Religious leaders and critical thinking

TOPIC: RELIGIOUS LEADERS AND CRITICAL THINKING

BY DANJUMA D. JISE

Being a paper presented on the occasion of the Certificate Course in Leadership Studies For the Army Chaplain Services (Protestant) 3 Armored Division, Jos

24-25 November, 2015

Introduction

The place of religious leaders in the management of human affairs, coexistence and global peace and stability is indispensable. The blurred line that separate religion from the state, though not uniform across space and time,

has nonetheless remain quite visible

and almost always

inextricably bound to state affairs. Since the Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989) and the dissolution of the Soviet of the former Soviet Union (1991), religious consciousness has gained ascendency.

Such has necessarily thrust religious leaders on the stage to provide direction in terms of strategic roles that are traditionally statist. What is more, their stakes are higher now than in the immediate past.

It is against this backdrop that the author attempts assessment of the roles of selected Religious leaders from diverse backgrounds, whose immense contributions in providing a lead out of the complex albeit vexed issues that have perturbed the human family, is invaluable and worthy of emulation. The author examined the values orientation of such leaders, the sources of their inspirations and what they share in common and juxtaposed such elements with the tenets of what constitutes Critical Thinking. It makes appraisals of what they brought on the world’s stage and how they cultivated a central value for the human family with uncommon tolerance and accommodation of other religions. The paper attempts an exploration of the common thread that runs through the value orientation of these icons.

We will now turn to the religious leaders and their respective struggles for the common good of humanity. The paper takes a cursory look at the travails exemplariness of some of the fairest world religious leaders and what constituted the core of their values and guiding principles. How they were able to place and hold the sanctity of human life and the dignity of the human person at the Centre of their teachings in addition to demonstrable accommodation and unparalleled levels of tolerance to adherents of other religions without loosing sight of their own faith and conviction. Martin Luther in the Reformation Struggles, Dalai Lama the Tibetan religious leader and statesman for the diaspora community of the Tibetan nationals even if without sovereignty; Mother Theresa of Calcutta; Mahatma Gandhi of India, and Martin Luther King Jr. of the US an academic, a theologian and clergy turned civil right activist at one of the most decisive moments in American history. It is explored here, what made these fellows thick and the factors that shaped their respective approaches to life and matters of faith or religion.

Martin Luther

Martin Luther and the Reformation: The religious movement of the 16th Century which had for its object, the reform of the Roman Catholic Church and which led to the establishment of the Protestant churches.1 Born in Eisleben, Germany, in 1483, Martin Luther went on to become one of Western history’s most significant figures. Luther spent his early years in relative anonymity as a monk and scholar. But in 1517 Luther penned a document attacking the Catholic Church’s sharp practice of selling “indulgences” to absolve sin. His “95 Theses,” which propounded two central beliefs—that the Bible is the central religious authority and that humans may reach salvation only by their faith and not by their deeds—was to spark the Protestant Reformation.

Although these ideas had been advanced before, Martin Luther codified them at a moment in history ripe for religious reformation. The Catholic Church was ever after divided, and the Protestantism that soon emerged was shaped by Luther’s ideas. His writings changed the course of religious and cultural history in the West.

In 1501, Luther enrolled at the University of Erfurt, the premiere university in Germany at the time. There, he studied the typical curriculum of the day: arithmetic, astronomy, geometry and philosophy and he attained a Master’s degree from the school in 1505. In July of that year, Luther got caught in a violent thunderstorm, in which a bolt of lightning nearly struck him down.

He considered the incident a sign from God and vowed to become a monk if he survived the storm. The storm subsided, Luther emerged unscathed and, true to his promise, Luther turned his back on his study of the law days later on July 17, 1505. Instead, he entered an Augustinian monastery.

Luther began to live the Spartan and rigorous life of a monk but did not abandon his studies.

Between 1507 and 1510, Luther studied at the University of Erfurt and at a university in Wittenberg. In 1510–1511, he took a break from his education to serve as a representative in Rome for the German Augustinian monasteries. In 1512, Luther received his doctorate and became a professor of biblical studies. Over the next five years Luther’s continuing theological studies would lead him to insights that would have implications for Christian thought for centuries to come.

Martin Luther Questions the Church

1Harold H. Titus & Marilyn S. Smith 1974 Living Issues in Philosophy. New York: D Van Nostrand Company p 546

Catholic Church taught that salvation was possible through “good works,” or works of righteousness, that pleased God. Luther came to share Augustine’s two central beliefs, which would later form the basis of Protestantism. Meanwhile, the Catholic Church’s practice of granting “indulgences” to provide absolution to sinners became increasingly corrupt. Indulgenceselling had been banned in Germany, but the practice continued unabated. In 1517, a friar named Johann Tetzel began to sell indulgences in Germany to raise funds to renovate St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

The 95 Theses Committed to the idea that salvation could be reached through faith and by divine grace only, Luther vigorously objected to the corrupt practice of selling indulgences. Acting on this belief, he wrote the “Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences,” also known as “The 95 Theses,” a list of questions and propositions for debate. Popular legend has it that on October 31, 1517 Luther defiantly nailed a copy of his 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle church.

The reality was probably not so dramatic; Luther more likely hung the document on the door of the church matter-of-factly to announce the ensuing academic discussion around it that he was organizing.2 The 95 Theses, which would later become the foundation of the Protestant Reformation, were written in a remarkably humble and academic tone, questioning rather than accusing. The overall thrust of the document was nonetheless quite provocative. The first two of the theses contained Luther’s central idea, that God intended believers to seek repentance and that faith alone, and not deeds, would lead to salvation. The other 93 theses, a number of them directly criticizing the practice of indulgences, supported these first two.

In addition to his criticisms of indulgences, Luther also reflected popular sentiment about the “St. Peter’s scandal” in the 95 Theses: On November 9, 1518 the pope condemned Luther’s writings as conflicting with the teachings of the Church. One year later a series of commissions were convened to examine Luther’s teachings. The first papal commission found them to be heretical, but the second merely stated that Luther’s writings were “scandalous and offensive to pious ears.” Finally, in July 1520 Pope Leo X issued a papal bull (public decree) that concluded that Luther’s propositions were 2 The History Channel The Reformation. Acessesd at http://www.history.com/topics/martin-luther-and-the95-theses. 12 October 2015.

heretical and gave Luther 120 days to recant in Rome. Luther refused to recant, and on January 3, 1521 Pope Leo excommunicated Martin Luther from the Catholic Church.

On April 17, 1521 Luther appeared before the Diet of Worms in Germany. Refusing again to recant, Luther concluded his testimony with the defiant statement: “Here I stand. God help me. I can do no other.” On May 25, the Holy Roman emperor Charles V signed an edict against Luther, ordering his writings to be burned. Luther hid in the town of Eisenach for the next year, where he began work on one of his major life projects, the translation of the New Testament into German, which took him 10 years to complete.

Luther returned to Wittenberg in 1521, where the reform movement initiated by his writings had grown beyond his influence. It was no longer a purely theological cause; it had become political.

Other leaders stepped up to lead the reform, and concurrently, the rebellion known as the Peasants’ War was making its way across Germany.3 Significance of Martin Luther’s Work Martin Luther is one of the most influential figures in Western history. His writings were responsible for fractionalizing the Catholic Church and sparking the Protestant Reformation. His central teachings, that the Bible is the central source of religious authority and that salvation is reached through faith and not deeds, shaped the core of Protestantism. Although Luther was critical of the Catholic Church, he distanced himself from the radical successors who took up his mantle. Luther is remembered as a controversial figure, not only because his writings led to significant religious reform and division, but also because in later life he took on radical positions on other questions, including his pronouncements against Jews, which some have said may have portended German anti-Semitism; others dismiss them as just one man’s vitriol that did not gain a following. Some of Luther’s most significant contributions to theological history, however, such as his insistence that as the sole source of religious authority the Bible be translated and made available to everyone, were truly revolutionary in his day. Luther died on February 18, 1546.4 Dalai Lama of Tibet

3 ibid 4 ibid

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, describes himself as a simple Buddhist monk.

He is the spiritual leader of Tibet. He was born on 6 July 1935, to a farming family, in a small hamlet located in Taktser, Amdo, northeastern Tibet. At the very young age of two, the child who was named Lhamo Dhondup at that time, was recognized as the reincarnation of the previous 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso. The Dalai Lamas are believed to be manifestations of Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion and the patron saint of Tibet.

Bodhisattvas are believed to be enlightened beings who have postponed their own nirvana and chosen to take rebirth in order to serve humanity. By the way Buddhism is a religion based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who lived about 25 centuries ago in what is now Nepal and northern India. He came to be called "the Buddha," which means "awakened one," after he experienced a profound realization of the nature of life, death and existence. In English, the Buddha was said to be enlightened, although in Sanskrit it is bodhi, "awakened."5

Leadership Responsibilities In 1950 His Holiness was called upon to assume full political power after China's invasion of Tibet in 1949/50. In 1954, he went to Beijing for peace talks with Mao Zedong and other Chinese leaders, including Deng Xiaoping and Chou Enlai. But finally, in 1959, with the brutal suppression of the Tibetan national uprising in Lhasa by Chinese troops, His Holiness was forced to escape into exile. Since then he has been living in Dharamsala, northern India.

Since the Chinese invasion, the Central Tibetan Administration led by His Holiness appealed to the United Nations on the question of Tibet. The General Assembly adopted three resolutions on Tibetin 1959, 1961 and 1965.

Democratization Process In 1963, His Holiness presented a draft democratic constitution for Tibet that was followed by a number of reforms to democratize the Tibetan administrative set-up. The new democratic constitution promulgated as a result of this reform was named "The Charter of Tibetans in Exile".

The charter enshrines freedom of speech, belief, assembly and movement. It also provides detailed guidelines on the functioning of the Tibetan Administration with respect to those living in exile. In 1992, the Central Tibetan Administration issued guidelines for the constitution of a 5 Z. Hereford 2015 Dalai Lama’s 18 Rules for Living Essential Life Skills. Accessed at http://www.essentiallifeskills.net/18-excellentrulesforliving.html

future, free Tibet. The guidelines outlined that when Tibet became free the immediate task would be to set up an interim government whose first responsibility will be to elect a constitutional assembly to frame and adopt Tibet's democratic constitution. His Holiness also stated that he hoped that Tibet, comprising of the three traditional provinces of U-Tsang, Amdoand Kham, would befederal and democratic.

In May 1990, the reforms called for, by His Holiness saw the realization of a truly democratic administration in exile for the Tibetan community. The Tibetan Cabinet (Kashag), which till then had been appointed by His Holiness, was dissolved along with the Tenth Assembly of the Tibetan People's Deputies (Tibetan parliament in exile). In the same year, exile Tibetans on the Indian sub-continent and in more than 33 other countries elected 46 members to the expanded Eleventh Tibetan Assembly on a one-man one-vote basis. The Assembly, in its turn, elected the new members of the cabinet.

Peace Initiatives Dalai Lama has consistently urged his followers to shunt violence in their provocation with China. On 21 September 1987 in his address to members of the United States Congress in Washington, DC, His Holiness proposed a Five-Point Peace Plan for Tibet as the first step towards a peaceful solution to the worsening situation in Tibet. The peace plan contained five basic components: 1. Transformation of the whole of Tibet into a zone of peace.

2. Abandonment of China's population transfer policy that threatens the very existence of

the Tibetans as a people.

3. Respect for the Tibetan people's fundamental human rights and democratic freedoms.

4. Restoration and protection of Tibet's natural environment and the abandonment of China's

use of Tibet for the production of nuclear weapons and dumping of nuclear waste.

5. Commencement of earnest negotiations on the future status of Tibet and of relations

between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples.

His “18 Rules of Living�6 is almost universally accepted in many cultures, creed and religions On 15 June 1988 in an address to members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, His Holiness made another detailed proposal elaborating on the last point of the Five-Point Peace 6 Ibid

Plan. He proposed talks between the Chinese and Tibetans leading to a self-governing democratic political entity for all three provinces of Tibet. This entity would be in association with the People's Republic of China and the Chinese Government would continue to remain responsible for Tibet's foreign policy and defence.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a man of peace. In 1989 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent struggle for the liberation of Tibet. He has consistently advocated policies of non-violence, even in the face of extreme aggression. He also became the first Nobel Laureate to be recognized for his concern for global environmental problems. His Holiness has travelled to more than 67 countries spanning 6 continents. He has received over 150 awards, honorary doctorates, prizes, etc., in recognition of his message of peace, non-violence, inter-religious understanding, universal responsibility and compassion. He has also authored or co-authored more than 110 books. His Holiness has held dialogues with heads of different religions and participated in many events promoting inter-religious harmony and understanding. Since the mid-1980’s, His Holiness has begun a dialogue with modern scientists, mainly in the fields of psychology, neurobiology, quantum physics and cosmology. This has led to a historic collaboration between Buddhist monks and world-renowned scientists in trying to help individuals achieve peace of mind. This has also led to the introduction of modern science in the traditional curriculum of Tibetan monastic institutions re-established in exile.

On 29 May 2011 His Holiness signed into law the formal transfer of his temporal power to the democratically elected leader. This brought to an end the 368-year old tradition of the Dalai Lamas being both spiritual and temporal head of Tibet. As far back as 1969, His Holiness has made clear that concerned people should decide whether the Dalai Lama’s reincarnations should continue in the future. However, in the absence of clear guidelines, should the concerned public express a strong wish for the Dalai Lamas to continue, there is an obvious risk of vested political interests misusing the reincarnation system to fulfill their own political agenda. Therefore, on 24 September 2011, clear guidelines were drawn up to recognize the next Dalai Lama, so that there is no room for doubt or deception.

His Holiness has stated that when he is about ninety he will consult the high Lamas of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions, the Tibetan public, and other concerned people who follow Tibetan Buddhism, and re-evaluate whether the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue or not.

Mahatma Gandhi of India:

•

In South Africa, Gandhi faced discrimination directed at Indians. He was thrown off a train at Pietermaritzburg after refusing to move from the first class to a third class coach while holding a valid first class ticket. Traveling farther on by stagecoach he was beaten by a driver for refusing to travel on the foot board to make room for a European passenger. These events were a turning point in his life, awakening him to social injustice and influencing his subsequent social activism. The struggle to free India from British rule appeared hopeless for many years until Mohandas Gandhi, a critical thinking-leader rose to the occasion. In the wake of World War II, Gandhi declared that India could not be party to a war ostensibly being fought for democratic freedom, while that freedom was denied to India itself. As the war progressed, Gandhi intensified his demand for independence, drafting a resolution calling for the British to Quit India. This was Gandhi's and the Congress Party's most definitive revolt aimed at securing the British exit from India.

His continues insistence for change especially from social, political and economic

injustices yielded Independence for the country in 1947. Gandhi led the struggle for Indian independence from Great Britain through his campaign of passive resistance and noncooperation, known as Satyagraha (meaning 'truth and firmness') earlier in 1906, Gandhi had travelled down to the Republic of South Africa to protest against the Apartheid system there, before returning home to India7 . Before his assassination in 1948, Gandhi provided a model leadership in the liberation of India from (1915-1947) that the world has come to recon with. Gandhi’s Seven Deadly Virtues have become a universal epistle to the human family

Mother Theresa of Calcutta: Agnes Gonxha Bojaxiu ( better known as ) Moher Theresa was born in 1910. She is one of the most recognized humanitarians in the world. At the prime age of twelve she felt she needed to be a missionary to spread love to others. She probably saw love as a need that was lacking in the lives of many especially the needy, rejected and the poor. Mother Theresa has contributed to 7 Oldenburg, Philip. "India." Microsoft® Encarta® 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2008.

global peace through her war against poverty, disease and ignorance among the poor and less privileged. Her efforts was crowned with the Nobel Peace Prize of 1979 when she was awarded the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize.8. In its opening announcement from Oslo, on 27, October 1979, the Nobel Foundation through its Award Committee, had the following remarks of mother Teresa:

“Thirty years ago Mother Teresa left her teaching post at a Roman Catholic girls' school in Calcutta in order to devote her life to working among the poorest of the poor in the slums of that city.The Roman Catholic order of which she is now the head has in recent years extended its activities to include a number of other Indian cities and other parts of the world. In making the award the Norwegian Nobel Committee has expressed its recognition of Mother Teresa's work in bringing help to suffering humanity. This year the world has turned its attention to the plight of children and refugees, and these are precisely the categories for whom Mother Teresa has for many years worked so selflessly. The Committee has placed special emphasis on the spirit that has inspired her activities and which is the tangible expression of her personal attitude and human qualities.

A feature of her work has been respect for the individual human being, for his or her dignity and innate value. The loneliest, the most wretched and the dying have, at her hands, received compassion without condescension, based on reverence for man. In Mother Teresa's case, this basic philosophy of life is firmly rooted in her Christian faith. In Calcutta and elsewhere, she has enlisted the help of assistants from other religious denominations. She has also been recognized by the Indian authorities and by the Asian Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Buddhist U Thant.

In the eyes of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, constructive efforts to do away with hunger and poverty, and to ensure for mankind safer and better world community in which to develop, should be inspired by the spirit of Mother Teresa, by respect for the worth and dignity of the individual human being.�9

8 "Press

Release - The Nobel Peace Prize 1979". Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2014. Web. 21 Nov 2015. Accesses at http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1979/press.html 9 Ibid

Her Ten Lessons of Life is a reference piece in any moral discourse. They include the following:  Take up a great cause  Start with your home and those around you  Have a solid personal foundation  Create a ‘tribe’ or constituency of support such as the media  Keep a smile always  Have sympathy for the less fortunate  Don’t judge other but love others  Forgive  Show kindness  You only have today

Before her passing in 1997, Mother Theresa lived these stated virtues all through from the time she picked this noble cause of serving humanity in recognition that all humans were children of God. Martin Luther King Jr.: Describing Martin Luther King Jr.’s contribution to religious leadership and civilization in general, is not an easy task because his foot prints are found in almost every sphere of human endeavor. His words steered a generation to change and outlined a timeless practical ways to economic freedom and true democracy.

10

Try though he might, he could not escape the burden

of leadership. In 1954 King left Boston University for the sleepy southern town of Montgomery Alabama seeking the peace of quite and small town life. While pastor of the relatively small but prominent Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, he hope to have the time and freedom to complete his doctoral thesis in Systematic Theology. But just a few months after his dissertation was 10 Clayborne Carson and Kris Shepard 2001 Eds. Landmark Speeches of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Atlanta: Warner Books Inc. Time Warner Company

submitted, however, Rosa Park’s arrest on one of Montgomery’s segregated buses and the subsequent boycott thrust him onto the national stage. Martin soon found himself selected Time Magazine’s Man of the Year, an honor bestowed before he was thirty years old. From that moment on, Martin came to symbolize and vocalize the hopes and aspirations of oppressed people all over the planet. And the rich Negro spiritual “ We shall Overcome” became the nonviolent anthem of men and women the world over. He once notes, in one of his lecture series- The Community of man, Born on Jan 15 1929 to an African America clergy parents, King grew up in the church and was wellread in the scripture, Following the family tradition, he decided to become a minister.

Martin Luther King was a a great leader in the African, American civil rights movement. He is probably one of the greatest orators of the 20 th Century. One of his famous speeches, ‘I have a dream…’He was the youngest person ever to receive a noble peace reward. He got this for his work to stop racism. He was assassinated on April 4 th 1968. He will always be remembered for his wish to bring round equality. Commenting on one of his most classic speeches- “Where do We Go from Here?”, Edward Kennedy remarked that Dr King acknowledged the gains that had been made by 1967, but he concentrated on how much was left to do, to draw a stark contrast, he referred to the insulting fact that the American constitution originally counted an enslaved negro as only 60 per cent of a person 11 Martin Luther King was the voice of the century12 No voice more clearly delineated the moral issues of the second half of the twentied century and no vision more profoundly inspired people from the American South, to Southern Africa; from the Berlin Wall to the Great Walls of China.

His dream of America’s moral possibilities expressed a universal hope for mankind that derived heavily from the Hebrew Prophets, the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, and the Non violent actions of India’s Mahatma Gandhi.13 . Martin’s Oratory sought to forge a new state of justice with mercy through the power of the truth without violence-truth that sought to bring all men and 11 Edward M. Kennedy In Clayborne Carson and Kris Shepard 2001 Eds. Landmark Speeches of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Atlanta: Warner Books Inc. Time Warner Company 12 Andrew Young In Clayborne Carson and Kris Shepard 2001 Eds. Landmark Speeches of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Atlanta: Warner Books Inc. Time Warner Company 13 ibid

women together as brothers and sisters: truth spoken in love and mercy that believes the world’s conflicts could be reconciled in the power of the human spirit without resorting to violence.

Martin Luther King envisioned an America that is founded on the precepts of equity and equal opportunity for all. He had consistently advocated that each person including the ‘the least’ person has something to contribute to the ‘common wealth’ of the human family: “You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don’t have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don’t have to know about Einstein’s Theory of Relativity to serve. You don’t have to know about the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics in Physics to serve … you only need a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love to serve and change society”.14

Anwar Al-Sadat of Egypt: (25th December 1918- 6th October 1981) A former Egyptian President and the first Muslim to receive the Nobel Prize awarded in 1978.

He, along with Menachem Begins "for their contribution to the two frame agreements on peace in the Middle East, and on peace between Egypt and Israel, which were signed at Camp David on September 17, 1978 Although President Sadat of Egypt was murdered on October 1981, by persons who were opposed to his policy of reconciliation with Israel and his close links with the United States 15, Sadat shared the Peace Prize with Israel's Prime Minister Menachem Begin after having taken the initiative in negotiating a peace treaty between the two countries. The so-called Camp David 14 Coretta Scott King (1983) The Words of Martin Luther King Jr. New York City: New Market Press. Warner Books Inc. p 17

15 Anwar al-Sadat - Facts". Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2014. Web. 21 Nov 2015. Accessesd at http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1978/al-sadat-facts.html>

Accords came about thanks to the mediation efforts of US President Jimmy Carter. Sadat’s Nobel Lecture, dated December 10, 1978 which portrays the cause he stood for, is worthy of some lengthy citation: The decision of the Nobel Prize Committee to bestow upon me the Peace Award has been received by the people of Egypt not only as an honor, but also as a confirmation of the universal recognition of our relentless efforts to achieve peace in an area in which God has chosen to bring to mankind, through Moses, Jesus and Mohamed, His message of wisdom and light.

The road to peace is one which, throughout its history which coincides with the dawn of human civilization, the people of Egypt have considered as befitting their genius, and their vocation. No people on earth have been more steadfastly faithful to the cause of peace, and none more attached to the principles of justice which constitute the cornerstone of any real and lasting peace.

Do I need to remind such an august and distinguished gathering, that the first recorded peace treaty in history was concluded more than three thousand years ago between Ramses the Great and Hattusilis, Prince of the Hittites, who resolved to establish "good peace and good brotherhood?"

And since then, through the ages, even when wars appeared as a necessary evil the real genius of Egypt has been one of peace... and its ambition has been to build not to destroy, to create not to annihilate, to coexist not to eliminate. Thus, the land of Egypt has always been cherished by God Almighty: Moses lived there, Jesus fled to it from injustice and foreign domination, and the Holy Koran has blessed it. And Islam, which is the religion of justice, equality and moral values, has added new dimensions to the eternal spirit of Egypt.

It is in the light of all this, that I embarked a year ago upon my initiative aimed at restoring peace in an area where man received the words of God. Let us put an end to wars, let us reshape life on the solid basis of equity and truth. And it is this call, which reflected the will of the Egyptian people, of the great majority of the Arab and Israeli peoples, and indeed of millions of men, women, and children around the world that you are today honoring. And these hundreds of millions will judge to what extent every responsible leader in the Middle East has responded to the hopes of mankind.16 We have now come, in the peace process, to a moment of truth which requires each one of us to take a new look at the situation. I trust that you 16"Anwar Al-Sadat - Nobel Lecture". Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2014. Web. 21 Nov 2015. Accessed at http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1978/al-sadat-lecture.html>

all know that when I made my historic trip to Jerusalem my aim was not to strike a deal as some politicians do.

I made my trip because I am convinced that we owe it to this generation and the generations to come, not to leave a stone unturned in our pursuit of peace. The ideal is the greatest one in the history of man, and we have accepted the challenge to translate it from a cherished hope into a living reality, and to win through vision and imagination, the hearts and minds of our peoples and enable them to look beyond the unhappy past.

"Let me tell you truthfully: Today we have a good chance for peace, an opportunity that cannot be repeated, if we are really serious in the quest for peace. If we throw or fritter away this chance, the curse of mankind and the curse of history will befall the one who plots against it".

I would like now, on this most solemn and moving occasion, to pledge again that we in Egypt - with the future rather than the past in mind - are determined to pursue in good faith, as we have always done, the road to peace, and to leave no avenue unexplored to reach this cherished goal, and to reconcile the sons of Ismail and the sons of Isaac. In renewing this pledge, which I hope that the other parties will also adhere to, I again repeat what I said in the Knesset more than a year ago: "Any life lost in war is the life of a human being, irrespective of whether it is an Arab or an Israeli. The wife who becomes widowed is a human being, entitled to live in a happy family, Arab or Israeli. Innocent children, deprived of paternal care and sympathy are all our children, whether they live on Arab or Israeli soil and, we owe them the biggest responsibility of providing them with a happy present and bright future.

For the sake of all this, for the sake of protecting the lives of all our sons and brothers; For our societies to produce in security and confidence; For the development of man, his well-being and his right to share in an honorable life; For our responsibility toward the coming generations; For the smile of every child born on our land".

Sadat went on; In the light of this let me share with you our conception of peace: First, the true essence of peace which ensures its stability and durability, is justice.

Any peace not built on justice and on the recognition of the rights of the peoples, would be a structure of sand which would crumble under the first blow.

The peace process comprises a beginning and steps towards an end. In reaching this end the process must achieve its projected goal. That goal is to bring security to the peoples of the area, and the Palestinians in particular, restoring to them all their right to a life of liberty and dignity. We are moving steadily towards this goal for all the peoples of the region. This is what I stand for. This is the letter and the spirit of Camp David.

Second, peace is indivisible. To endure, it should be comprehensive and involve all the parties in the conflict.

Third, peace and prosperity in our area are closely linked and interrelated. Our efforts should aim at achieving both, because it is as important to save man from death by destructive weapons, as it is not to abandon him to the evils of want and misery. And war is no cure for the problems of our area. And last, but not least, peace is a dynamic construction to which all should contribute, each adding a new brick. It goes far beyond a formal agreement or treaty, it transcends a word here or there. That is why it requires politicians who enjoy vision and imagination and who, beyond the present, look towards the future.

It is with this conviction, deeply rooted in our history and our faith, that the people of Egypt have embarked upon a major effort to achieve peace in the Middle East, an area of paramount importance to the whole world. We will spare no effort, we will not tire or despair, we will not lose faith, and we are confident that, in the end, our aim will be achieved.

I will ask you all to join me in a prayer that the day may soon come when peace will prevail, on the basis of justice and the recognition of the rights of all the peoples to shape their own life, to determine their own future, and to contribute to building a world of prosperity for all mankind.17 The pages of history is replete with such rare leaders who brought about new order, new dispensations, new movements, new thinking, new outlook, and new perspectives which often usher in new paradigms.

It is of significance to probe further and ask the question why did these five personalities so consistently remain resolute and almost united on core values as seen in their respective plight to improve human civilization despite their religious, geographic and generational differences.

It is the view of this paper that five elements of Critical thinking united them in thinking therefore left them with no other alternative but to act in the plausible manner they did:  Recognition of a super-natural being and a sense of sacredness  Respect to Humanity and Nature  They were Critical thinkers who deployed the tools of critical thinking  They were seekers of the truth  They were nonconformists

What is Critical Thinking?

17 'Nobel Lecture, December 10, 1978' by Anwar Sadat, Nobel Foundation, retrieved April 5, 2012

Critical thinking is that mode of thinking – about any subject, content or problem in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully analyzing, assessing, and reconstructing it. Critical thinking is self –directed, self discipline, self monitored and self corrective thinking. It presupposes assent to rigorous standards of excellence and mindful command of their use. It entails effective communication and problem-solving abilities, as well as a commitment to overcome one’s native egocentricism and sociocentriticism.

To analyse thinking: Identify its purpose, question information, conclusions, assumptions, implication, main concepts points of view etc.

To assess thinking: Check it for clarity, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth, significance, logic and fairness.18 Critical thinking is the arts of thinking about thinking while thinking in order to make thinking better. It involves three interwoven phases: It analyses thinking, it evaluates thinking and it improves thinking. Therefore to think critically, you must be willing to examine your thinking and put it to some stern tests. You must be willing to take your thinking apart to see it as something constructed out of parts. To think critically one must develop a high standards for your thinking you learn how to step back from it and make it meet those standards. This book will help you see how to act upon your thinking in this important and disciplined way, how to drag your thinking out into the light of day, take it, take it apart, see it for what it is, and make it better.19

To start with, any critical thinking venture cannot begin without considering certain elements which include: Rationality, self-awareness, honesty, open-mindedness, discipline, balance judgment, objectivity, non-conformity and flexibility for change. In tune with 18 Richard Paul & Linda Elder 2006 Critical Thinkin: Learn the Tools the Best Thinkers Use. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. pxix 19 Ibid

these aspirations, Critical thinking is envisaged to be a hub for initial and continuing professional development of military instructors and members of the academia in the transformation and standardization of leadership activities and programs. Through the filter of critical thinking, the leadership hopes to produce instructors, teachers, officer cadets and students with enhanced abilities in creative critical minds in leadership, teaching and learning and self -regulatory judgment that can be used to solve complex real world problems effectively.20 The National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking defines critical thinking as the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action 21. Critical thinking includes a complex combination of skills. This piece therefore, is in bid to engendering the components of critical thinking in the sphere of leadership so as to raise consciousness on the need not only to stem the tide of the old attitude of leadership with corrupt and unpatriotic mindset, but to rise above it and overturn the status quo by way of inject new thinking. 22 Components of Critical Thinking 20 Nafisat D. Mohammad (2015) “An Overview on Critical thinking Teaching and Learning: A Framework of the Centre for Critical Thinking Teaching and Learning (CCTTL)�Being a Keynote Address delivered as the founding Coordinator of the Center for Critical Thinking, Teaching and Learning Nigerian Defense Academy Kaduna, at its maiden Launch. 25 May 2015.

21 The National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking thinkinghttp://www.corporatetrainingmaterials.com/ critical thinking training ware.

22 Defining Critical Thinking. Retrieved 8 March 2014 Brown, Lesley. (ed.) The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (1993) p. 551.

Some of the features of critical thinking include; Applying reason, open mindedness nonconformity with the status quo, analysis, logic, rationality, self-awareness, honesty, openmindedness, discipline and sound judgment.

Critical thinking is akin to the study of logic. Critical thinking relates to how we make decisions and use our judgment. Critical thinking is more than just thinking or meta-cognition 23.

It is also about how we take action. Critical thinking involves many components. The ability to reason is often considered one of the characteristic marks of being human. Furthermore, the individual’s ability to reason well is a critical thinking skill. Many of the definitions of critical thinking tend to focus on this ability to reason. Reasoning occurs when we use our knowledge of one thing, process, or statement to determine if another thing, process, or statement is true. When we apply reasoning, we use logic to determine “what follows what.� Human reasoning does not always follow logic and is often based on emotional bias.

Open-mindedness is the virtue by which we learn. In particular, being open-minded means taking into account relevant evidence or argument to revise a current understanding. It means being critically open to alternatives, willing to think about other possibilities even after having formed an opinion, and not allowing pre-conceived notions to constrain or inhibit reflection on newly presented information. Open-minded inquiry is a central theme in education.

In critical thinking the step of analysis helps us to discriminate and access information. We are thinking critically when we rely on reason rather than emotion, when we require evidence, and follow it where it leads, and when we; are concerned more with finding the best explanation than being right analyzing apparent confusion and asking questions. We are thinking critically when we weigh the influences of motives and bias, and recognize our own assumptions, prejudices, biases, or point of view.

We are thinking critically when we recognize emotional impulses, selfish motives, nefarious intents, or other modes of self-deception. We are thinking critically when we evaluate all 23 ibid

reasonable inferences consider a variety of possible viewpoints or perspectives, remain open to alternative interpretations accept a new explanation, model, or paradigm because it explains the evidence better, is simpler, or has fewer inconsistencies or covers more data accept new priorities in response to a re-evaluation of the evidence or reassessment of our real interests, and do not reject unpopular views out of hand.24 In sum, Critical thinkers are by nature skeptics. Critical thinkers are active, not passive. They ask questions and question answers. They consciously apply tactics and strategies to uncover meaning or assure their understanding. Critical thinkers do steer clear of subjective tendencies and would not take an egoistic view of the world. They are open to new thinking, new ideas and perspectives. They are willing to challenge their beliefs and investigate competing evidence. Critical thinking enables us to recognize a wide range of subjective analyses of otherwise objective data, and to evaluate how well each analysis might meet our needs. Facts may be facts, but how we interpret them may vary.

Critical thinkers are guided by the virtues of a disciplined mind which includes: intellectual autonomy, intellectual integrity, intellectual humility, intellectual sense of justice, intellectual perseverance, intellectual fair-mindedness, intellectual confidence in reason, intellectual courage and intellectual empathy.25 African shared Value of Ubuntu "Ubuntu" as political philosophy has aspects of socialism, propagating the redistribution of wealth. This is similar to redistributive policies in liberalism. This socialization is a vestige of agrarian peoples as a hedge against the crop failures of individuals. Socialization presupposes a community population with which individuals empathize and concomitantly, have a vested interest in its collective prosperity. Urbanization and the aggregation of people into an abstract and bureaucratic state undermines this empathy. In fact, Ubuntu induces an ideal of shared human subjectivity that promotes a community's good through an unconditional recognition and appreciation of individual uniqueness and difference�26 24 ibid 25 Richard Paul & Linda Elder 2014 Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Professional and Personal life 2nd Edition. New Jersey:Pearson Education Inc.p.25 26 "Obama's Tribute To Nelson Mandela At Memorial Service - Business Insider". Business Insider. 10 December 2013.

At Nelson Mandela's memorial, United States President Barack Obama spoke about Ubuntu: "There is a word in South Africa – Ubuntu – a word that captures Mandela’s greatest gift: his recognition that we are all bound together in ways that are invisible to the eye; that there is a oneness to humanity; that we achieve ourselves by sharing ourselves with others, and caring for those around us.”27.

"We can never know how much of this sense was innate in him, or how much was shaped in a dark and solitary cell. But we remember the gestures, large and small – introducing his jailers as honored guests at his inauguration; taking a pitch in a Springbok uniform; turning his family’s heartbreak into a call to confront HIV/AIDS – that revealed the depth of his empathy and his understanding. He not only embodied Ubuntu, he taught millions to find that truth within themselves.28 Conclusion This paper concludes that our common humanity and many other important values were shared by these set of icons as listed above and that traces of their respective religions contributed in no less measure to shaping their views about life which was inclined towards Peace and our common humanity. This was made possible because their values and indeed the causes they stood for, were very much in tan dem with fundamental tenets of critical thinking as already discussed. Such is at the very root of African shared value of Ubuntu which again is Africa’s gift to the world.

Recommendations  A new thinking is required for the preponderant monotheistic religions of the Arab and

Jewish world that are prevalent in Nigeria. 

It is apt to Emulate the virtues of the leaders discussed above, which engenders universal human values in the practice of religion.

27 Ibid 28 Ibid

 Each religion goes with a culture of its roots, African societies ought to find a way to

make the practice of any alien religion culturally relevant if they must renege from the African Traditional Religion (ATR)  Core African values as understood in Ubuntu should form a part of all religious

commitments in the continent  Monotheistic religious groups ought to tame their relative tendency for religious violence

and intolerance knowing that they might have been headed for the same destination through different routes.  In religion just as in political affairs, Africans must find African solution to African

problems

Notes

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Monday Yakiban Mangvwat 2011 “Historicism and the Political Economy of Religious Crises in Northern Nigeria since 1900 A.D.” In Best 2011 Ed. Religion and Post Conflict Peacebuilding in Northern Nigeria p 50 I.A. N. Whitehead, Religion in the Making. New York: Macmillan 1926) p. 15 Prentiss C.R.. Religion and the Creation of Race and Ethnicity. New York: NYU Press Ali Mazrui (1990) Cultural Forces in World Politics. Oxford: James Currey p 32 Ibid Harold H. Titus & Marilyn S. Smith 1974 Living Issues in Philosophy. New York: D Van Nostrand Company p 546 The History Channel The Reformation. Acessesd at http://www.history.com/topics/martin-luther-and-the-95-theses. 12 October 2015.

Ibid Ibid Z. Hereford 2015 Dalai Lama’s 18 Rules for Living Essential Life Skills. Accessed at http://www.essentiallifeskills.net/18-excellentrulesforliving.html Z. Hereford 2015 Dalai Lama’s 18 Rules for Living Essential Life Skills. Accessed at http://www.essentiallifeskills.net/18-excellentrulesforliving.html Ibid Oldenburg, Philip. "India." Microsoft® Encarta® 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2008 Clayborne Carson and Kris Shepard 2001 Eds. Landmark Speeches of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Atlanta: Warner Books Inc. Time Warner Company Clayborne Carson and Kris Shepard 2001 Eds. Landmark Speeches of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Atlanta: Warner Books Inc. Time Warner Company Coretta Scott King (1983) The Words of Martin Luther King Jr. New York City: New Market Press. Warner Books Inc. p 17 Edward M. Kennedy In Clayborne Carson and Kris Shepard 2001 Eds. Landmark Speeches of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Atlanta: Warner Books Inc. Time Warner Company Andrew Young In Clayborne Carson and Kris Shepard 2001 Eds. Landmark Speeches of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Atlanta: Warner Books Inc. Time Warner Company.

Ibid Anwar al-Sadat - Facts". Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2014. Web. 21 Nov 2015.

Accessesd at http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1978/al-sadatfacts.html.

Anwar Al-Sadat - Nobel Lecture". Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2014. Web. 21 Nov 2015. Accessed at http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1978/al-sadatlecture.html ibid Richard Paul & Linda Elder 2006 Critical Thinkin: Learn the Tools the Best Thinkers Use. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. P xix Ibid Nafisat D. Mohammad (2015) “An Overview on Critical thinking Teaching and Learning: A Framework of the Centre for Critical Thinking Teaching and Learning (CCTTL)”Being a Keynote Addressdelivered as the founding Coordinator of the Center

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for Critical Thinking, Teaching and Learning Nigerian Defense Academy Kaduna, at its maiden Launch. 25 May 2015.

The National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking thinkinghttp://www.corporatetrainingmaterials.com/ critical thinking training ware.

Defining Critical Thinking. Retrieved 8 March 2014 Brown, Lesley. (ed.) The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (1993) p. 551.

Ibid Ibid Richard Paul & Linda Elder 2014 Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Professional and Personal life 2nd Edition. New Jersey:Pearson Education Inc.p.25 "Obama's Tribute To Nelson Mandela At Memorial Service - Business Insider". Business Insider. 10 December 2013.

Ibid Ibid