Faith stance on the global crisis of life

South-south forum, Buenos Aires, April 26 2003

"The whole of creation faces a crisis of life and immense suffering," a forum of Alliance churches in the southern hemisphere says. Neoliberalism turns the economy into a "system of wealth accumulation for the few, endangering life as a whole". The present moment is a kairos, challenging the churches of the Alliance family to confess their faith anew, to covenant with one another, and to commit themselves to decisive action.

The south-south forum brought together almost 40 participants, including representatives of 23 Alliance member churches from 19 countries in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Pacific, to share experiences and analysis and to connect these with their Christian faith. A comprehensive summary of their report follows. For the full report, click here.

Faith stance on the global crisis of life

We gathered together to reflect and take a faith stance in response to the call, initiated by the 23rd general council (Debrecen 1997), for a committed process of recognition, education and confession regarding economic injustice and ecological destruction.

Our gathering in Buenos Aires acknowledged the present moment in the world's history as a kairos, challenging us to decisive action, because the whole of creation faces a crisis of life and immense suffering.

Experience

Through sharing our experiences, we discovered the dramatic convergence of the sufferings and crises of both people and nature in the countries of the south. We were unanimous in our recognition of the negative effects of the IMF, the World Bank and the World Trade Organization in their domination and exclusion of the southern nations and their common experience of the negative and destructive effects of deregulation and speculative investments.

We recognized that creation is in crisis. We understood that nation states and democratically elected governments are weakened. We realized that the colonization of consciousness, reinforced by the media, makes people believe that there is no alternative. We also recognized the current trends of militarism as a total war strategy of security for the global market. We read the signs of the times from the unparalleled integration of economic globalization and global geopolitics.

Analysis

We are clearly living in a new stage of capitalism, which combines all forms of power and affects all dimensions of life. The capitalist system has switched its focus from production to finance. It is also new in its far-reaching and all-encompassing strategy of domination where the global financial market acts as empire and god. It is bolstered by military, political and ideological power, and its forces determine the survival of the countries and people at the periphery.

Through neoliberal globalization, the economy, designed to sustain life and the wellbeing of all, has become a totalitarian faith system of wealth accumulation for the few, endangering life as a whole on the planet. It is the very essence of neoliberalism to deregulate the capitalist market, driven by an unbridled lust for money and absolute control, thus making the market an idol.

Having recognized all these negative effects of neoliberal economic globalization, we are convinced that the neoliberal model cannot be transformed or adjusted, because it has inherent contradictions and has failed again and again in lifting up the countries, nature and peoples of the south to life. Therefore, we are united in our rejection of the neoliberal model. We share the critique of the global civil movements, including the global peace movement, in resisting and rejecting the neoliberal model as destructive to all creation.

Connecting this analysis with our faith

Neoliberal globalization, therefore, is in complete contradiction to the central tenets of the Christian faith. It is in contrast to God's economy:

• God's economy is inclusive: the neoliberal economy is exclusive
• God's economy is a protective economy for the poor: the neoliberal economy is an exploitative economy of the poor
• In God's economy, wealth flows from the rich to the poor: in the neoliberal economy, it flows from the poor to the rich
• The economic index of God's economy is the poor: the neoliberal economic index is the rich
• God's economy is based on God's love and grace: the neoliberal economy is based on greed and profit-making
• God's economy is an economy of solidarity: the neoliberal economy is an economy based on limitless competition.

We, representatives of Warc member churches in the south, believe that neoliberal ideology compromises the integrity of the gospel and that we should take a faith stance against it.

We take a faith stance because the very integrity of our faith is in question

Neoliberal ideology uses a theological and ideological framework to justify its presumed messianic role by claiming: economic sovereignty, absolute power and authority beyond any regulation, the right to act above national and international law, the right to act beyond ethical and moral rules. It claims that God has blessed prosperity, and poverty and disease are the results of God's disfavour due to disobedience and laziness.

Neoliberal ideology claims absolute power, a power which is over and against the sovereignty of God and the claims of the gospel. Therefore, it is critical, for the integrity of our faith, that we take a faith stance. Our Reformed communities have taken such faith stances in the past whenever the sovereignty of God has been undermined and the gospel has been at stake politically, socially and economically.¹

Our faith stance

In line with this history, we, representatives of churches of the Reformed tradition in the south, take a faith stance against neoliberal ideology and practice so that God may be glorified and the promise of abundant life may be fulfilled.

Garden of life

We reaffirm that God created the garden of life (political, social, economic and ecological as well as spiritual). (Gen 2.8-9)

We repent from idolatry, believing that the empire will bring about the peace and security, and that the power of money will solve all problems. We repent that the doctrine of creation (Genesis 1) has been used to conquer, dominate, exploit, and destroy life, especially women and the earth, and that we have neglected to care for life which is under the threat of ultimate destruction.

We reject any claim of economic, political and military power, which subverts God's sovereignty over life. We reject the absolute ownership of property by private entity, personal or corporate, for it denies God's sovereign ownership over all things.

We resist the power of death in the forms of global economic exclusion, imperial domination and military hegemony, which annihilates people and the earth.

We declare that God's design for the economy is to sustain the life and wellbeing of all creation. We worship God, not Mammon, which demands the limitless sacrifice of life for its existence. We declare that God's sovereign reign means that all creatures are free partners in the whole realm of life.

Covenant with creation

We reaffirm that God has made an all-inclusive covenant with all creation (Gen 9.8-12). This covenant has been sealed by the gift of God's grace, a gift, which is not for sale in the market place (Is 55.1). We reaffirm that God made a covenant of liberation from the imperial powers (Babylon and Rome). God's covenant is over and against any contract, which is the "law" of domination and exploitation. It is an inclusive covenant in which the poor and marginalized are God's primary partners.

We repent from believing that Christians have an exclusive relationship with God. We have excluded people because of their class, race, sex, ethnicity or religion. In our beliefs about salvation we have excluded people outside the Christian community and also the non-human world.

We reject any exclusive Christian claim over God's blessing and protection, and thus we reject any theological justification for neoliberal ideology and the imperial power.

We resist the domination of the global economy, imperial power, military hegemony, and modern science and technology that destroys the wholeness of creation.

We declare that God is creator and sustainer of all living beings for their common living.

Unity in Christ through the Spirit

We reaffirm that the body of Christ unites the whole cosmos, overcoming all divisions and conflicts. We reaffirm that the garden of life under a new heaven and a new earth is continually sustained and renewed through the Spirit (Col 1.16-18, Rev 21.1-5).

We repent from not recognizing the unity of life in the whole universe in the reign of Christ and the work of the Spirit. We repent that, in the name of Christ, we have condemned the faiths and spiritualities of other peoples as well as degrading other creatures. We repent that by confining the Spirit to the soul, we justified the ideology of individualism.

We reject any doctrine of limitless competition, which is the source of economic, political and social conflicts and violence. We reject corruption at all levels as an integral part of the system.

We resist any power that promotes the logic of the jungle, an ideology that legitimates the survival of the fittest and the victory of the strong over the weak.

We declare that the body of Christ is unconditionally and universally an inclusive reality, and that the Spirit is an all-pervasive energy in the universe that works for the constant renewal of life.

Our covenant for life

In response to a liberating God, who made a covenant for life with the whole of creation, we declare the following covenant for the life of the whole created community.

God of life,

You are our God who liberates us from any system of oppression, exclusion and exploitation.

1. We shall not make Mammon our God, accumulating power and wealth.
2. We shall not make ourselves an idol, worshipping the effectiveness of our achievements.
3. We shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord God, calling the implementation of the wealth accumulating market and imperial wars a Christian policy.
4. We will observe the sabbath day by not exploiting human labour and destroying mother earth.
5. We will provide for solidarity between the generations, not only by securing a decent living for the aged, but also by not burdening the coming generations with ecological damage and debt.
6. We shall not murder, excluding from the economy those who have no private property or who cannot sell their labour in the market.
7. We shall not tolerate the commodification and sexual exploitation of women and children.
8. We shall not allow the manifold robberies of economic and financial actors.
9. We shall not misuse the legal system for our personal profit but promote the economic, social and cultural rights of all people.
10. We shall not follow the greed of limitless accumulation by depriving our neighbours of their means of production and income, so that all may live in dignity on God's rich and beautiful earth.

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