Johannesburg, South Africa—The leader of the church grouping of the world’s main Protestant and Orthodox denominations, the Rev. Samuel Kobia, has cautioned faith communities against the use of holy scriptures to justify war.

“As people of faith, we should not use holy scriptures to moralise wars, as this makes it easier to fight,” World Council of Churches’ general secretary Kobia said. He was heading a panel at the second Inter-Faith Action for Peace in Africa Summit taking place in Benoni near Johannesburg from 21 to 25 April and organized by the Lutheran World Federation.

Heading a panel discussion on the use and abuse of holy scriptures with respect to conflict, the WCC official affirmed the need to put into context the meaning of the rich heritage and diversity of all religions.

“The pursuit of peace is one of the supreme ethical values in public life proclaimed by world religions,” said Kobia, a Kenyan Methodist who heads the grouping of 347 churches worldwide.

“We all know of the legacy of the founding father of this nation [South Africa],” noted Kobia. “Nelson Mandela emerged from prison not spewing words of hatred and revenge. He amazed us all by his heroic embodiment of reconciliation and forgiveness.”

Panelists at the gathering included Sheikh Khaled Adlen Bentounes, representing the French Council for the Muslim Religion, who noted, “no religion today could pretend not to contain any violence”. Interpretation of scriptures, he noted, was crucial as the holy writings could be “viewed both positively and negatively”.

Gladys Quartey-Papafio, representing the Baha’i community in Ghana, noted that the diversity of religions and multiplicity of sects created seemingly contradictory perceptions among human beings. Peace, she asserted, was a basic element of all religions. “It is the outward practices that are so different, and it is these that cause conflicts, disputes and enmity,” she said.

Quartey-Papafio cited ignorance, human pride and unavailability of authoritative interpretations of holy writings as factors that contributed to the promotion of conflict. She challenged religious leaders to encourage the recognition and acceptance of the oneness of God, religion and mankind to help reduce conflict.

Prabhudas Pattni, secretary general of the Hindu Council of Africa, stressed the need for human beings to accept that there were many paths to God. He called for more tolerance in accepting each other, and cautioned against the “deliberate misinterpretation of what we read” if conflict was to be avoided.