Section A PART 4 – RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN COMMUNITIES OF FAITH

Key Concepts Sectarianism

Sectarianism  Sectarianism – hatred of people because they belong to a different religious group.  Religious Conflict – a clash or struggle between different religious groups.  Case Study/Example of Sectarianism/religious Conflict – Northern Ireland  Example of a community working to overcome sectarianism – The Corrymeela Community

Tolerance  Tolerance – allowing everyone to have their own religious beliefs and practices.  Example of a community which promotes tolerance – The Corrymeela Community, Taize, The Glencree Centre for Reconciliation

Ecumenism  Ecumenism – a movement to help the Christian Churches become more united.  Examples of ecumenism – Christian Unity Week, Corrymeela, Taize

Inter-Faith Dialogue  Inter-Faith Dialogue – open and honest discussion between the major world religions.  Examples of Inter-Faith Dialogue – World Day of Peace, Inter-Faith Services, The Council of Christians and Jews, The Three Faith Forum

Example of Sectarianism/Community Breakdown: Northern Ireland  Over many decades, Northern Ireland had problems with sectarianism. It was a society where people had become clearly defined according to their membership of either the Roman Catholic Church or one of the Protestant Churches. While these different communities of faith are Christian, they are different denominations or sects of the Christian community.  History, politics and cultural traditions combined with this religious difference to divide the community further. When the Irish Free State was founded in 1922, Northern Ireland was separated and it emerged as a community deeply divided along sectarian lines.

Sectarianism  Images from the troubled history of Northern Ireland show this divide.

Sectarianism  While many individuals were not themselves sectarian, they were living in a community that was being dominated by a sectarian outlook. This led to being dominated by a sectarian outlook. This led to violence, discrimination and bitterness. Religious difference was not the only cause or reason for community breakdown in Northern Ireland or for all the problems that emerged, but it was certainly used to fuel the hatred.  Thus, while some individuals and groups worked towards bringing the two communities together, it was not only essential but appropriate for the religious communities to make a greater effort to encourage understanding and respect between Christians in the community.

Overcoming sectarianism/community breakdown and promoting tolerance: The Corrymeela Community  An example of an organisation working for peace and understanding is the Corrymeela Community. The Corrymeela Community was founded in 1965 to promote reconciliation and peace-building through healing social, religious and political divisions in Northern Ireland.  Its vision is to create a Christian community of reconciliation and peace where people of diverse backgrounds can come and meet each other. The work it carries out is about encouraging interaction and building positive relationships between all sorts of people.

Overcoming sectarianism/religious conflict. Promoting ecumenism & tolerance.  Some programmes run by the Corrymeela Community involve; community work to deal with intercommunity relations, schools work to address community relationships and citizenship, family work to provide respite and development, church work to help people encounter different traditions, and youth work especially with marginalised young people.  Corrymeela has an international reputation for work on reconciliation. Many members have become active in a variety of peace activities and in conflict transformation. The community currently has 150 members and approximately 5,000 visitors each year.