Comparative Religion and the Interfaith Movement
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All religions and all spiritual paths add to the multicultural diversity of our world. The difficulty occurs when people use religion as a force to judge, to insult or to somehow evaluate others as lesser or better than they are. Who can know with positive certainty that one’s views are right and all who disagree are wrong? This attitude negates the very heart of what religions teach. Intolerance of others’ beliefs creates war, struggle, power, and aggressiveness. These attitudes are not conducive to peace, growth, or transformation. Transformation of consciousness demands appreciation of uniqueness, a non-judgmental acceptance, and empathy for others– a vulnerability to one’s place in the world today. Without acknowledging who we are, we cannot begin to imagine who we can become. The Interfaith Movement supports diversity and appreciation of differences. It allows us to look at our similarities and differences without judgment of better or worse, greater or lesser. It honors the individual by saying yes to whatever deeply held spiritual or religious beliefs the individual holds. It allows each individual and each religious teaching the dignity to speak about their beliefs, and it allows the members of any religion to respect themselves and what they believe. Opening ourselves to the interfaith movement allows us to grow, and it allows religious leaders to lead their followers into a larger world view. We indeed live in a global village, and it is time to respect and honor that fact. Religions that claim to be the only path will not find themselves fitting into the Interfaith Movement with any grace. We must begin to entertain the vision that we are all one. We all belong to the Family of Humankind. We must learn to appreciate and honor diversity and allow differences to exist side by side, whether they are or are not in agreement. We need to grow into a state of consciousness that values the idea that paradox and conflicting beliefs can reside, side by side, without any implication that one is better or more correct than the other. We need to evaluate life with a larger standard, a moral or ethical standard that bridges the gap of paradox. Namasté, Hillary |