NEWS RELEASE JANUARY 21, 2001

Dubbed a new tool resolving conflicts, Points for Peacemaking issued by Massachusetts Council of Churches

As the rumors of war with Iraq continue to escalate, and as the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians seems to defy resolution, the Massachusetts Council of Churches (MCC) has weighed in with some Points for Peacemaking. They are simple talking points—ethical middle axioms that should apply to any context where conflict exists or is threatened. Developed in consultation with national and international experts in diplomacy and conflict resolution, the Points for Peacemaking are being unveiled to church delegates at the annual meeting of the Massachusetts Council of Churches on January 22 at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Weston. They will be shared widely, not only with the 1700+ congregations in the Council’s member-denominations, but also in a variety of inter-religious peace rallies, dialogues, and other initiatives.

“We encourage people of faith to refer to these points repeatedly in private and public conversations, in written statements and in verbal presentations, among Christians with Jews and Muslims, here, in the Middle East, and beyond,” explained MCC Executive Director Rev. Dr.

Diane Kessler. “All those who have participated in developing this strategy—and that includes a wide range of Orthodox, Protestant, and Roman Catholic religious leaders, as well as colleagues in the Jewish and Islamic communities—hope that these points can be used to help Christians, Jews, and Muslims address current crises and avoid future conflicts.”

MCC Adjunct Associate Rev. Betsy Sowers said that leaders of several of the Council’s sixteen member denominations encouraged their drafting as a means fostering conversation among adherents of the three Abrahamic faiths about ways to resolve conflict. “Points for Peacemaking,” Sowers said, is a means of creating space for dialogue by grounding the conversation in the core principles of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It reminds adherents of the three faiths that they share a common religious heritage in which they are called to love and respect one another, uphold high ethical standards, and actively pursue a just peace in situations of conflict. It invites people of faith to enter into dialogue committed to these common values, and to encourage secular leaders to commit to them, in order to advance the cause of peace.” Rev. Sowers provides staff support to a thirteen year old Islamic/Christian dialogue the MCC coordinates with the Islamic Council of New England, and a twenty-seven year old dialogue the MCC coordinates with the American Jewish Committee.

“On their face, the talking points seem obvious,” MCC Executive Director Diane Kessler said. “Do not demonize the Other. Avoid prejudicial stereotyping. And yet a cursory reading of daily newspapers suggests that many political leaders are ignoring the obvious. And when we get to the talking points about ‘our shared heritage as ethical religions,’ the points become even more challenging. For example, we ‘encourage peace talks without prior conditions.’ We urge that extremists not be empowered by abandoning agreements. These are not simple matters. They will engender a lot of hot debates. Many of us have not had the conceptual tools to engage in these debates. We hope—we pray—that these talking Points for Peacemaking will help.”

Endorsers of the Points for Peacemaking (list in process of formation) include:
Rev. Terry Burke (Councils of Christian Churches within the UUA), Rt. Rev. Roy Cederholm (Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts), Deana Chase (Religious Society of Friends), The Rev. Edward Dufresne (Inter-Church Council of Greater New Bedford), David Edwards and the Greater Lawrence Council of Churches, The Most Rev. John Elya (Eparchy of Newton, Melkite), Bishop Susan Wolfe Hassinger (Boston Area, United Methodist Church), The Islamic Council of New England, Bishop Margaret Payne (New England Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), His Emenience Metropolitan Methodios (Metropolis of Boston, Greek Orthodox), The Most Rev. Daniel P. Reilly (Diocese of Worcester),The Rt. Rev. Gordon Scruton (Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts), The Rtr. Rev. M. Thomas Shaw, S.S.J.E. (Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts), the Rev. Betsy Sowers (Massachusetts Council of Churches), The Rev. Dr. Linda Spoolstra (The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts), The Rev. Dr. Nancy Taylor (The Massachusetts Conference, United Church of Christ), and The Rev. Dr. Diane C. Kessler (Massachusetts Council of Churches).
 

"Points for Peacemaking" text