Thread by @ObangMetho

Can the Conscience of Ethiopia Be Silenced?

We, the people of #Ethiopia, along with other people of faith and conscience, cannot be silent. When freedom of religion and conscience are under attack, the soul of our beloved nation is at risk. 

#EOTC
#EOTCunderAttackInEthiopia

Can the conscience of Ethiopia be silenced?  It is up to all of us to preserve these freedoms. In fact, challenging the conscience of the people will easily backfire; instead, inciting its members to a deeper commitment to its faith and purposes. How will we respond?

We Ethiopians are at the edge of a cliff. How the current conflict is resolved between the Government of Ethiopiaand the Orthodox Church, along with other like-minded Ethiopians, will make a crucial difference in whether we tumble over the edge of this cliff; or instead,

find strengthened and unified ways to protect the key human right of freedom of religion and its practice, accompanied by the freedom of expression of belief and conscience.

Freedom of religion in Ethiopia is being targeted as the independence of our religious institutions comes under fire.

The cornerstone of a flourishing, harmonious, peaceful, and well-functioning society are the commonly held and practiced moral and righteous values that uphold the God-given dignity and value of every human being and the rights that are associated with it.

For example, the value of “putting humanity before ethnicity” (or other identity factors), will create a societal structure that promotes equal rights for all, as well as affirming and upholding the value of every human life.

Secondly, caring about the freedom, rights and well being of others, “for no one is free until all are free,” promotes the sustainability of our own freedom, rights and well being and that of the next generations to come.

It is the way to live-out the God-given value of “loving God and loving one’s neighbor as ourselves.” These principles undergird a worldview that can lead to stronger communities and greater peace.

However, because we are all flawed human beings, who can and do wrong, we need accountability.

The same goes for our human made systems and institutions, which can oftentimes also be flawed and harmful; sometimes by mistake, but other times because we have little regard for the impact on others.

Because of this, the people or institutions of any society must be able to confront, and hopefully, correct, the wrongs or harms affecting the people, including bettering the integration of these principles into the fabric of society.

All of us, including the governments and institutions, can improve. Correction can be life giving, but oftentimes we block what is most needed.

Our religious leaders and other voices of conscience provide a needed voice in the public square; however, oftentimes these voices are among the first to be silenced.

An equally egregious situation is when a government interferes in the private affairs of religious groups, possibly as a means to “tribalize”, politicize, weaponize or otherwise misuse, exploit and/or

to control a religious body for their own gain, in violation of the independence of the religious institution.

We should not be blinded by the source of our greatest internal enemies: tribalism, nepotism, greed, hatred, division, deception,“fake Ethiopianness,” and above all, our system of “ethnic-federalism”that purposely sets us up against each other.

We are in trouble for many reasons, but most of those reasons are products of our own making. Instead of foreign armies on our borders, our greatest troubles come from within.

In the past, we have been unable or unwilling to see it, even when it is obvious. Our blindness is dangerous to self, to others and to the future generations of this country.

A great concern is that we should never use this or other incidents or failures to justify violence, retaliation and revenge against any fellow Ethiopian. Often the victims of such revenge are not those most guilty, but often the innocent.

Instead, what is needed to deal with crimes and law-breaking is accountability based on a fair system of justice.

We the citizens should not lose sight of the bigger picture that we are one Ethiopia’s family that we will be held responsible before God for our own actions.

Along with holding each other accountable, we are also called to love and forgive those who sin against us. This is a opportunity to reach out to each other and respect their dignity and rights, regardless of differences of religious belief, ethnicity or other identify factors.

We should ask God to help us transform the wrongs that have been done into something that brings about a better system and a more cohesive society.

This will require humbling ourselves, repenting of what we have each done wrong, forgiving others for what they have done and reconciling as a people. Let us use this opportunity to build a better country for all.

May God save and protect us from the killing of each other that will lead to the disintegration of our beloved country. Let us learn from our mistakes and the mistakes of other countries like Rwanda and Yugoslavia.

May God open our eyes. There is a time when we are called to speak the truth out loud and to admit we are in a mess. Let us join voices in seeking God’s help, wisdom and forgiveness.

It is a time of mourning, repenting and warning, but it is also a call of desperation to our Great and Almighty God, the One for whom nothing is impossible! Let us humble ourselves before Him! Long live Ethiopia!