Religions for Peace: A Call for Solidarity to the Religions of the World
In the wake of the September 11 attacks on the U.S.,Religions for Peaceconfronts a baffling paradox. If all the major religions of the world promote peace, why is it that we find ourselves waging so many wars in the name of God? Francis Cardinal Arinze has devoted his life to facilitating dialogues between the leaders of numerous faiths around the world. Although he is based in Catholicism, Arinze offers a beautifully rendered chapter on how the major religions revere peace (including Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Taoism). "In the past 17 years," writes Arinze, "I have not come into contact with the follower of any religion who does not regard his or her religion as in favor of peace."So what's going wrong? The root of the problem, according to Arinze, is intolerance, the inability to respect other religions, races, and cultures. He devotes most of his book to what individuals and religious groups can do to promote world peace: emphasize the holiness of tolerance; be willing to see how your religion has perpetuated violence; provide information on "the negative and terrible effects of war"; and join together to pray for peace.--Gail Hudson