Interfaith in Europe
Last week I spent a day at a meeting organised by the European Union discussing how local authorities across
Brian Pearce from the Inter Faith Network and also a member of our executive was also there, which was great! First of all, it meant that the three translators they had or the conference were not just there for me! But mostly because he is such an expert on local government issues here in the
Then I realised what my role was!
Apart from anything else, for that day I was the only non-Christian present at all the discussions. A Muslim delegate was going to join them for the next day. What an interfaith conference!
- they needed to learn that not all people can eat the same food and proper vegetarian alternatives need to be provided.
- they also needed to learn that different religious groups have different holy days and varying tasks that they can perform on those days. So I had to miss the last day and leave before breakfast in order to get back to
- and my main task? To bring the spiritual into the discussion. I explained our raison d'etre at WCF and emphasised that behind all the local bureaucrats trying to solve specific issues, they really would benefit from keeping in mind that this was also an exercise in spiritual humility, in recognising that there are many ways to reach God.
It certainly helped put WCF on the European map. All my leaflets disappeared. Let's hope at least one of them becomes a member!
Rabbi Jackie Tabick
posted by Rabbi Jackie Tabick @ Monday, November 27, 2006
6 comments
6 Comments:
Hi people
I do not know what to give for Christmas of the to friends, advise something ....
Hello. Good day
Who listens to what music?
I Love songs Justin Timberlake and Paris Hilton
26.3.61
Greetings Friends of the World Congress of Faiths,
May Peace Be With You.
Shalom. Namaste. Sabudicrom. Pax. A Salaam Alaikum.
ॐ.שאלם
Rabbi Jackie Tabick, your communication of your recent visit in continental Europe and with represênts of the European Union and European community is appreciated.
The previous responder, and additional friends, may be interested in browsing the www.beliefnet.com website, particularly viewing some of the videos that feature some contemporary celebrities speaking about Faith (disclaimer: I have yet to specifically view any such video; there is simply an awareness of the offering of such videos).
On another note, a recurring issue that seems to be discussed within a number of circles within the InterFaith Movement is the enduring participation of youths and the establishment of continuing and renewing intergenerational cooperation, learning, and progression within the InterFaith Movement. We at the Asona Group within this InterFaith Settlement are aware that this is a specific initiative amongst the International Association for Religious Freedom, www.iarf.net. We are also aware of the postponed World Youth Peace Summit, www.wyps.org, organised by the World Council of Religious Leaders; we are aware of the specific youth programmes of the United Religions Initiative, www.uri.org, as well as the work of the InterFaith Youth Core, www.ifyc.org, to simply name a few.
In a recent online forum discussion on the www.myspace.com website, a youthful man (a teenager) communicates having some difficulty amidst his relationship with another youthful woman of a different religious denomination (he, being a Baptist Christian, and she, being a Jehovah’s Witness, if I recall correctly); and he solicits advice. Amidst the criticism, he is provided with a brief amount of sound advice (for he and she to learn an additional amount about each other’s respective religious traditions and to communicate an increasing amount with each other’s respective parents and families; determining the necessary similarities, the differences, and considering a path of plausible mutuality). Yet in responding to the youthful man, it was difficult for me to identify a specific organisation or specific materials and resources that can provide him, her, and his and her respective families, with tangible guidance along this process.
Upon this solicitation of support and guidance, another specific and intrinsic initiative within the InterFaith Movement becomes increasingly evident. To effectively encourage the continuing and intergenerational participation and support of youths, it is necessary for the InterFaith Movement to provide youths with specific and pragmatic guidance pertaining interFaith dating, interFaith marriage, and interFaith families. It is understood that this is an extremely sênsitive and charged topic, yet it is a necessary topic for the InterFaith Movement to progress from a noble endeavour for a select few, a hobby for a dedicated many, and a cliché for the masses, to an intrinsic, and even inconspicuous, lifestyle.
I recall that whilst at university, the ethics professor for me and my colleagues, Reverend Terrell, explains that the intrinsic goal of every social movement is to establish the principles of that social movement as the norm within society. And rather than uniformed, doctrinal interFaith system of belief, the InterFaith Movement simply promotes interFaith cooperation as the norm of society. Yet, this interFaith cooperation must also include the most basic and fundamental form of human cooperation: marriage.
The soapbox is removed.
The basic point is to provide youth with specific and pragmatic guidance pertaining the pursuit of interFaith marriages and respectively maintaining interFaith families (acknowledging that for many, this may also include interFaith dating that respectively precedes marriage). Through providing such specific and pragmatic guidance, the InterFaith Movement increases the breadth and depth of intergenerational cooperation with youth, particularly amongst the comparatively Worldly focused youthful adults respectively aged 20 – 35 who are, indeed, substantially concentrating on respectively becoming wedded, having children, and raising families.
It is understood that the provision of such specific and pragmatic guidance requires a certain amount of patience, time, effort, and planning. Yet, in the meantime, it may be provided that the most effective guidance is often a simple word from people who are already doing this (books, stories, anecdotes, availability for discussion). There is the consideration of sharing these stories with youths in a proactive manner that facilitates augmented conversation and direct guidance for those who require such.
As is the case in times before, after I provide a verbose rant about what is needed and long overdue, I am informed of the existence of such resources and guidance that are already available. So perhaps those with additional knowledge within the InterFaith Movement may share this information with us and our numerous friends who maintain an interest or even are already involved in an interFaith relationship, an interFaith marriage, and an interFaith family.
We are recently informed of the beliefnet.com website, which seems to provide some experientially and/or clerically based guidance pertaining interFaith relationships, interFaith marriages, and interFaith families. Yet there seems to be substantial opportunity for an increased amount of such guidance and resources. We are also aware of organisations that maintain a specific focus pertaining similar issues of relationships, marriages, and families that respectively exist amongst conventional and traditional differences; this includes the Mavin Foundation, www.mavinfoundation.org, the Runnymede Trust, www.runnymedetrust.org, and additional organisations. And whilst there is appreciation and support for each of these organisations and the respective work and accomplishments therein, each of these organisations seem to heretofore maintain a comparatively Secular perspective pertaining certain differences of race, ethnicity, and culture (contextualising each of these conventional and traditional distinctions within a political identity of nationalism or similar ideology with a corresponding ethos of pluralism that is tangibly supported through the respective, specific conventional institutions within such a political identity, rather than substantially providing similarly pragmatic guidance and resources for issues of interreligious and interFaith relationships, marriages, and families).
So, it may progress from this point as a simple collection of stories and a willingness of sharing a few of these stories through the premise of direct conversation. Perhaps the InterFaith International Centre in Oxford, England can even include the issue of interFaith relationships, marriages, and families as one of the primary categories of interaction and learning within the InterFaith International Centre website, www.interFaith-centre.org.
And eventually, perhaps people may be able to increasingly perceive that whilst a marriage may be effectively interreligious (bringing together a man and a woman respectively from two different religious traditions), each marriage is effectively a marriage of one Faith (the overarching trust between the husband and wife amidst all the temporal and even Theological differences that the husband and wife maintain).
(Disclaimer: it is also appropriate to note that this correspondence is provided through the diplomacy of a 32 year old bachelor).
With humble and benevolent regards, Idwata,
Peter Frank Womack (with the Asona Group within this InterFaith Settlement)
Peace belongs throughout the Universe.
Good thought, be long towards Nirvâna.
All Praise Belongs To God.
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