Posts Tagged ‘interfaith’
Why interfaith relationships are good for everybody
Posted by: Shirley Paulson in General on December 5th, 2009
The theme of the four sessions I attended on the first day of the Parliament of the World’s Religions was understanding why interfaith or inter-religious dialogue is important and how to do it.
The first session I selected was “Strengthening One’s Faith Through Interfaith Dialogue.” Before we could even start talking with others, our instructors, Peta Pellach and Jeremy Jones, instructed us to think through one or two basic ideas from our own faith experiences that were of profound importance to us. Things that we hold most dear. In my practice dialogue, I talked with a Jewish professor from Europe. I learned from our experience that sharing what we want to tell about ourselves isn’t really the goal. A good conversation begins with a sincere interest in hearing the other. And yet becoming more conscious of our own distinct messages and finding the freedom to say so makes it easier to hear the issues most profound for my conversation partner. Read the rest of this entry »
A week at the Parliament of the World’s Religions
Posted by: Shirley Paulson in General on November 28th, 2009
Pluralism in action!
I’m heading to Melbourne, Australia today, to arrive in time for the week-long Parliament of the World’s Religions! From December 3 - 9, more than 10,000 participants from 80-plus countries are expected to convene for the world’s largest interreligious gathering.
I’m one of many hundreds of participants who will make a presentation in support of the theme, “Make a world of difference: hearing each other, healing the earth.” I’m also going to participate in an off-site interfaith panel focused on the main theme but available to those not registered for the actual Parliament. I plan to tweet a favorite aha (http://twitter.com/ShirleyPaulson) moment from each of the sessions I attend, and I’ll post a blog entry here at spiritualityandchristianity.com daily. I hope you’ll catch some of the spirit, flavor, feelings, and spiritual sense of the reasons we need such a gathering of world religions.
I believe in religious pluralism. It means that people of all faiths need each other. We can’t possibly live in harmony with others without understanding something of their religious and spiritual heritage. We also can’t survive without learning our own religious traditions well enough to explain why they are a blessing to all humanity.
I first caught the spirit of religious pluralism when I attended the resurrection of the Parliament in Chicago in 1993, a century after the first truly global dialogue of faith took place, also in Chicago, in 1893. The plan emerged at that time (1993) to reconvene as a conference every five years at various places around the world. I didn’t make it to Cape Town in 1999 or Barcelona in 2004, but it’s great to have a chance to get to Melbourne. Stay tuned.
So I hope you’ll join me here and on Twitter — http://twitter.com/shirleypaulson
S+C | The spiritual anchor for grace and happiness
Posted by: Shirley Paulson in Podcast on May 27th, 2008
Episode 10 is a conversation between Anuttama Dasa, a devotee of Hare Krishna and myself, a devout Christian Scientist.
We’re talking about the source of grace and happiness. Many Americans may relate to Anuttama’s Anglo-Saxon appearance, his American grown accent, his monotheistic beliefs, and his desire to live a life of grace. But his clothing and his name are non-traditional, and his religious practice originates in India. Despite surface differences, Anuttama makes it easy for his conversation partners to hear him. His
kind eyes and gentle demeanor inspire trust and an eagerness to know his spiritual story.
We found a number of perhaps surprising points of similarity in our spiritual foundations. For example, 1) our shared belief in monotheism, 2) that true happiness is found in Soul, not in the body, and 3) that every moment is a precious opportunity to discern deeper love for others.
Since we met each other our work together on the Board of Governors for the Religion Communicators Council (RCC), we share an interest in interfaith dialogue. Although neither of us wants to dilute or lose the close ties to our own faith traditions, we find that interfaith 
conversations such as this one, is actually a necessary part of our faith journeys. We value and learn from each other, as we discover what spiritual insights and faith dimensions lead to more gracious living.
Here are some links and websites that will guide you to a better understanding of Anuttama’s life: