Change the world together
meeting group
Friday 20 October 2023
Sunday 23 February 2020
2020 programme
Westminster Cathedral
Interfaith Group
meet in the Hinsley Room, Morpeth Terrace SW1P
1EP from 4 to 5 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month.
All are welcome and there
is no charge.
Jan 15 Sister Emmanuel Bac
Nguyen on “The challenges and hopes for the Church in Vietnam”
Feb 19 Zionist and Jewish
speakers from Stand with us return to consider how we can help the
Israel/Palestine situation
March 18 Revd Alan Gadd on
his interfaith work
April 15 Speaker from Aid
to the Church in need on the persecution of Christians and other faiths
May 20 Revd Hannah Neale on
“God’s rainbow church, symbol of oneness in Christ?”
June 17 Jeremy Rodell of
the British Humanist Association
Sept 16 a speaker from
the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme
in Palestine and Israel.
Nov 18 Father Tiziano who
was a missionary in Malawi
To find the Hinsley Room stand in front of
Westminster cathedral and walk to your right past St Paul’s bookshop and the
school.
Look for a fenced garden between the playing
fields.
A Catholic reflects on interfaith
Could you focus on your experience of the interfaith involvements;
1. how it has changed your perception?
2. how it challenges your Catholic faith(positive and negative)?
3. what is the future you foresee of interfaith relations in the UK? (this is more of your hypothesis!?): how, why etc.
What does it mean to be a Catholic to be involved in interfaith work?
First a little about myself. I grew up in Johannesburg and was educated at the Anglican St John’s College. We were given a thorough grounding in Christianity but heard nothing about other faiths. I did have Jewish friends but I do not remember much discussion with them about religion. Having completed my university education I worked in Johannesburg public libraries for 3 years including a year in Soweto. This was a turning point for me and I travelled to England via the Holy Land, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Germany and Denmark. On this journey I visited mosques and synagogues.
On arriving in London I met my wife and became a Catholic shortly before we married and we celebrate 40 years of marriage this year. I worked until I retired as a public librarian and was able to arrange various meetings about religion. I particularly recall organising talks by a wonderful Jewish woman who had been saved by Belgian Catholics at the start of the war and her message was one of reconciliation.
At one stage I had a majority of Muslims in the staff team and one of them began to challenge my position with a view to converting me. He remains a very good friend! I realised I knew very little about other faiths. With clergy support I founded the Westminster Cathedral interfaith group 9 years ago and we began by studying Understanding Islam with Dr Chris Hewer. From this we went on to invite speakers about Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Zoroastrianism. The group particularly enjoys visits to temples and mosques, which have included the Neasden Hindu temple and the Jain temple at Potters Bar.
Westminster Interfaith, which is the official agency of the diocese of Westminster, has taken a keen interest in the group from the beginning and I have become involved in its work. I also attend interfaith forums in South London and for London as a whole. Last year I completed an MA in Christianity and Interreligious relations at Heythrop and we were fortunate to have Fr Xavier in our class. The class itself was most stimulating particularly as it included 2 who had converted from Islam to Christianity.
My major purpose now is to deepen the dialogue with the other. Many interfaith encounters are pleasant but go no further than drinking tea together. A particular way in which we can learn together is on peace walks and Westminster Interfaith organises an annual pilgrimage. Last year this included a Druid ceremony and a visit to a beautiful Buddhist monastery. It is an ideal time to get to know each other.
The secret of interfaith is personal relationships. If I get to know you, I can begin to have the courage to ask the questions I really want answered and I can learn to listen to the answers I am given with greater understanding.
But how has all this changed my perception? Firstly I recognise common humanity and common ground between us. This does not imply that we will always agree.
Secondly I have become much more aware of the spiritual riches which we can share. A good example is the practice of Christian meditation in silence as advocated by John Main. Here one can see the clear influence of Buddhist and Hindu practice but the meditation remains rooted in Christ.
When I go my weekly tai chi and qi gong class I am very aware of the simple use of breathing to still the body and mind. We are all such busy people nowadays and these times of quiet are so precious.
Thirdly, I want to share my own experience and learn from other’s experience. Why do we believe in God? A humanist might say that all religion is a human construction. But is this really the case? I have certainly had wonderful moments of revelation. I think particularly of the Eucharist in the Calvary chapel in the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem when the organ suddenly burst forth. As an organist myself this was a wonderful moment as I did not even know there was an organ in that great church so sadly divided between Christians. On that same journey there was the extraordinary experience of climbing Mount Sinai on a camel and on foot and being helped to reach the top. I realised I needed help to reach the summit. So often on our journey we cannot go it alone!
When my parents died in Sydney within a week of each other, I felt the net of support from so many people. That experience was a life changing moment. The Oberammergau passion play was another revelation. Last year Cardinal Tauran came to London and there was a beautiful ceremony when all faiths spoke about peace. I had the privilege of welcoming many of the guests and I realised how many of them I knew. How important that first welcome is when we come to a gathering!
How does all this challenge my own Catholic faith? I am a sinner like everybody else and I often fail. But I can say that my faith has been much strengthened by these encounters and by visits to so many beautiful places of worship. I recall arriving at the Buddhist Amaravati monastery in Hertfordshire and actually not wanting to leave to continue the pilgrimage. Here was a place of beauty and serenity.
For me it is the liturgy which strengthens my faith. The Eucharist is central to this and I love the beauty of great churches and cathedrals and the music not least the hymns of faith, many of which I know by heart. Morning and night prayer also play a major part in my life.
It is so important to acknowledge the truth of what my Muslim brother or sister is saying to me. The Christian/Muslim forum organises encounters called “Conversations for the soul” and I have found these discussions about aspects of faith most stimulating. When I have attended prayers in mosques I have been much impressed by the warmth of the greeting between believers at the end of the prayers. How I wish we saw a similar warmth in many of our churches! We exchange the Peace in a formal way but do not know each other’s names!
In discussion with Muslims we agreed that it was worship and community which mattered most to us. One often encounters the comment “all faiths are the same – they are all based on the Golden Rule”. While this may be partly true, we do have our differences. Certainly those in government would like us all to sing from the same hymn sheet. But the metaphor of an orchestra is a better one. We all have our part to play in a great symphony of praise to God.
I have also encountered challenge to my position. Those who speak most to me are those who challenge me to speak from the heart. It is too easy to approach faith matters in an intellectual and almost distant way. My Buddhist and Muslim friends challenge me to speak from my heart rather than my head.
The only negatives I can identify are occasions when I would not go one more step. A good example is the prayers for peace at Battersea Park peace pagoda and on that occasion I did not feel it right to burn incense before the statue of the Buddha. Since then I have offered lotus flowers to the Buddha in Bangkok so I think I have changed my position!
What are the prospects for interfaith in the UK? A great deal of work has been done especially since the tragedy of 9/11. The National Interfaith Week in November is firmly established and there are plenty of opportunities to interact with each other. For Christians, interfaith has in many ways overtaken ecumenism. I send on many emails to my network and I am aware that you could attend an interfaith event in London on most days of the year! However we must not forget that many rural areas of the country have little opportunity for interfaith work.
Pope Francis in Evangelium Gaudii 238 following “The Joy of the Gospel” gives us powerful encouragement to continue the dialogue. In 250 he writes “an attitude of openness in truth and love must characterize the dialogue with the followers of non-Christian religions… Interreligious dialogue is a necessary condition for peace in the world.” He quotes the Bishops of India “being open to them, sharing their joys and sorrows”. Do read the whole of this document –it is very easy to read and full of wonderful insights. Engaging with “the other” is a duty for Christians!
What I would like to see is a deepening of dialogue and a sharing of spiritual riches. From this might come common action especially in areas of justice and peace.
Radicalisation
What have we learned about radicalisation? 7th March 2012
Replies to the 3 presentations which are on the website.
Mehdi Hassan Guardian journalist
1.
Religion is not the cause of radicalisation.
Since 9/11 politics not faith is the main cause.
2.
Very few Muslim terrorists 99.9% of Muslims
refute terrorism.
3.
Cameron has misread the conveyor belt idea about
radicalisation.
4.
It’s the violence that matters.
Ed Husain author of “The
Islamist”
What is the nature of the
problem? “The process of adopting theopolitical ideas that can lead to
violence”. A certain reading of religion can inform politics. Very small
minority of Salafi are involved.
New Islam/Old Islam dichotomy is
important.
He questioned poverty as a
motivation e.g. in Bangladesh there is very little radicalism. Some terrorists
are wealthy. Violence is too late for us to intervene. We should tip off the
police. We should challenge bigotry.
The problem lies in 1. Prisons. 2
University campuses including some trying to influence Islamic societies. 3.
Some mosques. 4 The internet.
5 ideas lead to suicide bombing
1. God’s rule. 2 Taqhir (spelling?) can even lead to believe that other Muslims
are not Muslims. 3. Vigilante jahidism. 4. Martyrs. 5. Loyalty to other
Muslims.
He said there was hope - these ideas were being challenged even in
Saudi circles.
A question about teaching radical
students – deal with it just as you would deal with anything else the teacher
disagreed with.
A need for religious literacy.
Chris Morris “Four lions” film was recommended.
Problem NOT in mosques but among
the young men expelled from mosques.
The need for money to be spent on
deradicalisation.
Sorry these notes are a bit
sketchy – may have got things wrong!
John Woodhouse
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