Faiths
United
The world today faces Interfaith problems and as such requires Interfaith solutions. That's why the partners behind Faiths United have created this project to help encourage and sponsor interfaith actions; movements that encourage justice work and deep listening to the traditions of our neighbours.
Faiths United encourages conversation but not as a way of converting each other away from our faiths but, maybe, as a way of converting our hearts and our listening towards each other. Deep listening is required at this time in our history as is mutuality and co-inquiry in our journeys.
The partners behind Faiths United will use this platform to present and encourage the creation of Interfaith action groups and movements but we want all of you to use the Social Network on this site to create your own, ground up movements: Interfaith art shows, poverty outreach or political action.
We are an interfaith movement united in mutual respect and renunciation of violence in the name of our faiths. We seek to further bring into fruition the statement issued by the 1893 Worlds Parliament of Religions: "From now on the great religions of the world make war no longer on each other, and instead of on the giant ills that afflict humankind."
The religious traditions of the world should never support violence, whether by act and deed or evidenced in speech. The world today has too much violence yet when we turn on the news we are bombarded with images and soundbites of the Koran burning pastor, Newt Gingrich and his anti-Cordoba House rants and reports of anti-Semitism.
The best solution today is to be the alternative. Where so many cannot be tolerant, pluralistic and welcoming; the rest of us the silent majority, the radical middle if you will must form communities of welcome to show the world a better way. When I was younger I felt such protest was best done with slogans, signs and protests. Now I know its done best through dinners, conversations and communities that come together to learn, to grow and to live in the chaos and say that even here we see God.
Where violence seeks to destroy through strength and power, Love knows something much different: soft is stronger than hard! Think of the grass growing through and tearing down a wall, or the soft push of water as it wears away rock. Love and community is a soft resistance but one that gets into the cracks of the armor and hearts of the people who would use the violence of language and action to maintain their position.
FaithsUnited seeks to be a soft organization: a place of resistance to the tyranny of hateful and hurtful words. We hope to be a place of interfaith engagement and action and we hope that engagement will open up some new ways of thinking for people.
FaithsUnited seeks to be a respectful movement. We believe in interfaith engagement that makes room for the traditions of our neighbors. Respect comes from listening and being true. In this conversation it is not required for anyone to abandon their own tradition, but to be Christian, Jewish, Muslim (or Hindu, Buddhist and Scientologist) in a deep way that recognizes the sincerity, beauty and integrity of adherents to all traditions. We affirm the great joy and enlightenment that is found within all of our traditions. Maybe if we have such deep respect of tradition it can lead us to deep listening and learning.
Recently a Christian pastor in Florida suggested that Christians reach out to our Islamic brothers and sisters on the anniversary of 9/11 by burning a Koran. With religious tensions in North America already at an all time high how is this position helpful? As a response Faiths United and our partners are encouraging the formation of a Scripture Exchange Program!
The SES program will be a movement of dinner parties around the country where Interfaith friends will gather to feast and respect each others dietary rules (possibly pot-luck?) and read to each other from their respective scriptures.
It is hoped that if communities can hear the stories and lessons we find to be sacred in our respective communities then we can dispel some of the myths and divisions between people and faiths.
The goal is to not debate theology but to listen to these holy stories and listen to our friends and neighbours talk about the joy, struggle, frustration and identity their religious faith brings them.
AUGUST 13, 2010-
In light of recent troubling developments such as the protests over Cordoba House and the Koran burning pastor in Florida, FaithsUnited is excited to announce their launch. An initiative of the Progressive Christian Alliance, Religious Freedom USA, Birmingham Islamic Center and Chairs for Dialogue, this partnership intends to sponsor a social networking site for interfaith action and justice work. Faiths United will be Vision Centered and User Generated.
FaithsUnited will initially launch on August 14 with its opening program the Scripture Exchange Program. This program will use social networking to bring together small communities of people from multiple faith traditions who will promise to feast together on Sept. 11th 20110 in protest of the Florida Koran burning pastor. Interfaith friends and participants in this venture will share their favorite scriptures and why they are important to their personal faith journeys. What this is not about is debating each other's theology. It is instead about listening deeply to our passion and love for holy scriptures. Further initiatives are also planned between the launch of FaithsUnited and the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. As a grassroots social network the FaithUnited leadership will help encourage, sponsor and develop user generated, interfaith action ideas.
Please visit us to join in the movement.
E-MAIL: info_faithu.org
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