Join us tomorrow at St Mary’s (Sunday 28th July) to discuss My, faith, your faith, their faith: are all religions the same? with Professor David Thomas. This is number four of our Faith@Five series of talks.
Rishi Sunak is a Hindu, Suella Braverman is a Buddhist, Tony Blair is a Roman Catholic, the Radio 4 Today presenter Mishal Husain is a Muslim, and her fellow-presenter Emma Barnett is a Jew. Organised religion may be in decline, but religious faith is strong and varied. The United Kingdom is a country of many religious traditions all generally rubbing along together, though the world is racked by conflicts in which religions definitely play a part: Jews and Muslims in Gaza, Hindus and Muslims in India, Buddhists and Rohingyas in Myanmar. Must religious people always tend to accentuate the differences between themselves and others. What is the risk of recognising the things they hold in common?
The attitudes held by followers of one religious tradition towards followers of another can be roughly gathered under three headings. There are those who exclude others who do not follow their way because they are not right and will not be saved. There are those who include others who do not follow their way because they are right in part and may be saved. And there are those to accept the plurality of all believers as equally right and open to be saved. Are you an exclusivist, an inclusivist, or a pluralist? Explore what, why and how in St Mary’s at 5.00 pm on Sunday 28th July (moved from its original date by a week). Explorations last an hour, concluding with a short service.
The Ross Parishes: Ross-on-Wye, Walford & Brampton Abbotts 