Albert Einstein was often asked about his views on God. In the 1920s and 1930s, he insisted that he was not an atheist and that he believed “in Spinoza’s God, who reveals himself in the harmony of all that exists, not in a God who concerns himself with the fate and the doings of mankind.”
Review: The Majestic Qur’an: A Plain English Translation
I have, over the decades, read countless English translations of the Qur’an by many notable scholars, all of whom endeavoured to bring forth the meaning of the Qur’an in comprehensible English. The Majestic Qur’an: A Plain English Translation is translated by Dr Musharraf Hussain, a British Pakistani scholar with over 40 years expertise in Urdu translation of the Qur’an.
Climate Change: Beyond ‘Sustainability’: Nourishment for Moving Forward
In the aftermath of the recent 2018 Parliament of World’s Religions in Toronto, Ontario, Grove Harris reflected on work with women, faith, and eco-justice. Dr. Vandana Shiva was a major speaker for the climate change plenary and a wealth of other sessions. Her expertise and energetic, prophetic, scientific voice moved the Parliament’s climate justice work forward.
Goodwill Opening Speech – Religions for Peace Bangladesh Seminar
Religions for Peace Bangladesh is holding this symposium on the need for world and regional peace and the importance of dialogue, not only between religions but also within religions. We in Australia commend their initiative. I thank you for your invitation and gracious welcome. It is eight years since my first visit to Dhaka and in that time Bangladesh has made good economic progress which will continue into the future.
Europe: Addressing Global Challenges: Thinking and Acting Together
Over 30 senior leaders of different faith communities from MENA and the European countries, together with experts on migration, held two days of intensive conversation about mass migration in MENA and its impact in EU regions. The key focus was understanding and collaboration on urgent needs with regards to migration and patterns of migration movements. This event was co-sponsored by the European Council of Religious Leaders.
The Role Of Religious Leaders In The Creation Of Peace, Social Cohesion And Religious Dialogue In The Context Of 21st Century Asia
In Dhaka on November 27th-28th 2018, Religions for Peace Bangladesh sponsored an international seminar on World Peace through Interfaith and Intrafaith Dialogue in association with Religions for Peace Asia. Emertius Professor Desmond Cahill is Deputy Moderator of the Asian Conference on Religions for Peace and delivered one keynote address on The Role Of Religious Leaders In The Creation Of Peace, Social Cohesion And Religious Dialogue In The Context Of 21st Century Asia in Dhaka.
Bangladesh: World Peace through Interfaith and Intrafaith Dialogue
In Dhaka on November 27th-28th 2018, Religions for Peace Bangladesh sponsored an international seminar on World Peace through Interfaith and Intrafaith Dialogue in association with Religions for Peace Asia. It was attended by about 140 religious and interfaith leaders together with religious scholars and researchers from Bangladesh and international attendees from Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.
Climate Change: Community Organising for the Earth
GreenFaith is an interfaith coalition that inspires, educates, organizes, and mobilizes people of diverse religious and spiritual backgrounds for environmental action around the world. After 23 years in existence, it became clear to our team we needed many more people involved in order to solve the grave environmental crisis before us. We needed people actively engaging with their communities and decision-making bodies about humanity’s relationship with the Earth. It was with this in mind that GreenFaith started exploring opportunities for congregation-based community organizing.
Embedding Environmental Action in the Islamic Faith
In September 2018, the Bahu Trust in Birmingham, United Kingdom, won ‘Best Green Initiative’ at the British Beacon Mosque Awards. The Bahu Trust represents 22 mosques around the country. Kamran Shezad, sustainability advisor to The Bahu Trust and a member of its congregation, explains the motivation behind moving towards a sustainable model and Bahu Trust’s efforts within both the Muslim and interfaith community.
Climate Change: Ordaining Trees to Save Them
At a time when Pope Francis is calling upon religious leaders to step up as environmental advocates, Thai Buddhist monks are answering the call. Through rituals like tree ordinations, monks are integrating Buddhist principles into the environmental movement in order to garner support from their followers and encourage sustainable practices.
Although Buddhism is typically a religion famed for its detachment from society, ecology monks believe that their religion is inherently tied to nature. With such an immense amount of influence in villages throughout Thailand, Buddhist monks are utilizing their position to add a unique moral dimension to the environmental movement. However, rituals alone are not enough.
Climate Change – Talanoa: Dialogue for Action
It’s safe to say that prior to November 2017, few Americans – and relatively few people outside the Pacific Islands – had heard of “Talanoa.” Over the past 12 months, however, Talanoa has become central to the ongoing process of United Nations global climate negotiations, and word is starting to get out that this particular framework for dialogue can be effective even when other models have failed. Talanoa’s unique approach of building empathy and common understanding allows participants to share areas of common concern and common aspirations, which in turn opens pathways for identifying steps for future action.
In Israel, Christians embrace a simple, spiritual Christmas
Compared with how the holiday is celebrated in Christian-majority countries — with dazzling lights, Christmas-themed shows and sales — the public observance of Christmas in Israel and the Palestinian territories is downright modest. Christians are a tiny minority in the Holy Land, comprising about 2 percent of the population, not including the many Christian clergy, aid workers, students, migrant workers and asylum-seekers who reside in Israel, sometimes for decades.
