Catholic-Hindu-Muslim-Protestant-Buddhist-Jewish leaders connect in dialogue in Nevada
By ANISunday, January 9, 2011
NEVADA - In a remarkable interfaith gesture, Catholic-Muslim-Hindu-Protestant-Buddhist-Jewish leaders today had a dialogue in Sparks (Nevada, USA) to explore connections among Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism.
This annual conference, titled “Born in God’s Image” and organized by Catholic Diocese of Reno, also compared, contrasted, and commented on similarities and differences between Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism as viewed through humor in their respective traditions.
Father Charles T. Durante, Pastor of Saint Teresa of Avila Catholic Church of Carson City, facilitated this dialogue, and the interfaith panel explored some of the humor that lied within sacred texts and religious teachings of various faiths. “If we are born in God’s image, then laughter is surely an action of God”, announcement said.
Besides Durante, the participants included Episcopal Rector Emeritus Reverend V. James Jeffrey, Imam Abdul Rahim Barghouthi, Hindu leader Rajan Zed, Buddhist priest William Bartlett, and Jewish rabbi Teri Appleby. About 250 Catholics were in the audience, which Zed concluded with Gayatri Mantra, the most sacred mantra of Hinduism and the audience repeated after him.
Rajan Zed has congratulated the Catholic Diocese efforts in reaching out to other religions for a dialogue. “Religion is a complex component of human life. Dialogue helps us to see interconnections and interdependencies between religions and even similarities in doctrines,” Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, adds. (ANI)
