Magyar Egyház, 1984 (63. évfolyam, 1-5. szám)
1984-06-01 / 3. szám
8. oldal MAGYAR EGYHÁZ CONVERSION The word “conversion” — to turn around — is used especially in the Old Testament for calling the whole people, the nation, to change its ways. While there are some examples of personal conversion, generally the emphasis is on collective conversion. The sins of Israel are those that need to be repented in order to overcome the historical judgement looming on the horizon. , Inside the Covenant relationship between the people of Israel and God, this call to turn back was a call to fulfill God’s will, to live in God’s love, to respect God’s law. The broken relationship of the Covenant to be restored by a public act of repentance of the people. This prophetic call to repentance remains the responsibility of the church vis-ä-vis the total community. Like every individual, the community, too, needs moments of a new beginning, of a rejection of the paths of yesterday, and the opening of a new period of hope and construction. Whether it is in South Africa, calling white Christians to repent of their racist ways; whether it is in socialist countries, calling for an affirmation of the eternal value of the individual person — the church’s vocation involves an evangelistic proclamation of repentance and change of the whole community. The church that evangelizes, inviting people to faith in Christ, will give clarity to its call if, simultaneously, it shows in its internal life the signs of the new life and publicly calls the whole community to turn to the basic demands of God’s justice. In particular today, a church that is not concerned with the gap between rich and poor among the nations, the question of nuclear peace, racial equality and a community of love and respect between man and woman, a church that is silent vis-á-vis these and other challenges of our present human situation, will have much difficulty in being credible when it announces the gospel of the kingdom of God, inviting people to repent... (Excerpted from the. WCC journal “International Review of Mission”; written by Emilio Castro; quoted by EPS) BE A BLESSED ONE In his sermon on the Mount Jesus told who the blessed are. If you want to be among the blessed ... ... Be poor in spirit, ... Be meek and humble, ... Be a comfort to others. ... Be a seeker after justice, ... Be merciful, ... Be clean of heart, ... Be a peacemaker, ... Be willing to suffer for justice’ sake. 126 MILLION BIBLES FOR AMERICA The United Bible Societies reported a 13-million copy increase in scripture distribution in 1983. a total of 497,715.- 345 worldwide, more than 126 million in the United States alone (EPS) RALLY AT THE CAPITOL CONDEMNS ROMANIA'S ANTI-HUNGARIAN BIAS (The Washington Times, June 1, 1984) Several thousand protesters rallied oq fhe steps of the US Capitol yesterday against the “cultural gvrjocide” of nearly 2.5 million ethnic Hungarians living in Romania. The protesters, representing Hungarian Communities and groups front as far away as Montreal, called for the swift passage of House Resolution 147, which condemns Romania for discriminating against its Hungarian minority and calls on the president and secretary of state to press the Communist government in Bucharest to improve its human rights record. They charged that the Romanian government systematically is trying to destroy the Hungarian culture there by actively interfering with cultural, religious and teaching activities and discriminates against Hungarians in employment, education and job promotions. Rep. Thomas Lantos, D.-Calif., chairman of the House Human Rights Caucus and the only member of Congress born in Hungary told the rally “Congress is deeply concerned with the deprivation of rights suffered by Hungarian minorities” in Romania and other East European countries. He said the government’s discrimination must end so that Hungarians “can use our language, use our culture and teach our children in the 1000 years of rich heritage” that has transpired. Rep. Mark Siljander, R.-Mich., who said to be half/Hungarian, said he met with the Romanian ambassador in recent weeks to discuss the matter and pledged to visit the country later this year for a “firsthand look” at the problem. He said the plight of the minority could only be solved through “influence, pressure and stiff arm-twisting.” Ethnic Hungarians lived in the region, particularly in what is now the Romanian province of Transylvania, for more than 1,100 years. Transylvania was ceded to Romania when the country was created after World War I. According to the House resolution, the Romanian government “pursues a policy of denationalization” toward the minority by closing Hungarian schools, destroying cultural materials and documents and the “conscious dispersion of the Hungarian intelligentsia.” It says the government “actively interferes with the internal affair of all its religious communities, severely limiting or banning all their social and teaching activities and discriminates against their members in employment, education and promotion” particularly toward Hungarian and German Catholic and Protestant churches. The “sense-of-the-House” resolution is expected to pass easily before Congress adjourns for its summer recess in late June. U.S. Congressmen who spoke to the Washington Rally, May 31, 1984 (List is not complete): Rep. Tom LANTOS — 11th Congressional District, California Rep. Ed FEEHAN — 19th Congressional District, Cleveland. Ohio Rep. Mat McHUGH — Ithaca, New York Re)». Bernard DWYER — 6th Cong ressional District, Edison, New Jersey Rep. Mark SILJANDER — Michigan
