Peace, harmony - and an equal footing.

The post below, together with the two posts further below it, forms a triad.

1. The post of 19 May 2018, emphasized the common elements people from different cultures share.
2. The post of 20 May 2018, emphasized the Jewish/Christian feast of Pentecost which has ever been a festival of multiculturalism before the latter term had been invented.  
3. To-day, 21 May, 2018, the emphasis is on the nations of the Pacific Ocean.

In spite of the many avenues of humanity to come together to live in peace and harmony, we are still not making a success of the ventures available to us: governments, religions, political organisations, civil institutions.  We seem to last for so long or go so far geographically and then we explode and fracture into divisions, wars, and bondage.  

One way or another, forms of bondage and slavery and oppression exist across the world - even in places where one would consider they no longer existed or had no need to exist.  

In Australia, most forms of payment for work are regulated by industrial awards and agreements.  However, many industries are notorious for trying to avoid regulated payments to their employees. The very meaning of the term "employee" is frequently dodged so that such people hide under the term "contractor".  

This can often mean that the so-called contractor unwittingfly foregoes legal entitlements such as sick leave, holiday entitlements, workers compensation for workplace injuries, holiday pay and long service leave.  And, of course, the employer (well, that term is avoided of course) - does its level best to displace anything that can be used to define an employer/employee relationship - does not approve of trade union membership

Humanity, Nature & Faith - Lessons from Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam & Judaism

These are the five original Faith Declarations on Nature which were created in 1986, at a meeting held in Assisi by WWF-International. The meeting stemmed from an idea by HRH the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at which five leaders of the five major world religions – Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism – were invited to come and discuss how their faiths could and should help save the natural world. 

By 1995 when the Alliance of Religions and Conservation was formed, the five initial faiths had issued more detailed statements, and six other significant world faiths had also made their statements about the environment. Links to the book, Faith in Conservation, published by the World Bank, in which all these eleven statements were published together for the first time, can be found at the end of this document.

THE BUDDHIST DECLARATION ON NATURE 3 

THE CHRISTIAN DECLARATION ON NATURE 5 

THE HINDU DECLARATION ON NATURE 8 

THE MUSLIM DECLARATION ON NATURE 10 

THE JEWISH DECLARATION ON NATURE 12 

Faith in Conservation: new approaches to religions & the environment

Acknowledgment to ARC - the Alliance of Religions and Conservation

Earth and humanity and the Bahai tradition

The Feast of the Assumption - August 15

To-day, in the Catholic traditions of the Christian Church, is a major feast day.

It is the Feast of the Assumption or, in terms of the Orthodox tradition, the Dormition.

An editorial note: 

The Editor was raised in the Roman Catholic tradition

in a time when feasts and fasts were solemnly kept.

In fact, the picture above, is the same picture

that hung in the home of the Editor's grandmother

for a lifetime.

In the post-Vatican II era, the Editor came to look at many things about her faith.

One of them was attitudes to Mary, the Mother of Jesus.

To get an idea of teaching on Mary, please go

here and here.

The Editor's thoughts are that much of the beliefs and doctrines that have sprung up around Mary - and the doctrine of the Assumption is not the only one - have their derivation in a male dominated religious structure in which, for the most part, women were very much down the human hierarchy.  The Eastern tradition may be different because it has a married priesthood.  

While there are claims that the doctrine of the Assumption goes back to the earliest days of Christianity, this is doubtful.  All sorts of ideas have sprung up around the purity of Mary and the fact that she had to be pure and without any stain of sin (including Original Sin) to be the mother of Jesus. From this idea, we get the other doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. 

In The Editor's view, these two doctrines are evidence of "facts" being conjured up to fit faith.  

What The Editor does find significant though is how often these types of thought processes take-over and all but eliminate the very humanity of people like Jesus and his mother, Mary.  And it is their very humanity that makes them so significant in the human story.

ALL human lives matter - yours. mine. ours.

From Ecumenics and Quakers - Newsletter by Maurizio Benazzi

By Dr Mansoor Durrani

United States of America has been the leader of nations for a while. From fashion and food to “war on terror” other nations simply follow the leader. But people embrace American products like McDonald, Nike, iPhone and other American lifestyle by choice. So it is unfair to say that the US gets the world to follow it under the gun. Of course US does compel and bully others, but only for big-ticket games like wars, arm sales etc. And it is not just consumers or governments who follow the US practices worldwide. Even the social movements picking up slogans from the US. So there is Black Lives Matter movement, and then the white Americans have their own Native Lives Matter movement.

In the aftermath of recent hate crimes against Muslims in the US and Europe and lynching terrorism that the New India has unleashed on its Muslim population, the civil society in support of helpless victims has come up with the slogan Muslim Lives Matter. Being a universal faith that is meant for the entire humanity and not just for Muslims, I have an issue with this narrow focus – no matter how justified it may seem under the current situation. Even though under the hate crimes and lynching terrorism a vast majority victims are Muslims, but Islamic faith teaches that all human lives are equally precious. If innocent Muslim lives are taken by saffron terrorists on the streets of Northern or Southern Indian states are precious then the innocent Hindu lives taken while returning from a pilgrimage in Kashmir are important too. Beyond India, Christian lives matter in South Sudan as much as Buddhist lives matter in Tibet. And Shi’a lives matter in Pakistan as much as Sunni lives matter in Syria and Iraq!

If other narrow, self-centered and petty ideologies create high walls around their ethnic or faith groups, it is understandable. But the Muslim civil society in India (and elsewhere) should have given one-and-only slogan to safeguard innocent lives and that slogan must be Human Lives Matter. The human angle resonates a bit more in the Indian context because the entire lynching terrorism shows to the world that cows (even if the beef eating or beef carrying allegations are true) are more important than human lives in New India! It is this primitive mindset combined with cold barbarity that sets the current situation apart from all the atrocities intermittently unleashed on Muslims over the past seven decades.

In the midst of these challenging times, an encouraging fact that requires both recognition and appreciation is large scale support that the victims of lynching terrorism receiving from Indians of all other faiths. Though we are yet to see a Portland, Oregon style defense where in May 2017 three white American men gave their lives for defending a young Muslim girl in headscarf who was being terrorized on a train by a white Muslim-hater. But a fair section of Indian media, specially alternate news outlets on social media, have strongly condemned endless killings of innocent Muslims. These aspects point to the need for a worldwide movement under the banner of Human Lives Matter. Depending upon which part of the world we are discussing, innocent lives of all faith groups are being taken mercilessly by hate groups who operate under various banners and who have established lawless dictatorships under the garb of democracies in a number of countries – including our incredible India!

There is a general impression (and correct to some extent) that while Muslims claim to be the followers of a universal faith that preach perfect equality regardless of caste, color, class or creed.But in practice their reaction or protests against atrocities are largely confined to their own faith groups. This is fundamentally contrary to the teachings of their Islamic faith. It may be just fine for the saffron brigade to differentiate the value of human lives. For example, they condemn and grieve SEVEN Amarnath pilgrims killed by terrorists and then the very next week coldly ignore the deaths of SEVENTEEN Amarnath pilgrims when their bus falls into a gorge – just because there was no Muslim link to these SEVENTEEN deaths.

This hypocrisy is not confined to civilian deaths alone. Even the political value of military causalities is assessed by who actually the killer is. So when a senior Indian army officer Major ShikharThapa, of 71 Armoured Regiment is killed in J&K on 17 July by his subordinate NaikKathiresan who pumped five bullets in Major’s back, no hashtags is launched in sympathy of Major Shikhar’s 3 month old son!

More than 100 cases of suicide are reported every year in the Indian armed forces. But no tears are shed on these losses of lives. Human lives!!

But Muslims claim to have a different value system. This is why there are two strong reasons for them to take a lead on a new Human Lives Matter initiative (A) they are the principal victims (worldwide) of Western-led war on terror and (B) Qur’an, their Holy book, most explicitly says this:

Whoever saves one (human) it is as if he saved the entire humanity[Chapter 5: verse 32]

Dr Mansoor Durrani is a PhD in Islamic Banking from UK. He is currently serving as a Senior Vice President at a top bank in the Middle East. Views are personal.

The original article can be found on our partner’s website here

Come join the Celebration of Humanity at St Paul's, Bakery Hill, #Ballarat - to-day 3 December 2015 - 5-7pm

We are celebrating at Saint Paul's, Bakery Hill in #Ballarat this evening. To-day, December 3, is the day we celebrate...
Posted by Brigid O'Carroll Walsh on Wednesday, 2 December 2015

Women and ministry : women in professional ministry. The story of Marilyn Sewell

From the web-site of Marilyn Sewell

Raw Faith Film

Watch the Raw Faith film trailer…

Raw Faith is an intimate and revealing documentary that follows two years in the private life of Marilyn Sewell, an outspoken and socially progressive Unitarian minister who has re-energized her Portland, Oregon community.

While serving a community that relies on her for wisdom and advice (on both personal and ethical issues), Marilyn struggles quietly with decisions about her own future. As she seeks to reconcile the commitments of her profession with a longing for intimacy and love, childhood memories of mental illness and alcoholism come back to the surface — and must be dealt with before she can move forward.

As Marilyn’s life unfolds in front of the camera (in real time), she shares her journey with remarkable candor, humor and increasing wisdom, ultimately leading her to an unexpected revelation of faith and love in all of its guises.

Awards

• Best Feature Award at the 3rd Annual 2010 Columbia Gorge International Film Festival.
• Winner of the Nashville Public Television 2010 Human Spirit Award at the Nashville Film Festival.Watch an interview from the 2010 Nashville Film Festival…
• Named one of the The Most Spiritually Literature Films of 2011 by Spirituality & Practice.

Learn more about this award-winning film:

• Love Will Remain — Listen to the film’s original theme song written and performed by Sheryl Crow
• Raw Faith Facebook page
• Raw Faith Twitter

Faith Communities Council of Victoria: Statement on Syrian and Iraqi Humanitarian Criusis

How the interfaith movement engenders mutual understanding and appreciation ....

Published on 24 Apr 2015

Dr. Brian Birch discusses how the Interfaith Movement can help address today's critical issues, and how interfaith dialogue lends itself to strengthening one's respective religious tradition, to discovering shared values and beliefs, and to gaining greater mutual understanding.

From The Editor of Beside The Creek,

interfaith understanding and appreciation

is a work of peace.

Currently the world is a mess of wars and conflicts -

human activities which will not bear good or useful fruit.

Understanding a broader humanity and what makes it tick

is not only interesting and fun,

it helps us to understanding each other's place in the world

and the contribution that each of us make to human culture.

Multifaith Advisory Group (MAG) and Faith Communities Council of Victoria (FCCV) respond to #SiegeSydney

Statement on behalf of the Multifaith Advisory Group (MAG) and Faith Communities Council of Victoria (FCCV) in response to the tragic event in Sydney

Faith Leaders Call for Unity and Peace
Tuesday, 16 December 2014 

The members of the Victorian Multifaith Advisory Group (MAG) and the Faith Communities Council of Victoria (FCCV) would like to offer our deepest condolences and sympathies to the victims of the Sydney hostage crisis and their families.  We also extend our sincere gratitude to the police and emergency services personnel who put their lives at risk in the service of others.

We are shocked and saddened by this terrible act of violence and our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by this tragic event.  

Australia is a diverse and harmonious place where people from many different cultures, religions and spiritualties have made their home.  Together, we live in peace and respect one another.  

We support the National Board of Imams and the wider Muslim community who have stated that the beliefs and acts of the individual responsible do not reflect the teachings of Islam, nor the desire for peace of Australian Muslims.  

During this sad and difficult time we call upon all Australians to unite in affirming peace and continuing to support one another.  

The overwhelming community support, including the #illridewith you Twitter campaign is heartening and reflects our shared humanity and values.  

We encourage all people to reach out to each other in the spirit of peace.     

The MAG consists of approximately 20 senior representatives from Victoria’s diverse faith communities, including the Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and interfaith communities. The MAG represents the voice of Victoria’s faith leaders to the Victorian Government.

The FCCV is an umbrella multifaith body contributing to the harmony of the Victorian community by promoting positive relations between people of different faiths and greater public knowledge and mutual understanding of the teachings, customs and practices of Victoria's diverse faith traditions.  

This statement is supported by the following MAG members:

1. Anglican Archdiocese of Melbourne
2. Baha’i Community of Victoria 
3. Coptic Orthodox Church Diocese of Melbourne and Affiliated Regions
4. Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria
5. Gary Bouma, Chair of Interreligious and Intercultural Relations – Asia Pacific region
6. Hindu Council of Australia, Victoria Chapter
7. Hindu Foundation
8. Interfaith Centre of Melbourne 
9. Islamic Council of Victoria
10. Jewish Communities Council of Victoria
11. Lutheran Church of Australia, Victorian District
12. Rabbinical Council of Victoria
13. Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia, Australian and New Zealand Diocese
14. Salvation Army, Victoria
15. Sikh Interfaith Council of Victoria
16. Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of Victoria & Tasmania
17. Victorian Council of Churches
18. Victorian Multicultural Commission

Media contacts: 

• Bishop Phillip Huggins, Anglican Archdiocese of Melbourne, 0418 799 515 
• Nail Aykan, Islamic Council of Victoria, 0430 545 800
• Rabbi Ralph Genende, Rabbinical Council of Victoria, 0411 417 174

Religions for Peace - Appeals from Sheik Majid (Iraqi Kuridsh Muslim & Honorary President of RfP) and His Holiness Louis Raphael Sako (Christian Chaldean Patriarch of Babyton and Co-President of RF)

 August 2014

Esteemed Religions for Peace Colleagues: 

Warm greetings. 

Adding to the great sufferings of peoples in the Middle East-North Africa Region are the currently unfolding events in Iraq. 

H.E. Sheikh Majid Hafeed, an Iraqi Kurdish Muslim and Honorary President of Religions for Peace International, has contacted our International Secretariat strongly calling for intervention and support to protect the Yazidis in the town of Sinjar, northern Iraq.  

They are currently undergoing an attack by the ISIS / ISIL terrorist group.  Sheikh Majid reports to us that thousands have been massacred, hundreds of thousands have fled and their homes and shops have been looted and burned.  You will find Sheikh Majid's appeal (in Arabic) here. 

His Holiness Louis Raphael Sako, the Christian Chaldean Patriarch of Babylon and a Co-President of Religions for Peace International, has also contacted us with an urgent appeal for the 100,000 Christians who have fled their homes toward the Kurdish cities of Erbil, Duhok and Soulaymiya.  You will find Patriarch Sako's appeal here. 

In response, Religions for Peace is transmitting these appeals to the President of the United Nations Security Council, urging that the Security Council take appropriate measures to protect these innocent people. 

In addition, allow me also to request that all members of Religions for Peace around the world hold these suffering peoples in their prayers.  Let each of us pray in accord with her or his own tradition in solidarity with all across this region who are struggling to bear unbearable suffering. 

Yours in solidarity for Peace,

Dr. William Vendley

Secretary General

Religions for Peace

RELIGIONS FOR PEACE--the world's largest and most representative multi-religious coalition-advances common action among the world's religious communities for peace. Religions for Peace works to transform violent conflict, advance human development, promote just and harmonious societies, and protect the earth. The global Religions for Peace network comprises a World Council of senior religious leaders from all regions of the world; five regional inter-religious bodies and ninety national ones; and the Global Women of Faith Network and Global Interfaith Youth Network. 

777 United Nations Plaza I New York, NY 10017 USA I Tel: 212 687-2163 I Fax: 212 983-0098

www.rfp.org 

BTC Editor's Note:The area of the warfare mentioned above is in one of the oldest parts of human history in the world.  War has diminished and eradicated much of this evidence. Readers will remember the looting of the National Museum of Iraq in 2003.  Readers will also recalled the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyah in 2001.  The heritage of these ancient civilisations are not only informative and precious to the peoples in whose regions they are situated.  They are precious to all of us.  The references used in the production of these antiquities are references to all of humanity.  Human life to-day is of vital importance to all of us.  So is our shared and ancient histories.

Poetry Week 2013 - The Touch of the Master's Hand

The poem and message below come from Margaret Lenan-Ellis who is Public Relations Officer of the Ballarat Interfaith Network.

Hi Everyone- many people will probably be familiar with this poem, but I find it moving:

The Touch of the Master's Hand

click on the link to hear the poem 

picture from here

'Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer Thought it scarcely worth his while To waste much time on the old violin, But held it up with a smile: "What am I bidden, good folks," he cried, "Who'll start the bidding for me?" "A dollar, a dollar"; then, "Two!" "Only two? Two dollars, and who'll make it three? Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice; Going for three----" But no, From the room, far back, a gray-haired man Came forward and picked up the bow; Then, wiping the dust from the old violin, And tightening the loose strings, He played a melody pure and sweet As a caroling angel sings. The music ceased, and the auctioneer, With a voice that was quiet and low, Said: "What am I bid for the old violin?" And he held it up with the bow. "A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two? Two thousand! And who'll make it three? Three thousand, once, three thousand, twice, And going, and gone," said he. The people cheered, but some of them cried, "We do not quite understand What changed its worth." Swift came the reply: "The touch of a master's hand." And many a man with life out of tune, And battered and scarred with sin, Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd, Much like the old violin. A "mess of pottage," a glass of wine; A game--and he travels on. He is "going" once, and "going" twice, He's "going" and almost "gone." But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd Never can quite understand The worth of a soul and the change that's wrought By the touch of the Master's hand.

                 --Myra Brooks Welch

Myra Brooks Welch was a resident of La Verne, California. As a youngster her special joy was playing the organ but this was denied her in later life as she suffered badly from arthritis and spent much of her time in a wheelchair. She wrote with an inverted pencil in each of her gnarled hands and would pick out the words on a type writer. She said that the joy of her writing outweighed the pain of her efforts. She was known as “The poet with the singing soul”.

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In 1921, she heard a speaker address a group of students. She said she became filled with light, and "Touch of the Master's Hand wrote itself in 30 minutes!" She sent it anonymously to her church news bulletin. She felt it was a gift from God, and didn't need her name on it. Its popularity spread like magic. Finally, several years later, the poem was read at a religious international convention - "author unknown." A young man stood up and said, "I know the author, and it's time the world did too. It was written by my mother, Myra Welch." Then her name, as well her other beautiful works of poetry became known worldwide.

All of her poetry told of the rejoicing she had in God's love. What the world did not see, was the woman who created these masterpieces: Myra in her wheelchair, battered and scarred from severe arthritis, which had taken away her ability to make music. Instead, her musical soul spoke through her poetry. Her words, a joyous expression of the wonders of life, as seen by a singing soul that was touched by the Master's Hand. As a friend turned to leave her home, Myra patted the arm of her wheelchair and said, "And I thank God for this!" Imagine being grateful for a wheelchair! But her talent lay undiscovered prior to her wheelchair days. Rather than becoming bitter, she chose to let her handicap make her better, and a wonderful new door opened for her.

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Myra Brooks Welch was a prolific poet who had three volumes of her poetry published by the Brethren Publishing House. Her faith and courageous optimism, as reflected in her poetry, are not shallow and untested phases of a life outlook. She achieved them despite - perhaps in part because of - circumstances that confined her to a wheel chair for twenty years. Writing out of what she knows as well as what she feels, she brought inspiration and courage to thousands. ** All writers of verse aspire to create at least one song that will wing its way down through the years. A few succeed in so doing; a larger number must be content with lesser achievements. For Myra Brooks Welch that long-lasting poem was written in 1921 and published in the Gospel Messenger on February 26, 1921. It was accorded immediate popularity and quoted and widely reprinted, often as an anonymous production. "The Touch Of The Master's Hand".

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