Cempaka Culture and Tourism: Religious Leaders Present Conflicting Views on Interfaith Marriage

"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it), Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse), Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“… The Shift in Human Nature

You're starting to see integrity change. Awareness recalibrates integrity, and the Human Being who would sit there and take advantage of another Human Being in an old energy would never do it in a new energy. The reason? It will become intuitive, so this is a shift in Human Nature as well, for in the past you have assumed that people take advantage of people first and integrity comes later. That's just ordinary Human nature.

In the past, Human nature expressed within governments worked like this: If you were stronger than the other one, you simply conquered them. If you were strong, it was an invitation to conquer. If you were weak, it was an invitation to be conquered. No one even thought about it. It was the way of things. The bigger you could have your armies, the better they would do when you sent them out to conquer. That's not how you think today. Did you notice?

Any country that thinks this way today will not survive, for humanity has discovered that the world goes far better by putting things together instead of tearing them apart. The new energy puts the weak and strong together in ways that make sense and that have integrity. Take a look at what happened to some of the businesses in this great land (USA). Up to 30 years ago, when you started realizing some of them didn't have integrity, you eliminated them. What happened to the tobacco companies when you realized they were knowingly addicting your children? Today, they still sell their products to less-aware countries, but that will also change.

What did you do a few years ago when you realized that your bankers were actually selling you homes that they knew you couldn't pay for later? They were walking away, smiling greedily, not thinking about the heartbreak that was to follow when a life's dream would be lost. Dear American, you are in a recession. However, this is like when you prune a tree and cut back the branches. When the tree grows back, you've got control and the branches will grow bigger and stronger than they were before, without the greed factor. Then, if you don't like the way it grows back, you'll prune it again! I tell you this because awareness is now in control of big money. It's right before your eyes, what you're doing. But fear often rules. …”

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Religious Leaders Present Conflicting Views on Interfaith Marriage

Jakarta Globe, Nov 25, 2014

A mass wedding ceremony for couples looking to save money, in Tasikmalaya,
West Java, in this Oct. 27, 2014, file photo. (Antara Photo/Adeng Bustomi)

Jakarta. Asked about their stance on interfaith marriage as part of a judicial review hearing at the Constitutional Court, three religious leaders on Monday offered conflicting views, increasing the petitioners’ confidence in a successful outcome.

In September, a group of University of Indonesia (UI) law students sought a judicial review of Article 2(i) of the 1974 Marriage Law, which states that a marriage is only lawful “when entered in accordance with the laws of the respective religions and beliefs of the parties.”

This effectively outlaws interfaith marriages, given that nuptials conducted in one religion will not be “in accordance” with the laws of another. The petitioners argue that this clause violates their constitutional right to be allowed to get married as they choose to.

On Monday, the Constitutional Court held its second hearing in the case, listening to statements from representatives from the Bishops’ Conference of Indonesia (KWI), the Indonesia Hindu Dharma Association (PHDI) and the Supreme Council for Confucian Religion in Indonesia (Matakin).

Various views

Father Purbo Tantomo of KWI said that marriage is essential to human life and that the state should not interfere in people’s pursuit of happiness.

“A marriage is performed with the goal of happiness and nobody has the right to act against God’s will. The state’s job is to protect the individuals’ decision to live side by side” Father Purbo said, as quoted on the Court’s website. “The state is responsible to protect marriages and families, but Article 2(i) [of the Marriage Law] has created difficulties for couples who want to get married.”

“Marriage and faith are personal affairs. The state should not disrupt that, let alone infringe on someone’s rights. The two [the right to marry and keep one's faith] should go hand in hand,” the priest said.

I Nengah Dana from PHDI said Hinduism does not recognize interfaith marriage. “Marriage is formalized with a rite called Wiwaha Samskara led by a cleric, so both [bride and groom] should be Hindu,” he said. Marriage conducted between couples of different religions was not legitimate, he said, and would in fact amount to adultery.

Uung Sendana, from Matakin, stressed the importance of people’s happiness, but said there were limits to what religious could offer in this regard.

“A marriage should be conducted to achieve happiness and continue the blood line. No political view, ethnicity, understanding, culture or even religion can stop it,” he said. “However, an interfaith wedding cannot be conducted with a Confucian ceremony.”

During the first hearing, in October, a lawyer for the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), said marriage regulations have to be based on religion.

“The state [should respect] the regulation that every believer should obey their respective religion,” said Mirza Zulkarnaen. “A marriage would not be legitimate if it’s only administrative. Without religion, the administratively passed marriage would amount to mere cohabitation.”

‘Unclear regulations’

Damian Agata Yuvens, one of the petitioners, said in a statement on Monday that the differences in religious leaders’ opinions should be an important reason for the Constitutional Court to grant the judicial review request.

“Let the religions and their respective institutions prohibit interfaith marriage, let the families prohibit it, but such prohibitions shouldn’t come from the state in the form of unclear regulations or the actions of officials. Indonesia is not a country of a particular religion, and if the state only applies one religion’s rules, the state will be seen as a continuation of that particular religion’s view,” Damian said.