Conversion and Social Renewal

by

Friedrich Schorlemmer

These theses for the church day in Halle 1988 are translated from the German in: Es ist nicht umsonst, 1993. In these theses, the Wittenberg group questions habits and structures and encourages conversion.

"The time of silence is past and the time to speak has come". Martin Luther 1520

Our land has fallen into a crisis of its development affecting many areas of life - in the midst of a world that has fallen into a crisis. Drought - and flood disasters, famines and dyning of species, water contamination and air pollution, nuclear accidents and toxic disasters are warning signs of a global threat to life. Silence must be abandoned and concealment disallowed. Many thoughtful people in all the world seek, hope and demand a fundamental turn, a new thinking, and a conversion from life-threatening ways. They point to a common responsibility of all people for the future of life on this planet and encourage the search for binding universal human values and actions. Where life-threatening irreversible processes have started, a resolute and timely redirection is necessary.

Only the truth will make us free to action corresponding to the magnitude of the problems in store for humanity and the people in our country. Several courageous and encouraging steps in peace policy have been taken. We are glad about this and hope for a broader shock and indignation. Christians focus first on rethinking and a conversion that stirs every individual in the depths and necessitates a transformation of social structures.

We view our social apathy as a contemporary form of sin in us. We want to counteract actively and concretely not to withdraw in our private "nische" or migrate but to independently and cooperatively observe our joint responsibility in society. Problems cannot be solved without a broad participation of citizens. Since social participation is underdeveloped among us, a mixture of apathy, organized irresponsibility, tabooing and denial of problems results. Therefore we also turn to existing state institutions. We hope for corresponding reforms and want to contribute as citizens.

In concrete ways, we want to lure out the productive conflict. To that end, we need democratic and anxiety-free forms in our society as well as the courage to admit and correct mistakes. We know the pressures of action facing us. We want to be liberated from these pressures. Problem solutions must be gained with engagement.

1. Because we as Christians are jointly responsible in the freedom and bond of faith and thus feel partly to blame for what develops out of this country, overcoming our fear, mistrust and hopelessness, seeing and grasping the chances of conversion and gaining a candor from which we press in critical solidarity to the renewal of our society are necessary and commanded.

2. Because indifference, resignation and stagnation spread and the number of people increases who withdraw or no longer want to live here, speaking openly and transforming social conditions is imperative so that more citizens experience social cooperation as meaningful.

3. Because bureaucratism, abuse of power, conformism, dogmatism, official arbitrariness and fear of authority become social depression in the development of socialist states and damaged socialism in its essence, disclosing such phenomena and overcoming abuses are urgent.

4. Because every citizen has a legitimate claim to comprehensive information about relevant questions of life, changing our media policy is necessary so that the complexity and contradictoriness of reality are reflected facilitating our own judgment and promoting conscious action.

5. Because a constant list of successes, "red-rose glasses" and looking away or concealing mistakes and abuses doesn't encourage tackling the accumulated problems, creating a social climate marked by openness, truthfulness and critical responsibility is imperative.

6. Because the voting system hinders competition, possibilities of decision between several candidates are vital.

7. Because a social consciousness and civil cooperation can only be expected from citizens who understand themselves as come-of-age, expanding possibilities of co-determination in all social areas is necessary to justify and make reasonable the decisions of authorities.

8. Because the petition law has not proven adequate and decisions of authorities are hardly contestable, establishing an independent administrative jurisdiction is crucial.

9. Because the penal code and the execution of sentences do not correspond in many respects to the humanistic view of the person and the ideals of a new society, proposing a revision in language, themes and praxis is imperative.

10. Because only a culture of conflict over truth and the best way of human cooperation leads to a humane, just and future-friendly world, denying communists' monopoly on truth and claim of social superiority is vital.

11. Because the outward peace policy of our country is only credible and effective when it stands the test within society, passing from the present system into a new system of peaceful conflict management is urgent in the aggregate educational concept from kindergarten to vocational or professional training.

12. Because the Olaf Palme-peace march in the DDR was a first publically effective step in overcoming the inner separation or polarization of state and church alongside its disarmament impulses, continuing this open public dialogue for trust-building between the peoples and in our country is vital.

13. Because it is an incomprehensible anachronism when borders between socialist states are hardly pervious, creating the political, socio-economic, legal and spiritual conditions for the generosity and permissiveness of encounters is necessary.

15. Because we live in a diversely interwoven world and the distant neighbor has become our neighbor, focusing our orientation on peoples made materially poor instead of on the rich West, practicing a culture of sharing, supporting concretely the concept "disarmament for development" and working toward a just world economic system are imperative.

16. Because our contact with the world around us threatens to make us powerless in view of its destructive after-effects, beginning a fundamental change of consciousness through a social discussion about the vital challenges of the future, examining our former social goals, developing a "new thinking" and seeking life-friendly values and behavior patterns are pressing.

17. Because awareness for the true value of products is trifling, forming the price for foods, housing and energy so they are not managed carelessly is crucial.

18. Because energy saving must be one of the main tasks of our economy and waste of energy made unacceptably high, eveery one must do their utmost to lower energy consumption by being informed more consistently about the expenditures and dangers of energy production, creating the material-technical basis for rational use of energy and stimulating materially alternative energy production and its utilization.

19. Because we have to leave behind the earth to our children and grandchildren as life worth living, the conflict between ecology and economy can have no losers any more.

20. Because the future generation must be prepared for challenging future problems, the education- and training process must become more creative, closer to nature and holistic. Reverence for life should have priority over rule over life and a practice field for "social inventions".

Life is gained through this renewal. Are we personally ready to bear the difficulties on this way? .