One Family

The Newsletter of the World Congress of Faiths

January, 2005

Website: www.worldfaiths.org                                         Charity Number:244096

 

 

Faith Meeting Faith: a rich resource for life

 

The World Congress of Faiths seeks to bridge the almost unbridgeable: to make bonds of friendship based on knowledge and understanding and to celebrate the differences between religions. While accepting the differences of history and belief between faith communities, we affirm and support each of the faith groups represented at our gatherings.  We seek to bring together those who are firm adherents of their own faiths, and who wish to learn from others in a non-judgemental and supportive fashion. In this way, hopefully, we work towards ending the destructive enmity that so tragically dogs the relationships between so many people of faith.

 

 

 

World Congress of Faiths e-group

 

In the October 2004 edition of One Family, the new World Congress of Faiths e-group was introduced so that members of the WCF could publicise an interfaith event, express an opinion about an interfaith issue, or find out what's going on and what other people think.

 

Since then many WCF members have joined this new e-group; however, because of the numbers involved some people have found that it has taken several minutes to do so. A short cut to joining the group is at hand! If you send Tony Reese, the WCF administrator, an e-mail at Tony@worldfaiths.org asking him to log you onto the e-group he will do all the technical work for you and save you the time it has taken previously.

 

Remember: The e-group is available to WCF members only.  If you know someone who would be interested in joining the discussion group, but who is not presently a WCF member, they can do so if they join WCF; a bargain at £30 per year.  Remember: WCF members receive membership of WCF, and One Family and Interreligious Insight four times a year.

 

 

WCF future events - Dates for your diary:

 

Jan 16: Art and Spirituality

Jan 26: Interfaith Service for Tsunami Victims

Feb 10: Moral Maze at Birkbeck College, London University

Mar 20: Art and Spirituality.

May 3: WCF a.g.m. and Younghusband Lecture given by Prof Harvey Cox of Harvard University

July 17: Seminar with Keith Ward, who will be discussing his latest book 'The Case for Religion'

 

See page three for further details of these WCF events.

See page five for an important announcement from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust

 

 

The South East Asia earthquake tragedy

 

As this issue of One Family is being edited, news of the tragedy of the loss of life and other suffering  caused by the Tsunami waves in South East Asia is being received. Men, women and children of many different faiths including Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Muslim and Sikh have been affected by this tragedy.  We offer our deepest sympathy to everyone who has lost loved ones or suffered in other ways  in this tragedy. There will be a service at Essex Hall on 26 January.

 

 

Focus on Kevin Tingay:

 

Like all organisations, WCF depends on a variety of skills and expertise of members of its Executive Committee; in this edition the WCF Honorary Treasurer Kevin Tingay introduces himself.

 

Rev Kevin Tingay

 

Kevin writes:

I am currently the Honorary Treasurer of the WCF and served on the Executive Committee in the 1980s and been a member of WCF for over 20 years. I graduated in Religious Studies from the University of Sussex and studied for ordination in the Church of England at Chichester Theological College. Currently, I am Rector of the Parishes of Camerton, Dunkerton and Foxcote with Shoscombe, near Bath, and Inter Faith Adviser in the Diocese of Bath and Wells. In addition to parochial duties I have been involved in ministry training programmes for the church over many

 

 

years, and am a member of the Standing Advisory Committee for Religious Education (SACRE) for Bath and North East Somerset.  I have also taught courses for the Open University, the WEA, and the Extra-mural Department of the University of Bristol and am currently an occasional lecturer at Bath Spa University College.

 

I serve on the Council of the Churches’ Fellowship for Psychical and Spiritual Studies and write book reviews various journals, including The Christian Parapsychologist, and Interreligious Insight. I have contributed to a number of published books, the latest being the Encyclopaedia of New Religions (Lion, 2004), and have an ongoing research interest in the historical roots of the contemporary New Age movement and the esoteric traditions of the West. I have a particular interest in the religions and cultures of South Asia and lead visits to India.  An aim of mine is to reflect upon issues raised by the encounter between different faiths and spiritual traditions; religion and the arts, religions and science, psychic phenomena and parapsychology, spirituality, and liturgy and worship.

 

 

Inter-Faith in the news: the play Behzti

 

Many of you will be aware from the media that the play Behzti being staged in Birmingham was cancelled.  Some of you may, as I was, have been concerned that the media represented it from the narrow focus of the freedom of speech of the playwright and the theatre, and not that of the Sikh community or the responsibility of a civilized society to protect minority groups. (Editor)

 

Below is a copy of a letter that was published in The Times newspaper and signed by the founder members of the Three Faiths Forum, including the WCF President, Marcus Braybrooke.  'While we unreservedly condemn the use of violence by any section of the community and regret the injuries inflicted on policemen going about their lawful duties, we must also express our concern at the decision of the Birmingham Stage Company to pick up where Birmingham Repertory Company showed sound judgement and to stage a play which is not only offensive to the Sikh community, but to all other faiths as well.

 

It is not difficult to understand that the depiction of obscene acts taking place within a Sikh holy place is hateful and provocative to members of that faith.  It would be no less so for Christians, Muslims or Jews were the setting to be a church, mosque or synagogue.

 

Whatever the message intended by the offending play, it can surely be set within a context other than a place sacred to the Sikh community, and we hope Birmingham Stage Company will decide not to perform the play without considering amendments that take account of the feelings of the Sikh community.  This is not a request for censorship but a plea to show sensitivity - something surely not beyond the skills of the artists concerned - and to desist from religious harassment and deliberate provocation.

 

Signed: Sigmund Steinberg, M.A. Zaki Badawi, Marcus Braybrooke, The Three Faiths Forum.

 

 

Inter Faith in the news: H.M. the Queen's Christmas Speech

Imam Abduljalil Sajid
 


Many of you will have seen H.M the Queen's Christmas message on the

importance of inter faith dialogue, which was the first time she has devoted the speech

to one topic. You may also have recognised that one of the people the Queen was

shown conversing with during the broadcast was the International Secretary of

WCF, Imam Abduljalil Sajid. 

 

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were also shown visiting the

Siri Singh Sabha gurdwara in Hounslow, West London and Prince Charles was

shown visiting members of the Muslim community.                                                        Imam Abduljalil Sajid

 

 

WCF future events for your diary:

 

The World Congress of Faiths has organised a variety of different kinds of events in the near future.  So that you won't have to search One Family to find them they are listed both on the front page, and on this page with more detail. 

 

If you have any suggestions for possible programmes, conferences or retreats, please contact the WCF Administrator, Tony Reese, at Tony@worldfaiths.org or WCF, 125 Salusbury Road, London NW6 6RG.  Future programmes are planned at the regular Executive Committee meetings, the next two of which are on January 26 and March 17. Don't forget also to come to the WCF a.g.m and Younghusband lecture on May 3 when we are privileged to have Prof Harvey Cox of the Harvard Divinity School as speaker.

 

January 16 from  3.00 to 5.30 p.m.   Art and Spirituality workshop at the London Interfaith Centre, 125 Salusbury Road, Willesden.   Come and explore the role art (in all its forms) plays in our different faiths and allow yourself the opportunity to roll up your sleeves and have some creative fun.  No experience or skill is required. 

(As someone who is so lacking in skill that she can't draw a straight line with a ruler, I had enormous fun at the previous Art and Spirituality event and produced a collage that I was so chuffed with that I took it home and still have it!: Editor)

 

January 26: WCF Executive Committee Meeting – followed by Interfaith Service

 

February 10 at 7.00 p.m: Moral Maze on Business Ethics at Birkbeck College, London University.  An interfaith panel will cross-examine witnesses on business ethics with special reference to less economically developed countries.  There will also be a time for audience debate and participation.

 

March 17: WCF Executive Committee Meeting - don't forget to let the WCF Administrator Tony Reese know of your suggestions for possible WCF events; you don't need to organise them yourselves, but your ideas will be valued!

 

March 20: Art and Spirituality workshop at the London Interfaith Centre, 125 Salusbury Road, Willesden.   Another opportunity to come and explore the role of art (in all its forms) plays in our different faiths and allow yourself the opportunity to roll up your sleeves and have some creative fun.  Remember: No experience or skill is required and if you've been before and had fun, come again!

 

May 3: WCF a.g.m and Younghusband Lecture at the Brahma Khumaris Global Co-operation House, 65 Pound Lane, London NW10 2HH.  Come to the a.g.m. and meet members of the WCF Executive Committee, and share fellowship and your ideas for future WCF programmes.  Stay for the 2005 Younghusband Lecture  which will be given by Professor Harvey Cox of the School of Divinity, Harvard University

 

July 17: Seminar with Keith Ward, who will be discussing his latest book, The Case for Religion, at the London Inter Faith Centre, 125 Salusbury Road, Willesden.

 

 

WCF Conference Reports

 

The WCF/IARF conference on Fideology: November 13 in Croydon.

 

'While belief is theology, trust is religion': Harry Emerson Fosdick.

 

Richard Boeke writes: Fideology is the study and practice of faith as trust. After a time of meditation, the conference opened with tributes to Wilfred Cantwell Smith, the late Director of the Centre for the Study of World Religions at Harvard, by Dr. Harriett Crabtree, Associate Director of the Inter Faith Network, UK and Dr. John Taylor, the IARF Representative in Geneva. 

 

During the morning Dr Reza Shah-Kazami spoke on the roots of fideology. He stated that Islam views itself as a restatement of the faith of humanity which respects, among others, Jesus and Moses as prophets, and not a new religion. He emphasised that the Qur'an teaches that 'there shall be no compulsion in matters of religion.'

 

In the afternoon, Dr. Richard Boeke, Secretary of the WCF explained that fideology was an alternative to the Greek word for faith, Pistis.  Dr. Boeke drew upon the Five Modes of Immortality of Robert Joy Lifton as a possible framework for a science of fideology. 

Ramola Sundram, IARF, Oxford, gave some vivid examples of trying to build trust among young people of different faiths. 

Dr. Roohi Majid told of her work in the multifaith community of Golders Green in North London.   The panel was followed by small groups responding to the talks and dealing with questions such as 'Is the breakdown of trust more due to Fundamentalist Religion or to Secularism?'                  

 

The WCF/Westminster Inter Faith conference: Violence - an interfaith perspective

 

Imam Abduljalil Sajid stressed that although the Qur’an teaches the right of self-defence, it does not teach the right of aggression. Imam Sajid stated that holy war was not an accurate translation of the concept of jihad; jihad literally means 'to struggle'. Suicide is condemned by the Qur’an and by Shariah Law. Suicide, including being a suicide bomber, is a major sin and is punishable crime by eternal damnation in the form of the endless repetition of the act by which the suicide killed him/herself.  The general principle of ethics in Islam is to behave towards others the way you want God to behave towards you. Specifically, forgive others for what they have done to you so that God forgives you what you have done wrong. Islam is about establishing justice between people and peace through justice.  Islam protects the universal, God-given rights of humankind, while recognising that people have differing paths in religion which they are free to follow and which confer differing social and economic rights among people. This freedom is at the heart of the tolerance of Islam.

Sister Chandasiri from the Amaravaita Buddhist Monastery spoke from the words of the Buddha in the Metta Sutra: "May all beings be at ease. … Even as a mother protects with her life her child,  her only child, so with a boundless heart should one cherish all living beings. …” In answer to questions, Sister Chandasiri stated that at times we have ill-will but we should be aware of our ill-will when it comes and not act upon it.  "Be willing to give up a position of being right," she stated. When asked about the connection some people make between violence and nationalism, she referred to the distinction the Buddha made between present reality and ultimate reality.  "As individuals we can choose to transcend nationalism.  Ultimately, we are all one", she replied.

Reverend Laurence Hillel spoke about the arrest, humiliation and crucifixion of Jesus in Matthew chapters 26 and 27.  He identified the close link between peace and justice in Christian teaching, although some Liberation Theologians consider that violence may be used to establish justice. However, in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers …love your enemies", and did not use violence to save himself.

Michael Kirwan from the Society of Jesus (Jesuit) was the final speaker. Speaking on Isaiah 53, he warned of the danger of scapegoating, of trying to blame everything on a single individual or group.

 

More detailed reports of these conferences can be found on the WCF website: www.worldfaiths.org

 

 

 

 

Important announcement from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust:

 

Do you have the vision to shape a better world?

 

When Joseph Rowntree started his Charitable Trust a hundred years ago, he envisaged a world of greater justice and peace.  We are celebrating this centenary by searching for six people to carry the vision forward. Do you know one of them?

 

Are you one?

 

We want people who share our values, who believe that they can make the world – or part of it – more just and more peaceful: six visionaries who are convinced that change is possible.

 

Do you have a vision?  Do you have a great idea and greater determination?  Do you have the skills and talent to make your vision a reality?

 

If you can convince us that you are one of the six people we are looking for, we will free you for five years to achieve your ambition. This means a salary, continuing support and the minimum of interference – and your vision will shape a better world. 

 

Application packs are available on the website from 13th December 2004 until the end of February 2005. We hope to appoint the Visionaries by the end of May 2005.

 

See our website: http://www.jrct-visionaries.org.uk for application packs.

 

 

 

New General Secretary for the International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF)

 

The Council of the IARF have appointed Daryl Meirick Balia as its new General Secretary. He will take office in February, 2005.  Daryl currently lives in Pretoria, South Africa with his wife and son, however, he will be moving to Oxford.  Daryl is presently chief director of the Public Service Commission, a fellow of the International Institute for Public Ethics, chairman of Transparency International - South Africa, a commissioner of the National Archives Commission and a consultant with the Church Community Leadership Trust.

 

 

 

Other Inter Faith events:

 

Brent Inter Faith Centre:

January 30: An Inter Faith Vigil for Peace from 3.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.

February 24: From Head to Heart - an introduction to Hindu Mysticism from 7.30 p.m; speaker Jay Lakhani.

Meetings at the London Inter Faith Centre, 125 Salusbury Road, London from whom further details can be obtained.

 

London Inter Faith Centre:

February 6, March 6, April 3 and May 1:

Sacred Silence from 3.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.

February 20 and April 24: An Inter Faith Book at Bedtime..for Grown Ups from 6.30p.m. to 8.30 p.m. at 125 Salusbury Road, London, NW6 6RG.

 

London Inter Faith Centre (continued)

 

March 10: Faith in Fun from 7.30 p.m.

May 3: Music from the Faiths from 7.30 p.m.

Further details: 020-7604-3053

 

Merseyside Council of Faiths and Inter-Faith Group

January 13: An evening with Focolare friends.  8.00 p.m. at the Focolare Centre, 9 Lance Lane, Wavertree.

 

United Religions Initiative UK.

February 24 to 6 March, 2005:

Festival of Middle Eastern Spirituality and Peace in Edinburgh as part of the Edinburgh festival. Further details: e-mail mailto:info@uri.org.uk; telephone: 01768 777671