Governments need to acknowledge Christians and the faith community as partners in overcoming religious fundamentalism, said the international director of the World Evangelical Alliance at the conclusion of his Australia tour last month.
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(Photo: Christian Today)Dr. Geoff Tunnicliffe (center), international director of the World Evangelical Alliance, speaks at the Parliamentary Christian Fellowship in June 2008.
Dr. Geoff Tunnicliffe was in Australia to meet with key Christian, political and business leaders during a three-week visit.
“Governments need to acknowledge the fact that there is a clash of worldviews going on and that not all diplomatic practices necessarily fit the climate at present, or even perhaps the future climate,” he said on June 21.
“Often times governments view things with a very secular mindset but if we are dealing with a radical, fundamentalist religious worldview, then we simply cannot dialogue around that from a secular worldview.
“There has got to be a different approach.”
Tunnicliffe urged governments to recognize Christians and people of other faiths as partners in mediation and conflict resolution.
“Because our worldview is shaped by our biblical understanding and shaped by our faith, it provides the perfect platform to interact with people who also act out of their faith,” he said.
Acknowledging the concern of many Christians about secularism, Tunnicliffe said it was important to ensure that society is defined not as secular but rather as pluralistic.
“Pluralism means that all people have a place at the table. It is not a secular table, it is a pluralistic table, and therefore no one party can claim to have absolute control of the table,” he said. “Those who claim to be most tolerant, particularly secularists, are actually now becoming the most intolerant of other views. Their intolerance is shown by excluding people from the table whom they feel don’t share the secularist perspective.
“It is important that we find some common ground.”
Part of Tunnicliffe’s visit included a meeting with aboriginal church leaders in Melbourne to discuss inter-church relations and social development.
“It is absolutely essential for the church to be at the forefront of any movement of reconciliation and to work with the aboriginal community to help them deal with the social and generational issues they are facing.”
Following the meeting, he said there was still a lot of “deep pain” within the aboriginal communities.
“One of the responsibilities of the church is to continue to remind the Government of their obligations and responsibilities towards the aboriginals,” he said.
Churches in Australia are currently engaged in developing aboriginal Christian leaders. Tunnicliffe said he had been “impressed” by the quality of young aboriginal leaders he had met during his visit.
“They give me great hope for the future development of the aboriginal community,” he said. “They are not looking for hand-outs. Rather, they are willing to confront some of the very important issues facing their communities right now, including the high proportion of absent fathers.
“They are looking for ways to get into positions of power that will enable them to serve the aboriginal community.”
He stressed, however, that non-aboriginal churches needed to work harder at gaining the trust of aboriginal church leaders.
“It is absolutely critical that greater trust is built between the aboriginal church leaders and local churches in Australia,” said the WEA head. “There is a need for greater understanding and strong relationships to be established.” Continue >>
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pvlman, I find your indictment of Christian Americans very interesting. Given that you live in a country founded upon Judeo-Christian values, particularly that "all men are created equal" and that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." This is merely elaborating on the concept of FREE WILL, you can worship whoever/whatever you darn well please. Your statement that Christians in America aren't interested in pluralism is factually incorrect, scripturally incorrect, and I would suspect statistically incorrect (exactly how many Christians have you spoken to concerning pluralism?).
In this Christian nation, you have the freedom to worship as you please (if at all) and YOU EVEN HAVE THE FREEDOM TO CRITICIZE CHRISTIAN AMERICANS. Try criticizing Islam in countries like Iran, or try criticizing Hinduism.
You curse and criticize the very ones who have fought and died for your freedom. King George III was not interested in pluralism - but wanted a govt-established religion, and that is what prompted our founding fathers to set up this nation the way they did in the first place... EVEN AT THE RISK OF LOSING THEIR LIVES! So go ahead, criticize if you want... I only ask that you'd make your arguments FACTUAL.
"Pluralism means that all people have a place at the table. It is not a secular table, it is a pluralistic table, and therefore no one party can claim to have absolute control of the table," he said. "Those who claim to be most tolerant, particularly secularists, are actually now becoming the most intolerant of other views. Their intolerance is shown by excluding people from the table whom they feel don't share the secularist perspective."
So true! Does anybody here know much about this Australian man?
The good old Golden Rule. Every society that exists or ever existed has/had a version of it. The problem is Christians in America for a long time readily discard the GR when it got in the way of maximum profit and forcing their will on others. I wonder what religious group would Tunnicliffe suggest help the gvt's with the Christian fundamentalists? Apparently Tunnicliffe is unaware that Christians in Americe aren't interest in Pluralism, never where and my never be interested. They are too used to setting the agenda and the power that brings.
"There has got to be a different approach."
There is...love your neighbor as yourself. Wow...what a concept. I don't see where Christians need the gov'ts to do that.