Note: This article first appeared in the Adventist News Network (ANN) Bulletin, December 8, 2009 sent to e-mail subscribers.

Selmanovic urges Christians to learn first, teach later

8 Dec 2009, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States

Megan Brauner/ANN

When author Samir Selmanovic talks about his faith, it's obvious that it is his most cherished possession -- he uses words like "treasure" and "pearl" to describe his belief.

Selmanovic, a Seventh-day Adventist and pastor, recently published his book "It's Really All About God," which includes his progression from Islam and atheism to Christianity.

Born in Croatia to Muslim parents, Selmanovic first learned about Christianity during his time in the military. Friendship with a fellow soldier led him to believe that Adventism was the religion for him. In his book, Selmanovic emphasizes that his own journey to meaning would be incomplete without the influences of the many faiths - or the "other" - he encountered during his lifetime.

Selmanovic previously served as pastor for an Adventist church in Manhattan, eventually leaving the position for his current job as co-leader of Faith House Manhattan, an interfaith organization in New York.

"It's Really All About God: Reflections of a Muslim Atheist Jewish Christian," is Selmanovic's passionate look at what he holds dear, and why he believes our differences are our greatest strengths.

Selmanovic recently spoke with ANN on why learning from other religions doesn't mean losing unique our beliefs, how postmodernism isn't the real barrier to sharing Christianity and why the walls of religious isolation are falling down.

ANN: In your book, you state that God is outside religion. What factors led you to that conclusion?

Selmanovic: First, the teaching of Jesus. We live in a God-saturated world. The Kingdom of God is here, Jesus said. Christianity, a system of meaning that surrounds the mystery of Jesus Christ, like a shell that surrounds a pearl, is therefore in service of the kingdom of God. And because it's in the service of the kingdom of God, Christianity participates with others in doing good in this world. Religion serves something larger than itself. Secondly, when I became a Christian, when I read about the love of Christ in the Bible, I recognized it. I had experienced the love of God from other people, especially my parents. They were my first evangelists before I ever read the Bible. The third factor is evangelism as it relates to Golden Rule. We are called to do to others what we want others to do to us. As learners and receivers, we become qualified to be teachers and givers.

ANN: Some people find the idea that God doesn't favor one religion to be threatening. Why do you think that is?

Selmanovic: We all have a need to think that our path is the best out there, which is understandable, otherwise we would not follow it. This is a natural need we all have and we should have compassion for each other on these terms. The universal thing about all of it is that we are particular, that we all have a particular story, particular treasures, and particular values from our religions that we bring to the table. We all need identity, and the problem is that we tend to find it in identifying what's wrong with the "other" instead of what makes us glad. We think, erroneously I argue, that the full presence of God "here" has to mean some absence of God "there."

ANN: What is the difference between one world religion and a religion that embraces other faiths?

Selmanovic: Our first response to diversity should be gratitude, I am convinced. Humanity is an organism. What part of the body can you do without? The "other" does not have to be a competitor or an object we need to reach. Maybe the "other" is a subject we have to learn to relate to, somebody who walks with us as a sojourner. We are better off being complementary and interdependent. Such a relationship does require talking about disagreements, but there is a way to do it: you can argue against one another or you can argue for one another. But you have to argue. There is a difference between us and that difference should be preserved. We don't want to extinguish the flame and stories of others. To say that we should have one religion for all is another way of universalizing everything, another way of imperializing the religions of others. How then would we address the commandment to share the good news? Through transformation. Buddhism is a case in point. It doesn't have evangelistic meetings, celebrity preachers, and mission departments, but it's the fastest growing religion among secular people, and quite demanding. There's something attractive about letting go of our need to turn other people into our projects. There's something in such an attitude that says, "I'm not going to have a defensive position about my God, I'm going to live my faith instead." I think in today's world it's becoming obvious that people who let go of the supremacist fantasies of their religion are stronger, more trustworthy, and have more substance. Paradoxically, this tends to make people transform and follow.

ANN: What responses have you had to these ideas?

Selmanovic: Feedback that gets back to me comes from the far left and the far right. From the left, people say you cannot say your God -- Jesus -- is in the "other," because then you are imperializing their religion. I was speaking once in a Jewish seminary, they asked about that. I said to them, if someone says "you are Christlike," you have two options: you can say, "Please don't imperialize my religion," or you can say "Thank you." And they agreed that "Thank you" is a valid response, because we have no choice but to explain other religions and other experiences in a way that is faithful to our worldview. We have to stay coherent. On the right, the response is similar: If you don't have anything to stand on, a real difference, if you believe that God is everywhere, then there is no dialogue, there's no conversation. My response to this is that yes, difference is crucial, but so is our expectation to find God, goodness, and grace in the "other." Jesus warns us ! to resist God management systems, even if the system is Christianity.

ANN: Why include atheism in a book about God?

Selmanovic: Right now there is a whole movement among humanists and atheists towards respect for religion, toward working with it, hearing it out and seeing it is a part of what it means to be a human being. They want to leave fundamentalist atheism behind and make progress by doing good in this world and organizing their own communities. In my chapter, "The Blessing of Atheism," I do have some pretty strong words against [a form of] atheism that dismisses and mocks religion, but I also demonstrate how you can actually learn from atheism and why. I grew up in an atheist environment. It wasn't scary or unspiritual as religious people fear. I think fear of atheism or other religions really comes from insecurity. Somebody said that if you know only one religion, you don't know any religion at all.

ANN: What can a church do to open itself up to people of other religions?

Selmanovic: I think first of all, an attitude of learning [where] we ... bring somebody to teach us something. You demonstrate patience and you demonstrate learning, and you embody what you want from others. You pay a compliment to them and you really look into their text and develop a relationship, not an evangelistic relationship, but a friendship. Next, an act of service, partnering with another congregation in the neighborhood and addressing a neighborhood issue. We need to get to a point where we do not constantly objectify the "other," where we do not work with others only with the objective to reach them. We cannot fulfill the demands that Jesus places on us, such as fighting poverty and stewarding creation, on our own. This goes beyond tolerance and appreciation. We actually need the "other." We need their help to walk the way of Jesus.

ANN: What do you say to those who blame postmodernism and secularism for the sluggish growth of Christianity?

Selmanovic: Enough postmodern people find Jesus and his way wonderful and life-giving that we cannot claim that the world is going against us. We cannot claim the position of a victim. I think blaming secularism and postmodernism is an exercise of shifting the blame. Postmodernism is problematic just as modernism was, we just don't know exactly in what way because we haven't lived through it enough. I think postmodernism isn't bad or good, it just is. Problems of postmodern Christianity will become apparent in time, but going back to modernity is not the solution. I think Christianity is changing, which is always the case with faith that uses the adjective "living" to describe itself. Change is part of faithfulness; relevancy is part of faithfulness. Our adjustment to postmodernity is not about watering down our faith, it's about deepening the well of our faith.

ANN: How do the younger generations fit into this new approach?

Selmanovic: I have two daughters, 12 and 14. Their worlds are far more diverse and interdependent than yours and mine have been. At times they say they don't even recognize the problems of diversity we adults are struggling with. They are not afraid to be different, they share their faith with others because they want to be special. Different is good. So when we base our difference and specialness on insisting on the absence of God, goodness, and grace in others, they start becoming more tentative about sharing their faith. They, intuitively, feel uneasy about exclusivity. The more they think about it, the less sure they are about committing to a faith that insists on the absence of God among the "other." I think if we would teach our children about other faiths, we would equip them to be engaged in conversations about spirituality. We have been raising youth that do not know how to converse when any religion other than Christianity is discussed. You can't be enga! ged if you don't have basic knowledge.

ANN: What role will religion play in future society?

Selmanovic: Religion is going to have a big comeback to the public square. Religion is the way we give voice to our deepest convictions and formulate our values. To not talk about religion is to not talk about what matters. I think society is moving beyond that. Talking about others and ourselves with grace and without fear of disagreement, and saying "Sorry" and "I don't know" is becoming the norm. This public place is going to serve as a refining fire. I think that seeking God in and among others is the way to follow Jesus in a pluralist world. And as roots grow deeper, there is less need for walls.

See also: a recent New York Times book review of "It's Really All About God."