When looking for answers to questions about right and wrong, more Americans say they turn to practical experience and common sense (45%) than to any other source of guidance. If fullness of truth or fullness of the gospel means that all the answers relative to God and to eternal salvation are already found in the teachings and practices of the Church as presently constituted, there would be no need for additional revelation, whether institutional or personal. If we want a stable society, we should seek to achieve spiritual coexistence and respect other religious convictions for religious coexistence. My question is, how do you know? [21] In short, the interaction of Gods perfect light with the imperfect human filters who function as its receptors gives rise to many different intensities of light, some brighter and some darker. They do not feel that they have it all and do not object to the need for greater and more refined truth, particularly in matters relating to salvation. The truest fruits of religion are healing and positive. This can lead to greater cooperation and collaboration, as well as a . [13] Gordon B. Hinckley, Standing for Something (New York: Times Books, 2000), 62, 64. Understanding Other Religious Beliefs - This lesson helps students learn more about different religions and discuss the importance of religion freedom, Teaching Tolerance; Teacher Resources - Instructional and Learning Resources . But despite the commendable intentions and enthusiasm of all involved, interfaith has its critics. Although there is widespread agreement across Christian groups on this question, there is disagreement about whether the Bible can be taken literally, word for word. Most evangelical Protestants (55%) and members of historically black Protestant churches (59%) believe the Bible should be taken literally, but fewer Christians from other traditions espouse a literalist view of the Bible. Of course, respecting other people's religion is very important, especially if you are trying to raise children who are also respectful of others, whether they are the same as you or different. Somewhat fewer Catholics (63%), Mormons (62%), mainline Protestants (60%) and Orthodox Christians (59%) say they believe in hell. Religion is a specific set of organised beliefs and practices, usually shared by a community or group. At that age, the lessons we received on respect were not focused on respecting other religions, but respecting others in general. Fewer Catholics (30%), mainline Protestants (29%) and Orthodox Christians (27%) turn primarily to religion for guidance on questions of right and wrong. This includes 64% of Muslims, 58% of Catholics and 53% of mainline Protestants. Joseph Smith often denounced similar approaches to truth inherent in established traditions or in well-defined definitions of beliefs, since what they underlie is a completion and restriction of learning. Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World, Chapter 1: Importance of Religion and Religious Beliefs, Next: Chapter 2: Religious Practices and Experiences, Chapter 2: Religious Practices and Experiences, Chapter 3: Views of Religious Institutions, Chapter 4: Social and Political Attitudes, Appendix B: Putting Findings From the Religious Landscape Study Into Context, One-in-six Americans have taken steps to see less of someone on social media due to religious content, Support for legal abortion is widespread in many countries, especially in Europe, Freedom of speech and LGBT rights: Americans views of issues in Supreme Court case, How people in 24 countries view same-sex marriage, In 2020, properties in 102 countries and territories were targeted in incidents tied to religion, Online Religious Services Appeal to Many Americans, but Going in Person Remains More Popular, As AI Spreads, Experts Predict the Best and Worst Changes in Digital Life by 2035, More than half of states now recognize Juneteenth as an official holiday, Inflation, Health Costs, Partisan Cooperation Among the Nations Top Problems. [3] A clear message of these speeches and videos is that religion as a whole is good and beneficial to civilization, that it provides a solid foundation to ethical behaviors, and that it should be given a voice in contributing to important public discussions about morality. In short, there are many possible areas of learning which are visible, available, and open to discovery as soon as one seeks for this encounter. Among non-Christian faiths, it is more common to see God as an impersonal force. 1068934 Fewer than half of Mormons (40%) and only about one-in-ten Jehovahs Witnesses (8%) believe that many religions can lead to eternal life. Among thousands of world religions, Christianity is the largest, with 2.3 billion followers.
Why it is important to respect the beliefs and culture of others Recognizing and respecting the religious beliefs of others is essential for peacefully existing with people of other faiths and cultures. [1] Huston Smith, The Way Things Are: Conversations with Huston Smith on the Spiritual Life, ed. These resources are now available on the website mormonnewsroom.com, for members and nonmembers alike. There is no reason to think that other religions should be excluded from this rich picture of available knowledge, which does not necessarily emerge from standard Mormon channels. For lack of a better term, I have labeled this particular obstacle to the study of other religions the creedal abomination argument, even though a different focus than the creeds may characterize some of its expressions. Latter-day Saints are not immune from the difficulty of finding an appropriate balance. Slightly bigger shares of blacks and Hispanics than whites say they believe in heaven, and older Americans are slightly more likely than younger adults to hold this belief. He said, for example, that just as the Book of Mormon could only be either of God or of the devil, so the Quran must either be from God or from the devil, and it was obviously the latter. Six-in-ten or more evangelical Protestants, Mormons and Jehovahs Witnesses say they turn to religious teachings and beliefs for moral guidance. But this society can only be built on a sure foundation of mutual respect, openness and trust. Among people who do identify with a religion, however, there has been little, if any, change on many measures of religious belief. . . About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. Fewer Orthodox Christians (33%), mainline Protestants (32%), Catholics (30%) and members of the historically black Protestant tradition (29%) say there are clear and absolute standards of right and wrong. For example, in relation to the previously quoted passage in Joseph SmithHistory, retired BYU professor Roger Keller once stated, There is a tendency to understand the word creed here as a confession of faith, such as the Apostles Creed or the Nicene Creed. Hence, if approached with the right attitude, the study of world religions can be a fascinating, enlightening, and ultimately faith-promoting experience. Nearly nine-in-ten Americans (89%) say they believe in God or a universal spirit, and most of them (63% of all adults) are absolutely certain in this belief. Among other religious groups, including Jews, mainline Protestants and Catholics, the most common view is that religions should adjust traditional practices. . respect for religion. He specifically mentioned the anger and internal arguments he had experienced when finding in the textbook such expressions as the prophet Muhammad, the revealed Quran, and so forth (the book was authored by a non-Muslim who wrote sympathetically about Islam). These findings are little changed from 2007, when 44% of affiliated respondents said their religion should preserve its traditional beliefs and practices, 35% said their religion should adjust its traditional beliefs and 12% said their religion should adopt modern beliefs and practices. It has been true in the past, it is true today, it will be true in the future. In the same general conference speech he then cited the late Apostle Orson F. Whitney, who stated: Perhaps the Lord needs such men on the outside of His Church to help it along. On the one hand, Peter tells us, "Honor everyone. I have experienced this in a few instances with some who use scriptural references to state unequivocally that we should refrain from studying other religions, because God has condemned them. 1 Educating Yourself on Other Religions 2 Respecting Different Customs 3 Interacting With People of Different Faiths + Show 1 more. For some, success might be the cessation of hostilities between faith communities. . Among evangelical Protestants, for example, men are just as likely as women to believe in heaven, and young people are just as likely as older evangelicals to hold this belief. Among the religiously unaffiliated, roughly three-in-ten (31%) say God is an impersonal force, a quarter say God is best viewed as a person and a third say God does not exist. All member bodies subscribe to this guidance, and it has been used widely. It is too easy and too human to pick and choose the best that ones community has to offer and juxtapose it with what is most controversial and problematic in a competing group. In my case, the central meal has always been and continues to be Mormon Christianity. Two-thirds of Catholics (68%) and mainline Protestants (65%) say some non-Christian religions can lead to eternal life, as do 59% of Orthodox Christians. Bringing people from different faiths together is often seen as a way to tackle the worlds most pressing problems. The chapter also examines Americans views on religion and salvation, religion and modernity, and religion and morality. About six-in-ten Americans (58%) believe in hell, little changed from 2007. Then, since the Church already gathers all the partial truths taught by other religions, the argument continues, no additional truth of salvific value can be found in other faiths because all knowledge of this kind is already available through official Mormon teachings. If Mormon history has taught us anything, it is that religious freedom is not to be taken for granted and that its preservation requires forces which are larger than a single religious denomination. [8] When we fail to live in this tension and do not experience this balance, we risk losing the full perspective of the restored gospel. Respect for other religions . It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. And ultimately, this should help interfaith groups worldwide to more successfully tackle interreligious hostility and ease the heavy cost of religious conflict upon society. Pragmatically, learning about different beliefs and practices will only facilitate communication and mutual understanding with individuals of different religious persuasions with whom we are increasingly likely to come into contact.
Respecting others spiritual beliefs | Spirituality | ReachOut Australia This is because: It may upset the person from a different culture. As a Latter-day Saint, I also believe that my religion has something unique and additional in relation to what other faiths have to offer; it is one of the reasons I am a Mormon and one of the reasons I served an LDS mission. My hope is to demonstrate that these obstacles, which emerge every so often in the Mormon cultural milieu, skew what I deem to be a proper LDS perspective on other religions. Only about a quarter of those who belong to non-Christian faiths (26%) share this view. A student of a particular faith should go to that churchs official literature or ask committed members of the same church when wanting to become educated about its beliefs and practices. (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax Background The Inter Faith Network for the UK (IFN) works to build good relations between people of different faiths and beliefs, promoting mutual respect and understanding. Religious holidays often involve a form of worship. In short, whatever interpretative tool one chooses to employ in understanding this particular passage, I do not see a sweeping divine condemnation of other religions or a warning to keep ones distance from them. . Together, listening and responding with openness and respect, we can move forward to work in ways that acknowledge genuine differences but build on shared hopes and values. Interfaith groups often have bold ambitions, whether for their local area or the world at large. Here one may justifiably ask whether I am suggesting that other religions should only be approached sympathetically, and not be approached critically. Ever since I was about three years old, I have continuously been taught to treat others with respect, despite our differences. Other Sections Expert Q&A Related Articles References Co-authored by Mary Church, PhD Last Updated: March 11, 2023 References Moreover, if Jesus is truly the Savior, and Joseph Smith is a true prophet of God, then Muhammad must be a false prophet; it was all very logical in his mind, as he was simply reasserting his commitment to his faith while denying the truthfulness of a religion which advances competing claims. Belief in heaven is nearly universal among Mormons (95%) and members of the historically black Protestant tradition (93%).
Importance of respecting other religions. Respect for other religions I praised him for his devotion, but I began to challenge his core assumption. Hence, the more the religious other is understood to be bad, the more ones religion shines in comparison as the ultimate good. Conversely, the fullness, only true church, and creedal abomination arguments, although correct in some of their premises, ultimately hamper true appreciation by emphasizing the irrelevance or falsehood of other religions. The vast majority of Muslims (89%) also believe in heaven. Since the 2007 Religious Landscape Study, however, the share of U.S. adults who say they turn to practical experience has decreased by 7 percentage points (from 52% to 45%) while the share who say they look to religious teachings has increased by 4 points (from 29% to 33%). . This noble group includes those in the religious orders of the Catholic Church and those who have given lifelong service as Christian missionaries in various Protestant faiths. For example, my experience and understanding of God are such that I could not possibly conceive that he would require actual human sacrifices to take place in his name (the word actual accounts for the near-sacrifice in the Abraham and Isaac story). Religion harnesses deep emotions which can sometimes take destructive forms. The decline in the share of Americans who say religion is very important in their lives is closely tied to the growth of the religiously unaffiliated, whose share of the population has risen from 16% to 23% over the past seven years. False Obstacles to Learning and Appreciation. "Your family's religion is part of the history of the family and is part of the fabric of the family," says . Most Muslims (83%) accept the Quran (also spelled Koran) as the word of God. There is much that we Latter-day Saints can learn from them. Some cookies are required for our site to function.
Importance of Religion and Religious Beliefs - Pew Research Center A Catholic friend of mine once put it simply when he said that believers have feelings of love and commitment towards their own religion that are similar to the feelings they hold for their own mothers. More recently, key events such as 9/11 have thrust interfaith onto the global stage. Compared with those who are religiously affiliated, religious nones are far less likely to describe religion as a key part of their lives; just 13% say religion is very important to them. Students are mentored by an MP and contribute towards various initiatives.
The All Nation Cafe is one such endeavour. The Other in Curriculum and Policy. You need to understand its practices, its applications, its significance and its values.
'We respect all religions' - The Hindu In this verse, we see four different types of love. . Therefore, when the fullness argument is used to masquerade this kind of rigidity and is motivated primarily by a fear-driven refusal to step outside ones comfort zone, it becomes a serious problem. . For Americans who are religiously affiliated, the importance people attach to religion varies somewhat by religious tradition. About one-in-ten Christians express no opinion or provide other views on these matters. Indeed, encounters between people of different faiths might lead to more positive attitudes towards other faith groups. On the other hand, ones strong commitment to a particular ideology becomes suspect if it hides an unwillingness to listen to or to encounter any potentially problematic evidence and if it is rooted in a sense of personal superiority that admits no challenge. Situated in a buffer zone between the Israeli Army checkpoint and the Palestinian Authority, the cafe is an easily accessible meeting place for Israelis and Palestinians. Even when accounting for missing or distorted elements in these religions teachings, there remains much in their distinctive expressions of faith that is uniquely beautiful. Please indicate your consent to this sites use of cookies.
Does Religion Deserve Our Respect? - JSTOR Those who opposed the temples construction had used reports based on anti-Mormon publications to criticize the Church, its beliefs, and its practices. Thus our ideas and thoughts would extend as far as the wide world spreads, embracing everything pertaining to light, life, or existence pertaining to this world or the world that is to come.[11] Wilford Woodruff put it succinctly in these terms: If any man has got a truth that we have not got, let us have it. He came to speak with me about his difficulty in reading the course textbook, which he attributed to the reading process being so emotionally charged that it took him hours to complete every assignment. Copyright 20102023, The Conversation Media Group Ltd. A Muslim group talk with the elderly Hindu man about religion. Far fewer Jews (37%), Hindus (29%) and Buddhists (15%) say their scripture is the word of God. In short, learning about the truth and goodness of other religions will help us become better people and better Mormons. Although I have not been studying and experiencing the worlds religions for over seventy years as Huston Smith has, I fully concur with his conclusion.
'Respect Study' the Treatment of Religious Difference and Otherness: An Since the purpose of religion is to show the path for a seeker to attain inner peace and enduring happiness in one's life-time by instilling an unshakable faith in the existence of a supreme being guiding the affairs of human beings and Nature, one would naturally expect that it would, at the very minimum, serve as . The share of the unaffiliated who believe the Bible was written by men and is not the word of God has risen by 8 percentage points in recent years, from 64% in 2007 to 72% in 2014. While conversations between people of different faiths appear to make a difference, and despite significant contributions made by faith communities, knowing if anything works remains a challenge, as the effectiveness of interfaith initiatives are rarely measured or evaluated. But instead of finding guidance through religious teachings, more of the nones are turning to scientific information; the share who say they rely on scientific information has increased from 10% to 17% in recent years. I find the conclusions of this argument to be unsatisfactory, both in a broad philosophical sense as well as in the more specific LDS doctrinal context, even though I concur with some of its premises. [6] In other words, within the plan of salvation, religious freedom is a necessary means that leads not only to the ultimate truth of Mormonism but also to any other religious truth that is contained and expressed by other religions. [9] B. H. Roberts, ed., History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2nd ed. The continued presence of religious conflict, extremism and prejudice in society has compelled many to seek solutions within interfaith practice. Members of historically black Protestant churches are more divided: 47% say they rely on religious teachings while 41% rely on practical experience. It is important as a Latter Day Saint to be respectful of other religions and their views. For example, seven-in-ten Christians think of God as a person with whom people can have a relationship. In 1993, IFN developed, in consultation with its member bodies, guidance on Building Good Relations with People of Different Faiths and Beliefs. [14] Poetic, musical, and scriptural writings of various kinds may also highlight a degree of commitment and adoration of God, which any person of faith can find uplifting. Belief in hell is most common among members of historically black Protestant churches (82%) and evangelical Protestant churches (82%). Faith Communities Forum of the Inter Faith Network for the UK, Resources for youth inter faith engagement, Building Good Relations with People of Different Faiths and Beliefs (Code), Respecting other peoples freedom within the law to express their beliefs and convictions, Learning to understand what others actually believe and value, and letting them express this in their own terms, Respecting the convictions of others about food, dress and social etiquette and not behaving in ways which cause needless offence, Recognising that all of us at times fall short of the ideals of our own traditions and never comparing our own ideals with other peoples practices, Working to prevent disagreement from leading to conflict, Always seeking to avoid violence in our relationships, Recognising that listening as well as speaking is necessary for a genuine conversation, Being honest about our beliefs and religious allegiances, Not misrepresenting or disparaging other peoples beliefs and practices, Correcting misunderstanding or misrepresentations not only of our own but also of other faiths whenever we come across them, Being straightforward about our intentions, Accepting that in formal inter faith meetings there is a particular responsibility to ensure that the religious commitment of all those who are present will be respected, Respecting another persons expressed wish to be left alone, Avoiding imposing ourselves and our views on individuals or communities who are in vulnerable situations in ways which exploit these, Avoiding violent action or language, threats, manipulation, improper inducements, or the misuse of any kind of power, Respecting the right of others to disagree with us.
Respecting Other Religions Opinion - 716 Words | 123 Help Me Specifically, a few have quoted the Joseph SmithHistory account of the First Vision, where the Prophet reports, with reference to the Christian sects and denominations of his time, that the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight.[17]. This is what our latest project aims to address. There has been little change in recent years in the share of Christians who believe the Bible should be interpreted literally, word for word. While I subscribe to the belief that the prophetic authority of the Church ensures a preferential revelatory channel, and even an exclusive authority in the realm of doctrinal declarations, I also understand truth to involve more than mere propositional statements or declarations of beliefs. The next most common source of guidance is religious beliefs and teachings (33%), while far fewer turn to philosophy and reason (11%) or scientific information (9%). [18] Roger Keller and others, Religions of the World: A Latter-day Saint View, rev. Religion. [11] John Taylor, in Journal of Discourses (London: Latter-day Saints Book Depot, 185486), 1:155; 14:337. This is important because this knowledge will allow for initiatives to improve. In fact, half of all Christians say some non-Christian faiths can lead to eternal life, while about four-in-ten say either that theirs is the one true faith leading to eternal life or that only Christianity can result in everlasting life. Brigham Young University This version of the 'Code' was last updated in November 2022. My main concern is to address those claims, occasionally heard among some Latter-day Saints, which affirm an inherent incompatibility between a positive approach to other religions and the foundational principles of the restored gospel. For some, interfaith is no more than virtue signalling. Why do we need to respect different kinds of beliefs in our society? 1. mechanism: the view that all life is only matter in motion and can be totally explained by .
Religion in India: Tolerance and Segregation - Pew Research Center The change in Americans religious beliefs coincides with the rising share of the U.S. public that is not affiliated with any religion. Whether the issue that brings us together is the defense of religious freedom, humanitarian work, some other commonly shared value, or simply friendship, working teams are most successful when individual members trust each other. Some of this evil may even receive religious sanction. For instance, fewer religious nones say religion is very important to them than was the case in 2007, and fewer say they believe in God or believe in heaven or hell. Every religion has some members who feel so threatened by a different faith that when they encounter the religious other, they can only condemn it as evil. When I asked him whether he thought it possible that he could hold his commitment to Mormonism firm while at the same time being able to identify Gods hand within a different religion, he seemed very skeptical. Nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults (64%) say that whether something is right or wrong depends on the situation, while a third say there are clear and absolute standards for what is right or wrong. Indeed, the great majority of those who have expressed the fullness argument to me are very much aware of their need for development in knowledge, character, and understanding. For the most part, however, differences in beliefs about the Bible are larger across religious traditions (e.g., between evangelicals and Catholics and religious nones) than differences between demographic groups within the same religious tradition. At least for a few of the Saints, it seems that a focus on the positive that exists outside of Mormonism represents a threatening challenge to the claims and commitments associated with ones own faith. Specifically, I have encountered at least three kinds of arguments, loosely interrelated and usually based on particular scriptural passages, which purportedly highlight the dangers of approaching other religions favorably. Add an RSC shortcut to this device's Homescreen, First Presidency Warns Against Irreligion,, In the menu, scroll past any icons and tap. We zoom into the Earth in a blur,. Phil Cousineau (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003), 143. Some people will also want to persuade others to join their faith. For example, John Taylor once stated, I was going to say I am not a Universalist, but I am, and I am also a Presbyterian, and a Roman Catholic, and a Methodist, in short, I believe in every true principle that is imbibed by any person or sect, and reject the false. So we turned to a statement of the First Presidency dated February 15, 1978, which affirms, among other things, that the great religious leaders of the world such as Mohammed, Confucius, and the Reformers, as well as philosophers including Socrates, Plato, and others, received a portion of Gods light. Other Apostles and General Authorities have also spoken on this issue: see Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Faith, Family, and Religious Freedom, http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/files/Elder-Holland-Address--Faith--Family--Religious-Freedom/elder-holland-faith-family-freedom.pdf.
Embracing Various Religious Beliefs in the Classroom For others less cynical, but no less sceptical, the goals of interfaith such as world peace or the reconciliation of all religious differences seem lofty and vague. In fact, most religiously unaffiliated believers say they are less than absolutely certain about Gods existence.
Teaching Kids to Respect Other Religions - Parents They [the Gentiles] are our partners in a certain sense. Among thousands of world religions, Christianity is the largest, with 2.3 billion followers. Many Latter-day Saints have already enjoyed this experience, and in so doing they have enlarged their circles of friendships while joining hands with others in defending faith, family, and society. I find the best evidence of this conclusion in the many returned-missionary students in my classes who remark at the end of each semester that they wish they had taken a world religions course prior to their missions. Camden Cares, was set up as part of the ParliaMentors programme to address the lack of integration opportunities for young asylum seekers.
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