**Declaration of the Mennonite Universalist Association**
We are Mennonites (and fellow travelers) who reject the church's missionary activities. We oppose proselytizing by all religous groups, not just Christians. Sharing the story of one's spiritual journey with an interested inquirer is fine. But in our view it is unethical to approach someone who hasn't solicited your input and tell them they
must adopt your beliefs to be on the right path. We are universalists. We believe "hell" is a myth, and that every person who has ever lived gets a seat at the celestial banquet table. The doctrine of eternal punishment is offensive to us. How could any empathetic person enjoy the afterlife knowing that friends and relatives are in unending torment. We love human diversity and seek to preserve it. We believe the world would be poorer if all Buddhists, for example, were converted to Christianity. So we oppose evangelistic crusades and mission boards, no matter how well-meaning they claim to be. For even missionaries who profess "cultural sensitivity" still have as part of their agenda persuading unbelievers that Christianity is the "only way." We reject the authenticity of the “Great Commission.” We just don’t think Jesus said it. Most bible scholars doubt its authenticity as well. First, any statements attributed to the post-crucifixion Jesus must be called into question, for obvious reasons. Second, the worldwide scope of the "Great Commission" is contradicted by Jesus's instructions to the apostles in Matthew 10. Third, if Jesus really told the disciples to go out and make followers of all peoples, then the debate between Paul and James (over whether or not uncircumcised Gentiles were included) makes little sense. How could James have been unaware of what his own brother said? Thus, we think the “Great Commission” is more likely to have come from the post-70 C.E. church than from the pre-30 C.E. We believe the missionary world-view contains inherent contradictions, as illustrated by the story of the missionary and the Inuit:
The Inuit asks the missionary, “If I did not know about God and sin, would I go to hell?”
The missionary says, “No, not if you did not know.”
To which the Inuit replies, “Then why did you tell me?”
If God condemns those who had been in a state of grace but reject the gospel upon hearing it, then missionary preaching itself is the catalyst that moves them from grace to condemnation. Wouldn’t it be best to leave unbelievers alone, in their state of grace, in the first place? We are persons who've come to know and love folks from a variety of paths: Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Baha’i, Jain, Native American, Pagan, and more. We recognize the common themes and qualities that make religions more alike than different: mercy, compassion, forgiveness, humility, empathy, etc. These qualities, wherever they're encountered, emanate from the same place: the Source of All Truth and Beauty in the Universe. Human efforts to elevate any one path above any others are misguided and pointless. The Dalai Lama has said: "Don't try to use what you learn from Buddha to be a Buddhist; use it to be a better whatever-you-already-are." We'd like to see the church adopt a similarly open attitude: "Don't try to use what you learn from Jesus to be a Christian; use it to be a better whatever-you-already-are." Therefore, we call on Mennonite mission agencies to:
1. Reevaluate their work in light of modern understandings of the New Testament;
2. Renounce the doctrine of eternal punishment as inconsistent with the essence of Jesus;
3. Change their mandate from "conversion of the masses" to "the preservation of mass diversity";
4. Create reparations ministries for making amends to groups harmed by past missionizing practices;
5. Send representatives around the globe to investigate the truth and beauty in other religions, and bring those elements back for the edification of folks at home. Mennonite emissaries, not missionaries!
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The Mennonite Universalist Association was created in July 2012. Declaration last revised: November 1, 2012
