1993 FRATERNAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE ANNUAL REPORT
Gard Jameson


 

This past year has been a year of transition for the Fraternal Relations Committee. We have been shedding the skin of our prior mode of existence as a group interested primarily in the academic study of other faith traditions, moving progressively into a group interested in a dynamic interaction with peoples of other faiths. 

This step has manifested itself outwardly in our admission into the North American Interfaith Network and our involvement with the World Parliament of Religions. More significantly members of the committee have become increasingly involved on a personal level with interfaith activities. Scott Forsythe has been actively involved assisting the group putting the World Parliament of Religions together. Eef Hoedemaker and Beth Bartley (adjunct member) have been involved in interfaith activities in their communities. Eileen Laurence has been very involved with the Temple of Understanding in New York, one of the leadership groups in the interfaith movement. Eileen has been ably assisting her husband who is the Executive Director of the Temple of Understanding, Peter Laurence, past Chairman of the Fraternal Relations Committee. Sue Tennant is involved in interfaith ministry in her community. And, I continue to teach comparative religion courses at UNLV. 

This is an exciting time in the world of interfaith dialogue. The World Parliament of Religions looks like it will be another watershed event in the history of the interfaith movement. Out of this event, a larger planetary consciousness should arise with respect to the importance of understanding, appreciating and celebrating the faith traditions of our neighbors. 

Within the last two years in my own community of Las Vegas an Islamic mosque and a Buddhist temple have been built. These events are increasingly common around the United States. All the more important that our faith community, the readers of the Urantia Book should take interest in the other faith traditions on our planet. 

The Fellowship will be sponsoring a booth at the Parliament in early September. The Jesusonian Foundation has been gracious to provide both personal and material assistance with this booth. Paula Thompson will be the booth coordinator. She has had a great deal of experience at the Whole Life Expos around the country. We will attempt to provide a hospitality suite at the Palmer House, the home base of the Parliament, and attempt to sponsor an introductory lecture on the Urantia Book at 529 Wrightwood during the week of the event. 

The North American Interfaith Network will meet during the week of the Parliament. An agenda has not yet been received as to the contents of that meeting. I suspect that among the topics will be the question of how to sustain the momentum of the Parliament. 

This summer in Montreal the committee will host a round table discussion. Eef Hoedemaker has taken charge of putting this program together. The discussion will revolve around the relationship between the adherents of the teachings of the Urantia Book and those of the major world religions. 

The Fraternal Relations Committee has approached the Education Committee about sponsoring the Wrightwood Series on the Socialization of Religion. A call has already gone out for papers by the Education Committee. Marvin Gawryn and I are in the process of preparing papers for this particular forum. The committee has also discussed wanting to sponsor two more forums in the Wrightwood Series, one on "Interfaith Dialogue", sometime in 1994, and one on "Revelation", sometime thereafter. 

I wish to commend the able work of the members of my committee during the year. It is a real pleasure serving with them.

I also wish to thank the General Council for enabling the committee to step outside of its traditional boundaries and embark on an adventure of active involvement with the interfaith community around the globe. I attach to this report two pages from the CPWR Journal to provide you with some insight into the vision of the spiritual leaders planning to attend the Parliament this fall.