What is
Interfaith ?
Interfaith
is a spiritual philosophy, which honors and values the fundamental beauty and
wisdom in ALL religious traditions. We believe that there are many paths to
God, and that all are valid and worthy of respect. God created humans in an
amazing variety - we come in all sizes, shapes and colors and with different
needs and tastes. Some people will be best nourished by one type of food while
others will thrive best on something different. So, too, will different people
be nourished spiritually by different traditions. We believe that it is not
the form of religious practice that is important, but the spiritual intent
that underlies it. We recognize that God is in all things and in ALL people.
To quote an old Jewish saying "God is like a mirror. Whoever looks in it
will see a different face."
Interfaith strives to promote true respect for all the
diverse paths to God. Respect is different from tolerance – for tolerance
implies merely putting up with something you find disagreeable, whereas
respect involves valuing and appreciating something for it’s own true
nature.
This does NOT mean that we advocate blending all
religions into one great big “super-religion”. The motto of Interfaith is
"Never instead of .... Always in addition too." Many of the people
in Interfaith are devout followers of a particular path. We have
ordained Protestant ministers, priests, rabbis, Buddhist monks and nuns, just
to name a few. There are also people who have no formally designated path.
Our true journey in life is to learn LOVE and
FORGIVENESS. We believe that whenever anyone practices kindness and compassion
they honor the divine.
In short, the philosophy of Interfaith is best summed up
in the Hindu saying "For those in
whom Love dwells, all the world is one family."