Ep. 14 - Discussing the Document on Human Fraternity

Discern Daily
Ep. 14 - Discussing the Document on Human Fraternity
Pope Francis and The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, publicly shared the "Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together," which supports all world religions locking arms in the name of peace. On this episode, we began unpacking the document in order to seek the truth.

[embed]https://youtu.be/GlBTjQi-YnU[/embed]
Excerpts from the Original Document
"It is a document that invites all persons who have faith in God and faith in human fraternity to unite and work together so that it may serve as a guide for future generations to advance a culture of mutual respect in the awareness of the great divine grace that makes all human beings brothers and sisters."

"We, who believe in God and in the final meeting with Him and His judgment, on the basis of our religious and moral responsibility, and through this Document, call upon ourselves, upon the leaders of the world as well as the architects of international policy and world economy, to work strenuously to spread the culture of tolerance and of living together in peace; to intervene at the earliest opportunity to stop the shedding of innocent blood and bring an end to wars, conflicts, environmental decay and the moral and cultural decline that the world is presently experiencing."

"We therefore condemn all those practices that are a threat to life such as genocide, acts of terrorism, forced displacement, human trafficking, abortion and euthanasia. We likewise condemn the policies that promote these practices. Moreover, we resolutely declare that religions must never incite war, hateful attitudes, hostility and extremism, nor must they incite violence or the shedding of blood."

"Freedom is a right of every person: each individual enjoys the freedom of belief, thought, expression and action. The pluralism and the diversity of religions, colour, sex, race and language are willed by God in His wisdom, through which He created human beings. This divine wisdom is the source from which the right to freedom of belief and the freedom to be different derives. Therefore, the fact that people are forced to adhere to a certain religion or culture must be rejected, as too the imposition of a cultural way of life that others do not accept."

View the full document here.
Episode Highlights
There's so much to unpack from the document shared. Furthermore, we don't have a complete understanding on what everything is seeking to accomplish, but there's plenty worth discussing here.

We looked at a few different headlines and excerpts from articles written about the document from different perspectives.

All world religions vary in theological differences; however, we should all strive for peace. Everyone should be free to follow their own religious convictions. It seems this document protects families to choose their own faith in peace.

The biblical gospel both unifies and divides. Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household” (Matthew 10:34-36).

Jesus does not endorse violence.

Discern Daily
Ep. 14 - Discussing the Document on Human Fraternity
Pope Francis and The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, publicly shared the "Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together," which supports all world religions locking arms in the name of peace. On this episode, we began unpacking the document in order to seek the truth.

[embed]https://youtu.be/GlBTjQi-YnU[/embed]
Excerpts from the Original Document
"It is a document that invites all persons who have faith in God and faith in human fraternity to unite and work together so that it may serve as a guide for future generations to advance a culture of mutual respect in the awareness of the great divine grace that makes all human beings brothers and sisters."

"We, who believe in God and in the final meeting with Him and His judgment, on the basis of our religious and moral responsibility, and through this Document, call upon ourselves, upon the leaders of the world as well as the architects of international policy and world economy, to work strenuously to spread the culture of tolerance and of living together in peace; to intervene at the earliest opportunity to stop the shedding of innocent blood and bring an end to wars, conflicts, environmental decay and the moral and cultural decline that the world is presently experiencing."

"We therefore condemn all those practices that are a threat to life such as genocide, acts of terrorism, forced displacement, human trafficking, abortion and euthanasia. We likewise condemn the policies that promote these practices. Moreover, we resolutely declare that religions must never incite war, hateful attitudes, hostility and extremism, nor must they incite violence or the shedding of blood."

"Freedom is a right of every person: each individual enjoys the freedom of belief, thought, expression and action. The pluralism and the diversity of religions, colour, sex, race and language are willed by God in His wisdom, through which He created human beings. This divine wisdom is the source from which the right to freedom of belief and the freedom to be different derives. Therefore, the fact that people are forced to adhere to a certain religion or culture must be rejected, as too the imposition of a cultural way of life that others do not accept."

View the full document here.
Episode Highlights
There's so much to unpack from the document shared. Furthermore, we don't have a complete understanding on what everything is seeking to accomplish, but there's plenty worth discussing here.

We looked at a few different headlines and excerpts from articles written about the document from different perspectives.

All world religions vary in theological differences; however, we should all strive for peace. Everyone should be free to follow their own religious convictions. It seems this document protects families to choose their own faith in peace.

The biblical gospel both unifies and divides. Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household” (Matthew 10:34-36).

Jesus does not endorse violence. We are never called to violence, but love. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword’” (Matthew 26:52).

Tolerance is a keyword that stood out to me in the document. Tolerance is a subject that requires great wisdom. Some things are worth tolerating, while some things will never be tolerated by biblical Christians. 
Let's Seek the Truth
Take a moment to read through the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together. What stands out to you? What are your personal convictions on what's put forth? Leave a comment below and share this episode on your social media.