The World Parliament of Religions took place in Chicago, USA, from August 14 to 18. The World Parliament of Religions, founded in 1893, is a global gathering of all religions that do exist. The 2023 International Conference lived to the spirit that created it 130 years ago around the theme: A Call to Conscience: Defending Freedom and Human Rights.
There were more than 7,000 delegates at the McCormick Lakeside Centre in Chicago. The different speakers and exhibitors portrayed a spirit of togetherness and filiality. The mood at the conference was carnival like. The delegates were full of joy and laughter, and exhibited a high spirit of understanding their differences should not stop them from being one people who mean well for humanity.
The conference was sponsored by many institutions led by Fetzer Institute whose focus is on promoting a loving world where humanity is one family working for the common good, and Ansari Institute, which supports studying, learning and collaboration for the common good.
Phyllis Curott, the chairperson of the programme committee, said one of the fundamental crises today is authoritarianism. The growing authoritarianism suppresses freedoms, subverts democracies and murders the truth with lies. Therefore, celebrating differences has to be united on the defence of justice, freedom, human rights and democracy.
This remark tied in well with Bobby L Rush, former member of Congress and chairperson of the Chicago host committee, who quoted the Book of Micah 6:8 to ask the question on our calling. What does the Lord ask of me, but do justly and to love and to walk humbly? With your God?
Faiths may show differences but the basis of all of them is love and charity. The world has to be united around principles and values that promote human dignity and work for the common good. The current discussion around climate change cannot be escaped. Every religion, faith and spirituality embraces this common global concern.
The May 2023 discovery of the Shakahola self-imposed starvation suicides in Kilifi county (Kenya) resurrected questions on whether religion contributes to any good, considering more than 300 lives were lost through a cultic pastor.
Esther Oluff Pendersen explained why Karl Marx had observed his own society to present the metaphor that religion is ‘das opium des volks (opium of the people)'. Well-intending people can package religion to suit and serve their interests and leave the masses to be manipulated for selfish ends.
It implies believers of a particular religion and belonging to a particular faith have a clear understanding that people can live together and work for the common good. So, when the Shakahola self-imposed starvation suicide took place, emotions were pitch high to scale down activities of faith that lean towards cultism.
However, what has come out is that religion is abstract as a concept. It only becomes active when human beings embrace its values and share them with others. It is those religious leaders who should be held accountable to their flock and government. The many religions that exist mean well not evil.
This unity of purpose and celebration of differences brought back the earlier question of religion as the opium of the people. But those who understand and practice religion can contribute to the greater good rather than become monarchies of destruction.
Hakan Yavuz (2013) in the book titled: Toward an Islamic Movement, presents how to control fundamentalism with enlightenment. One may apply a process of using individual research-guided reason to re-interpret religious and cultural traditions for the advancement of society in Africa, Asia and Europe through multi-sectoral approaches.
Immanuel Kant (1784) sees enlightenment as, “Man’s emergence from self-imposed immaturity.” Karl Popper in Open Society and its Enemies (1945) defined enlightenment as “the effort of men to free themselves, to break out of the cage of closed society (fundamentalism) and to form an open society.”
The Shakahola debacle can be avoided with education, which defines an enlightened person.
The conclusion was all humanity should celebrate differences, promote tolerance and enhance acceptability. Condemnation of fundamentalism is a narrowness in practising religion.
Tutor social transformations in Africa, Tangaza University, Catholic University of Eastern Africa
