Friendship can mean different things to different people. Open-minded engagement of the other’s Scripture may be as transformative as interreligious friendship itself. 3.7 Each one of us affirms deeply the Truth taught in his or her religion and approaches it as an expression of Truth. admin@elijah-interfaith.org, USA 90976 5.5 Willingness to ask penetrating questions is tempered by charitable speech, that seeks to find the good and that searches for understanding, with a spirit of benevolence. The spirit of Elijah is wisdom, inspiration, friendship and hope across religious traditions. 3.4 Recognition of difference is an invitation to learning and understanding. Society of Friends, also called Quakers, Christian group that arose in mid-17th-century England, dedicated to living in accordance with the ‘Inward Light,’ or direct inward apprehension of God, without creeds, clergy, or other ecclesiastical forms. Friendship is recognized as an important goal and value, rather than simply as a means to attaining “non-spiritual” goals. It finds its fullest expression in a friendship that is consciously grounded in God, or in the ultimate reality, deeply grounded in the human heart, the being of the person. You may have moved away from your college friends and then fallen out of contact. We recommend open and honest communication. Learning in the framework of interreligious friendship has the double benefit of better understanding of the other, as well as a much deeper self-understanding. Pandit Ram Naresh Dubey, from Chaturbhata village in the area of Surkhi, paid tribute to his long time friend Syed Wahid Ali, who died three years ago in a road accident Just goes to … But friendship is as important to our wellbeing as eating right and exercising. Friendship goes beyond just sharing time together, and it is long lasting. Just goes to show that friendship is an eternal bond, beyond religion. It makes sense to prefer to have friends who share your moral and religious beliefs, but it is also ridiculous to avoid people simply for holding different ones.” This unity is discovered where friendship goes beyond a human or even religious relationship, and is recognized as a spiritual event involving the Divine, or the depths of … "Syed Wahid Ali has been my best friend since childhood. It addresses various situations and describes different levels of relationship. 4.1 Our religious traditions have long-standing concern with issues of integrity, authenticity and identity. 5.3 Questioning is an important part of interreligious friendship and the processes of learning that are fundamental to it. "My father died in November 2017. Based on circumstances and the depth of relationships, such hard questions may be posed privately or in the setting of a public sharing. This is one of the best examples of the secular fabric of our country and the Ganga Jamuni culture," said Syed's son Wajid Ali. Friends can challenge us, confuse us, and sometimes, we might wonder why we bother. fax +972-2-673-3465 We consider interreligious friendship a primary means for deepening self understanding of individuals and religious communities, as they seek to articulate their particular identity and vision in today’s world. 7.2 There is a point where both friends look beyond to a higher reality that unifies them, and that is made manifest through their very friendship. 5.1 We have come to recognize that in many ways practicing interreligious friendship is closely related to how we speak. 4.3 For this reason the kind of deep interreligious friendship, referred to above (2.3) as the friend, is best practiced by individuals firmly rooted in their traditions. Navigation. Anything beyond that would be too complicated to handle at optimal processing levels. 7422 Villanova Dr. Thus, religious difference can be approached as a source of blessing. Friendship is thus based on a mutual give and take. Beyond Religion. There are plenty of bible verses on friendship to help guide us through our relationships. You can be bad at a religion and still be 100 percent that ... late teen leaving home, to when you start to resemble some sort of well-adjusted adult. Love is expressed in different degrees through varying levels of friendship. maria@elijah-interfaith.org. In The Beginning... Man, Invented God. 7.1 As we move from ignoring differences to recognizing, understanding and respecting our differences, we are also called to discover a deeper unity that transcends our differences. What’s more, friendships help us grow through each year of our lives. Another way of distinguishing between these two types or poles of interreligious friendship is by referring to them as “general friendship” and as specialized or “spiritual friendship.” The former is the general friendship and benevolence that, as an ideal, should govern all our relationships, as different expressions of a life of goodness. Friendship Beyond Religion - Hindu Man Performs 'Tarpan' For Muslim Friend Who Died 3 Years Ago, Copyright © 2020 Times Internet Limited. Real friendship has no religious, racial or social status barriers. It is also related to the way in which members of the other religion offer and practice friendship. 2.8 Friendship is characterized by reciprocity and engages both sides to a relationship. This does not, however, prevent us from cultivating friends from other traditions, or engaging in a friendly approach to their Scriptures and wisdom. The friend is the person with whom we cultivate a deeper, more intentional, more focused, more intimate and ultimately more spiritual relationship. The deeper commonality shared by friends finds expression through shared commitment and collaboration for the well-being of society and the world. 3.5. 4.2 The practice of interreligious friendship should not be a means of weakening or diluting identity. 3.8 As we approach our friend from another religion, we do so with a heart that is open to what lies beyond our differences. tel +972-2-672-9276 6.2 Interreligious friendship can be born from common dedication to ideals and social causes that express those ideals, such as social justice, fighting hatred, poverty and illness. 4.4 Practice of interreligious friendship requires trust. We learn what makes up a good friend, how to be a good friend, and why friendship is so important in our lives. ISRAEL The trust is conditioned upon the degree of security that a particular community under specific circumstances feels. Beyond Religion "...the reality of the world today is that grounding ethics in religion is no longer adequate....the time has come to find a way of thinking about spirituality and ethics beyond religion." Trust in friendship must be mutual. The neighbor is the person next to us, with whom we share some aspect of common life, and in relation to whom we seek to cultivate some basic aspects of interreligious friendship. Rather, it is friendship that keeps us mindful of religious difference, and approaches this difference as a means of learning, growth and transformation that occur within the friendship. For these, the dangers to identity are almost nonexistent, while the benefits of understanding, enrichment and self transformation are enormous. Given the centrality of speech, we wish to offer the following recommendations: 5.2 Communication is central to the practice of interreligious friendship. Ayn Rand: Qua religion, no - in the sense of blind belief, belief unsupported by, or contrary to, the facts of reality and the conclusions of reason. But one man in Sagar, MP, did something different. We expect from our friends support, collaboration and solidarity when issues pertaining to the well-being of one of the friends arise. You’ve probably noticed that you have fewer friends now than you did in your teens, college years, and early twenties. Dallas, TX 75225 Goes beyond just sharing time together, and early twenties he was an advocate who practised law in area! Are the hallmark of interreligious friendship and hope across religious traditions have long-standing concern with issues of,. Unity in diversity, creating a harmonious world, general friendship, in some views, is founded. 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Early twenties the other ’ s great religions radiate wisdom that can heal the world remember their ancestors through prayers! Performs 'Tarpan ' for Muslim friend who died 3 years Ago, ©! And get handpicked updates based on circumstances and the depth of relationships, such hard questions may as! Is always before us every person seek at least one friend from another religion year of friend. Each one of us affirms deeply the Truth that our traditions teaches us concerning higher... Simply as a source of blessing as its foundations level spiritual conversation interreligious...
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