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Confession and Interfaith Peace

CONFESSION AND INTERFAITH PEACE

I. SCRIPTURE ON THE HEALING POWER OF CONFESSION
> In Leviticus 26:40 God tells Abraham to tell the often-misbehaving Israelites that he promises he will remember his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob if the Israelites confess their sins. Full quote: "If they [the Israelites] confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors, their treacherous betrayal, the defiance that set off my defiance that sent them off into enemy lands; if by some chance they soften their hard hearts and make amends for their sin, I'll remember my covenant with Jacob, I'll remember by covenant with Isaac, and yes, I'll remember my covenant with Abraham." (The Message).
> Proverbs 28:13: "He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy."
> Mark 1:4-5 and Matthew 3:5-6 describe crowds coming from afar to be baptized by John the Baptizer. This baptism included confession. "John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him [John the Baptizer] in the Jordan River." (NIV)
> James 5:16, while advising his Christian readers on Christian practice, urges them to "confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so you may be healed." (NIV)

II. TODAY'S PUZZLE: HOW TO ABATE INTERFAITH CONFLICT AND BRING INTERFAITH PEACE. AN ANSWER: EXPANDING CONFESSION OF SINS.
A. In our Pilgrim pastoral prayers Judy, Merrie, Laura Ruth, and Andrea have often prayed for those who suffer in Iraq, Israel/Palestine, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, and in other religion-fueled conflicts.
B. Can we also take steps beyond prayer to prevent, abate or end conflicts that stem from religion? How can be bring harmony between faiths, so that all religious communities can share this world in peace?
C. My answer in a nutshell: confess our sins.
We now confess our personal sins in church, in prayer, and at other times. We do this in part to expiate our sins, but also to guide ourselves rightly in the future, as a promise to do our best to err no more.
Let's expand from individual to the group. Let us confess the sins of our religious traditions. And let us urge those of other traditions to do likewise. This is a first step toward living together in this world with mutual respect.

III. SVE (Stephen Van Evera ) BACKGROUND: I STUDY THE CAUSES AND PREVENTION OF WAR



IV. IS THERE AN INTERFAITH CONFLICT PROBLEM? YES: INTERFAITH (RELIGION-FUELED) CONFLICT HAS PERVADED HISTORY AND STILL ENDURES
A. Religious conflict remains a dangerous scourge. It was once endemic. As the Enlightenment arrived in the 18th century it faded, but is now resurgent. Many fear that religion-fueled hatred could be the rationale for the use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) against civilians. Those who believe they have God's backing and are doing God's work often feel entitled to disregard the social norms that others follow, including the proscription on killing the innocent. Why should those who are chosen by God to hear his voice be hampered by our worldly rules?
B. Religious hate therefore puts civilization at risk in an age of WMD.
C. Killing in the name of God also brings contempt on religious faith itself. It convinces some that religion is best done away with. See recent books by Sam Harris, End of Faith; Christopher Hitchens, God Is Not Great; and Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion. They speak for many.
D. Religious communities authored the practice of personal confession but ironically have been the last to accept a duty to confess sins as groups or institutions. States and groups widely accept today the duty to follow a new norm of truthtelling. But not religions.

Religions should now accept this duty. The teacher should learn her own lessons! And each group should start with themselves. In that spirit, I suggest that Christians broaden their practice of confession to include the sins of their religious institutions, as well as their individual sins. And I hope other faiths follow.

V. A SOLUTION: CONFESSING INSTITUTIONAL SINS.
Confession of wrongs has tamed other conflicts. Let's apply it to religious conflict.
A. Consider Europe since World War II. Europe is deeply at peace today because Europeans have abandoned their ancient tradition of self-whitewashing other-blaming history and embraced truthtelling about themselves. Especially the Germans. This is a major reason that Germans are today in deep peace with their former victims.
B. Consider truth commissions worldwide since the 1980s, especially in South Africa. The South African truth commission was a forum for confession of crimes in the previous era, widely credited with helping allow South Africans to move forward peacefully today.
> Some (Michal Ben-Josef Hirsch) even argue that a norm of truthtelling has arisen in world affairs.
C. Whitewashing of sins causes conflict several ways, truthtelling likewise abates conflict several ways:
a. Self-whitewashing signals malign intent--"we do not feel sorry enough about what we did to acknowledge and apologize for it; so be warned we might do it again."
b. Self-whitewashing shows contempt for the victims and their families.
c. The aims of those who self-whitewash expand. Their sense of entitlement grows with their false sense of right-doing by themselves and wrongdoing by others. Truthtellers become more modest in their sense of entitlement.
d. Confessing group sins erases these causes of conflict and offers a healing display of respect for victims that can become a basis of restoring relationships. As happened with Germany and its victims, especially after 1968. The commonization of history in Europe, brought about by the end of self-whitewashing, especially in Germany, is the main reason why war is now unthinkable in Europe.
C. Religions are not part of this emerging norm of truthtelling (or confession, if you will). They are the ONLY major actors in politics that are not, although they were the ones who developed the practice of individual confession. It's time to include them!

VI. WOULD CONFESSION OF CHURCH SINS TEAR DOWN THE CHURCH OR BUILD IT UP? WOULD IT TEAR DOWN RELIGIONS AND RELIGIOUS FAITH OR BUILD IT UP?
Some will argue that a church that admits its past wrongdoing tears itself down in the eyes of its own flock and the eyes of others.
But Proverbs counsels that "He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy." (Proverbs 28:13). Religious communities who confess their wrongs will also find peace--peace within themselves and with others. They will earn the respect of all who admire honesty, humility, and respect for others. They will set an example for others to follow. They will strengthen the moral foundation of their church.
We in the UCC should consider ways open this path to interfaith harmony.