Truth, Reconciliation, Forgiveness – Quotations from different religions |29 February 2020
The chairperson of the TRNUC, Gabrielle McIntyre, addressing the gathering during the recent conference organised by Sifco
The Seychelles Interfaith Council (Sifco) recently organised a conference focusing on the moral and spiritual dimensions of the Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission (TRNUC) process to bring about national unity. The event was a first of its kind and it was attended by more than 80 people coming from different strata of society. It has been six months since the TRNUC is in operation and the ultimate aim of the Commission is reconciliation of the people of Seychelles and reconciliation requires acceptance of notions of forgiveness and responsibility, notions that are central to many faiths.
On that day Sifco gathered various holy writings from different religions and shared them with the participants. They were well appreciated and the members of TRNUC asked to share them with the population.
BIBLICAL QUOTES FROM THE HOLY BIBLE
Colossians 3, 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Ephesians 4, 31-32
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
BIBLICAL QUOTES
Luke 17, 3-4
3 So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them.
4 Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”
Isaiah 1, 18
18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
THE QURAN
So fear Allah/God and adjust all matters of difference among you, and obey Allah/God and His Messenger if you are believers.
Quran Chapter 8:1
In most of their secret talks there is no good, except for those who enjoin charity or that which is right or conciliation between people. And whoever does that seeking the pleasure of Allah/God - then We are going to give him a great reward
Quran 4:114
Quotes from the Bahá’í Sacred scriptures
TRUTHFULNESS
“Truthfulness is the foundation of all human virtues. Without truthfulness progress and success, in all the worlds of God, are impossible for any soul. When this holy attribute is established in man, all the divine qualities will also be acquired.”
“Truthfulness, uprightness and integrity are the attributes of the righteous and the hallmarks of the pure. Truthfulness is the goodliest of qualities as it comprehendeth all other virtues. A truthful person will be protected from all moral afflictions, will shrink from every evil deed, and be preserved from every wicked act, inasmuch as all vices and misdeeds are the very antithesis of truthfulness, and a truthful man will hold them all in utter abhorrence.”
JUSTICE
“No light can compare with the light of justice. The establishment of order in the world and the tranquility of the nations depend upon it.”
“The light of men is Justice. Quench it not with the contrary winds of oppression and tyranny. The purpose of justice is the appearance of unity among men.
At the societal level: “Just as forgiveness is one of the attributes of God’s mercy, so is justice one of the attributes of His Lordship. The canopy of existence rests upon the pole of justice and not of forgiveness, and the life of mankind depends upon justice and not on forgiveness.
FORGIVENESS
“If someone commits an error and wrong towards you, you must instantly forgive him.”
“To nurse a grievance or hatred against another soul is spiritually poisonous to the soul which nurses it.”
At the individual level: “Wherefore must the loved ones of God associate in affectionate fellowship with stranger and friend alike, showing forth to all the utmost loving-kindness, disregarding the degree of their capacity, never asking whether they deserve to be loved. In every instance let the friends be considerate and infinitely kind. Let them never be defeated by the malice of the people, by their aggression and their hate, no matter how intense. If others hurl their darts against you, offer them milk and honey in return; if they poison your lives, sweeten their souls; if they injure you, teach them how to be comforted; if they inflict a wound upon you, be a balm to their sores; if they sting you, hold to their lips a refreshing cup”
UNITY
“Concentrate all your thoughts on love and unity. When a thought of war comes, replace it by a stronger thought of peace. A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more peaceful thought of love.”
‘The stronger the ties of fellowship and solidarity amongst men, the greater will be the power of constructiveness and accomplishment in all the planes of human activity.’
Quotes received from The Hindu Council of Seychelles (Mr Ramani)
“Peace cannot be imposed by fear. It can only be achieved by understanding.”
“Forgiveness does not excuse their actions. It stops their actions from destroying your heart.”
“The first to apologize is the bravest, the first to forgive is the strongest, and the first to forget is the happiest.”
“Peace is not the absence of conflict. It is the ability to handle the conflict by peaceful means.”
“Where there is anger, there is always pain underneath.”
“If it is important for you, you will find a way. If not you will find an excuse.”
“Mistakes are always forgivable if one has the courage to admit them”.
“I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.”
“Darkness cannot drive out the darkness, only light can. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can.”
“Reconciliation means working together to correct the legacy of past injustice.”
“Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength.”
Buddhist reflections, reconciliation and truth, by Seychelles Buddhist Association
“Nahi Verena Verani—SammantidhaKudacancam
AverenaccaSammanti—esadhammoSanantano.”
—The Buddha in Dhammapa
“Hatred never ceases through hatred, but through love alone they cease”. This is an eternal law.
“Reconciliation — patisaraniya-kamma — means a return to amicability, and that requires more than forgiveness. It requires the reestablishing of trust. If I deny responsibility for my actions, or maintain that I did no wrong, there’s no way we can be reconciled. Similarly, if I insist that your feelings don’t matter, or that you have no right to hold me to your standards of right and wrong, you won’t trust me not to hurt you again. To regain your trust, I have to show my respect for you and for our mutual standards of what is and is not acceptable behaviour; to admit that I hurt you and that I was wrong to do so; and to promise to exercise restraint in the future. At the same time, you have to inspire my trust, too, in the respectful way you conduct the process of reconciliation. Only then can our friendship regain a solid footing.”
“Genuine reconciliation cannot be based simply on the desire for harmony. It requires a mutual understanding of what actions served to create disharmony, and a promise to try to avoid those actions in the future. This in turn requires a clearly articulated agreement about — and commitment to — mutual standards of right and wrong. Even if the parties to a reconciliation agree to disagree, their agreement needs to distinguish between right and wrong ways of handling their differences.”
“He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings, and all beings in his own Self, and looks on everything with an impartial eye.”
