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| Green Gulch Farm & Zen Center |
Last month I attended one of MIC’s religious leaders’
gatherings at Westminster Presbyterian
Church in Tiburon, California.
As is customary with these gatherings, three leaders from three
different religious traditions spoke on the same topic or theme, followed by
small group discussions and Q&A with the presenters.
At this gathering, we explored and shared “how we can speak
from our different faith perspectives in a way that not only honors our
similarities but also honors our diversity and places of disagreement.”
The Rev. Stephen Hale of Green Gulch Zen Center said Zen
teaches practitioners to honor the similarities and differences of all faiths. Zen also stresses impermanence and seeks
to end suffering. With respect to
theism, trying to prove or disprove the existence of God(s), efforts are futile
because “ultimate reality is beyond comprehension.” Rather, one’s efforts are better expended in cultivating and
acting with kindness, generosity, and compassion towards all.
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| Moina Shaiq |
Moina Shaiq, President of the Tri-City Interfaith Council and founder
of the Muslim Support Network,
has dedicated her life to dispelling misunderstandings of Islam and its
followers. She maintains that all
religions and their practitioners are different so we must look beyond exterior
appearance. She advocates getting
to know one’s neighbors in the surrounding area of forty homes in diameter
Neighborly neglect seems more the norm in contemporary
society than in earlier times.
Nowadays people focus on careers and acquisitions, and families relocate
more frequently, in my view. I think
her suggestion is a good one. We
humans fear what we do not know, so the obvious remedy is to listen and learn,
and to reciprocate.
When queried about the prescriptions, prohibitions, and
exhortations in sacred text, she responded that one is judged based on piety
over obeying texts. This statement
directly contradicts the interpretations of the precepts of the Koran by those
who seek to eliminate or convert all non-Muslims by jihad. I welcome Moina’s alternative views.
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| Rob McClellan |
The third speaker, the Rev. Rob McClellan, Senior Pastor at
host congregation Westminster Presbyterian, said that when he was at Reed College in Oregon, either he or a group
with which he was affiliated issued an apology by testifying to all the wrongs
done in the name of religion.
Generally speaking, I love these opportunities for religious
people to share their views, beliefs, and experiences in an appreciative,
non-judgmental milieu of multi-faith colleagues. I’m grateful to Stephen, Moina, and Rob for their sharing
and to Marin Interfaith Council for
providing the opportunity.
[Please bear with me, readers, because since my stroke I cannot write clearly and quickly. I’m interpreting some sloppy notes, hoping they are accurate.]