wfn.org | Proselytism poses new problems for religious groups, study finds

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

June 23, 1998        Contact: Tim Tanton*(615)742-5470*Nashville, Tenn.
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By Robert Lear*
 
Religious proselytizing is spurring more tension among different faith
groups in the "war for souls" worldwide, according to the early findings
of a study under way by United Methodist-related Emory University.

For three years, more than 160 scholars, religious leaders and activists
from around the world have been researching efforts on three continents
to convert people from indigenous faiths to what has been called
"missionizing" faiths.

The study focused initially on the former Soviet Union and was expanded
to include Africa and Latin America. The project's directors discussed
some of their findings at a June 19 news conference in Washington.

There is growing resentment among religious traditions already on the
ground at what they see as proselytizing, said John Witte Jr., professor
of law and ethics. Witte is director of Emory's Law and Religion
Program, which is responsible for the project.

One result of this resentment, he said, is a fresh "opportunity to renew
old hostilities" between existing faiths and new "hit-and-run" religious
efforts that rely more on mass meetings and television to reach
potential followers. The tension, he said, is between the "great
commission" to take the Christian gospel into the world and the golden
rule, which holds that one should treat others as he or she would want
to be treated.

The study is the third in a series of projects on religion, human rights
and democratization directed by the Atlanta-based university and
underwritten by the Pew Charitable Trust. The first was "Christianity
and Democracy in Global Context," followed by "Religious Human Rights in
Global Perspective."

The first two projects were accompanied by global conferences of 700 to
800 participants, publication of books and articles in several
languages, and expanded networks of scholars, activists, and political
and religious leaders.

The current study, dubbed "The Problem of Proselytizing in the New World
Order," will culminate in l999 with the publication of an eight-volume
series by Orbis books. The l998 winter edition of "Emory International
Law Review" devoted more than 700 pages to the topic.

With the end of  the Cold War, groups from around the world could enter
areas that had once been restricted, such as the former Soviet Union,
said David Little, director of the Project on Tolerance at the United
States Institute of Peace in Washington.

As Russia's official attitude toward religion changed at the beginning
of the decade, proselytism surged, according to researchers.

"Religious groups oppressed in Russia began to rise up by the hundreds
if not thousands," said Lauren Homer, an international legal specialist
from Vienna, Va. "By l993, the people felt they had enough."

Last fall, Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed a "religious
association law" requiring all religious organizations registered in the
country before Sept. 26 to re-register by the end of l999.

On April 23, the Keston Institute's news service reported that the law
seemed to be having more effect on existing Russian religious minorities
than on missionaries from abroad. Observers have said the measure will
likely curtail the activities of all but a few faith groups in Russia

United Methodists have a particular interest in the changes in Russia.
The church's work there dates back 100 years, when the Methodist
Episcopal Church began mission efforts in St. Petersburg, Russia, and
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Only the Estonian church survived.

In l993, Bishop Ruediger R. Minor of Germany was named to lead the new
Eurasia Episcopal Area, based in Moscow. Since then, 35 new United
Methodist congregations have been started, along with Bible study groups
and fellowships. The church has about 15,000 members in Russia.

"Our churches have not seen any major fallout from the new Russian law,"
Minor said earlier this year in St. Louis. "The atmosphere has changed,
but we continue business as usual."

Dialogue and education are two possible solutions to the spread of
proselytism, Homer said.
# # #
*Lear is a retired staff member of United Methodist News Service
residing in Wernersville, Pa.

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(615)742-5470
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