Belief System Projects

Introduction

The aims of these projects are to help people in different belief systems to:

1. take joint action based on our shared values and
2. unite in a quest for universal truths

Interfaith Reflection

Interfaith Reflection is quite different from interfaith dialogue, mutual tolerance or syncretism (attempting to merge incompatible beliefs).

It is founded upon a shared belief that we owe the existence of world faiths to the fact that the Highest Being speaks to humanity, and the aim of these sessions is to assemble people of different faiths so that He may speak to us together. With our shared perception of the character of God, we are confident that these will be consistent words of edification and harmony.

The issues that we face are bigger than we can solve through human wisdom. We desire harmony, yet we cannot compromise our heartfelt beliefs, we cannot resolve our differences by argument and we cannot unpick our shared histories.

People who attend are invited to share briefly, firstly the values we might be able to work together on; and secondly unique beliefs of their faith and why those beliefs are held. Rather than discuss those points of uniqueness or difference we then enter a period of silent reflective prayer, after which people are invited to share what they feel that they have received from God. Connected messages received by more than one person are considered most significant.

The sharings are noted and distributed after the gathering for us all to ponder on how we might take the resulting wisdom forward.

On 7/7/7 Greg Peachey of the FREdome Visionary Trust ran the first Interfaith Reflection at Thursday’s Child – an interfaith peace event in response to the 7/7 London bombings. The event was initiated and organised by Vivienne Woolston.

The workshop asked people to:

1. Identify values that their faith group shares with others (e.g. peace, honesty, truth…)
2. Suggest joint actions to build on these values
3. Identify unique beliefs of their faith group
4. Discuss these differences in a friendly manner
5. Reflect and listen to God, to see if He would speak to the group, giving the same message to more than one person.

Two people felt that they received a message, and this is what they wrote:

“We are all children of God, like flowers in a garden. We are all of different colours and fragrances.” Ian Bond – Christian representative

“God’s world is like a garden of different colours. Likewise we are all different, and also there are different cultures in the world.” Bala Balaraman – Hindu representative

This seemed to confirm that God wants to speak to us together, we are doing His work and He will lead us in it.

Community Faith Statements

Members of faiths and people in different belief systems have been invited to draft and hone statements on behalf of their communities. The statements each contain the following sections:

• Core Values
• Core Beliefs
• Grounds for Believing

Statements have been drafted so far by representatives of the following communities. Please click the links to read them:

• Bahai à  https://www.box.com/shared/9r31toxhet
• Christian à https://www.box.com/shared/ezxqxz0svr
• Hindu à https://www.box.com/shared/kv5a5jyzvd
• Quaker à https://www.box.com/shared/g9t5c1j0r5
• Unitarian à https://www.box.com/shared/z5bfnsg5mm
• Zoroastrian à https://www.box.com/shared/m4sl5qcphz