Bishop Munib Younan and the Sunhak Peace Prize

[mj4]

Clarification from the Lutheran World Federation regarding Bishop Munib Younan and the Sunhak Peace Prize
30 January 2020
https://www.lutheranworld.org/content/clarification-lutheran-world-federation-regarding-bishop-munib-younan-and-sunhak-peace-prize

The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has been informed that Bishop Dr Munib Younan will be awarded the Sunhak peace prize on 5 February. The prize was instituted to continue the legacy of Rev. Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church.

LWF has received expressions of concern from several of its member churches, given what the Unification Church stands for, and the fact that Bishop Younan served as president of the LWF from 2010-2017.

The LWF has brought these concerns and the implications of receiving the prize to the attention of Bishop Younan.

Bishop Younan has informed the LWF that he will accept this prize as a private person and not as a representative of the LWF.

The LWF and its member churches have no relationship with the Unification Church. The awarding and acceptance of the Sunhak Peace Prize by Bishop Younan does not involve or commit the LWF in any way.

What risks are evident in a prominent Lutheran clergy person receiving an award from a church or organization whose teachings are not compatible with Lutheran teaching. Have you ever been offered an award from such an organization, say a Masonic Lodge or a partisan political organization? What did you do? Is it possible to accept the award as an individual without it reflecting upon your own church?

[Dan Fienen]

I don't know the particulars of this award, who is involved in deciding who gets the award, how much it represent the ideology of the sponsors, and the like. Certainly deserves a closer look.

[Brian Stoffregen]

A neighboring ELCA pastor (only 100 miles away and he was about 100 miles from Salt Lake City) was offered 100 folding chairs free from the Mormons in town. He debated with himself about whether or not he should accept them. They had just purchased a building and certainly could use the gift.

[mj4]

I don't know the particulars of this award, who is involved in deciding who gets the award, how much it represent the ideology of the sponsors, and the like. Certainly deserves a closer look.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/president-macky-sall-and-bishop-munib-a-younan-selected-as-the-2020-sunhak-peace-prize-laureates-300931175.html

The Sunhak Peace Prize discovers and awards biennially individuals and organizations that have contributed to peace and welfare of future generations. The prize of 1 million US dollars is the largest single award in the world.

[Richard Johnson]

Take the money and use it to godly purpose.

[mj4]

Take the money and use it to godly purpose.

Sort of like eating meat offered to idols in a Pauline way?

"For why should my liberty be subject to the judgment of someone else’s conscience?" 1 Corinthians 10:29

[Richard Johnson]

Nope. Just crass accounting. A million bucks doing something good instead of something bad.

[J. Thomas Shelley]

A neighboring ELCA pastor (only 100 miles away and he was about 100 miles from Salt Lake City) was offered 100 folding chairs free from the Mormons in town. He debated with himself about whether or not he should accept them. They had just purchased a building and certainly could use the gift.

William Booth, founder of The Salvation Army, had no scruples against accepting donations from the tavern keepers of London.

[Pr. Terry Culler]

In 2012 I voted Libertarian in the presidential election because (a) I opposed Pres. Obama's policies, and (b) I would not vote for a Mormon because I didn't want to legitimize Mormonism by having a president who was a cultist.  For the same reason I would hope the Bishop would turn down this award because it tends to normalize a false religion. (Of course no one will offer me a $1MM so I don't have to wrestle with my conscience over this, thus it is easy for me to speak about it although I would hope my sense of right and wrong would win out over the idol-worship of money)

[Dan Fienen]

I'm afraid that I don't see voting for Romney as giving legitimacy to Mormonism. I vote for candidates not as representatives of their religion but as part of our secular government. Their religion and their adherence to their religion may factor into my voting decision but our politics is complicated and divisive enough without including sectarianism into it.

[Brian Stoffregen]

I'm afraid that I don't see voting for Romney as giving legitimacy to Mormonism. I vote for candidates not as representatives of their religion but as part of our secular government. Their religion and their adherence to their religion may factor into my voting decision but our politics is complicated and divisive enough without including sectarianism into it.

I heard from some Lutherans who refused to vote for John Kennedy because he was Roman Catholic. One lady talked about praying for his defeat - and felt bad about that when he was killed.

[Charles Austin]

To say you won’t vote for Romney simply because he is a Mormon, and, in your words,  a member of a cult, violates one of the most basic principles of the founding of our nation and our constitutional. There is to be no “religious test” for holding public office.
Yes, I know that applies to the right to run for office, but…

[Steven Tibbetts]

To say you won’t vote for Romney simply because he is a Mormon, and, in your words,  a member of a cult, violates one of the most basic principles of the founding of our nation and our constitutional. There is to be no “religious test” for holding public office.
Yes, I know that applies to the right to run for office, but…

That principle (and that provision in the Constitution) applies to the government, Charles.  Each individual citizen-voter has the right/privilege/freedom to apply whatever judgment he wishes when casting his vote.  You have the right/freedom to call that judgment stupid, but not illegitimate.

Pax, Steven+

[Charles Austin]

I said I know that, Steven.
But Ok, then I call refusing to vote for (or agreeing to vote for) someone just because of their faith stupid.

[Eileen Smith]

Bishop Younan has done much to bring peace not only among Christians, Jews, and Muslims in the his area of the Mideast but among Christians bodies as well.  He recognizes that the the Christian population in the cradle of Christianity continues to dwindle in an area where Christians suffer persecution.  Rather than have Lutherans, Catholics, etc. as separate church bodies he has sought to unify -- not to the point of merging -- but to live in the Middle East as one body with a common purpose.  He even worked to get the Orthodox church in the Middle East to move to the Western calendar for festivals, e.g., Easter.   The primary reason was to present a united front of Christians.   I don't pretend to know how God works (even though I see it as my role to help Him when I think appropriate) but if this award affirms the work of Bishop Younan and even work in some way to bring individuals to peace in Jerusalem, I'm not going to question the means by which he received it.  Bishop Younan is a humble man very dedicated to his calling.  I've no doubt he will use this to God's glory.