In search of the format for interreligious understanding

In search of the format for interreligious understanding

Bambang Bider, Journalist, Pontianak, West Kalimantan

There have been two major explosive events in our recent past.
The first occurred at home with the collapse of the New Order
regime, followed by the emergence of various religious, political
and ethnic conflicts. The second was the Sept. 11 attacks in the
United States.

In the early days of modern times, religious communities did
not reject sciences. When Copernicus first presented his
hypothesis on heliocentrism at the Holy See, he opened Pandora's
box, triggering a revolution. Since then modern sciences have
belittled mythologies and religion; one reason for the emergence
of religious fundamentalism.

Fundamentalism -- be it Judaism, Christianity or Islam --
rarely comes up to fight outside enemies. Fundamentalism has
emerged as an internal struggle waged by the traditionalists in
fighting against their fellow adherents whom they believe have
compromised much in the secular world.

In Indonesia, fundamentalism has emerged not only against
fellow believers but also against the state. The state as a
secular institution with various interests often belittles
indigenous beliefs as it officially recognizes only five
religions. These officially recognized religions, on the basis of
legitimacy gained from the state, their own dogmas and their own
understanding, have arbitrarily labeled indigenous religions as
forms of paganism and animism.

Kalimantan Review reported in May 2001 that two evangelists
set on fire sacred items belonging to a Dayak family in Sanggau
Ledo district, Bengkayang regency, West Kalimantan, thereby
causing the child of the house owner concerned to be possessed.

Then in July 2002, Kalimantan Review also reported a theft of
a sacred statue of the Dayak ethnic group.

"Official religions" made their inroads into the Dayak ethnic
groups in the 20th century. These new religions have a different
kind of faith from that of the Dayak. When embracing the official
religions, these new adherents abandoned a number of rites and
acts that were in contradiction to the new faith.

The theological view that the indigenous beliefs of the Dayak
is an example of paganism has triggered disguised resistance on
the part of certain Dayak circles, who believe that this new
religion has secularized the indigenous beliefs.

The scholar John Hick, who wrote An Interpretation of Religion
(1989) and Rainbow of Faiths (1995), uses a philosophical
foundation for the pluralistic understanding of the reality of
human responses to what is considered as transcendent.

Major religions shape different perceptions and concepts about
and, consequently, different responses to, major traditions or
civilizations. In each tradition, human life is transformed from
self-centeredness to reality-centeredness.

Religiosity, which basically means faith in transcendent
reality, is expected not only to dwell on spiritual matters
behind the walls of temples, convents and mosques but it must be
implemented in real conditions.

Raimon Pannikar has made a mind-teasing statement that "there
is now not a single human or religious tradition which is self-
sufficient and capable of saving human beings from various
difficulties facing the community."

This statement is a challenge for the drawing up of a new
format for interreligious understanding based on universal human
values, rather than just serving dogmas. Religious differences
have come about not due to absolute reason but because of a
particular thing connected with a particular time in history and
culture. Therefore, a religious conviction must transcend
traditional absolutism.

The ongoing crisis is attributable to the fact that some of
us, and particularly our major social institutions, support
concepts originating in an obsolete world view. A new paradigm is
badly needed here. Finally, religion is a human being's
subjective way of responding to and living in relation to God.