| An Overview
from www.lightforthelastdays.co.uk “Some 6000 people attended the 'Parliament of the World's Religions' in Chicago from 28th August to 5th September. Discussions centred on the formulation of a 'global ethic', a code of conduct to be endorsed by all religions. See New Religious Order for more information This event was the centenary of the first 'Parliament of the World's Religions' held in Chicago in 1893. At that event a great impact was made by Vivekananda, a disciple of the Hindu seer, Sri Ramakrishna. It was therefore a launching pad for the invasion of western Christendom by Hinduism and Buddhism. This is now seeing its fulfilment in the ideas of the inter-faith and New Age Movements which dominate the thinking of such gatherings. Behind this thinking is the idea that 'all is one' (pantheism), that god is in everything and that as a result all differences of race and religion are to abolished. The problem of mankind is not the moral problem of sin separating us from God, but a problem of knowledge, which prevents us from being able to discover 'the god within' and realise our own 'godhood.' The dominance of this spirit was illustrated by the 'blessings' from a variety of religious influences which opened the meeting this year. One of these was brought by a High Priestess of the pagan Temple of Isis, whose devotions were given 'in the name of the 10,000 names, the spirits, the birds, reptiles and trees.' One of the main opening speakers was United Nations executive Dr Robert Muller. He called for the establishment of a permanent 'World Council of Religion' by 1995, along the lines of the United Nations. Dr Muller - a disciple of Teilhard de Chardin and a prominent advocate of the New Age Movement - is the author of New Age books, including Shaping a Global Spirituality and Decide to Be in which he writes, 'Decide to open yourself to God, to the universe, to all your brethren and sisters, to your inner self ... to the potential of the human race, to the infinity of your inner self, and you will become the universe .. you will become infinity, and you will be at long last your real, divine, stupendous self.'
Star-Telegram, Nov. 26, 1999 said this.. The first Parliament of the World's Religions was held in 1893 in Chicago, and a century later the Parliament again convened there. At the 1993 conference, participants wore buttons declaring: "There is One God. We Are All One." But Miller said the Parliament doesn't have the goal of combining all the world's religions. "Creating a megareligion is not the intent at all," she said. "That was never the intent. We do want to acknowledge that all religions find their foundations are in peace and in God and in tolerance and respect for one another." The Parliament in 1993 was not without controversy. Some objected to the presence of Wiccans, a religion of self-proclaimed benevolent witches who base their faith on pre-Christian practices. At the 1993 Parliament, representatives of 125 religious traditions signed a document, "Toward a Global Ethic," noting that most of the world religions have many moral and ethical teachings in common, such as commitment to a nonviolent way of living. [However the question has to be asked.. Is this true in the case of Islam? Scroll Down]
And The Walls Come Tumbling Down
Globe and Mail (Canada), Dec. 1, 1999 (Commentary)
http://archives.theglobeandmail.com/ “More than 10,000 people are expected to gather in Cape Town today for the Parliament of the World's Religions. The meeting marks the end of a century of increasing global interfaith co-operation and the promise of a new relationship among the world's religions. The future, at least for Christianity, will be postdenominational. We can see it already. Young people now go wherever their spiritual needs are met, not to the place their parents went. Scholars and theologians are finally resolving centuries-old dogmatic differences, but faithful and dedicated people have long ago decided such differences were meaningless. People frequently find greater companionship with others across the old denominational lines than within them. So too with religions themselves. The big emerging movement of the future --still young but now unstoppable -- will be global interfaith consciousness. Bishop Bill Swing of San Francisco, founder of the United Religions Initiative (inspired by the original vision of the United Nations), says the big question of the next millennium for believers will be "how generous can you stand God to be?" In the past 1,000 years we have fought hard for the belief that God is on our side, a member of our tribe, a sponsor of our interests (whichever "our" side happens to be). The next question is, can we see God -- by whatever name -- in our neighbour's tribe and in our neighbour's interests? Can we believe the God we know to be equally generous in self-disclosure to others as well as to us? I can imagine a world where people of faith finally turn their backs on the old competitive ways and live together in mutual courtesy and respect. I can imagine a time when the founders and saints of all the traditions -- Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, Guru Nanak and so on -- are honoured and cherished in all of them.” 1999 Cape Town Parliament of the World’s Religions
Extracts from Reflections upon the Parliament of the World's Religions by David Nelson. "The Parliament's more than 800 scheduled events began the following day. Often those events concerning Earthbased traditions, such as Shinto, Wicca, or Native American and indigenous African religions, were held simultaneously, making for difficult choices." "In the opening procession we came face to face with the virulent fundamentalism which most often infects monotheistic faiths, breeding discord. But time and again the Parliament illustrated that an opposite current also flows, dissolving the boundaries between faith communities and peoples" (Emphasis Added). "The service brought together Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, and Baha'i celebrants, and the closing ritual would have been meaningful to any Pagan. Around an outdoor altar with candles at the center, a thick line of white salt formed a circle upon the brown Earth. Salt represents preservation, we were told, and the circle, of course, represents wholeness. Earlier, each of us had been given a stone, and now we were told to step forward and place it on the circle of salt, leaving there our wish that the miracle of South Africa's racial healing and peace will continue". "At another workshop, Rowan Fairgrove and Catherine Starr explained the basics of Wicca to a largely appreciative audience. If I remember correctly, the question of Satanism never arose, and the varied Christian, Hindu, and other attendees seemed to regard Wicca not as something exotic or bizarre, but as simply another spiritual tradition about which they were eager to learn something." (Emphasis Added). "On the last day the organizers planned to close the Parliament on a high note with the appearance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama." "... the Parliament came to an exhilarating close later that night when 16 Pagans met for dinner at the Africa Cafe. Filling two of the three tables in the thirdfloor dining room, we feasted in the African manner with dishes from all over the continent. At one point someone asked, "What shall we call this night?" and I replied, "The First Supper... after dinner we formed a circle under the South African stars. Thanks were offered to the Goddess for bringing us together for those extraordinary days, and when Rowan Fairgrove opened the circle, we experienced an outpouring of love as we embraced one another. The Parliament could not have ended more perfectly. "Blessed Be!" we exclaimed, and indeed we were". (Emphasis Added).
1993 Chicago Parliament of the World’s Religions
IN FOCUS: PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS "Held in Chicago in 1993 exactly a century after the watershed gathering held there in 1893, the Parliament of the World's Religions brought together for a week-in the Victorian opulence of the Palmer House Hilton- swamis, sadhus, rinpoches, monks, arhats, avatars, priests, priestesses, ministers, witches, shamans, saints, and seekers-a kaleidoscope of religious worthies upon which the watchful Gods and muses on the ceiling beamed approvingly. Imagine the vast spaces of this courtly hotel teeming with an ever-changing panoply of mysterious veils, turbans, yarmulkes, cowls, and cassocks. Brown-robed Franciscans mix with gray-draped Zen monks. Silken saris of every rainbow colour frame faces with jeweled tilak marks symbolizing the spiritual eye. Ministers and monks talk with rabbis and Rastafarians. Egyptian priests and priestesses in exotic headdresses glide silently by African elders wearing beautiful prints of intense colours. The beads, leathers, feathers, and drums of Native American appear side by side with the traditional gowns and caps of the Zoroastrians. The feeling is wonderful, the atmosphere elevated. The Parliament itself became, in the words of a friend, "an occasion for serious interfaith dialogue (and its inevitably attendant geo-political strategizing), a consciousness-raising session, a public relations opportunity for grandstanding religious celebrities, a multicultural carnival, and a time for good old-fashioned spiritual schmoozing." It was a once-in-a-century gestalt of the unfolding realignment of spiritual forces that has occurred over the last century. In an atmosphere both respectful and celebratory-and interspersed with several real-world conflicts-the Parliament was an unparalleled showcase of religious vitality and diversity."
1993 Chicago Parliament of the World’s Religions
Extract From A Retrospection on the Parliament of the World’s Religions
by Dr. Barbara Condron "Members of the ICOM choir performed "The Power of Prayer around the World" during the 1993 Parliament. This cantata reflected the unity of teachings in nine of the world's Holy Scriptures". "From the first moment of Parliament, there was the sense of being in the presence of imminent greatness. The Opening Procession of over 600 dignitaries, individuals from the CPWR’s co-sponsoring organizations, and representatives of the fourteen major Host Committees in the ceremonial attire of the major religions of the world was soul stirring. These were the individuals who made this Parliament possible through spiritual and material involvement and support. As we entered the ballroom to the harmonious sounds of the Drepung Loseling Monks and the “Music of the Baroque”, a sense of awe and reverence filled the spirit just to witness the coming together of such a wide and diverse group of people. Blessings and invocations were given by eighteen religious leaders from the world’s faiths including Buddhist, Catholic, Hindu, Methodist, Unitarian, and Zoastrian traditions. Each prayer reflected the common ideals of peace, justice, and humanitarian fellowship. It became increasingly clear throughout the days ahead that we are indeed one people, with a common origin transcending the physical realm and embracing unifying hopes for a better world.... Sunday’s activities began with a silent meditation led by world-famous Indian spiritual leader and peace activist Sri Chinmoy who was instrumental in the creation of a space for meditation and prayer at the United Nations in New York. The major address, “Interfaith Harmony and Understanding” was presented by Robert Muller, former Deputy Secretary General of the U.N. and now president of a university in Costa Rica. Mr. Muller touched the hearts of everyone with his experience, vision, and personal stories of his continued communication with his recently deceased wife.... (Emphasis Added). ...Upon arriving, each Parliament member received a 150 page, book-size catalogue describing the week’s offerings. Program Chairman Jim Kenney stated it as filled with an embarrassment of riches, and indeed this was to be the case. At any given hour, Tuesday through Friday, two dozen major addresses, seminars, classes, or musical presentations were taking place on any of five floors of the Palmer House reserved for Parliament activities. These presentations were divided into six major categories: 1] The Earth, Science and Technology, 2] Social Challenge, 3] Community and Culture, 4] The Language of the Spirit, 5] Religions of the World, and 6] Body and Mind. People from all over the world - religious leaders, university professors, presidents of organizations - were sharing their knowledge on topics ranging from “Religion in the Year 2020” to “The Yoga of Cells” to “Kirtan: Devotional Songs in the Sikh Tradition". As Mr. Kenney said, “The catalogue you hold in your hands is a simply extraordinary sampling of human religious and spiritual reflection at the close of the twentieth century.” ...
...Thursday evening saw the awarding of the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion to Charles Colson who founded the Prison Fellowship in 1976, now a world-wide evangelical organization. The $1 million prize has been awarded annually since 1973 and previous recipients include Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the Rev. Billy Graham of USA, author Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Hindu lawyer Baba Amte of India, and Professor Carl Friedrich von Weizacker of Germany. (Emphasis Added).
The magnificent Rockefeller Chapel on the campus of the University of Chicago was filled with several thousand who came to hear Mr. Colson speak on “The Enduring Revolution”. His talk was inspiring as he addressed the four myths facing humanity today. A disciple of Christianity, he equated these myths with the four horsemen in the Book of Revelation in the Bible. The myths cited were the goodness of man, the promise of a coming utopia, the relativity of moral values, and radical individualism. Mr. Colson said the revolution begins in the human heart, and it is found in submission to a moral law. The Truths he shared transcended any favoritism he showed to his own Christian faith, entering the realm of Universal Truth that we all can live by." (Emphasis Added). (See Christian Exclusivism) By The Way.. Rick Warren of The Purpose Driven Program also has ties to the Templeton Foundation. See Rick Warren’s Strange Bedfellows and More on the Templeton Foundation HERE |
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