Interfaith dialogue

So many gods, so many creeds, So many paths that wind and wind, While just the art of being kind Is all the sad world needs. — Ella Wheeler Wilcox, US Poet (1815-1919)

King Abdullah, leader of Saudi Arabia, has appealed to our President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to join the Interfaith Conference on Dialogue of Civilizations that starts today in New York. The conference again brings together representatives of various religions including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism with the objective of tackling the conflicts among religions and cultures in the world today. It is also a continuation of an initial dialogue likewise sponsored by King Abdullah in Madrid last July based on the need for countries to work together to solve the problems besetting the world today, especially those that plague the Middle East. Important principles were cited — the unity of human beings, the pure nature of humans as they were created, championing good and rejecting evil, supporting justice and avoiding injustice and the need to respect and recognize cultural diversity. Another landmark interfaith dialogue was held by Muslims and Catholics led by Pope Benedict himself a week ago. What I liked here is the mutual effort to promote peace and resolve conflict with nonviolent means. Every major government remains hopeful even amidst recent fears of terrorist reaction and racial tension in the global village with the election of a new US leader in the person of Barack Obama.       

Karl Marx said religion is the opium of the people. But if so, how come it also causes one of the serious conflicts in the history of civilization. This is because there is power in a mass of people supporting a particular religion. Hence, religion becomes another system or organization, thus making it political in nature. Religion even becomes the reason for making wars just like what terrorists invoke. The Qu’ran cites jihad as a religious duty of Muslims which requires them to “struggle in the way of God” or “to struggle to improve one’s self and/or society, thus making it religious or spiritual. This struggle can actually move followers to rebel against existing systems and practices which they see as “unholy”. Thus, even violent actions can be justified as jihad, which earns for the follower the grace of Allah. The truth is, it is really difficult to expect men to unite on religion simply because they cannot unite on anything else. 

More often than not, the followers become victims. Like aspirin taken to relieve pain, religion provides a temporary blanket of comfort easily mistaken as spiritual favors or miracles from heaven. Thus, we read of blind fanatics and victims of cult perversion and abuse. We remember the November 1978 mass massacre in Jonestown, Guyana, where the cult leader, James Warren (Jim) Jones, misled 914 followers to commit mass suicide. Many such religious cults exist even in this age of information and technology advancement.

People should be reminded most of God’s faithfulness, rather than being part of a religion. I begin the day by thanking God for all His benefits and how He has blessed me with caring children and grandchildren. It is my utmost desire to be of help to anyone within my means and capability, provided they also help themselves. I live a simple life and I take care not to waste resources especially that we have less fortunate brothers and sisters who hardly have anything to eat. We can make the world a better place to live in by doing the best we can where we are and not count the costs. If everyone will practice this kind of religion, then governments would have no conflicts to resolve and people can live in peace.