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 | Promoting dialog among faith groups: This would involve representatives
of two or more religious faiths, who intentionally work towards mutual
tolerance, study, deep learning, and valuing of each other's spiritual beliefs and
practices.
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| Promoting dialog among faith groups and secular movements:
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| Promoting dialog between faith groups and educational organizations:
The wall of separation between church and state in the
U.S. prohibits prayer in public school classrooms, and school-sponsored promotion of
religion. But some students, teachers, and public school boards believe incorrectly that
all religious content is prohibited. It is not!
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| Promoting dialog between faith groups and government functions:
Government policies and programs are administered by employees who may have limited
knowledge of religions other than their own faith tradition. This frequently produces
conflicts:
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Interfaith dialog groups may be able to provide a local mediation and information service in such cases.
| Educating and sensitizing the public to religious diversity: Most members of the public are largely unaware
of:
Interfaith dialog groups could organize many types of functions:
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| Provide a united voice on moral issues: Most large communities
in North America have two
Christian ministerial associations: one for Fundamentalist and other Evangelical
clergy, and a second for clergy from other Christian faith groups. But minority
religious groups can only address the public as individual faith traditions. An interfaith
dialog group could provide a forum for all non-Christian faith traditions to speak out on
moral issues. Even better, it could provide a single voice for conservative Christians, other
Christians and non-Christians together. | ||||||||||||||||
| Providing multi-faith resources for the public: Local inter-faith groups have identified unmet needs in their community, and have created new non-profit agencies to meet those needs. Examples have included food banks, meal services, credit counseling services, and distress/crisis/suicide prevention centers. One project, which could be duplicated in every large metropolitan area, is a quiet room for meditation and spiritual renewal at the local airport. According to ACNS: 4 |
A new inter-faith quiet room has been opened at Belfast International Airport for the use of travelers of all faiths and none. The room has been provided in co-operation with the airport management by the Northern Ireland Inter-Faith Forum with the support of the Community Relations Council. The Forum is composed of representatives from Baha'i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh communities. Norman Richardson, Secretary of the Forum, said: "Prayer mats and washing facilities are provided, although no formal worship will take place." 5
| Helping individuals create a unique, personal, spiritual path: Many
individuals create their own religious belief system by merging components from a variety
of religious sources. One example are the spiritual lives of individuals who graft
New Age beliefs and practices onto a Christian foundation. An interfaith group could
facilitate this quest. |
| Helping committed multi-faith couples create a merged spiritual path: Spouses may
bring two two very different religions backgrounds into their relationship. An interfaith
group could help them create a life together which honors the beliefs and practices of
both faith traditions. |
| Promoting the vision that all faith groups share a common inner core: Organized religions differ in their belief systems, practices, sacred texts, traditions, etc. But some feel that they all share an inner nucleus, involving such components as respect for life, the Ethic of Reciprocity, one's interrelationship with other species, etc. |
The widest group of programs that we have found is offered by the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington. They provide:
| Annual spring public dialog for laity (since 1984). |
| Annual interfaith concert (since 1980). |
| Interfaith prayer services: annually on Martin Luther King's birthday, and at times of moral crisis. |
| Time for faith sharing: visits to diverse religious services. |
| Resource to government, business, non-profit organizations: provide information. |
| Resource to religious groups: help with interfaith religious education. |
| Enable diverse religious leaders to speak with a unified moral voice. 6 |
Sponsored link:
References used:
- "About Interfaith," in Association of Interfaith Ministers at: http://www.interfaithclergy.org/interfaith.html
- "Living Faith," at: http://www.wlv.ac.uk/chaplaincy/photoex/
- "Faiths walk in show of unity," Daily Post, Liverpool, 2003-OCT-25.
- Multifaith Resources at: http://www.multifaith.com/
- Anglican Communion News Service (ACNS). Posting for 2000-JUN-4. They maintain a free mailing list. Go to http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/ to subscribe.
- InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington at: http://www.interfaith-metrodc.org/dialogue/dialogue.htm
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Site navigation: Home page > Spirituality > Interfaith groups > here |
Copyright © 1999 to 2001 and 2003 by Ontario Consultants
on Religious Tolerance
Latest update: 2003-OCT-26
Author: B.A. Robinson
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