Minister of Justice and Public Order Anna Koukkides-Procopiou said in her welcoming address at the 12th International Symposium on Commercialisation of Religions in the Globalising World, that the integration of economic interests and commercial elements into religious practices and beliefs has inevitably led to the transformation of faith into a marketable commodity.
The symposium, which takes place in the University of Nicosia, is co-organised by the University of Vienna and the University of Nicosia.
The Minister congratulated the organisers of this ‘very important initiative’, saying that it has brought together academics and experts from all over the world, with the ultimate aim of discussing a very interesting contemporary issue, that of the commercialisation of religions.
She said that the integration of economic interests and commercial elements into religious practices and beliefs has inevitably led to the transformation of faith into a marketable commodity, where spiritual experiences have lost every element of spirituality and are now treated and confronted like any commercial product on the market.
The commercialisation of religions in the Globalising World, she added, is admittedly a complex and controversial phenomenon and its impact on faith and society continues to be a subject of ongoing debate and reflection.
Striking a balance between the need for financial support and the preservation of authentic religious values is a challenge that faith communities must grapple with in the modern era, she stressed.
Concluding, she noted that it is our duty to ensure that spirituality remains true and that the pursuit of profit doesn’t compromise the core values that make religion a source of hope and guidance for so many.
Source: Cyprus News Agency