A Muslim, a Rabbi, a Methodist Pastor, and a Buddhist all sit down together…no it’s not the start of a joke but the beginning of the interfaith panel at the Mountain States conference on August 24, 2024. We wanted to take a moment and share a few of the highlights.
Across several different regions, we found some amazing commonalities. The leaders agreed religion can play an important role in our lives. It gives us a way to acknowledge the things that are beyond us. It is through religions we can connect to the mysteries and wonders of human life – everything from a breathtaking view during a hike to what happens when we pass from this life. But there has been a decline in participation. Why? One participant felt it was because humans have become too intellectual. We want understanding, proof, concrete answers. We are so much in our heads and religion needs to blend belief with intellect. As one leader put it, we need to bring the spiritually into the building again along with modern understanding. Each panelist shared ways in which people from their tradition have faced hardships and discrimination throughout history. No group was spared from horrible and inhumane treatment. At the end of the day, we may be on different paths, but we are alike than perhaps we think.
A huge thank you to the Denver Buddhist Temple for organizing this wonderful discussion with Dr. Nursen Konuk, Rabbi Steve Booth-Nadav, and Rev. Brian Lee, and moderated by Diana Thompson Sensei.
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