COEXIST, whether on the back of a car or seen in a peace rally, the symbol of religious coexistence is almost immediately recognized. This design—originally only featuring the Abrahamic religions—was created in the early 2000s by a Polish artist, and it quickly went worldwide. The design was changed over time and many groups used it, but it is now the sole symbol for the COEXIST Foundation—a group that promotes religious education and integrating people in religious conflicted areas. So why does this idea get a bad reputation in some Christian communities?
I am personally a huge advocate for the COEXIST Foundation and really believe and support what the charity does, but anytime I mention it to people I often get dismissed and even criticized. Sometimes even to the point of people questioning whether I believe in Christian missions. I sit puzzled sometimes wondering why the simple idea of people of different cultures and beliefs living together peacefully triggers so many individuals.
However, I’m the type of person that puts myself in other’s shoes before I make a harsh judgement against their beliefs, and I discovered that because of the many groups who used the design before the COEXIST Foundation reserved the right to it, really perverted the true idea of COEXIST, at least what it means to me.
Some Christians view the symbol and the movementas delegitimizing Christianity as the only way to the heavenly afterlife. The notion of coexisting with people of different beliefs is not a problem, but presenting religious coexistence as all religions being equal and that any religion will get you the same result is the problem.
COEXIST portrays the idea of peace. Christians are not against peace at all, but contained in the last book within the Bible, Revelation, world peace is one of the events that takes place at the end of the world. While I have never encountered someone against coexistence for this reason, perhaps there are people who fear that advocating worldwide peace and coexistence would be supporting the Anti-Christ and the end of the world.
COEXIST hopes that through understanding one another, people will live together in peace and not attack each other for what they believe is the right. Coexistence doesn’t mean we all have to agree with each other, it means we accept differences and get along despite that factor.
Christians, in my belief, should not go against COEXIST for the reasons that coexisting with people of different religions challenges one’s own faith, gives opportunity to share your belief in the gospel, and allows people to see the loving side of Christ. We should also remember that even within our own faith, coexistence was a problem from the beginning of the Church, which led to many Holy Wars and to the creation of denominations. However, we as Christians learned to coexist with different believing Christians to create a more “universal church.” For me, the way Christians have transformed from discriminating one another to the unity of different believing Christians in a “universal church” is the same philosophy that should be applied to COEXIST. For as the COEXIST Foundation says: “Working together + learning together=living together.”