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Parliament of the World's Religions in Melourne, Australia, December 2009
The United States Baha’i community is a supporter of the 2009 Parliament of the World's Religions.
The Parliament of the World's Religions is the world's largest global interfaith event, held once every five years in a different city. The Baha'i Faith has a special connection with the Parliament because the first public mention of the Faith in the West took place at the first Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago in 1893.
The next Parliament will be held in Melbourne from December 3 to 9, 2009.
It will bring together more than 8,000 people from around Australia and across the world, including renowned spiritual, religious and political leaders.
View a video about the Parliament here.
Interfaith Relations
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Courtesy of interfaithresources.com
Baha’is believe that religion has a crucial role to play in building a peaceful world and resolving conflict. Since the mid-1800s, Baha'is have been active in promoting interfaith dialogue and understanding. Learn more
Baha’i teachings state that all the world’s principal religions are valid and progressive stages in the unfoldment of humanity’s relationship with God. In accordance with Baha’u’llah’s call to "consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship,” Baha’is are actively involved in numerous interfaith initiatives at local, national and international levels.
In April 2002, the Universal House of Justice, the international governing body of the Baha’i Faith, quoted the following words of Bahá’u’lláh in a message to the world’s religious leaders:
“There can be no doubt whatever that the peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly Source, and are the subjects of one God. The difference between the ordinances under which they abide should be attributed to the varying requirements and exigencies of the age in which they were revealed. All of them, except a few which are the outcome of human perversity, were ordained of God, and are a reflection of His Will and Purpose. Arise and, armed with the power of faith, shatter to pieces the gods of your vain imaginings, the sowers of dissension amongst you. Cleave unto that which draweth you together and uniteth you.”
The Baha'i community works to encourage interfaith unity at local, national and international levels. In 1950, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States inaugurated World Religion Day to promote religious harmony and understanding. It is celebrated annually on the third Sunday in January.
Baha'is also participate in such interfaith efforts as the North American Interfaith Network, the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions, the Tripartite Forum on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace, the Committee of Religious Non-Governmental Organizations at the United Nations, and Baha'i representatives participated in the World Religions Summit for the first time in 2010.
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