Religious Literacy Opens Encounters with Other Religions

"Religious literacy does not talk about one religion to build trust so that prejudices in other religious groups can be discussed with different religious figures," said Director of the Leimena Institute Matthew Ho in a public lecture on Meet Religions in Ciputra University, Surabaya, Saturday (4/5/2024).

"We developed cross-cultural religious literacy (LKLB) to build life competency in diversity. This program is for teachers in schools and madrasas," he said.

Also read: Religious Literacy in Indonesia Still Needs to be Improved

Matius stated that LKLB is implemented by strengthening personal competence, specifically in understanding one's own religion, particularly in relation to other human beings who are different.

There is also comparative competence to understand other religions from one's own followers, as well as collaborative competence to understand how to work together or collaborate while respecting differences.

Furthermore, building trust among different groups so that they can collaborate as in the LKLB program is in line with the message of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in its 2021 report titled "Reimagining Our Futures Together."

Religious literacy does not talk about one religion in order to build trust so that prejudices towards other religious groups can be discussed with different religious figures.

"As the world becomes more divided and polarized between religions and ethnic groups, education needs to strengthen its ability to work together with solidarity and collaboration. Trusting each other becomes a lubricant for working together in addressing various complex global issues," said Matius.

Encounter

Religious lecturer at Ciputra University, M Alfin Fatikh, who also serves as a moderator, stated that the religion course at UC is not intended to study religion according to the students' religion.

Religious studies at UC are taught by professors of Islam, Christianity, Catholicism, and other religions. Students are free to choose which religion's classes they want to attend. "Religious lectures are more discussion and dialogue based from the perspective of various religions, so that we can understand each other," said Afin.

UC Chancellor Yohannes Somawiharja said that, in general, educational institutions in Indonesia teach religious education according to their respective religions. In UC's view, religious doctrine education is the responsibility of mosques, churches and other places of worship.

"It is precisely the needs of plural citizens that have the potential for conflict, namely understanding other religions. The idea is to open the encounter. Because there are stereotypes in other religions, misunderstanding arises. "As a result, bad people use religion to sell it to gain money, power or other things," he said.

Also read: From Teachers, Diversity Encounter Spaces Initiated in Schools

UC's Coordinator for Pancasila and Religion courses, John Wolo, stated that the implementation of unified diversity should involve creating space for dialogue. Students of different religions and ethnicities should become more sensitive to celebrate their differences.

Religious meeting spaces are not only provided on campus. Students are also given the option to live in or stay and interact directly with other religious figures.

On 3-5 May 2024 there is an option for students taking religion courses to live in at Sanggar Candi Sapta Rengga, Yogyakarta, Kampung Kristen Peniwen in Malang, and Mahavihara Mojopahit in Mojokerto while having direct dialogue with religious figures each.

Students who do not live in are required to attend a public lecture on religions. Apart from bringing in the Director of the Leimena Institute, Matius Ho, to share about LKLB, there was Muhammad As'ad, a lecturer at Hasyim Asy'ari University, Tebuireng Jombang Islamic Boarding School, and the Orthodox Christian figure Gigih Pramuda.

For Lina Pahalawati, a teacher at Madrasah Aliyah Negeri 2 Tuban, meeting followers of other religions, entering houses of worship, and having dialogues with religious figures provide a memorable experience of diversity.

“My understanding has become better, there are no longer any prejudices. "I also want to apply this at school," said Lina.