Restorative Justice Week 2008

Interfaith Leaflet

Ba'hai Faith, Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Native Spirituality, Sikhism, Taoism, Unitarian Universalism, Wicca, Zoroastrianism

Grace. Mystery. Forgiveness. Mercy. Love. Compassion. Tolerance. Understanding. Peace. Justice.

Beliefs expressed in most religions and the greatest Religious Texts have these common threads running through them. These are words that help us describe our wondrous experiences of the Divine; words that also describe why restorative approaches are upheld by different faith traditions. The common threads of The Golden Rule, of merciful justice and healing, and the importance of community support and participation weave through human spiritual expression.

Obligations are created when people, institutions or nations cause harm or fail to provide the context in which members could 'love your neighbour as yourself". In the aftermath of harm-doing, the question becomes: How do we heal and prevent further violation from happening? Guided by values of inclusion, respect, healing and safety, a restorative worldview focuses on how we respond when we fail to foster a climate that allows healthy relationships.

This restorative worldview values and nurtures healthy relationships at all levels of human interaction including within institutions and between nations. This means that those most affected by the harm and those responsible for the wrongful behaviour are key players in determining how to move forward. Meaningful accountability for the people most responsible and healing experiences for those harmed are key, as is community participation in supporting those involved.

It is these threads of compassion, forgiveness and mercy that allow us to hope for and believe in the possibility of healing - of ourselves, victims, perpetrators and everyone in the affected community - following crime and other harm-doing. What does your faith tradition teach about mercy? Hope? About healing justice? About everyone's shared responsibility towards those who have been hurt, or are harming others?

Bah'ai Faith

"The light of men is Justice. Quench it not with the contrary winds of oppression and tyranny. The purpose of justice is the appearance of unity among men. The ocean of divine wisdom surgeth within this exalted word, while the books of the world cannot contain its inner significance."

Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, P. 70

Buddhism

"Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful."

The Buddha, Udana -Varga 5.18

Christianity

"It is all God's work; he reconciled us to himself through Christ and he gave us the ministry of reconciliation."

II Corinthians 5:18 - New Jerusalem Bible

Confucianism

"Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves."

Confucius

Hinduism

"This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you."

Mahabharata 5.1517

Islam

"Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for yourself."

The Prophet Muhammad, Hadith

Jainism

"Compassion to others is compassion to one's own self."

Mahavira (Bhagavati Aradhana, 797)

Judaism

"Judaism stresses personal responsibility in contributing to the health of our communities, in producing a society wherein everyone treats others with respect; where good will and acts of kindness spread easily in all directions."

Jack Botwinik - from "Healing Oneself and Creating Community"

Native Spirituality

"You are as much alive as we keep the earth alive."

Chief Dan George

Sikhism

"I am a stranger to no one: and no one is a stranger to me. Indeed, I am a friend to all."

Guru Granth Sahib, p.1299

Taoism

"Without the tao,
Kindness and compassion are replaced by law and justice;
Faith and trust are supplanted by ritual and ceremony."

Lao Tzu

Unitarian Universalism

"Unitarian Universalism offers us a faith that challenges our energy usage and confronts us with hunger and injustice around the world without giving inadequate simplistic answers. It offers the harder path of respect for all beings and for the Earth, and calls us to be accountable for our actions. We are responsible for our own spirituality, our own salvation, and for doing all that we can to make the world better."

Unitarian Universalist minister, Rev. Bob Klein

Wicca

"We are, each of us, angels with one wing and we can only fly by embracing one another."

Lucian de Creszenza

Zoroastrianism

"Be good, be kind, be humane, and charitable; love your fellows; console the afflicted; pardon those who have done you wrong."

Zoroaster

Prepared for Restorative Justice Week 2008 by members of the Church Council on Justice and Corrections (CCJC) in collaboration with Correctional Service Canada (CSC).

For further information www.ccjc.ca/restorative_justice.html & www.csc-scc.gc.ca.