INTERFAITH DIALOGUE
An Interfaith Dialogue with Muslims, Jews and Christians was held on March 17th and 24th at the Evergreen Presbyterian Church in Dothan, Alabama. The event was sponsored by Evergreen Presbyterian’s Minister Joe Johnson, Temple Emanuel’s Rabbi Lynn Goldberg and the Muslim Community of the Wiregrass’s Imam Raymond Rasheed.
From Temple B’nai Israel located in Panama City, Florida, Helaine Norman, President, and Marilyn Fenimore, Interfaith Chairperson, were there to further the understanding of commonality between the faiths, especially to share the Jewish philosophy of Tikkun Olam (community service/leaving the world a better place) and the SH’MA and its Blessings (Jewish faith prayer).
Even though the Muslim faith is suggested to be more complex than the Christian and Jewish faiths, we all have one G-d, Creator of the Universe to be the same. Allah (Arabic), Adonai (Hebrew) and the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Trinity (English) are the names spoken by the different faiths referring to the Creator of the Universe/G-d. We broke into groups (with each faith represented) to discuss our commonalities, which are derived from the most important tenants of the three faiths. The tenants from all religions are the following: love G-d, love one another, do no harm, leave the world a better place by giving to and helping others.
As we discussed the radical problems, Imam Raymond Rasheed, explained that Radical Islam is “a human problem, not a religious problem”. The conditions of “no place to live and nothing to eat” give to poverty and illiteracy, which gives to drug wars, uprisings and radical movements; and with given conditions, persons of any faith could become radical.
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