Reflections on the World Parliament of Religions

Recently in Chicago, at the Parliament For The World's Religions (a historic centenary celebration of the Interfaith Movement), I saw the possibility of a brighter future for religion, the Christian Church, and our world.

6,000 religious enthusiasts from all parts of the globe, representing some 126 religions, gathered under one roof at the Palmer House Hilton. The scene was colorful to say the least. Not present were the hopelessly indoctrinated and closed-minded. Some, however, may pay a price for their progressive openness. One Mormon friend became progressively concerned during the Parliament that he would be "excommunicated," simply because of his exposure to other religions. Another Sufi friend knew his television interview would invite untold controversy. Yet courage and curiosity prevailed. People wanted to break away from the familiar, to experience the democracy of spiritual liberty, equality, and respect for religious differences.

In the interfaith context, huge demands are made on the participants, but all became more than they could be with only their own kind. The unprecedented religious diversity in Chicago was a large context indeed. Minds were stretched, concepts grew, and so did understanding, respect, even love. The atmosphere was electric! In over 800 major presentations, lectures, seminars and workshops, common themes were repeatedly shared by diverse religions. The spirit of God indwells each of us; since this spirit comes from the same Source, we really are brothers and sisters, one human family. The desire to serve and the power to love all humanity comes from the indwelling spirit of God. Love and service to the human family are always the spiritual fruit of real religion. A Sikh Dharma International sign read, "My God and your God is our God. If you can't see God in all, you can't see God at all."

It should not surprise students of The Urantia Book that the Spirit has been busy upstepping all religions. The enlightened thinking expressed at the Parliament was clearly centered in the Spirit of Truth. Since this Spirit of Truth was poured out upon all humankind, sincere seekers, through personal faith experience, are nurtured by this globally pervasive ministry within their own cultures. Truth is living and dynamic. Theology and dogma only partially symbolize its power, and no culture has any monopoly on it.

The religions of the world agree that they have a critical task aheadto spiritually unite for the very practical emergencies which face the world today. But only the globally minded religionists are in tune with how serious the situation is. The goals are to end violence, restore the environment, educate a global citizenry, stabilize population growth, ethically guide technology, fairly distribute the world's resources, and promote equal rights, to mention only a few. The prerequisite to such co-operation is spiritual unity . Spiritual unity results when diverse groups actively share common goals but not necessarily the same thinking. Necessity demands invention and our world's necessities have become so complex, that we need abundant inventiveness. Yet it is diversity, not uniformity, which feeds creativity and releases a variety of solutions. In the Spirit of God, all solutions born of unselfish intentions, are efficiently harmonized to produce progress. To do what religion does best, it must be free and affirmed, so that it can inspire that moral factor in the community which restrains self-interest in favor of the whole.

With this in mind, the Parliament underscored, for me, the great privilege of the Fifth Epochal Revelation and the enormous responsibility that goes with it. Because of the enlarged concepts and facts revealed in The Urantia Book, students have been given a rare and thrilling education, one which compels readers to include all of humankind as the children of God, and to place the highest priority on Jesus' command to work for the spiritual well-being of the whole planet. All religions play an important role in the cosmic realization of the sovereignty of God, and all must eventually enter into the process of mutual respect and interdependence. The Christian Church, with its impressive organizational resources, could rapidly globalize its peace-making ministry if it were to so globalize its thinking. As facilitators of compassionate appreciation and collaboration among independent religious traditions, Christians could become the global peace-makers of the twenty-first century.

Unfortunately, I know few Urantia Book readers or members of the Christian Church today who are willing to give their lives to a global movement. But if all of us could understand the interfaith synergy, the transcendent power of diversity, experienced at the Chicago Parliament, we might rally to a sense of mission badly needed in the church and throughout our culture. Is it conceivable that individuals and groups in the various religions of the world might summon the insight, humility, and courage to learn from other faith traditions and work together for a better world? I believe the hope of humanity rests on the strong shoulders of such pioneers.

The many religions of Urantia are all good to the extent that they bring man to God and bring the realization of the Father to man. It is a fallacy for any group of religionists to conceive of their creed as The Truth; such attitudes bespeak more of theological arrogance than of certainty of faith. There is not a Urantia religion that could not profitably study and assimilate the best of the truths contained in every other faith, for all contain truth. Religionists would do better to borrow the best in their neighbors' living spiritual faith rather than to denounce the worst in their lingering superstitions and outworn rituals.

All of these religions have arisen as a result of man's variable intellectual response to his identical spiritual leading. They can never hope to attain a uniformity of creeds, dogmas, and ritualsthese are intellectual; but they can, and some day will, realize a unity in true worship of the Father of all, for this is spiritual, and it is forever true, in the spirit all men are equal. (U. B. p. 1012)

The multifaith resources in large North American cities are rich indeed. The world has dramatically changed in just a few decades and the concept of "neighbor" has expanded to include the whole community of religions. A new vision of interfaith collaboration, a unity of purpose, not uniformity of thinking, could give the Christian Church an appeal and relevance it badly needs. If we will expand our context and heed the call of a global mission, one that will serve to create a spiritual brotherhood and sisterhood for all God-knowing people, then I think the beginning of the next stage of the kingdom of heaven on earth is within this generation's grasp.

A service of
The Urantia Book Fellowship