Do we have a moral duty to bring others to faith?
Rev. RAY INNEN PARCHELO is a novice Tendai priest and founder of the Red Maple Sangha, the first lay Buddhist community in Eastern Ontario
If you hear a knock at the front door at supper time, you can rest assured it won’t be a pair of Buddhists bursting to share the Dharma. There is very little in Buddhist history or teaching that looks like proselytizing.
In fact, the whole idea of there being some moral duty to convert or convince others is rare.
Conversions are largely irrelevant to Buddhists, since we understand that time is not a straight line, nor a ticking clock.
We are assured that in the fullness of time all beings will become Buddhas, that is, fully Awakened beings. Secondly, conversion is unnecessary.
The experience of “waking up” to our Buddha-nature is recognizing what was already always true, not changing into something new. That state of being Awakened is one of presenting the Way in our every act and breath.
We don’t do it out of duty, nor to collect new converts. An Awakened one, a Buddha, and, we as Buddhists, align our lives and actions with this presentation of the Way.
Buddhists aspire to “the mind of Awakening” (bodhicitta), a recognition of the interconnectedness of all beings and our common inheritance of dissatisfaction. This inspires a dedication to work for the Awakening of all beings. It is neither a morality nor duty, it is the consequence of the insight into these relations.
If you realize it is your own foot in a trap, not that of someone you scarcely know, what would make more sense than you trying to extricate it?
The only instances which might resemble “bringing others to the faith” would be the activity of numerous “bodhisattvas” (Buddhas-to-be) who frequently make vows to bring teaching to suffering beings. Most notable is Jizo, one of the most popular and recognizable figures in Buddhism.
His vow is to make a seemingly endless pilgrimage into every realm of existence for the exclusive purpose of making the teaching available.
Even so, Jizo is not so much a spiritual bounty-hunter as he is more the ultimate spiritual “medic,” providing what beings need to open their eyes to the Way.
JACK MCLEAN is a Bahá’í scholar, teacher, essayist and poet published in the fields of spirituality, Bahá’í theology and poetry
Most of the world’s great religions encourage their members to spread the message of their faith by word and by deed: to teach the faith and to live the life. Such a moral duty follows naturally from belief in an omniscient, all-powerful, supremely loving Divine Being who desires to communicate His will to humanity.
Bahá’ís believe that a rational, loving God desires to make Himself known to humanity through the Prophets or “Divine Manifestations,” who embody supreme love for humanity, but who also express the divine Will, revealed through “progressive revelation,” the periodical but co-ordinated appearance of a series of Divine Messengers who reveal the various holy books according to the needs of an evolving humanity.
We believe that the twin messengers, the Báb (the Gate) (1819-1850) and Bah’u’lláh (the Glory of God) (1817-1892), are the latest, authentic True Prophets for our age, whose teachings are designed to establish a richly diverse but united world community, based on the oneness of mankind and the unity of religion, their essential teachings. Naturally we feel an urgent duty to share the news of this latest revelation, particularly at such a critical juncture in mankind’s troubled history.
However, certain restrictions apply. Bahá’ís are exhorted to teach their faith passionately, but courteously and wisely. The listener should be open and receptive. Proselytizing is forbidden. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, (Servant of Glory) (1844-1921), the son and successor of Bah’u’lláh, wrote in The Secret of Divine Civilization: “Nothing in the world can ever be supported by words alone” (p. 56). Consequently, we are encouraged to teach by the most effective means — example: “O Son of Dust! Verily I say unto thee: Of all men the most negligent is he that disputeth idly and seeketh to advance himself over his brother. Say, O brethren! Let deeds, not words, be your adorning” (Persian Hidden Words, no. 5).
While we are always ready to engage in faith-based conversations, we are prohibited from quarrelling with people of other faiths. Consultation is recommended. Nor do we condemn followers of our sister religions or take an exclusive stance of moral or doctrinal superiority over other faiths. Ours remains an invitation, timely but urgent.
BALPREET SINGH is legal counsel and acting executive director for the World Sikh Organization of Canada
I think the Sikh answer would be that we have a duty to inspire others to faith. Sikhs don’t actively seek converts but instead try to become living examples of the principles taught by the Sikh Gurus and by doing so, become an inspiration to others.
The Sikh faith holds as a fundamental belief the equality of all persons, regardless of faith, gender or race. Sikhs also believe that there must be complete freedom of religion and all persons have a right to choose which spiritual path they wish to follow. People of all backgrounds are free to become Sikhs but there is no obligation or duty to actively seek conversions.
Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith, taught that while it’s important to have beliefs and principles, what is even more important is to give those beliefs and principals a practical form. Without action, words are empty. For example, Sikhs believe in the principle of seva or selfless service. To give this a tangible form, the Sikh community often organizes food drives and blood drives and sends teams to disaster zones across the world to serve those in need regardless of their faith. One of the greatest Sikh humanitarians in recent times was Bhagat Puran Singh who operated shelters for the needy all across Punjab. Many of those whom he served chose to become Sikhs like him, even though he never made any efforts to seek conversions.
When it comes to bringing others to faith, the example of the rose is one Sikhs strive to emulate. The rose doesn’t need to tell others that it has a pleasing fragrance, it is self evident for all to experience. In the same way, a person of faith shouldn’t need to sell their beliefs to others but should serve as an inspiration by the way they live their lives.
Rev. GEOFFREY KERSLAKE is a priest of the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Ottawa
At the end of the Gospel of St. Matthew we hear Jesus give the great commission to his disciples: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.
And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age’” (Mt: 28: 19-20). As Christians we have the privilege and the obligation to be witnesses to the truth of the Gospel in the world through our words, our actions and the way we live.
There is a quote often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi that captures this idea: “Preach the Gospel always and if necessary use words.”
Sometimes this means explicitly sharing and explaining the Christian faith with others, but often it involves being a living witness to what we believe in such a way that intrigues others and inspires them to want to know what we believe that causes us to act the way we do.
The way we live our Christian identity does have a powerful effect on others. I know of people who have expressed interest in the Catholic Christian faith because of the witness of Catholic believers.
It is important to remember that the Catholic Church teaches that every person must be free to practise their faith and that no-one can be forced to embrace a religion against their will.
We can ask God for the gift of faith, or to increase our faith, but we cannot by our own efforts “bring someone to faith” because that is God’s work.
There is a powerful brief prayer addressed to Jesus in Mark’s Gospel that every Christian can identify with: “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mk 9:24)
Rabbi REUVEN BULKA is head of Congregation Machzikei Hadas in Ottawa and host of Sunday night with Rabbi Bulka on 580 CFRA
This is quite a challenging question. If we really believe that religion is essential to a meaningful life, a great gift that truly benefits others, then withholding this gift would be difficult to justify.
On the other hand, enticing others to faith may not be a welcome intervention and may instead discourage people from embracing whatever faith.
The irony in this is that in the process of living out our presumed moral duty to bring others to faith, we are more likely to fail reaching this ultimate objective. People generally recoil when being told what to do, or what is good for them.
How do we deal with this conundrum? By going about this in a different way.
Instead of focusing on how we bring others to faith, we are better off focusing on how we, individually and collectively, can better live a faith imbued life.
We should ask ourselves whether our faith really makes a difference in how we live, a difference for the better. Is being faithful causing us to be more honest, more charitable, more caring, more respectful? If we cannot readily answer a resounding “yes” to this question, it is time to go back to the faith drawing board.
If faith does not make us into better people, there is hardly a justification for faith. And if the embrace of faith results in greater, even surpassing honesty, integrity, philanthropy, respectfulness, etc., then that will most likely inspire others to look more seriously at faith as a life enhancer.
The best way to bring faith to others is to first bring authentic, meaningful, life-enhancing faith to ourselves, and thereby to naturally inspire others to follow that example.
In the end, our moral duty is less to bring others to faith, and more to bring ourselves to living out our faith in such an inspiring way that others are inevitably drawn to faith. We need to worry about ourselves, and leave the rest to the natural contagion of goodness.
KEVIN SMITH is on the board of directors for the centre for Inquiry, Canada’s premier venue for humanists, skeptics and freethinkers
Have you heard the good news? There is no God. At least that’s what the word on Middle America Street was as two Australians took a page from certain Christian groups by dutifully door-knocking their way to bring others to godlessness: going to home after home, spreading the Gospel of Darwin. “Have you ever considered atheism?”
These hell-bound heathens had tongues firmly in their cheeks. It was a joke, of course.
A bit of giving back a spoonful of Christian evangelizing medicine. But it made for good YouTube. Not surprisingly, they didn’t convince anyone to see the light.
As a spokesperson for atheism, on radio, during public appearances and in this paper, I’ve encountered my share of attempts by the faithful to drag me into their flock.
I, too, have had many a weekend morning disturbed by beaming faces at my door, dressed in their Sunday best, warning me we are all going to die. “Have you been saved?”
No surprise, they never convince me to see their light.
Proselytizing doesn’t work, particularly in today’s freethinking society. It’s counter-productive. Rather than conveying a sincere desire to help one find the love of their chosen god, it feels akin to being targeted by a passive-aggressive hunter.
It’s a blessing that most religious groups practise their faith in a personal, private way; otherwise, streets would be chock-a-block full of various groups selling their goods.
Similarly with atheists. You’ll never find us preaching to the unconverted on the Hill or the ByWard Market — but there’s one caveat. While we need to respect other faiths, it is imperative to challenge them when they seek to limit people’s choices.
Most important is our moral duty to promote critical thinking. A think-for-yourself mentality will set you free.
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen
Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/R...others+faith/5252945/story.html#ixzz1V3y7xyAw
Rev. RAY INNEN PARCHELO is a novice Tendai priest and founder of the Red Maple Sangha, the first lay Buddhist community in Eastern Ontario
If you hear a knock at the front door at supper time, you can rest assured it won’t be a pair of Buddhists bursting to share the Dharma. There is very little in Buddhist history or teaching that looks like proselytizing.
In fact, the whole idea of there being some moral duty to convert or convince others is rare.
Conversions are largely irrelevant to Buddhists, since we understand that time is not a straight line, nor a ticking clock.
We are assured that in the fullness of time all beings will become Buddhas, that is, fully Awakened beings. Secondly, conversion is unnecessary.
The experience of “waking up” to our Buddha-nature is recognizing what was already always true, not changing into something new. That state of being Awakened is one of presenting the Way in our every act and breath.
We don’t do it out of duty, nor to collect new converts. An Awakened one, a Buddha, and, we as Buddhists, align our lives and actions with this presentation of the Way.
Buddhists aspire to “the mind of Awakening” (bodhicitta), a recognition of the interconnectedness of all beings and our common inheritance of dissatisfaction. This inspires a dedication to work for the Awakening of all beings. It is neither a morality nor duty, it is the consequence of the insight into these relations.
If you realize it is your own foot in a trap, not that of someone you scarcely know, what would make more sense than you trying to extricate it?
The only instances which might resemble “bringing others to the faith” would be the activity of numerous “bodhisattvas” (Buddhas-to-be) who frequently make vows to bring teaching to suffering beings. Most notable is Jizo, one of the most popular and recognizable figures in Buddhism.
His vow is to make a seemingly endless pilgrimage into every realm of existence for the exclusive purpose of making the teaching available.
Even so, Jizo is not so much a spiritual bounty-hunter as he is more the ultimate spiritual “medic,” providing what beings need to open their eyes to the Way.
JACK MCLEAN is a Bahá’í scholar, teacher, essayist and poet published in the fields of spirituality, Bahá’í theology and poetry
Most of the world’s great religions encourage their members to spread the message of their faith by word and by deed: to teach the faith and to live the life. Such a moral duty follows naturally from belief in an omniscient, all-powerful, supremely loving Divine Being who desires to communicate His will to humanity.
Bahá’ís believe that a rational, loving God desires to make Himself known to humanity through the Prophets or “Divine Manifestations,” who embody supreme love for humanity, but who also express the divine Will, revealed through “progressive revelation,” the periodical but co-ordinated appearance of a series of Divine Messengers who reveal the various holy books according to the needs of an evolving humanity.
We believe that the twin messengers, the Báb (the Gate) (1819-1850) and Bah’u’lláh (the Glory of God) (1817-1892), are the latest, authentic True Prophets for our age, whose teachings are designed to establish a richly diverse but united world community, based on the oneness of mankind and the unity of religion, their essential teachings. Naturally we feel an urgent duty to share the news of this latest revelation, particularly at such a critical juncture in mankind’s troubled history.
However, certain restrictions apply. Bahá’ís are exhorted to teach their faith passionately, but courteously and wisely. The listener should be open and receptive. Proselytizing is forbidden. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, (Servant of Glory) (1844-1921), the son and successor of Bah’u’lláh, wrote in The Secret of Divine Civilization: “Nothing in the world can ever be supported by words alone” (p. 56). Consequently, we are encouraged to teach by the most effective means — example: “O Son of Dust! Verily I say unto thee: Of all men the most negligent is he that disputeth idly and seeketh to advance himself over his brother. Say, O brethren! Let deeds, not words, be your adorning” (Persian Hidden Words, no. 5).
While we are always ready to engage in faith-based conversations, we are prohibited from quarrelling with people of other faiths. Consultation is recommended. Nor do we condemn followers of our sister religions or take an exclusive stance of moral or doctrinal superiority over other faiths. Ours remains an invitation, timely but urgent.
BALPREET SINGH is legal counsel and acting executive director for the World Sikh Organization of Canada
I think the Sikh answer would be that we have a duty to inspire others to faith. Sikhs don’t actively seek converts but instead try to become living examples of the principles taught by the Sikh Gurus and by doing so, become an inspiration to others.
The Sikh faith holds as a fundamental belief the equality of all persons, regardless of faith, gender or race. Sikhs also believe that there must be complete freedom of religion and all persons have a right to choose which spiritual path they wish to follow. People of all backgrounds are free to become Sikhs but there is no obligation or duty to actively seek conversions.
Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith, taught that while it’s important to have beliefs and principles, what is even more important is to give those beliefs and principals a practical form. Without action, words are empty. For example, Sikhs believe in the principle of seva or selfless service. To give this a tangible form, the Sikh community often organizes food drives and blood drives and sends teams to disaster zones across the world to serve those in need regardless of their faith. One of the greatest Sikh humanitarians in recent times was Bhagat Puran Singh who operated shelters for the needy all across Punjab. Many of those whom he served chose to become Sikhs like him, even though he never made any efforts to seek conversions.
When it comes to bringing others to faith, the example of the rose is one Sikhs strive to emulate. The rose doesn’t need to tell others that it has a pleasing fragrance, it is self evident for all to experience. In the same way, a person of faith shouldn’t need to sell their beliefs to others but should serve as an inspiration by the way they live their lives.
Rev. GEOFFREY KERSLAKE is a priest of the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Ottawa
At the end of the Gospel of St. Matthew we hear Jesus give the great commission to his disciples: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.
And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age’” (Mt: 28: 19-20). As Christians we have the privilege and the obligation to be witnesses to the truth of the Gospel in the world through our words, our actions and the way we live.
There is a quote often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi that captures this idea: “Preach the Gospel always and if necessary use words.”
Sometimes this means explicitly sharing and explaining the Christian faith with others, but often it involves being a living witness to what we believe in such a way that intrigues others and inspires them to want to know what we believe that causes us to act the way we do.
The way we live our Christian identity does have a powerful effect on others. I know of people who have expressed interest in the Catholic Christian faith because of the witness of Catholic believers.
It is important to remember that the Catholic Church teaches that every person must be free to practise their faith and that no-one can be forced to embrace a religion against their will.
We can ask God for the gift of faith, or to increase our faith, but we cannot by our own efforts “bring someone to faith” because that is God’s work.
There is a powerful brief prayer addressed to Jesus in Mark’s Gospel that every Christian can identify with: “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mk 9:24)
Rabbi REUVEN BULKA is head of Congregation Machzikei Hadas in Ottawa and host of Sunday night with Rabbi Bulka on 580 CFRA
This is quite a challenging question. If we really believe that religion is essential to a meaningful life, a great gift that truly benefits others, then withholding this gift would be difficult to justify.
On the other hand, enticing others to faith may not be a welcome intervention and may instead discourage people from embracing whatever faith.
The irony in this is that in the process of living out our presumed moral duty to bring others to faith, we are more likely to fail reaching this ultimate objective. People generally recoil when being told what to do, or what is good for them.
How do we deal with this conundrum? By going about this in a different way.
Instead of focusing on how we bring others to faith, we are better off focusing on how we, individually and collectively, can better live a faith imbued life.
We should ask ourselves whether our faith really makes a difference in how we live, a difference for the better. Is being faithful causing us to be more honest, more charitable, more caring, more respectful? If we cannot readily answer a resounding “yes” to this question, it is time to go back to the faith drawing board.
If faith does not make us into better people, there is hardly a justification for faith. And if the embrace of faith results in greater, even surpassing honesty, integrity, philanthropy, respectfulness, etc., then that will most likely inspire others to look more seriously at faith as a life enhancer.
The best way to bring faith to others is to first bring authentic, meaningful, life-enhancing faith to ourselves, and thereby to naturally inspire others to follow that example.
In the end, our moral duty is less to bring others to faith, and more to bring ourselves to living out our faith in such an inspiring way that others are inevitably drawn to faith. We need to worry about ourselves, and leave the rest to the natural contagion of goodness.
KEVIN SMITH is on the board of directors for the centre for Inquiry, Canada’s premier venue for humanists, skeptics and freethinkers
Have you heard the good news? There is no God. At least that’s what the word on Middle America Street was as two Australians took a page from certain Christian groups by dutifully door-knocking their way to bring others to godlessness: going to home after home, spreading the Gospel of Darwin. “Have you ever considered atheism?”
These hell-bound heathens had tongues firmly in their cheeks. It was a joke, of course.
A bit of giving back a spoonful of Christian evangelizing medicine. But it made for good YouTube. Not surprisingly, they didn’t convince anyone to see the light.
As a spokesperson for atheism, on radio, during public appearances and in this paper, I’ve encountered my share of attempts by the faithful to drag me into their flock.
I, too, have had many a weekend morning disturbed by beaming faces at my door, dressed in their Sunday best, warning me we are all going to die. “Have you been saved?”
No surprise, they never convince me to see their light.
Proselytizing doesn’t work, particularly in today’s freethinking society. It’s counter-productive. Rather than conveying a sincere desire to help one find the love of their chosen god, it feels akin to being targeted by a passive-aggressive hunter.
It’s a blessing that most religious groups practise their faith in a personal, private way; otherwise, streets would be chock-a-block full of various groups selling their goods.
Similarly with atheists. You’ll never find us preaching to the unconverted on the Hill or the ByWard Market — but there’s one caveat. While we need to respect other faiths, it is imperative to challenge them when they seek to limit people’s choices.
Most important is our moral duty to promote critical thinking. A think-for-yourself mentality will set you free.
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen
Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/R...others+faith/5252945/story.html#ixzz1V3y7xyAw
