The Parliament of the World’s Religions convened virtually last month in Chicago. I’ve heard so much about these conferences that it is a goal of mine to attend the next one. Home | Parliament of the World’s Religions (parliamentofreligions.org)
The first Parliament of Religions opened in September 1893 in Chicago, making it the first organized interfaith gathering. Today it is recognized as the occasion of the birth of formal interreligious dialogue worldwide, with representatives of a wide variety of religions and new religious movements.
Today, it’s Vision is
A world of peace, justice and sustainability.
It’s Mission is
To cultivate harmony among the world’s religious and spiritual communities and
To foster their engagement with the world and its guiding institutions to address the critical issues of our time
Please view their YouTube Channel and view the videos available.
Parliament of the World’s Religions – YouTube
“The global interfaith community brings the heart of faith to life at the Parliament of the World’s Religions, the oldest, largest, and most inclusive interfaith event known as the mother of the interfaith movement. By bringing together thousands of people of over 80 nations, 50 faith traditions, from the centers of mosques, gurdwaras, cathedrals, and synagogues to sharing a global event, participants celebrate the beauty of faith, get to know, understand and appreciate the gifts of others, and commit together strong in each tradition to face the world’s critical challenges in harmony.”
As I said at the International Day of Peace hosted by the Church of Scientology in September, we have to find a way to build bridges between religions, to eliminate prejudices and conflicts between religions, to have sustained and real peace in the world.
Hopefully, we will view these videos from the 2015 and 2018 conferences and take away added motivation to build those bridges. All religions tell us the Golden Rule – to treat others how we want to be treated. Let us start today is not just saying the words but acting on the deeds.
Thank you.
Serene Erby
President