The Parliament of the World's Religions

Catholic Identity

agansert@scu.edu (Alison Gansert) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:59:00 PST

One final question that came up as I was leaving Melbourne and as I arrived home had to do with the nature of Catholic identity in the face of interreligious dialogue. As I was waiting in the airport to check my bags, one student in line commented that he had been raised Catholic, but because he currently didn’t agree with “the Vatican” he couldn’t keep up his Catholic practices. In addition to this comment, as I arrived home, my dad asked me if encountering and being exposed to over 220 religions at the Parliament ever made me question being Catholic. My responses to both of these men were the same because both of the answers are intricately connected to one another.

I don’t agree with the argument for not being Catholic because of the ambiguous argument that “I don’t agree with ‘the Vatican.” Here is why. I grant that there have been some people who have been personally offended and attacked by the Catholic Church (no one can deny the cases of child molestation, for example). However, I feel that many people argue, as a popular response, name the “Vatican” in order to not address the real issues and problems present within Catholicism. One of the panels I went to highlighted this issue. It was entitled “Conversations with Sr. Joan Chittister,” and one of the most profound comments Sr. Joan made was that prophets do not come from making a racket outside of their religious tradition, but rather from within their tradition. I completely agree with Sr. Joan and if you, as a Catholic, feel particularly upset or ambivalent towards the Church, figure out what makes it that way. Instead of naming some ambiguous form such as the “Vatican,” find a more particular topic of concern that communities and people can begin to address. Honestly, we will all be much more improved as a community if more active roles take place.

In response to my dad, I told him much the same thing. I elaborated on one point, though. While certain issues that other religious traditions bring might question the nature of my own particular Catholicism, the joy that I gain from learning from other people about such “shadows” helps me figure out the particular topics that need to be addressed within my tradition. I think that this is nature of relationships: to question and converse about the state of our existence. Interreligious dialogue seeks to address (while I do grant as a whole, is still in a state of superficiality) the nature of religious tradition’s relationships with one another. If I was not questioned by another tradition, then I don’t think that I would be engaged in true dialogue.

What is interesting about my particular experience about interreligious dialogue does not seem to transcend to the Church itself, or does not seem to be a main concern of Catholicism. While I only went to two panels that were specifically “Catholic” the question and nature of Catholicism in regards to interreligious dialogue did not come up once, even in the midst of an interreligious Parliament. What does this say about the Church’s view of dialogue? My only conclusion is that the Catholic Church must be willing to be questioned by other religious traditions; for without such dialogue, its existence, it seems, is as superficial as the dialogue it engages in.

Traditional custodians

amoiso@scu.edu (Aimee Moiso) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 02:40:29 PST

One of the things I'll be taking away from the Parliament is the memory of the way in which many Australian officials and leaders begin their public addresses: by acknowledging those who lived on the land before European settlers arrived.

Speeches begin with something like:

"I want to acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land (often naming the specific tribe), and pay my respects to their elders, past and present."

I learned more about the politics behind these acknowledgements and how they became the norm, but don't have time to post it all here. So I'll end with this: what would it be like if U.S. politicians began their speeches by paying respects to Native Americans?

Whirlwind

sereed@scu.edu (Seth Reed) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 04:43:00 PST

It's so hard to believe it's all over! By day three Parliament sessions had begun to blend together and the trip felt like it was moving way too fast. But now after having fisinshed the week the feeling is multiplied exponentially. It's hard to believe over a week has gone by.

What an experience though! The more I reflect the more appreciative I am of the opportunity and glad I am that I came. And to top it off with the presence of the Dalai Lama was pretty awesome. It was brutal having to follow the closing plenary with a Math final. I guess that's what you get when you're gone the last two weeks of the quarter.

Till later friends.

Final Day!

dshenoy@scu.edu (Deepti Shenoy) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 01:32:00 PST

I've had an amazing time at the Parliament and am having bittersweet feelings about it ending! It has been a real experience meeting so many people of different backgrounds and exploring their religious beliefs and traditions. I've learned all kinds of things, from insights into traditions I didn't even know existed to new perspectives on my own religion, Hinduism.

Among the sessions I've attended are: HInduism and Conversion. Mother Nature Doesn't do Bailouts. Interfaith Marriage: A Workshop in Working With Difference. Religion's Imperative to Present the 'Other' Faithfully. I have thoroughly enjoyed being able to explore such a wide variety of topics.

Having wanted, from the start, to explore my own tradition in depth, I attended a number of sessions on Hinduism. One interesting one was the ISKCON (Hare Krishna) production of Le Carnaval Spiritual. It was a really entertaining performance that fused traditional Indian religious practices and art forms with Western style music and influences. While I enjoyed the performance, I had mixed feelings about it because I did feel that it detracted from the real spiritual meaning behind Hindu practices. When I was talking to Alison, however, after the performance, she brought up the interesting point that that could be the way they express their spirituality, even if I am not able to fully relate. I thought that was a very good point. On second thoughts, I have to say I am glad that Hindus are finding expression in a variety of new ways, although I may not necessarily be able to relate to them all.

One thing I would like to see, though, is a little more discussion of fundamental theological issues within Hinduism. I did come away from some of the sessions feeling that the discussion had been somewhat on the surface rather than getting to the depth of the religion. I think part of the problem is that people are generally not too well informed about Hinduism, and so Hindus feel the need to explain their beliefs rather than using the time to get into a deeper discussion of theology. I do think things are moving in a more progressive direction as far as that is concerned however, and when I attend the 2014 parliament (which I will definitely be doing) I hope that we will have gotten to the point where we can have more thorough discussions about my religion.

Final Eventful Day

pkosloski@scu.edu (Paul Edward Kosloski) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:46:00 PST

Preparation and thoughts for final day at the Parliament of the World's Religions complete with an appearance by the Dalai Lama tonight.

Rainy Day in Melbourne

agansert@scu.edu (Alison Gansert) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 02:35:00 PST

It’s a rainy day today in Melbourne. I have been told not to count too much on the weather. I guess that is true, because a few days ago it was so incredibly hot here we were wishing for this much rain. Now we are wishing for the sun to come back. I think we only have to wait a few hours according to Melbourne weather.

The Parliament has been an incredibly overwhelming experience and I have encountered people and traditions I never thought even existed. There are a few aspects that make this experience so incredible. One (because I cannot talk about all of them here) is the fact that there are thousands of us gathered here to learn from and become aware of one another's religious backgrounds and histories. My favorite thing to do is watch such interactions. Over the past week, I have watched Aborigines, Jains, Sikhs, Scientologists, Pagans, and Shintos walking together to the end of one session to the beginning of the next one. The fascinating aspect about the interaction resides in the openness and willingness to try and understand the more complicated aspects of one another’s systems and ways of life.

However, one question I have had resides in the notion that “all religions are different paths that lead to the same peak.” This notion has been argued in many of the sessions I have attended. Not all religions hold this idea, and it is one failure of interfaith dialogue to “relativize” religious beliefs so that tensions within dialogue settings do not occur. For example, the Catholic Church holds that there are “elements” of truth within other religious traditions, and these elements have the possibility to illuminate “truth” where the Church may (or may not) be in error (which is obviously a point of discussion). So, I guess my question is how exactly do we as people of various faiths, who hold such notions, properly engage in interfaith dialogue, when people of other traditions might in fact have a better understanding of “truth” than we do? In addition to this, how does the incorporation of other’s illuminations of truths aid in the reconstruction of our own religious traditions or ways of life?

Darwin and the Dreaming

pkosloski@scu.edu (Paul Edward Kosloski) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:26:00 PST

A comment on Darwin and spirituality of indigenous people.

Sikh Worship Music

pkosloski@scu.edu (Paul Edward Kosloski) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 03:17:00 PST

Sikh Worship Music: Praise to the one true god.

violence at Melbourne's Fed Square

amoiso@scu.edu (Campus Ministry Student) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:43:00 PST

Here we are at dinner at Melbourne's Federated Square--that is, we as in Deepti, Alison, Seth, Paul and Prof. Riley. Our blogmeister Aimee Moiso is off on a "community night" with presbyterians from around the world.

We've been reporting in on our day; between us we attended sessions in different faith traditions--Sikhs, Hindus, New Thought, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Mandaeans--and on topics ranging from muslim rappers to deptression, climate change, sacred sites and solidarity, jesus and mary in islam, poverty, leaps of faith, and more. One of our questions tonight is how to evaluate the non-violence positions that seem to dominate discussions here at the parliament.

More later about the opening night plenary, which we each enjoyed in different ways.

Free speech

amoiso@scu.edu (Aimee Moiso) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:38:20 PST

We've attracted some detracters.

The past two days, there have been folks outside the convention center with a big banner saying "Jesus is the only way to God." They seemed very friendly and interested in engaging passersby in casual conversation.

But another sign they carried gave the impression they didn't think those of us inside take our faith very seriously. It made me wonder what they thought we were doing here. But when I actually had time to go over for a chat, they weren't there anymore.

Just now, leaving the convention hall, there were some new protesters - these proclaiming religion itself is false and ridiculous. One sign promised $100,000 to anyone who could prove his or her religion was true.

Ah, I thought. That's the problem - religion isn't really something to "prove." The proposition itself misses the point. How many of us, deep down, are religious because we can prove it?

I am glad, though, for free speech. It's wonderful to be able to say publically what we believe.

Decisions, decisions

amoiso@scu.edu (Aimee Moiso) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:25:35 PST

The program book for the parliament is – literally – 390 pages long. Some of that is index and introduction and all that, but the descriptions of the many workshops, seminars and lectures themselves go from page 135 to 364. It took me more than two hours yesterday to read through them.

Mornings begin with diverse “observances” – a chance to see and learn about how others pray and worship. Then are “intrareligious” sessions given (usually) by people of one religious tradition or family, followed by “interreligious” sessions that commingle traditions.

And that’s all before lunch.

A sampling of Friday’s offerings (and this is just a sampling!):

“How a Jain Starts the Day: The Rituals”
“A Celebration of the Cosmos and its Processes from a Mystical, Inclusive Perspective”
“Interfaith Understanding in Sikh Theology and History”
“People Call Us Pagan – The European Indigenous Traditions”
“The Samoan Experience”
“Islam 101 Series: Reverence for the Virgin Mary and Jesus in Islam”
“Interreligious Partnerships for Ending Hunger”
“Muslim Women’s Artistic Expressions of Faith and Interfaith”
“Pilgrimages, Tourism and Meaning”
“Building Peace in the Pursuit of Justice: A Buddhist-Muslim Dialogue”
“Life of Jesus: Non-Christian Perspectives”
“New Directions in Asian Religions and Ecology on the Ground”

and my personal favorite:

“Being a University Chaplain in the 21st Century”

I had a hard time choosing what to attend, so I tended to hit the first half of one session and the second half of another. That got me to more sessions, but I never really felt like I got the full impact of any. Tomorrow I'll go to full presentations.

Of course, the most important part of any meeting like this is what happens in between sessions, in line for the bathroom or a cup of coffee - visiting with strangers and hearing about who they are and why they're here.

Lots of time at McDonald's

amoiso@scu.edu (Aimee Moiso) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:12:52 PST

Guess what? McDonald's has free WIFI in Australia. It seems slightly bizarre to travel halfway around the world to spend significant time in a restaurant whose door I don't darken in my own neighborhood. But such are the compromises of international travel. You never know where you might find yourself.

SCU has landed

amoiso@scu.edu (Aimee Moiso) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:44:46 PST

After a bumpy flight across the Pacific, the SCU delegation landed safely in Sydney, and then again in Melbourne. All of us and - thankfully - our bags made it across the ocean and through customs.

It seemed much of the flight to Melbourne was populated with Parliament participants, some recognizable by their religious garb and others by matching "Parliament" luggage tags they'd had specially made. By contrast, we traveled incognito.

Today, we're getting oriented to Melbourne; tomorrow is registration and the start of the Parliament. More soon!

San Jose is famous!

amoiso@scu.edu (Aimee Moiso) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 08:52:00 PST

Silicon Valley gets top billing at the Parliament - San Jose is the inaugural "partner city" in a to-be-formed network of cities around the world committed to interreligious engagement and harmony. The network will bring together cities that provide "living examples of how interreligious encounter and dialogue can weave together the fabric of human community in new and enduring ways." The goal is to "share ideas and in order to promote harmonious and cooperative relationships between these communities, and to support their efforts in working with other sectors of their community in creating a more just, peaceful, and sustainable city."

Put simply, as we learn how to live together and understand each other better, it makes sense for us to share what we've learned. Congrats, San Jose, for taking a leading role!

Why Melbourne?

amoiso@scu.edu (Aimee Moiso) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 08:30:00 PST

Some of you may be wondering why a meeting of the world's religions would be in Australia. Well, here's the scoop:

"A multi-religious, multi-lingual, and multicultural city, Melbourne is an ideal place to hold the world’s largest interreligious gathering...Melbourne has demonstrated collaboration among its religious communities through inter-religious councils, school programs, and solidarity in times of stress and crisis...Melbourne’s social policy model fosters cohesion and harmony in a multicultural and multi-religious society."

We'll see...representatives from Melbourne will be sharing their methods and ideas with the parliament participants in hopes that their successes might be replicated elsewhere.

Welcome to the Parliament Blog!

amoiso@scu.edu (Aimee Moiso) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 07:31:00 PST

In just a few days, an SCU delegation will take a long flight to Australia to attend the Parliament of the World's Religions. The Parliament, which first took place in 1893, brings together the world’s religious and spiritual communities, their leaders and their followers to a gathering where peace, diversity and sustainability are discussed and explored in the context of interreligious understanding and cooperation.

We look forward to your comments and questions as we travel on behalf of SCU, and thanks for your support and encouragement along the way.