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CHALLENGES FACING RELIGIOUS LEADERS

1. The first point to highlight is that religious leaders as spiritual men and women are witnesses who draw inspiration and direction from the transcendent. These are men and women who firmly believe that the spiritual dimension of our lives is the cornerstone of our identity as human beings. These men and women also appreciate that we live in an environment of a political leadership which, while it is not openly hostile toward religion, certainly does not put a high premium on the role of faith in human affairs. Hence the ambivalent attitude. It is a political leadership that appears to believe that man can live by bread alone.


2. The Interfaith movement is at a critical stage of its development (or history). Critical because, the ambivalence of the political leadership notwithstanding, there is a concerted effort to divide and rule and to co-opt religious leaders for whatever nefarious purposes. This blatant manipulation calls for a confrontation. This brings us to a third point.


3. There is a pressing and urgent need to stand firm side by side, face to face, as we jointly seek to promote unity among the diverse religious leaders and by the same token, to resist division. Some religious leaders instead of speaking to power would rather be on the side of power. We ought to resist this temptation. Silence in the face of such blatant interference will mean a loss of the gains which the Interfaith Movement has hitherto made. We need a gloves-off conversation not only with political leaders but also within our own ranks about our identity, our collective voice and our role in a changing and developing society.


4. Fourthly, it is important to remind ourselves that the basis of our coming together is our faith. We firmly believe that this world and our conscious experience and knowledge of it, is not “all that there is”, that we are part of something greater than all of us. It is this faith that impels us to safeguard the unique dignity of every human person, to promote the immeasurable value of life of every human being, and to foster the common good. In so doing, we will be highlighting the role of religion in the public space. Religion cannot, and should not, be reduced to the private sphere as many of our detractors would rather have.


5. It is incumbent upon each religious community to share deeply and generously about the moral values and virtues held in high esteem in each religious tradition. These are the rich treasures that our times are calling for. This much longed-for exchange of gifts is palpably absent in our Interfaith dialogue. These religious insights are absolutely crucial in our attempt to promote the dignity of each person and to enhance the common good. While it is laudable to discuss the material needs of the majority of the citizens of the country, the abuse of power and state resources, the cancerous greed of the elite, the lack of service delivery, it is equally desirable that, as religious leaders, we should share the spiritual treasures of each tradition. This we are yet to do.


6. As a community of believers, we ask ourselves about the solid ethical foundations or principles upon which our economic and political policies are based. Economic and political decisions have far reaching moral consequences which affect both the law-makers and the majority of the citizens. If we are to serve our communities and nation well, it is essential that ethical-moral questions be continually raised in order to foster the common good.


7. Those who wish to marginalize religion seek to promote a secular morality. Even the secular morality needs to be defined. We live in a culture where some are sceptical of a transcendent foundation of morality. Human rights enshrined in the Constitution of the country do not offer a solid and unassailable foundation for morality. In response to these vexing ethical-moral questions, Pope Benedict suggests that the world of secular rationality and the world of religious belief i.e. the world of reason and faith – need to enter into a profound dialogue for the sake of the well-being and progress of the people. Religion in this context has a critical, corrective role to play rather than to offer norms or practical political solutions.


8. Truly moral leaders are persons committed to alleviating pain and the suffering of people, the unemployed, the homeless, the poor and refugees. Truly moral leaders avoid personal self-enrichment and greed. If “people come first” in the scale of values of our democratic government, it would not be unreasonable for religious leaders to campaign publicly for the virtues of prudence, courage, justice and moderation. If the well-being of ordinary citizens come first, then it is not unreasonable to openly ask the government to trim its bloated lifestyle. Exorbitant salaries can be drastically reduced; trappings of status symbols such as luxury cars, luxury homes, first-class and business-class travel for senior civil servants can be reasonably curtailed; there is a lot of waste (gaspillage) in the social and political events sponsored by government. Why should salaries and perks of senior civil servants be comparable to those of civil servants in the rich, developed Western countries? If the government is genuinely committed to the upliftment and well-being of its citizens, then it must lead by example. Political leaders ought to tighten their belts for the sake of the people they lead. Otherwise, “people first” is an empty slogan, a misleading lie. Political leaders need to mean what they say.