Archbishop Ludwig Schick, chairman of the Commission for the Universal Church © Harald Oppitz (KNA)
Archbishop Ludwig Schick of Bamberg has promoted interreligious dialogue. "No religion and no member of a religion may despise the religion of another, ridicule it or want to convert it by force".
This is what Archbishop Schick explained in his function as chairman of the Conference of the World Church on Tuesday in Wurzburg. There takes place until 6. In June, their annual conference "Religious freedom – a contested human right" took place in Buenos Aires.
Schick pointed out that religious freedom is not only disregarded and violated internationally, but also in Germany. "A newly emerged anti-Semitism and populist slogans threaten the good coexistence between peace-loving Jews, Muslims and Christians in our country."For religious peace, mindfulness and clarity are needed. Any flare-up of hostility against religions must be curbed immediately, he said: "Religious freedom and peace between religions is a standing order that knows no expiration date."
Schick: Limited knowledge as cause of intolerance
The conference contributions from all over the world showed how religious freedom can be violated in many different and subtle ways, the archbishop said.
"They stem from political power that despotically does not want to allow any other interceptions than its own and that therefore bans, restricts and persecutes religions or uses them for itself," the archbishop said.
At present, in countries such as Pakistan, India or Iraq, the religious freedom of Christians is restricted by members of other religions, who even punish their own family members for their different faiths. Intolerance, Schick said, often has to do with limited knowledge. Those who are educated and know about the relationship between people and religion, freedom and self-determination, are more tolerant and realize that all people have the same dignity and the same rights.