Fliers at the Peace Parade

The Sikh community in El Sobrante, California, is vital and visible: the gurdwara, perched on a hillside with its distinctive domes, and the Sikh people, many of whom wear turbans—dastaars and patkas—or brightly colored scarves. On a warm summer day in July, the Sikh community gathered for a “peace parade.” Devotional singing filled the streets as the Sikh Scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, moved in festive procession through the center of town. Hearing the music and viewing the floats, Pastor Kent Brandenburg saw an opportunity to distribute his fliers, designed specifically for the Sikh population: “Please Consider these Words of Love My SIKH Friend.” For Brandenburg, sharing his faith in Jesus Christ as the only path to salvation is central to his Evangelical Christian tradition. For the Sikhs, who practice no form of proselytization and who have experienced a surge of violence and discrimination in a post-9/11 America, the fliers are an affront. 

Is it appropriate to proselytize at a public religious event? How might both communities move forward? In the context of tolerance and interfaith understanding, is there space for proselytization?

The complete, updated case is included in the volume Pluralism in Practice.