THE PROBLEM RELIGIOUS HARMONY IN INDONESIA

I came from Indonesia, and I was born in Malang, East Java on October 19, 1960 with 6 siblings. My family is a Christian in many church denominations. Therefore, I am a Christian by birth. My mother and my father were not faithful Christians yet. But my spirituality really was formed and influenced by my grandmother. She was a very pious Christian. My grand-mother took me to church every Sunday, Bible study, and every spiritual building service. Besides, my grandmother often gave me many Christian books. I like to read these books, especially I read enthusiastically a book that told a story of Sadhu Sundar Singh, a servant of Christ from India. Since I read this book, my spirituality has grown. I was motivated more to love and serve Jesus. Then I was baptized and received Christ in my own heart on July 4, 1976.

From childhood till teenager, I have grown up with Protestant teachings. So, when I graduated from Senior High School, I had continued my study at “Duta-Wacana” Theological Yogyakarta in the faculty of theology. During my study, I have published three books, that are: “Juvenile Delinquency” (in two series with different publisher), and “The Theology of patient Endurance” which in analysis of the Book of Revelation. . I was ordained as a pastor (reverend) in 1993. My growing spiritual life is more formed by difficult cases dan chalenges during my own ministry. I believe that God has trained and formed my own spirituality in order that I could become wiser and more mature and pleasing to Him. When I served as a vicar, I have published three books that are: “The Living Word” (in two series, number 50 and 55) which are collections of preaching, and “The Book of Catechism” (guidance of the Christian Faith).

I get married in January, 1989. My wife is a native. She is a Javanese. I have three children (two sons and one daughter). In 1993, I was ordained as a Reverend/Priest in GKI Blimbing Malang, East Java. My parish comes from many ethic communities. They grew up very fast. Initially, my parish in only a hundred people. Then, they have increased to 450 people.

As a part of a small society, my parish could get along well with the surrounding communities and could be accepted by the residents for 25 years (1976-2001). On every Christmas, the residents mostly Muslim had given attention and support to my parish in celebrating Christmas. The stable and harmony condition had changed, when house closed to my church was rented to a stranger. Problems started to happen to my church, especially when the church building was damaged. The church council had decided to renovate the building. The mayor of Malang city had issued a permit for my church building renovation, but the resident rejected the Mayor’s decision. They made an appeal to the court, saying that the permit issued for the church had violated SKB 1969 (decrees issued by Minister of Religion and Minister of Domestic Affairs).

SKB 1969 number: 01/Ber/MDM-MAG/1969 dated September 13, 1969 is issued by Muslim fundamentalist to oppress and discriminate Christians. SKB orders how to get a permit for church building. Every church that wants to build their own church building, has to get the recommendation from religious (Muslim) leaders. It is definitely not only against the Constitution, but also an abuse of human right.

Residents surrounded my church, prohibited and stopped us from doing the church service and any ritual ceremonies. In fact, the government and Constitution had failed to protect my church. My parish got a lot of terrors. One day, when I had finished the Sunday service, a mass of residents came to my church. They protect me to agree in stopping all services of my church.

I rejected their request to stop all services of my church. I still affirmed that I had the right as a citizen. They began to assert or declare forcefully by threatening me. But because they had failed to threaten me, they began to hit and hurt me. In this condition, I surrendered and though my life would be ended soon.

My parish appealed to the High Court. The High Court endorsed that certificate of my church was legal. However, when my parish returned to perform their Sunday service, a mass of residents hampered forcefully. I decided to perform the Sunday service in front of my church building. When the Sunday service was being held in front of the church building, the attendants became more and more. Therefore, the mass of residents, police and military followed this service. They altogether attended and saw our Sunday service.

Now, my parish has got a replacement of the old church. Behind our suffering, my parish is blessed and supported by many churches, so that my parish could bought a new place that is wider and safer. However, my parish is still strive for legal status a church at the Supreme Court. The residents especially who have ever hit and hurt me, came to me apologize. I believe that only God who touches their heart, so they could realize that they are wrong. Residents who had acted as perpetrators are still striving for an appeal in the Supreme Court.

The discrimination especially to the Christian minority happened in 1996, when many churches were burnt in Situbondo, East Java. On Christmas Eve 2000, over a dozen churches in almost all major cities in Indonesia were simultaneously bombed and had killed many Christians. Since October 3, 2004 in Tangerang, West Java students of “Sang Timur” a private Catholic School, had to attend classes on Monday under a paramilitary guard, after residents again from a nearby real estate blockaded the road to the school, and also a group of people stopped the Sunday service at the “Sang Timur”. On the Sunday service at the “Sang Timur” chapel, there had been more than 8.975 church visitors.

Many churches in Indonesia have been harassed by hard-liner (radical) Islamic fundamentalist. They have strived to promote the Shariah Islam to become the state ideology. Along with the motion, there are radical groups like FPI (Front of Islamic Defender). Actually, not only Muslim is radical. M. Ali, a Muslim lecturer has wrote an article in Jakarta Post, titled “Interfaith dialog vital for religious harmony”, saying that we have to live and cooperate each other, so that we may gradually achieve the habit of cooperation and trust that is so critical for us in order to be able to live together in harmony. He also says: “Though there may be fundamental differences between us, it will not have to lead to fundamental abuse and attacking each other”.

Now, I have moved to Jakarta since July 7, 2004. I have been serving in the congregation of GKI Perniagaan Jakarta under Synod of Indonesian Christian Church. I have still been striving for equal treatment in my country, rejecting all forms of discriminations either in religion or ethnic. We all have been commanded by God to build/create peaceful communities and live in harmony, loving and caring for each other. I remember St. Paul in his letter to Ephesians said: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace” (Eph. 2:13-15).