Different cultures, faiths to be discussed during Unity seminar
To promote understanding of the world's major religions, Unity
Church of North Idaho will sponsor a "Many Paths, One God" program
beginning Wednesday.
Speakers of various faiths will discuss their beliefs, answer
questions and lead a prayer or other sacred service.
Speakers will include followers of Islam, Yoga, Buddhism,
Judaism, and the Baha'i Faith.
"One of the things we want to accomplish is to expose people to
different beliefs and the awareness that there is more than one way
to touch the sacred and experience the sacred," said the Rev.
Marilyn Muehlbach, who is organizing the program. "There is no right
way (to worship), there is just what works for different people."
She said that the events of Sept. 11 have made people realize
there is a need to understand religions and cultures other than
their own. The "Many Paths, One God" Series will help people compare
the similarities and differences between their faith and other
beliefs.
"The more we understand people, the more we trust people. The
more we trust people, the better off we are and the less likely we
are to hurt each other," Muehlbach said.
Unity Church held a similar seminar 15 years ago during the
summer. Typically turnout is low at summer events, but "it was the
only class that ever increased in attendance as it went along,"
Muehlbach recalled.
"For each person who came to speak, their religion seemed to be
good for them. It made me see that Unity is right for me," she said.
The five faiths selected for the January series were chosen
because they are all major world movements, she explained.
The Coeur d'Alene area does not have a large Buddhist community,
a mosque, or a Jewish temple. However, despite the seeming isolation
of the area, "the world is getting much smaller. There are very few
place where we're not touched by other cultures," she said.
In a recent survey, diversity was seen as important by the Unity
congregation. "Education is what we're about," Muehlbach said.
The series will wrap up in February with a discussion of the
principles of Unity and an exploration of how people felt about what
they heard in the program.
Unity is a Christian-based religion that follows the teachings of
Jesus but also uses other sacred literature for inspiration and
meaning. "A lot of people consider us New Age, but we don't consider
ourselves New Age. New thought, maybe," Muehlbach said.
"Our religion is based on the goodness of God and the presence of
God in all people. It's practical in that if you're not living it,
it won't have much effect. We believe that what we think, do, say,
and believe can influence the world," Muehlbach explained.
At Sunday services, a prayer is said, honoring all people, the
many paths and many faiths of God while affirming the belief in one
God.
The "Many Paths, One God" program is open to the public and
Muehlbach said she is hoping that Unity gets a big draw from the
community. The program will be held on six consecutive Wednesdays
from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Unity Church of North Idaho, 4465 N. 15th
St.
Child care will be available. For more information, call the
church office, 664-1125.
This sidebar appeared with the story:
SEMINAR
Schedule
The scheduled line-up of Unity's "Many Paths, One God" series is:
Wednesday: The Path of Yoga
Jan. 9: The Path of Buddhism
Jan. 16: The Path of Islam (tentative as of press time)
Jan. 23: The Path of Judaism (tentative as of press time)
Jan. 30: The Path of the Baha'i Faith
Feb. 6: The Path of Unity
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