Interfaith Unity…What Does It Look Like?
WHAT UNITES US IS GREATER THAN WHAT DIVIDES US!
In the Qur’an, God gives us a simple message to live by; “Come together upon the things that we agree on, fore the TRUTH has manifested itself.” In the Hebrew and Christian Scripture, Book of Genesis, 12:3 we learn: All the families of the earth shall be blessed through you. In other words, be not divisive when the truth has been shown and/or demonstrated.
The term interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions (i.e., “faiths”) and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels. It is distinct from syncretism or alternative religion, in that dialogue often involves promoting understanding between different religions or beliefs to increase acceptance of others, rather than to synthesize new beliefs.
We live in an era or a place in time where being a spiritually conscious person is under attack. The modern flow of today’s existence has caused some of us to forget about Who put us here and/or why we are here. This is an introspective reminder for those who have forgotten. Just something to think about.
WE ALL COME FROM THE SAME PARENTS
If we all come from the same two original beings (i.e. Adam & Eve), why do we differ when it comes to our humanity? Perhaps we all need to rethink our biases and prejudices.
WHY HAVE AN INTERFAITH DIALOGUE?
SIMPLE… WE WERE ALL CREATED BY THE SAME GOD.
There are many religious communities throughout our world today. How did we get to this point? This video shows the changing numbers and trends throughout the Common Era:
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are the three major monotheistic religions of the world. They share a common heritage and are related in many ways. However, there are also major differences between the religions. The major similarity between these three religions is that they are all monotheistic.
So, why have a dialogue if one is comfortable with his/her own religion and/or life-style? Well, a living Interfaith Society is a spiritual community that views Interfaith as a unification and embraces the teachings of all spiritual paths that lead humanity to seek a life of compassionate action. In term of worship, we do not seek to discover which religion or spiritual path is “right”; it’s an acknowledgement that God has communicated His Word/Message to the world in various tongues.
Why Have An Interfaith Dialogue
WHY HAVE INTERFAITH COMMUNICATION?
WHY IS INTERFAITH DIALOGUE / COMMUNICATION IMPORTANT AND NECESSARY THESE DAYS?
There are those who say that when people of different religious ideologies come together, the devil is the 3rd person; or that the Zionists are at work putting in motion “THE NEW WORLD ORDER”. We say that God’s messengers spread His WORD, in the manner in which they were instructed, in order for their followers to be able to understand. Who says differently?
Without intending to create a conflict, I, Imam Mekye, had an opposing religious/scriptural position that was contrary to an unnamed Christian. We had a spirited (but respectful) discussion about our disagreement and differences. When it was all said and done, (I can’t speak for her), I came out of the discussion feeling as if I potentially made a “Spiritually Invested” friend, although we are of two different ideological faiths.
So, what is the purpose of me saying this? Religious academics and leaders around the world are beginning to have interfaith dialogs because of the growing conflicts that God-fearing and other people are having with one another. The scholars are talking with (and not at) each other. We (laypeople) need to start doing the same. For when we do, I believe that we’ll come to learn that our religious paths are not that far apart…even acknowledging our differences.
If you want to see how two people, with conviction from different faiths exchange points of view, look at the comment section (on the HOME page); under “Can Non Religious People Be Moral?” by Dissenting Voice. Also, if you are so inclined, please take a look at this (3 min. 22 sec.) video on the subject.
HERE’S ANOTHER OBSERVATION OF INTERFAITH COOPERATION
