who is always with us and who is redeeming us in every moment; The Holy Spirit who takes our inadequate thoughts and intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words; The Ascended Lord Jesus at the right hand of God interceding for us; and The Spirit inspired Scriptures that speak to our hearts by the indwelling Spirit. As a follower of Christ, I am encouraged to make requests to the Loving Daddy (Abba) God who tenderly cares and has walked with us and continues to walk with us. Also prayers of supplication are a shared heart project with the Triune God, and so it does not depend on me totally but on God’s grace. PTL!

I find this Scripture so encouraging: Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. [Romans 8:26,27]

Islam came into being at a time following much discussion over the doctrine of the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Colin wonders about Islam as seeking to rescue the transcendent nature of the One God from the turmoil around the doctrine of God caused by the heresies of Arianism and Nestorianism.

‘Poverty Must No Longer Be With Us’. Provided plenty of passion about the need to alleviate poverty and the desire for religious groups to work together but offered only the vaguest of generalities as to how this might actually occur. The immense value of the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) as being agreed concrete measures to overcome poverty was affirmed by all the religious groups on the panel. I especially appreciated Sr Joan Chittister on gender issues and greed. Jim Wallis spoke on Jesus’ quote, Matthew 26:11, paraphrasing it as, ‘The poor you will always have with you and you will have plenty of opportinity to do justice, but allow this woman to worship me here with you today’. Katherine Marshall made an outstanding summary of the difficulties faith based organisations encounter in seeking to alleviate poverty. See her comments on the unwillingness of politicians to engage with faith based aid groups. Tim Costello chaired the session with admirable agility.

‘Respecting and Defending Human Rights and Humanitarian Principles: An Islamic Gobal Perspective’ was in fact a Sufi, mystical Islamic, approach which saw education and a move beyond legal Sharia Law as the way for human rights to be gained in Islam. The session was somewhat light on actaul events in Pakistan, Egypt, etc and when The Age reporter Barney Zwartz asked about Sharia and the death penalty for apostasy in Islam, there was not a lot of engagement! See his Hated without a cause: faith’s high price . I just wanted to shout “Read the book: Islam: Human Rights and Public Policy, but I contained myself.

‘The Future of Religion in Australia? Melbourne’s Religious Leaders in Dialogue with Young People’ Best question: ‘How would the founder of your faith tradition respond to a meeting (of diverse religious leaders) like this?’ – the context of the question was that there were Christians at the entrance to the centre protesting at the holding of this PWR with banners, “Jesus is the way, the truth, the lif’e”. I think Jesus was pretty used to meeting with religious leaders with whom he did not necessarily agree.

Harold Taylor who taught me ‘Theology of Mission’ as part of my studies at BCV was also at this panel and we caught up. An animated conversation followed and he is sending me some material on a U3A course he is teaching, ‘Contemporary Spirituality’. I have been encouraged to teach a course on, ‘Anglican Spirituality’. What a pleasure to catch up with teachers and friends!

I also had an in depth conversation with an African priest who approached me because he had heard of my interests in the poor and Islam. This is of particular concern for him and we exchanged details and I am to locate some material for him. The differences between compassion (unconditional love), proselytism (seeking religious conversion through offering inducements) and evangelism (sharing my religious beliefs with the prayer that the other may be persuaded to accept those beliefs) are significant: we must keep our intentions clear in our various ministries. See Evangelism is not proselytism.

Further videos, photos and news available at 2009 parliament Coverage