Magyar Egyház, 1989 (63. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)
1989-05-01 / 3. szám
10. oldal MAGYAR EGYHÁZ was Imre Pozsgay who not very long ago made the sensational statement that 1956 was not a counter-revolution but a people’s uprising.) Imre Pozsgay further noted that the Hungarian Socialist Workers’ Party must transform itself from an ‘ideological’ to a ‘platform’ party if it wants to claim a mass following once multy-party system develops in Hungary. A new resolution on religion is due to pass by the Central Committee which will not ‘replace religion with ideology.’ HE* A similar statement on atheism and communist party affiliation was made in a Keston News Service interview by Ernő Andies, Director of the Central Committee’s Social Policy Department. He said that the Hungarian communist party leadership is now considering permitting religious believers to join the party. Andies admitted that the party has been forced to come to examine this question because the emergence of opposition political parties. [Cf. Keston News Service.] LOOKING AT THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD All over the world the Church of Jesus Christ is alive and we must learn how alive it is and how it lives in China, in Sri Lanka, in India, in Mozambique, in Namibia, in Brasil, in Guyane, in Caledonia and in hundreds of other countries. All the Churches are the same as they are listening to the same Word of God as heard from the Bible but they are different because the way of thinking of those who listen to the Word is different determined and conditioned by their culture which includes history, race, economic and political situation. A few examples will throw light to the source of differences. In the Caribbean e.g., the main problem is not political freedom but economic freedom. In the United States religious instruction must not be made compulsory in public schools while the president of Kenya feels that religious education in schools be compulsory since “matters pertaining God are not optional.” In First and even Second World countries the care of and service to the poor is part of the Church’s general program. Gustavo Gutierres, the prominent Peruvian liberation theologian emphasizes however, that the Church’s primary service is to the poor. He says, “For us the question is how to speak about God to those who suffer and who do not deserve their sufferings... Christians are not called to be committed to the poor because the poor are good, but because God is good.” Very incisive statements can be heard from churchmen all over the world. The point made is this: Christianity and Western culture are not inseparable. The goal of Christian mission is not to establish outposts of Western style Christianity. Christianity must become authentically Asian, African just as it is Euro-American. A “New Christendom” must emerge (and is emerging) in different parts of the world outside the “Old Christendom” of Europe and North America. We may conclude these reflections by saying that while we should sincerely hold to our Christian way of thinking and to the theological interpretation characterized by our Western culture we must not condemn as unchristian a theology expressed in terms of other cultures. AJi. HUNGARIAN HERITAGE CENTER IN NEW BRUNSWICK The Hungarian Heritage Center, a $4.1 million Hungarian cultural institution in New Brunswick, NJ was dedicated May 21 in the presence of several hundred American and Hungarian dignitaries and guests. Greetings were delivered by state, church and academic personalities as well as Christian and Jewish cultural and civic associations. The magnificent building will house a library, manuscript, archival and museum collections documenting the role and contribution of Hungarians and their descendants to American life since 1776 up to the present. Half of the above quoted amount to complete and to maintain the Center is still needed. Phase Two of the fund drive is chaired by Dr. Zsolt Harsanyi, president of Porton International. All contributions, of course, are tax deductible. The untiring work of the dedicated Board of Directors of the American Hungarian Foundation with Professor August J. Molnár, president at the helm made this several decade old dream a reality. On the occasion of the dedication Dr. Andrew Harsanyi, bishop of the Hungarian Reformed Church in America, sent the following letter of salutation to President August J. Molnár: When the project to establish this Heritage Center was launched it was the era of cold war between Hungarian- Americans and Hungary. To have a free cultural exchange was just a dream. But those who began to work for the dream to become reality unfalteringly believed in the power of the Hungarian spirit. Fidelity to and love of a thousand years old Hungarian ethos developed into a vigorous campaign to build this Center. Many obstacles, doubts and indifference of our own Hungarian community were overcome by God’s amazing grace. Business and women, churches of all faiths and countless individuals worked, struggled, fought for it. No single names should be pointed up at this time; to one man, however, tenfold credit must be given, to AUGUST MOLNÁR, a man of ingenuity and perseverance. We want this Center to be a home of Hungarian literature, of scholarly research, of books and historical documents, of arts and craft, of anything and everything that is part of Hungarian culture past and present. We want this Center to be a place where Americans will learn not only to appreciate and to enjoy the products of Hungarian culture but also to love Hungarians as people. The Hungarian Reformed Church in America has wholeheartedly supported this project from the very beginning and will do so in the hope that all faith communities will unite in its active support.
