| Declaration
Toward a Global Ethic |
|
A. |
Introduction  |
B. |
The Principles of a Global Ethic |
I. |
No new global order without a new global
ethic! |
II. |
A fundamental demand:
Every human being must be treated humanely |
III. |
Irrevocable directives |
1. |
Commitment to a Culture of Non-violence
and Respect
for Life |
2. |
Commitment to a Culture of Solidarity
and
a Just Economic Order |
3. |
Commitment to a Culture of Tolerance
and
a Life of Truthfulness |
4. |
Commitment to a Culture of Equal Rights
and Partnership Between Men and Women |
IV. |
Transformation of Consciousness! |
C. |
The following signed the declaration: |
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A. Introduction
|
[The
text intitled “introduction” was produced by an Editorial
Committee of the “Council” of the Parliament of the World’s
Religions in Chicago on the basis of the Declaration itself composed
in Tuebingen (here headed “Principles”). It was meant to
serve as a brief summary of the Declaration for publicity purposes.]
The world is in agony. The agony is so pervasive and urgent that we are
compelled to name its manifestations so that the depth of this pain may
be made clear.
Peace eludes us – the planet is being destroyed – neighbors
live in fear –
women and men are estranged from each other – children die!
This is abhorrent.
We condemn the abuses of Earth’s ecosystems.
We condemn the poverty that stifles life's potential; the hunger that
weakens the human body, the economic disparities that threaten so many
families with ruin.
We condemn the social disarray of the nations; the disregard for justice
which pushes citizens to the margin; the anarchy overtaking our communities;
and the insane death of children from violence. In particular we condemn
aggression and hatred in the name of religion.
But this agony need not be.
It need not be because the basis for an ethic already exists. This ethic
offers the possibility of a better individual and global order, and leads
individuals away from despair and societies away from chaos.
We are women and men who have embraced the precepts and practices of
the world's religions:
We affirm that a common set of core values is found in the teachings
of the religions, and that these form the basis of a global ethic. We
affirm that this truth is already known, but yet to be lived in heart
and action.
We affirm that there is an irrevocable, unconditional norm for all areas
of life, for families and communities, for races, nations, and religions.
There already exist ancient guidelines for human behavior which are found
in the teachings of the religions of the world and which are the condition
for a sustainable world order.
We Declare:
We are interdependent. Each of us depends on the well-being of the whole,
and so we have respect for the community of living beings, for people,
animals, and plants, and for the preservation of Earth, the air, water
and soil.
We take individual responsibility for all we do. All our decisions, actions,
and failures to act have consequences.
We must treat others as we wish others to treat us. We make a commitment
to respect life and dignity, individuality and diversity, so that every
person is treated humanely, without exception. We must have patience
and acceptance. We must be able to forgive, learning from the past but
never allowing ourselves to be enslaved by memories of hate. Opening
our hearts to one another, we must sink our narrow differences for the
cause of the world community, practicing a culture of solidarity and
relatedness.
We consider humankind our family. We must strive to be kind and generous.
We must not live for ourselves alone, but should also serve others, never
forgetting the children, the aged, the poor, the suffering, the disabled,
the refugees, and the lonely. No person should ever be considered or
treated as a second-class citizen, or be exploited in any way whatsoever.
There should be equal partnership between men and women. We must not
commit any kind of sexual immorality. We must put behind us all forms
of domination or abuse.
We commit ourselves to a culture of non-violence, respect, justice, and
peace. We shall not oppress, injure, torture, or kill other human beings,
forsaking violence as a means of settling differences.
We must strive for a just social and economic order, in which everyone
has an equal chance to reach full potential as a human being. We must
speak and act truthfully and with compassion, dealing fairly with all,
and avoiding prejudice and hatred. We must not steal. We must move beyond
the dominance of greed for power, prestige, money, and consumption to
make a just and peaceful world.
Earth cannot be changed for the better unless the consciousness of individuals
is changed first. We pledge to increase our awareness by disciplining
our minds, by meditation, by prayer, or by positive thinking. Without
risk and a readiness to sacrifice there can be no fundamental change
in our situation. Therefore we commit ourselves to this global ethic,
to understanding one another, and to socially beneficial, peace-fostering,
and nature-friendly ways of life.
We invite all people, whether religious or not, to do the same.
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B.
The Principles of a Global Ethic
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Our
world is experiencing a fundamental crisis: A
crisis in global economy, global ecology, and global politics. The lack
of a grand vision, the tangle of unresolved problems, political paralysis,
mediocre political leadership with little insight or foresight, and in
general too little sense for the commonweal are seen everywhere: Too
many old answers to new challenges.
Hundreds of millions of human beings on our planet increasingly suffer
from unemployment, poverty, hunger, and the destruction of their families.
Hope for a lasting peace among nations slips away from us. There are
tensions between the sexes and generations. Children die, kill, and are
killed. More and more countries are shaken by corruption in politics
and business. It is increasingly difficult to live together peacefully
in our cities because of social, racial, and ethnic conflicts, the abuse
of drugs, organized crime, and even anarchy. Even neighbors often live
in fear of one another. Our planet continues to be ruthlessly plundered.
A collapse of the ecosystem threatens us.
Time and again we see leaders and members of religions incite
aggression, fanaticism, hate, and xenophobia – even inspire and
legitimize violent and bloody conflicts. Religion often is misused for
purely power-political goals, including war. We are filled with disgust.
We condemn these blights and declare that they need not be. An ethic already
exists within the religious teachings of the world which can counter
the global distress. Of course this ethic provides no direct solution
for all the immense problems of the world, but it does supply the moral
foundation for a better individual and global order: A vision which
can lead women and men away from despair, and society away from chaos.
We are persons who have committed ourselves to the precepts and practices
of the world’s religions. We confirm that there is already a consensus
among the religions which can be the basis for a global ethic – a
minimal fundamental consensus concerning
binding values, irrevocable standards,
and fundamental moral attitudes.
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I.
No new global order without a new global ethic!
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We
women and men of various religions and regions of Earth therefore address
all people, religious and non-religious. We wish to express the following
convictions which we hold in common:
• We all have a responsibility for a better
global order.
•
Our involvement for the sake of human rights, freedom, justice, peace,
and the preservation of Earth is absolutely necessary.
•
Our different religious and cultural traditions must not prevent our
common involvement in opposing all forms of inhumanity and working
for greater humaneness.
•
The principles expressed in this Global Ethic can be affirmed by all
persons with ethical convictions, whether religiously grounded or not.
• As religious and spiritual persons we
base our lives on an Ultimate Reality, and draw spiritual power and
hope therefrom, in trust, in prayer or meditation, in word or silence.
We have a special responsibility for the welfare of all humanity and
care for the planet Earth. We do not consider ourselves better than
other women and men, but we trust that the ancient wisdom of our religions
can point the way for the future.
After two world wars and the end of the cold war, the collapse of fascism
and nazism, the shaking to the foundations of communism and colonialism,
humanity has entered a new phase of its history. Today we possess sufficient
economic, cultural, and spiritual resources to introduce a better global
order. But old and new ethnic, national, social,
economic, and religious tensions threaten the peaceful building
of a better world. We have experienced greater technological progress
than ever before, yet we see that world-wide poverty, hunger, death
of children, unemployment, misery, and the destruction of nature have
not diminished but rather have increased. Many peoples are threatened
with economic ruin, social disarray, political marginalization, ecological
catastrophe, and national collapse.
In such a dramatic global situation humanity needs a vision
of peoples living peacefully together, of ethnic and ethical
groupings and of religions sharing responsibility for the care of Earth.
A vision rests on hopes, goals, ideals, standards. But all over the
world these have slipped from our hands. Yet we are convinced that,
despite their frequent abuses and failures, it is the communities of
faith who bear a responsibility to demonstrate that such hopes, ideals,
and standards can be guarded, grounded, and lived. This is especially
true in the modern state. Guarantees of freedom of conscience and religion
are necessary but they do not substitute for binding values, convictions,
and norms which are valid for all humans regardless of their social
origin, sex, skin color, language, or religion.
We are convinced of the fundamental unity of the human family on Earth.
We recall the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United
Nations. What it formally proclaimed on the level of rights we
wish to confirm and deepen here from the perspective of an ethic: The
full realization of the intrinsic dignity of the human person, the
inalienable freedom and equality in principle of all humans, and the
necessary solidarity and interdependence of all humans with each other.
On the basis of personal experiences and the burdensome history of
our planet we have learned
•
that a better global order cannot be created or enforced by laws, prescriptions,
and conventions alone;
•
that the realization of peace, justice, and the protection of Earth
depends on the insight and readiness of men and women to act justly;
• that action in favor of rights and freedoms presumes a consciousness
of responsibility and duty, and that therefore both the minds and hearts
of women and men must be addressed;
•
that rights without morality cannot long endure, and that there
will be no better global order without a global ethic.
By a global ethic we do not mean a global
ideology or a single unified religion beyond
all existing religions, and certainly not the domination of one religion
over all others.
By a global ethic we mean a fundamental consensus
on binding values, irrevocable standards, and personal attitudes. Without
such a fundamental consensus on an ethic, sooner or later every community
will be threatened by chaos or dictatorship, and individuals will despair.
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II.
A fundamental demand:
Every human being must be treated humanely
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We
are all fallible, imperfect men and women with limitations and defects.
We know the reality of evil. Precisely because of this, we feel compelled
for the sake of global welfare to express what the fundamental elements
of a global ethic should be – for individuals as well as for
communities and organizations, for states as well as for the religions
themselves. We trust that our often millennia-old religious and ethical
traditions provide an ethic which
is convincing and practicable for all
women and men of good will, religious
and non-religious.
At the same time we know that our various religious and ethical traditions
often offer very different bases for what is helpful and what is unhelpful
for men and women, what is right and what is wrong, what is good and
what is evil. We do not wish to gloss over or ignore the serious differences
among the individual religions. However, they should not hinder us from
proclaiming publicly those things which
we already hold in common and which
we jointly affirm, each on the basis of our own religious or ethical
grounds.
We know that religions cannot solve the environmental, economic, political,
and social problems of Earth. However they can provide what obviously
cannot be attained by economic plans, political programs, or legal regulations
alone: A change in
the inner orientation, the whole mentality, the “hearts” of
people, and a conversion from a false
path to a new orientation for life. Humankind urgently needs social and
ecological reforms, but it needs spiritual
renewal just as urgently. As religious
or spiritual persons we commit ourselves to this task. The spiritual
powers of the religions can offer a fundamental sense of trust, a ground
of meaning, ultimate standards, and a spiritual home. Of course religions
are credible only when they eliminate those conflicts which spring from
the religions themselves, dismantling mutual arrogance, mistrust, prejudice,
and even hostile images, and thus demonstrate respect for the traditions,
holy places, feasts, and rituals of people who believe differently.
Now as before, women and men are treated
inhumanely all over the world. They
are robbed of their opportunities and their freedom; their human rights
are trampled underfoot; their dignity is disregarded. But might does
not make right! In the face of all inhumanity our religious and ethical
convictions demand that every human being
must be treated humanely!
This means that every human being without distinction of age, sex, race,
skin color, physical or mental ability, language, religion, political
view, or national or social origin possesses an inalienable and untouchable
dignity, and everyone, the individual
as well as the state, is therefore obliged to honor this dignity and
protect it. Humans must always be the subjects of rights, must be ends,
never mere means, never objects of commercialization and industrialization
in economics, politics and media, in research institutes, and industrial
corporations. No one stands “above good and evil” – no
human being, no social class, no influential interest group, no cartel,
no police apparatus, no army, and no state. On the contrary: Possessed
of reason and conscience, every human is obliged to behave in a genuinely
human fashion, to do good and avoid evil!
It is the intention of this Global Ethic to clarify what this means.
In it we wish to recall irrevocable, unconditional ethical norms. These
should not be bonds and chains, but helps and supports for people to
find and realize once again their lives' direction, values, orientations,
and meaning.
There is a principle which is found and has persisted in many religious
and ethical traditions of humankind for thousands of years: What
you do not wish done to yourself, do not do to others. Or
in positive terms: What you wish done to
yourself, do to others! This should
be the irrevocable, unconditional norm for all areas of life, for families
and communities, for races, nations, and religions.
Every form of egoism should be rejected: All selfishness, whether individual
or collective, whether in the form of class thinking, racism, nationalism,
or sexism. We condemn these because they prevent humans from being authentically
human. Self-determination and self-realization are thoroughly legitimate
so long as they are not separated from human self-responsibility and
global responsibility, that is, from responsibility for fellow humans
and for the planet Earth.
This principle implies very concrete standards to which we humans should
hold firm. From it arise four broad, ancient
guidelines for human behavior which
are found in most of the religions of the world.
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III.
Irrevocable directives
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1.
Commitment to a culture of non-violence and respect for life
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Numberless
women and men of all regions and religions strive to lead lives not
determined by egoism but by commitment to their fellow humans and to
the world around them. Nevertheless, all over the world we find endless
hatred, envy, jealousy, and violence, not only between individuals
but also between social and ethnic groups, between classes, races,
nations, and religions. The use of violence, drug trafficking and organized
crime, often equipped with new technical possibilities, has reached
global proportions. Many places still are ruled by terror “from
above;” dictators oppress their own people, and institutional
violence is widespread. Even in some countries where laws exist to
protect individual freedoms, prisoners are tortured, men and women
are mutilated, hostages are killed.
A.
In the great ancient religious and ethical traditions of humankind we
find the directive: You shall not kill! Or
in positive terms: Have respect for life! Let
us reflect anew on the consequences of this ancient directive: All people
have a right to life, safety, and the free development of personality
insofar as they do not injure the rights of others. No one has the right
physically or psychically to torture, injure, much less kill, any other
human being. And no people, no state, no race, no religion has the right
to hate, to discriminate against, to “cleanse,” to exile,
much less to liquidate a “foreign” minority which is different
in behavior or holds different beliefs.
B.
Of course, wherever there are humans there will be conflicts. Such conflicts,
however, should be resolved without violence within a framework of justice.
This is true for states as well as for individuals. Persons who hold
political power must work within the framework of a just order and commit
themselves to the most non-violent, peaceful solutions possible. And
they should work for this within an international order of peace which
itself has need of protection and defense against perpetrators of violence.
Armament is a mistaken path; disarmament is the commandment of the times.
Let no one be deceived: There is no survival for humanity without global
peace!
C.
Young people must learn at home and in school that violence may not be
a means of settling differences with others. Only thus can a culture
of non-violence be created.
D.
A human person is infinitely precious and must be unconditionally protected.
But likewise the lives of animals and plants which
inhabit this planet with us deserve protection, preservation, and care.
Limitless exploitation of the natural foundations of life, ruthless destruction
of the biosphere, and militarization of the cosmos are all outrages.
As human beings we have a special responsibility – especially with
a view to future generations
– for Earth and the cosmos, for the air, water, and soil. We
are all intertwined together in this
cosmos and we are all dependent on each other. Each one of us depends
on the welfare of all. Therefore the dominance of humanity over nature
and the cosmos must not be encouraged. Instead we must cultivate living
in harmony with nature and the cosmos.
E.
To be authentically human in the spirit of our great religious and ethical
traditions means that in public as well as in private life we must be
concerned for others and ready to help. We must never be ruthless and
brutal. Every people, every race, every religion must show tolerance
and respect – indeed high appreciation
– for every other. Minorities need protection and support, whether
they be racial, ethnic, or religious.
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2.
Commitment to a culture of solidarity and a just economic order
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Numberless
men and women of all regions and religions strive to live their lives
in solidarity with one another and to work for authentic fulfillment
of their vocations. Nevertheless, all over the world we find endless
hunger, deficiency, and need. Not only individuals, but especially unjust
institutions and structures are responsible for these tragedies. Millions
of people are without work; millions are exploited by poor wages, forced
to the edges of society, with their possibilities for the future destroyed.
In many lands the gap between the poor and the rich, between the powerful
and the powerless is immense. We live in a world in which totalitarian
state socialism as well as unbridled capitalism have hollowed out and
destroyed many ethical and spiritual values. A materialistic mentality
breeds greed for unlimited profit and a grasping for endless plunder.
These demands claim more and more of the community's resources without
obliging the individual to contribute more. The cancerous social evil
of corruption thrives in the developing countries and in the developed
countries alike.
A.
In the great ancient religious and ethical traditions of humankind we
find the directive: You shall not steal! Or
in positive terms: Deal honestly and fairly! Let
us reflect anew on the consequences of this ancient directive: No one
has the right to rob or dispossess in any way whatsoever any other person
or the commonweal. Further, no one has the right to use her or his possessions
without concern for the needs of society and Earth.
B.
Where extreme poverty reigns, helplessness and despair spread, and theft
occurs again and again for the sake of survival. Where power and wealth
are accumulated ruthlessly, feelings of envy, resentment, and deadly
hatred and rebellion inevitably well up in the disadvantaged and marginalized.
This leads to a vicious circle of violence and counter-violence. Let
no one be deceived: There is no global peace without global justice!
C.
Young people must learn at home and in school that property, limited
though it may be, carries with it an obligation, and that its uses should
at the same time serve the common good. Only thus can a just
economic order be built up.
D.
If the plight of the poorest billions of humans on this planet, particularly
women and children, is to be improved, the world economy must be structured
more justly. Individual good deeds, and assistance projects, indispensable
though they be, are insufficient. The participation of all states and
the authority of international organizations are needed to build just
economic institutions.
A solution which can be supported by all sides must be sought for the
debt crisis and the poverty of the dissolving second world, and even
more the third world. Of course conflicts of interest are unavoidable.
In the developed countries, a distinction must be made between necessary
and limitless consumption, between socially beneficial and non-beneficial
uses of property, between justified and unjustified uses of natural resources,
and between a profit-only and a socially beneficial and ecologically
oriented market economy. Even the developing nations must search their
national consciences.
Wherever those ruling threaten to repress those ruled, wherever institutions
threaten persons, and wherever might oppresses right, we are obligated
to resist - whenever possible non-violently.
E.
To be authentically human in the spirit of our great religious and ethical
traditions means the following:
• We must utilize economic and political power for service
to humanity instead of misusing it in ruthless battles for domination.
We must develop a spirit of compassion with those who suffer, with special
care for the children, the aged, the poor, the disabled, the refugees,
and the lonely.
• We must cultivate mutual respect and
consideration, so as to reach a reasonable balance of interests, instead
of thinking only of unlimited power and unavoidable competitive struggles.
• We must value a sense of moderation and
modesty instead of an unquenchable greed for money, prestige,
and consumption. In greed humans lose their “souls,” their
freedom, their composure, their inner peace, and thus that which makes
them human.
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3.
Commitment to a culture of tolerance and a life of truthfulness
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Numberless
women and men of all regions and religions strive to lead lives of honesty
and truthfulness. Nevertheless, all over the world we find endless lies,
and deceit, swindling and hypocrisy, ideology and demagoguery:
•
Politicians and business people who use lies as a means to success;
• Mass media which spread ideological propaganda instead of
accurate reporting, misinformation instead of information, cynical commercial
interest instead of loyalty to the truth;
•
Scientists and researchers who give themselves over to morally questionable
ideological or political programs or to economic interest groups, or
who justify research which violates fundamental ethical values;
•
Representatives of religions who dismiss other religions as of little
value and who preach fanaticism and intolerance instead of respect and
understanding.
A.
In the great ancient religious and ethical traditions of humankind we
find the directive: You shall not lie! Or
in positive terms: Speak and act truthfully! Let
us reflect anew on the consequences of this ancient directive: No woman
or man, no institution, no state or church or religious community has
the right to speak lies to other humans.
B.
This is especially true
•
for those who work in the mass media, to
whom we entrust the freedom to report for the sake of truth and to whom
we thus grant the office of guardian. They do not stand above morality
but have the obligation to respect human dignity, human rights, and fundamental
values. They are duty-bound to objectivity, fairness, and the preservation
of human dignity. They have no right to intrude into individuals' private
spheres, to manipulate public opinion, or to distort reality;
•
for artists, writers, and scientists, to
whom we entrust artistic and academic freedom. They are not exempt from
general ethical standards and must serve the truth;
•
for the leaders of countries, politicians, and political
parties, to whom we entrust our own freedoms. When they lie in
the faces of their people, when they manipulate the truth, or when they
are guilty of venality or ruthlessness in domestic or foreign affairs,
they forsake their credibility and deserve to lose their offices and
their voters. Conversely, public opinion should support those politicians
who dare to speak the truth to the people at all times;
•
finally, for representatives of religion. When
they stir up prejudice, hatred, and enmity towards those of different
belief, or even incite or legitimize religious wars, they deserve the
condemnation of humankind and the loss of their adherents.
Let no one be deceived: There is no global justice without truthfulness
and humaneness!
C.
Young people must learn at home and in school to think, speak, and act truthfully. They
have a right to information and education to be able to make the decisions
that will form their lives. Without an ethical formation they will hardly
be able to distinguish the important from the unimportant. In the daily
flood of information, ethical standards will help them discern when opinions
are portrayed as facts, interests veiled, tendencies exaggerated, and
facts twisted.
D.
To be authentically human in the spirit of our great religious and ethical
traditions means the following:
•
We must not confuse freedom with arbitrariness or pluralism with indifference
to truth.
•
We must cultivate truthfulness in all our
relationships instead of dishonesty, dissembling, and opportunism.
•
We must constantly seek truth and incorruptible
sincerity instead of spreading ideological or partisan half-truths.
•
We must courageously serve the truth and
we must remain constant and trustworthy, instead
of yielding to opportunistic accommodation to life.
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4.
Commitment to a culture of equal rights and partnership between men
and women
|
Numberless
men and women of all regions and religions strive to live their lives
in a spirit of partnership and responsible action in the areas of love,
sexuality, and family. Nevertheless, all over the world there are condemnable
forms of patriarchy, domination of one sex over the other, exploitation
of women, sexual misuse of children, and forced prostitution. Too frequently,
social inequities force women and even children into prostitution as
a means of survival - particularly in less developed countries.
A.
In the great ancient religious and ethical traditions of humankind
we find the directive: You shall not commit
sexual immorality! Or in positive terms: Respect
and love one another! Let us reflect anew on the consequences
of this ancient directive: No one has the right to degrade others to
mere sex objects, to lead them into or hold them in sexual dependency.
B.
We condemn sexual exploitation and sexual discrimination as one of
the worst forms of human degradation. We have the duty to resist wherever
the domination of one sex over the other is preached - even in the
name of religious conviction; wherever sexual exploitation is tolerated,
wherever prostitution is fostered or children are misused. Let no one
be deceived: There is no authentic humaneness without a living together
in partnership!
C.
Young people must learn at home and in school that sexuality is not
a negative, destructive, or exploitative force, but creative and affirmative.
Sexuality as a life-affirming shaper of community can only be effective
when partners accept the responsibilities of caring for one another's
happiness.
D.
The relationship between women and men should be characterized not
by patronizing behavior or exploitation, but by love, partnership,
and trustworthiness. Human fulfillment is not identical with sexual
pleasure. Sexuality should express and reinforce a loving relationship
lived by equal partners. Some religious traditions know the ideal of
a voluntary renunciation of the full use of sexuality. Voluntary renunciation
also can be an expression of identity and meaningful fulfillment.
E.
The social institution of marriage, despite all its cultural and religious
variety, is characterized by love, loyalty, and permanence. It aims
at and should guarantee security and mutual support to husband, wife,
and child. It should secure the rights of all family members. All lands
and cultures should develop economic and social relationships which
will enable marriage and family life worthy of human beings, especially
for older people. Children have a right of access to education. Parents
should not exploit children, nor children parents. Their relationships
should reflect mutual respect, appreciation, and concern.
F.
To be authentically human in the spirit of our great religious and
ethical traditions means the following:
• We need mutual respect, partnership, and
understanding, instead of patriarchal domination and degradation, which
are expressions of violence and engender counter-violence.
• We need mutual concern, tolerance, readiness for reconciliation,
and love, instead of any form of possessive
lust or sexual misuse.
Only what has already been experienced in personal and familial relationships
can be practiced on the level of nations and religions.
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IV.
A Transformation of Consciousness
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Historical
experience demonstrates the following: Earth cannot be changed for
the better unless we achieve a transformation in the consciousness
of individuals and in public life. The possibilities for transformation
have already been glimpsed in areas such as war and peace, economy,
and ecology, where in recent decades fundamental changes have taken
place. This transformation must also be achieved in the area of ethics
and values! Every individual has intrinsic dignity and inalienable
rights, and each also has an inescapable responsibility for what she
or he does and does not do. All our decisions and deeds, even our omissions
and failures, have consequences.
Keeping this sense of responsibility alive, deepening it and passing
it on to future generations, is the special task of religions. We are
realistic about what we have achieved in this consensus, and so we
urge that the following be observed:
1. A universal consensus on many disputed ethical
questions (from bio- and sexual ethics through mass media
and scientific ethics to economic and political ethics) will be difficult
to attain. Nevertheless, even for many controversial questions, suitable
solutions should be attainable in the spirit of the fundamental principles
we have jointly developed here.
2. In many areas of life a new consciousness of ethical responsibility
has already arisen. Therefore we would be pleased if as many professions as
possible, such as those of physicians, scientists, business people,
journalists, and politicians, would develop up-to-date codes
of ethics which would provide specific guidelines for the vexing
questions of these particular professions.
3. Above all, we urge the various communities
of faith to formulate their very specific
ethics: What does each faith tradition have to say for example,
about the meaning of life and death, the enduring of suffering and
the forgiveness of gult, about selfless sacrifice and the necessity
of renunciation, about compassion and joy? These will deepen, and
make more specific, the already discernible global ethic.
In conclusion, we appeal to all the inhabitants of this planet. Earth
cannot be changed for the better unless the consciousness of individuals
is changed. We pledge to work for such transformation in individual
and collective consciousness, for the awakening of our spiritual powers
through reflection, meditation, prayer, or positive thinking, for a conversion
of the heart. Together we can move mountains! Without a willingness
to take risks and a readiness to sacrifice there can be no fundamental
change in our situation! Therefore we commit ourselves to a common
global ethic, to better mutual understanding, as well as to socially
beneficial, peace-fostering, and Earth-friendly ways of life.
We invite all men and women, whether religious
or not, to do the same!
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C. The
Following Signed the Declaration
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Bahai
Juana Conrad, Jacqueline Delahunt, Dr. Wilma Ellis, Charles Nolley, R.
Leilani Smith, Yael Wurmfeld.
Brahma Kumaris
B. K. Jagdish Chander Hassija, B. K. Dadi Prakashmani.
Buddhism
Rev. Koshin Ogui, Sensei. Mahayana: Rev. Chung Ok Lee. Theravada: Dr.
A. T. Ariyaratne, Preah Maha Ghosananda, Ajahn Phra Maha Surasak Jivanando,
Dr. Chatsumarn Kabilsingh, Luang Poh Panyananda, Ven. Achahn Dr. Chuen
Phangcham, Ven. Dr. Havanpola Ratanasara, Ven. Dr. Mapalagama Wipulasara
Maha Thero. Vajrayana: S. H. Der XIV. Dalai Lama. Zen: Prof. Masao Abe,
Zen Master Seung Sahn, Rev. Samu Sunim.
Christianity
Blouke Carus, Dr. Yvonne Delk. Anglikanisch: Rev. Marcus Braybrooke,
James Parks Morton. Orthodox: Maria Svolos Gebhard. Protestantisch: Dr.
Thelma Adair, Martti Ahtisaari, Rev. Wesley Ariarajah, Dr. Gerald O.
Barney, Dr. Nelvia M. Brady, Dr. David Breed, Rev. John Buchanan, Bischof
R. Sheldon Duecker, Prof. Diana L. Eck, Dr. Leon D. Finney, Jr., Dr.
James A. Forbes, Jr., Bischof Frederick C. James, Erzbischof Mikko Juva,
Prof. James Nelson, Dr. David Ramage, Jr., Robert Reneker, Rev. Dr. Syngman
Rhee, Rev. Margaret Orr Thomas, Prof. Carl Friedrich v. Weizsäcker,
Prof. Henry Wilson, Rev. Addie Wyatt. Römisch-katholisch: Rev. Thomas
A. Baima, Kardinal Joseph Bernardin, Pere Pierre- Francois de Bethune,
Schwester Joan M. Chatfield MM, Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh CSC, Abbot
Timothy Kelly OSB, Jim Kenney, Prof. Hans Küng, Dolores Leakey,
Schwester Joan Monica McGuire OP, Rev. Maximilian Mizzi, Dr. Robert Muller,
Rev. Albert Nambiaparambil, Bischof Placido Rodriguez, Bischof Willy
Romelus, Dorothy Savage, Bruder David Steindl-Rast OSB, Bruder Wayne
Teasdale.
Native Religions
H. I. G. Bambi Baaba. Akuapim: Nana Apeadu. Yoruba: S. K. H. Oseijeman
Adefunmi I, Baba Metahochi Kofi Zannu. Amerikanische Eingeborene: Archie
Mosay, Burton Pretty On Top, Peter V. Catches.
Hinduism
Dr. M. Aram, Jayashree Athavale-Talwarkar, S. H. Swami Chidananda Saraswati,
Swami Chidananda Saraswati Muniji, Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Sadguru
Sant Keshavadas, P. V. Krishnayya, Dr. Lakshmi Kumari, Amrish Mahajan,
Dr. Krishna Reddy, Prof. V. Madhusudan Reddy, Swami Satchidananda, S.
H. Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, S. H. Dr. Bala Siva Yogindra Maharaj.
Vedanta: Pravrajika Amalaprana, Pravrajika Prabuddhaprana, Pravrajika
Vivekaprana.
Jainism
Dr. Rashmikant Gardi. Digambar: Narendra P. Jain. Shwetambar: S. H. Shri
Atmanandji, Dipchand S. Gardi, S. E. Dr. L. M. Singhvi, S. H. Acharya
Sushil Kumarji Maharaj.
Judaism
Helen Spector. Konservativ: Prof. Susannah Heschel. Reformerisch: Rabbi
Herbert Bronstein, Norma U. Levitt, Rabbi Herman Schaalman, Dr. Howard
A. Sulkin. Orthodox: Prof. Ephraim Isaac.
Islam
Tan Sri Dato Seri Ahmad Sarji bin Abdul-Hamid, Dr. Qazi Ashfaq Ahmed,
Hamid Ahmed, Mazhar Ahmed, Hon. Louis Farrakhan, Dr. Hamid Abdul Hai,
Mohammed A. Hai, Dr. Mohammad Hamidullah, Dr. Aziza al-Hibri, Dr. Asad
Husain, Dato Dr. Haji Ismail bin Ibrahim, Dr. Irfan Ahmat Khan, Qadir
H. Khan, Dr. Abdel Rahman Osman. Schiitisch: Prof. Seyyed Hossein Nasr.
Sunnitisch: Imam Dawud Assad, Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, Hon. Syed Shahabuddin.
Neo Pagans
Rev. Baroness Cara-Marguerite-Drusilla, Rev. Deborah Ann Light, Lady
Olivia Robertson.
Sikhs
Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji, Bhai Mohinder
Singh, Dr. Mehervan Singh, Hardial Singh, Indarjit Singh, Singh Sahib
Jathedar Manjit Singh, Dr. Balwant Singh Hansra.
Taoism
Chungliang Al Huang.
Theosophists
Radha Burnier. Zoroastrier
Dastoor Dr. Kersey Antia, Dr. Homi Dhalla, Dastoor Dr. Kaikhusroo Minocher
JamaspAsa, Dastoor Jehangir Oshidari, Rohinton Rivetna, Homi Taleyarkhan,
Dastoor Kobad Zarolia, Dastoor Mehraban Zarthosty.
Interreligious Organizations
Karl Berolzheimer, Dr. Daniel Gomez-Ibanez, Ma Jaya Bhagavati, Peter
Laurence, Dr. Karan Singh, John B. Taylor, Rev. Robert Traer, Dr. William
F. Vendley.
And many signatures that weren’t identifiable.
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