Ten Teachings Shared By All Religions: Sharing and Caring in Every Season

Extract from www.theharmonyinstitute.org

"This document is uncopyrighted. All are encouraged to print, copy, and distribute it. It is available online at http://www.theharmonyinstitute.org/tenteachings.html "
 From the book, The Message That Comes From Everywhere: Exploring The Common Core of the World's Religions and Modern Science, by Gary L. Beckwith, ISBN 0970112564.

 

 

1. One God

“The Lord is our God, The Lord is One” – Shema, Hebrew Prayer
“Allah is One” – Qura’an, 112:1
“The One is Lord of all the moves” – Rig Veda III.54.8 (Hinduism)
“There is only One God.” -Chief Seattle

2. God is Everywhere

“I fill the Heaven and the Earth.” – the Bible, Jer 23:24
“The whole world is Brahman.” – the Upanishads (Hinduism)
“How majestic is your presence in all the earth!” the Bible, Psalm 8
“We think of Tirawa (God) as in everything” Lenape Indian interview

3. The Existence of the Soul

“Fear not them which are able to kill the body but not able to kill the soul”
- Bible, Matthew 10:20
“A soul will not die” Qura’an 3:145
“For the soul there is never birth nor death. It is not slain when the body is slain”
- Bhagavad Gita (Hinduism)
“And it came to pass, as her soul was departing, (for she died)”
- Bible, Genesis 35:18

4. God is Inside of Us

“We know that He dwell in us because he has given us of his Spirit.”
- Bible 1John 13
“God dwelleth in all hearts” – Bhagavad Gita
“The One God is hidden in all living things” – the Upanishads (Hinduism)
“All animals have power because the Great Spirit dwells in all of them”
- Lame Deer, Sioux Chief
“The Kingdom of God is within you.” – Jesus
“He to whom you pray is nearer than the neck of your camel.”
– Prophet Muhammad(SAW)

 

5. Spiritual Knowledge is Accessible to Everyone

“All who dwell on earth may find you” – Jewish Prayer Book
“True knowledge can only be attained by a human being.” – Krishna
“Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave” – Prophet Muhammad(SAW)
“The sage who is intent on yoga comes to Brahman without long delay” -
Bhagavad-gita (Hinduism)
“Take heed of the Living One while you are alive, lest you die and seek
to see Him, and be unable to do so.”- Jesus, Gospel of Thomas
“Search with sincerity and in the end you will find the truth.” -Buddha
“If thou seekest hidden treasures, thou shall find the knowledge of God”
-Bible, Proverbs

6. God’s Name: “I AM”

Although all religions have different native languages, most contain
similar teachings about God’s name. Many of them tell us that God’s
name can’t actually be pronounced, or that giving God a name is like
putting a limit on something that is limitless. As well, many of the
religions have several names for God. One name that the religions
share is the phrase “I AM.” This is shown in Exodus 3:14 and John 8:58
of the Bible, and in the Shatapatha Brahmana of the Hindu faith. The
sacred word Soham for Hindus is translated as “I am that I am,” the
exact same phrase as in Exodus 3:14.

7. Compassion and Respect for Everyone

“All beings long for happiness. Therefore extend thy compassion to all.
He who wishes his own happiness, let him cultivate goodwill
towards all the world” – Buddha
“Love your enemies. Bless them that curse you. For if you love only
those that love you, what reward have ye? -Jesus
“Judge everybody favorably” – the Talmud (Jewish sacred book)

8. Morals: Don’t Kill, Lie, Steal, Covet

The Ten Commandments, the Ten Precepts of the Buddha, and verse
16:1 of the Bhagavad-gita all clearly state these and other shared
moralistic teachings.

9. All of Humanity is United

“God hath made of one blood all nations that dwell upon the face of the

Earth” -Bible, Acts 17:16
“All creatures are members of the one family of God” – Prophet Muhammad(SAW)
“Human beings, all, are as head, arms, trunk, and legs unto one
another” – The Vedas
“One thing we know. All men are brothers” – Chief Seattle
“All people are your children, whatever their belief, whatever their shade
of skin”
- Jewish prayer book

 

10. Peace and Nonviolence

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be known as the Children
of God.” – Bible, Mt 5:9
“And make not Allah an obstacle to your doing good and guarding
against evil and making peace between men,” – Qura’an 2:224
“… nonviolence, absence of anger, equanimity, abstaining from
malicious talk, compassion for all creatures, gentleness,
forgiveness, absence of malice, and absence of pride — these are
some of the qualities of those endowed with divine virtues.” –
Bhagavad-gita Ch. 16
“May Your children unite and do your will: to establish peace and justice
throughout the world, so that nations are drawn together by the
bond of friendship.” – Jewish Prayer Book

 
On the same shelf:
About Ten Teachings are also posted (some within their own context)

• Psychology – Giving and Receiving the Spirit of the Season @ Family Guiding
• Cure Ignorance @ utne.com Posted by Gary L. Beckwith, About.com Forums
• Neelank Sharma's Empower Blog 
• Summary of World Views about Ritual, by Alan Murray

COMMON THEMES: All the worldviews represented here use rituals, festivals, etc, and recognise their importance for most people. There are some differing views on their ultimate value, but there is a great deal of common ground:
• Rituals, regular or weekly services/meetings and occasional festivals are typical of all religions and cultures
• Rituals help us reflect on the important things and events in life
• Rituals are also an important feature of everyday life for most people (eg bowing, shaking hands)
• Elaborate ceremonials, using art, music, dance, etc are important in most religions and cultures
• Many religious and secular festivals have built on or incorporated old pagan or nature festivals
• Most family/community celebrations (eg weddings, baptism, initiation ceremonies) are both religious and non-religious
• Most festivals involve meals, eating and drinking, special or new clothes, flowers, etc

Muslims and Jews finally come together — to defend circumcision, National Post

Jonathan Kay Jun 27, 2012 – National Post

Extract:
And so it has come to pass that after centuries of hate, Muslims and Jews finally have been brought together by the human penis — in particular, the shared desire to chop part of it off.

This week, a district court in the German city of Cologne ruled that male circumcision of newborn babies is illegal, except for medical reasons — because the practice causes “irreversible damage against the body” that cannot be excused on the basis of religious freedom. The primary effect will be felt among Germany’s Muslims, of whom there are about 4-million. But the country’s 100,000 Jews will be affected as well. Continue reading: Muslims and Jews finally come together

On the same shelf:

Circumcision in news

Quran with Bhagavad Gita in a communal harmony class

Monday November 21, 2011 10:27:29 AM, Asit Srivastava, IANS

Varanasi: Holding the Quran in one hand and the Bhagavad Gita in the other, Mukhtar Ahmad conducts "a class of communal harmony" at a madrassa in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi district to enable students to draw similarities between Islam and Hinduism.

Welcome to Bahrul-Uloom madrassa (Islamic seminary) in Chittanpura town where like Ahmad several other Muslim teachers are involved in imparting lessons of brotherhood and unity to inculcate "moral values" in their students.

"Our main objective behind teaching Hindu scriptures along with the Quran is to undertake a comparative study of the holy books of the two religions to enable our students to draw similarity between Islam and Hinduism," Ahmad, a teacher at the Islamic seminary, said.

"By drawing similarity between the two religions, students will be able to correlate the teachings of Quran with those of the Bhagavad Gita and other Hindu ancient text, which in turn would enable them to respect the two religions in the same manner," he added. continue reading

On the same shelf:

Quran with Bhagavad Gita in a communal harmony class, Mayank Kumar, Aaj Ki Khabar,

Quran with Bhagavad Gita in a communal harmony class, FnF Correspondent ,

Quran with Bhagavad Gita in a communal harmony class, Canada India Education Council

Indians win faith fellowship for first time

Horizons Correspondent, Hindustan Times, New Delhi, May 17, 2011
Four Indians have been selected for the Tony Blair Faith Foundation’s youth leadership programme, Faiths Act Fellowship, the first time that the country finds representation among 30 fellows.

... The four Indian Fellows will work together in interfaith pairs with two non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in New Delhi for the next year.

Aparajita Bharti, a 21-year-old Buddhist from Vikas Puri is going to be paired with Sarmistha Pattanayak, a 24-year-old Hindu from Bhubaneswar. Ayesha Nusrat, a 22-year-old Muslim from New Delhi will be linked with Rohit S, a 21-year-old Hindu from Bangalore. They will receive a month of training in London before starting their year-long interfaith service.

... The fellows are from a diverse cross section of the faith traditions: 10% are Hindu, 30% Muslim, 3.3% Sikh, 3.3%, 6.6% Buddhist, 3.3%, Bahá’í, 26% Christian, 3.3% Quaker and 17% Jewish, including the various denominations.
continue reading

On the same shelf:

Birmingham University student chosen for Tony Blair’s Faith Foundation Fellowship

Taxes: Buddhism and Fiscal Policy

Birth, Old Age, Sickness, and Taxes: Buddhism and Fiscal Policy, State of Formation
Extract:

So, Asvaghosa equates excessive taxation with more personal transgressions, especially theft; Surata objects to the covetousness that high taxes inflict on a king and the financial pain they inflict on the citizenry; and, Nagarjuna objects to the financial and emotional pain that the undue hardship of high taxes cause. The renowned Nyingma Buddhist philosopher and teacher Jü Mipham Gyatso (1846-1912, Derge, eastern Tibet) nicely sums up all of these sentiments in his Advice on the Way of the King, saying,

Forcefully taking a reasonable tax from the wealthy,
even when they haven't offered it,
is like being compensated.
This is not “taking what hasn't been given.”

Forcefully taking from the poor
can be either a wrongdoing or not a wrongdoing:
In order to prevent gamblers and prostitutes
from wasting the wealth obtained illicitly,
if you take from them, it is said to benefit both
and is not a wrong-doing.
When someone has lost property through fire, etc.,
tax them lightly.

If one doesn't care for the sentient beings
who haven't any means, this is a wrong-doing.

Later, he reiterates,

If one doesn't collect taxes which are reasonable,
and not take equally from the rich and poor
according to their situation, is that just?
From all subjects who pay taxes
take in accord with their land,
the season, and their wealth, without harming their home.
Do not burden them unbearably.
In the manner of a cow eating grass

On the same shelf:

What a Rabbi Learns from Muhammad: IslamiCity

By: Rabbi Allen S. Maller
IslamiCity

Extract:
I first studied Islam when I was a student at UCLA almost 50 years ago, Then again while I was in Rabbinical school. Over the years I continued to read the Qur'an and other Islamic books. I read these books as the Prophet taught his followers in a Hadith "not as a believer, and not as a disbeliever". What does that mean? ...

...I would like to begin by sharing my understanding of several Ahadith that have taught me about my own religion. My understanding is reflected in my application (gloss) of each insight from my perspective as a Liberal/Reform Rabbi.

...Most Americans that I have spoken are amazed to hear such liberal and flexible statements coming from a religion that they think is ridged and fanatical.

...Nevertheless as a Reform Rabbi, I realize that in many ways Muhammad showed seventh century Jews in Arabia how to reform Orthodox Judaism to bring it back to the simpler rules of the Torah.. continue reading: What a Rabbi Learns from Muhammad @ IslamiCity* -

On the same shelf:

A Reform Rabbi Learns from Muhammad, By Rabbi Allen S. Maller, in The Fountain Magazine, March - April 2008: Issue 62.

Understanding Islam: The First Ten Steps [Written by a Fellow in Christian-Muslim Relations]

Do I Kneel or Do I Bow?

Did the Jews pray as Muslims do ?!

Cyber Worship Revisited - Need to sort out your sins? There's an app for that

Herald Tribune, Thu 10 Feb 2011

Can your iPad or iPhone bring you closer to God? A new application for the devices aims to help Roman Catholics who haven't been to the confessional booth in a while keep track of their sins, one Commandment at a time. The $1.99 "Confession: A Roman Catholic App" can't grant forgiveness -- you still need to receive the sacrament from a real, live priest like always. The app's designers and some believers see it as a way to spur Catholics back into the habit of repenting. "There's a reason we designed it for these mobile devices: We want you to go to confession," said Patrick Leinen, one of the developers and a co-founder of the company Little... continue reading: Herald Tribune,

More Online Confessions, Resources here:

Here is a sample from inside the Book: Cyber Worship in Multifaith Perspectives--full of resources that will facilitate building bridges in a Multifaith society. Table of Contents / Reviews

Chapter 2. 'Cyber Worship as-is On the Web'

Resource of the Week is: Museums of World Religions (see description, reviews, etc., page 70). Order with Publisher:

My book Talk

My related posts:

Special Issue from Religious Studies Review on Religion & Internet

Cybersins and Digital Good Deeds

Christian Librarianship

Web Vastu or A Spiritual Worldview for Marketing Website

Online - Heidelberg Journal of Religions on the Internet

Cyber Worship in Multifaith Perspectives

Newsweek has named Obama "god of all things" on its cover

Image @ Kauai's Hindu Monastery; Read more here: Newsweek Has Obama Channeling Lord Nataraja? or here
The picture of Lord Nataraja, here:
Extract:
"The latest issue of popular American news magazine Newsweek has on its cover page US President Barack Obama in the pose of Lord Nataraja.

In its November 22, 2010 issue, Obama has been shown by Newsweek on its cover page with multiple arms balancing several policy issues while raising his left leg mimicking the cosmic dance of the Hindu deity; considered a manifestation of Lord Shiva. Continue reading: The Times of India

On the same shelf:

NEWSWEEK: India: A Delicate Dance, by John Barry Oct 30, 2010

Obama on the cover of Newsweek as SHIVA the DESTROYER, [SHIVA the DESTROYER in the "Dance of Death"; SHIVA is also depicted in front of CERN Laboratory in Geneva.]

Being religious improves happiness, Dan Buettner

Finding the Happiest Place on Earth
Mon Nov 8, 9:31AM PT - ABC News @ Yahoo! News Video
Dan Buettner traveled all over the world to find the best places to live.

"Unraveling the story of each "hotspot" like a good mystery, Buettner reveals how he discovered each location and then travels to meet folks who embody each particular brand of happiness. He introduces content, thriving people in Denmark, in Singapore, in northeastern Mexico, and in a composite "happiest place in America." In addition, he interviews economists, psychologists, sociologists, politicians, writers, and other experts to get at what contributes to each region's happiness.

Buettner's findings result in a credible, cross-cultural formula and a practical plan to help us stack the deck for happiness and get more satisfaction out of life. According to Buettner's advisory team, the average person can control about forty percent of his or her individual happiness by optimizing life choices. These aren't unreasonable demands on a person's lifestyle, and they often require only slight changes. They fall into three categories that make up the way we live our lives: the food we eat, the way we exercise, and the social networks we foster. It's all about nourishing the body and the spirit. Heeding the secrets of the world's happiness all-stars can help us make the right choices to find more contentment in our own lives and learn how to thrive."

Bottomline:
page 145... Indeed, worldwide research shows that religious people are happier than nonreligious ones.
page 166 ... religious people tend to be happier than nonreligious people, …
page 225 …study done on the connection between religion and well-being, shows that the two go hand in hand.

On the same shelf:

There’s more to the story when reporting on religious violence
by Samiaji Bintang, Common Ground News Service 23 November 2010

Building on Faith in Lower Manhattan

By FEISAL ABDUL RAUF, September 7, 2010
- NYTimes.com

Extract:

Above all, the project will amplify the multifaith approach that the Cordoba Initiative has deployed in concrete ways for years. Our name, Cordoba, was inspired by the city in Spain where Muslims, Christians and Jews co-existed in the Middle Ages during a period of great cultural enrichment created by Muslims. Our initiative is intended to cultivate understanding among all religions and cultures.

Our broader mission — to strengthen relations between the Western and Muslim worlds and to help counter radical ideology — lies not in skirting the margins of issues that have polarized relations within the Muslim world and between non-Muslims and Muslims. It lies in confronting them as a joint multifaith, multinational effort.

From the political conflicts between Israelis and Palestinians to the building of a community center in Lower Manhattan, Muslims and members of all faiths must work together if we are ever going to succeed in fostering understanding and peace.

At Cordoba House, we envision shared space for community activities, like a swimming pool, classrooms and a play space for children. There will be separate prayer spaces for Muslims, Christians, Jews and men and women of other faiths. The center will also include a multifaith memorial dedicated to victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. continue reading

Terrorism is not a Muslim monopoly, Times of India

Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar, TNN, Jul 23, 2006,

"All Muslims may not be terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims." This comment , frequently heard after the Mumbai bomb blasts implies that terrorism is a Muslim specialty, if not a monopoly. The facts are very different. continue reading

Info courtesy: Mrs. Elizabeth Rahman, CEO of Metamorphosis Translation Services, and co-hosts the Annual Abraham Festival in Peterborough.

Jihad jitters at Comedy Central

Margaret Wente,, The Globe and Mail, The Globe and Mail

Why do we allow ourselves to be spooked?

What’s the lowest point in the history of American TV? The censorship of South Park could be it.
South Park is a hilarious, profane and potty-mouthed cartoon show that has been airing on The Comedy Network for nearly 14 years. This week’s Wednesday episode, featuring an irreverent treatment of the Prophet Mohammed, was altered by a frightened network. The network cancelled replays of the show and took it off the website. Episode 201 of South Park has officially ceased to exist.
The network did this in reaction to a single threat from a tiny group of nut-bars calling themselves Revolution Muslim. Here’s where things get surreal. This group was reacting to the episode of the week before – which dealt in a satirical way with threats over depicting the figure of Mohammed. continue reading: Jihad jitters at Comedy Central

Google struggles with religious sensitivity

"Google results offend Christians, but if you search for “Islam is” Google will give you no search suggestions.
 
It wasn’t long ago experts claimed that we were entering the age of secularization. Instead the headlines of the new century have become dominated by religious fervor, not at least because of the rise of Muslim militants and 9/11." continue reading @ Pandia Search Engine News

See also:

Google favouring Islam? Matthew Moore, Expressbuzz, 11 Jan 2010
Google has denied favouring Islam over other religions in its suggested searches, after allegations that phrases criticising the faith had been censored.

Google 'censors its website so anti-Islam  searches fail to appear   Daily Mail   Neil Millard

---

Google suggests Islam is nothing

"The metaphysics of search, The Register, 11th January 2010

Google's search Suggest function treats Islam a bit differently from the other major religions of the world. It's willing to suggest "Christianity is bullshit" or "Judaism is false," but if you begin to ask what Islam is, it won't suggest a thing..."

---

Is Google Censoring Islam Suggestions? Wired News

Proselytization, admittedly, is fraught with complications - Thought for the day

By Michael Gerson, Friday, January 8, 2010 Washington Post:
"Proselytization, admittedly, is fraught with complications. We object to the practice when an unequal power relationship is involved -- a boss pressuring an employee. We are offended by brainwashing. Coercion and trickery violate the whole idea of free religious choice based on open discussion.

But none of this was present in Hume's appeal to Woods. A semi-retired broadcaster holds no unfair advantage over a multimillionaire athlete. Hume was engaged in persuasion.

"Persuasion, by contrast," argues political and social ethics professor Jean Bethke Elshtain, "begins with the presupposition that you are a moral agent, a being whose dignity no one is permitted to deny or to strip from you, and, from that stance of mutual respect, one offers arguments, or invites your participation, your sharing, in a community." 

The root of the anger against Hume is his religious exclusivity -- the belief, in Shuster's words, that "my faith is the right one." For this reason, according to Shales, Hume has "dissed about half a billion Buddhists on the planet." Continue reading: Brit Hume's Tiger Woods remarks shine light on true intolerance

How to suppress American Muslims (and throw Sikhs and Jews under the bus)

By Rajdeep Singh, January 8, 2010, Altmuslimah

"At a time of fear and hostility toward Muslims, ID documents offer bigots a simple way to wreck the socio-economic mobility of religious minorities (that Sikhs, Jews, and others might be impacted is usually an afterthought). The act of redefining photo ID standards by law to slam religious minorities has an economic dimension, but it also constitutes a form of dehumanization. For the faithful, religious headcoverings are not merely articles of faith but also integral and inseparable components of their identities as human beings. They are a source of self-definition and strength..." http://www.altmuslimah.com/a/b/a/3497/

Free to criticize religions but not with hate: Bombay high court

Swati Deshpande, The Times of India TNN 7 January 2010, 01:11am IST
MUMBAI: In a significant ruling, a three-judge bench of the Bombay high court on Wednesday held that in India, criticism of any religion -- be it Islam, Hinduism, Christianity or any other -- is permissible under the fundamental right to freedom of speech and that a book cannot be banned on those grounds alone.

However, the criticism must be bona fide or academic, said the court, as it upheld a ban issued in 2007 by the Maharashtra government on a book titled `Islam - A Concept of Political World Invasion by Muslims.' The book contained was an "aggravated form of criticism made with a malicious and deliberate intention" to outrage the feelings of Muslims, the court said.

Delivering the landmark verdict on Wednesday, the court has in a rare instance upheld the state's ban on a book but at the same time brought joy to civil rights activists when it held that, "in our country, everything is open to criticism and religion is no exception. Freedom of expression covers criticism of religion and no person can be sensitive about it."

The bench, comprising Justices Ranjana Desai, D Y Chandrachud and R S Mohite, said, "Healthy criticism provokes thought, encourages debate and helps us evolve. But criticism cannot be malicious and must not lead to creating ill-will between different communities... (it) must lead to sensible dialogue." The courts must strike a balance between the guaranteed freedom and permissible restrictions, "a difficult task", as the 150-page HC verdict penned by Justice Desai observed...

A person may have a right to say a particular religion is "not secular", said the HC, but it cautioned against rabid contents "reeking of hatred for a particular community" and "malafide exercise to stir communal passions".

The HC also found "totally unacceptable" the author's argument that banning the book in the age of the internet is passe and pointless.

The book contains "highly objectionable and disturbing" statements about the author's wishful thinking of an impending war between Muslims and others and how Indian Muslims want to convert all Hindus, attack temples and Hindu women. Statements like these are "likely to incite people to violence and may promote violence, enmity or hatred". Full article

See also:

Hate Sermons: Free to criticize religions but not with hate: High Court Decision on Hate; a new international precedent

A Quote To Live By: “To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die”

Death and dying is a subject that is a common concern of all religions and philosophies.

Reading a blog post by Lita C. Malicdem, 'To Live Meaningfully, Die for Others (Ampatuan Massacre),' reminded me in another context, death has positive side too. In this context I quote famous lines from The poems of Thomas Campbell (1777-1844): "To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die." (p. 249)


[info courtesy: Angel, Aasman Se Aaya ek Farishta]

Prayer rug links high-tech, spiritual worlds

eRug has built-in sensors that alert the user to prayer time

Shauna Rempel
Toronto Star

Name: Wael Aboulsaadat

Age: 36

Program: Fourth-year PhD student, department of computer science at the University of Toronto.

Thesis: Computer user interfaces for religious practice.

The device: Aboulsaadat has designed a prototype of a digital device called eRug that Muslims can use to enhance their daily prayers. The rug has built-in sensors, lights and a display screen to show scripture, alert the user to the next prayer time and find the direction of Mecca. "It will increase their understanding of the scriptures and the quality of the prayer," says Aboulsaadat. continue reading

Multifaith families and religious tolerance!

Extracts: Ramadan in a multi-faith family:

"Ilana Alazzeh was born in San Francisco to an Israeli mother and Palestinian father. She currently attends Smith College in Massachusetts, where she stays active in community service and interfaith work, regularly speaking on panels regarding Islam and religious pluralism...."

"When my Israeli mother celebrates Ramadan, she always incorporates her heritage into the holiday. For example, while my Pakistani step-father is downstairs making pancakes, she will loudly sing Hebrew songs from her childhood to wake us up for Suhoor. Although she has converted to Islam, she still keeps her Jewish customs alive."

"Once, my mother’s father came to visit during Ramadan. He is a small, mischievous and comical man, a Palmach war veteran of Israel. Unlike my mother, he refused to celebrate Ramadan. He would begrudgingly come to the masjid with us, and even though he knew Arabic, he only spoke in Hebrew or English. While we were inside doing our night prayers, he would smoke outside with my step-grandmother: a Southern Baptist African American who converted to Judaism. It certainly wasn’t the traditional picture of Ramadan."

"But even though my grandfather did not celebrate with us, he did respect the holiday. I remember him giving my younger brother a clap for teasing me with food when I was fasting. Even though he wasn’t fasting with me, he honored my decision."

"I’ll never forget the night during Ramadan that my puzzle of a family and I piled into our van to see the Christmas lights. We sang Jewish, Christmas and Dawud Wharnsby songs. (Watch the YouTube video “We’ve scanned the sky Dawud Wharnsby.”) My family of different cultures and religions were all celebrating together, enjoying each other’s company and acknowledging our diverse faiths. Although our coexistence was rough at times, it was built out of respect and real love."

Continue reading: Ramadan is truly a month of diversity and spirituality, The Saudi Gazette, Tuesday, 01 September 2009 - 11 Ramadan 1430 H

U.S. Views on God and Life Are Turning Hindu ~ Newsweek

We Are All Hindus Now

By Lisa Miller NEWSWEEK
Published Aug 15, 2009
From the magazine issue dated Aug 31, 2009

"America is not a Christian nation. We are, it is true, a nation founded by Christians, and according to a 2008 survey, 76 percent of us continue to identify as Christian (still, that's the lowest percentage in American history). Of course, we are not a Hindu—or Muslim, or Jewish, or Wiccan—nation, either. A million-plus Hindus live in the United States, a fraction of the billion who live on Earth. But recent poll data show that conceptually, at least, we are slowly becoming more like Hindus and less like traditional Christians in the ways we think about God, our selves, each other, and eternity." continue reading

on the same shelf:

• Newsweek says “We Are All Hindus Now”August 18th, 2009 - 11:02 am ICT by sampurn
• We are all Hindus now, so let's say 'Om': Newsweek, ZOPAG.com