http://www.interfaithing.com/blogs/delaine/ Interfaithing is an interfaith community and resource. Daily interfaith news and positive news, interfaith groups and interfaith dialogue. en Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:18:32 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.interfaithing.com/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.interfaithing.com/blogs/delaine/ http://www.interfaithing.com/blogs/delaine/9-interfaith-going-beyond-religion.html Tue, 16 Mar 2010 20:30:16 GMT The more I learn about interfaith the more I am realizing that it goes beyond religion. For a lot of people religion is a very touchy subject. Even... The more I learn about interfaith the more I am realizing that it goes beyond religion. For a lot of people religion is a very touchy subject. Even for myself, before I began actively learning about different religions, I wasn't too keen about religion due to my own lack of religious understanding and of my own spirituality.

However, now I see that the true meaning of interfaith has everything and nothing to do with "religion". Religion definitely plays a huge role in shaping different people's understanding of interfaith and interfaith relationships. But interfaith has a much deeper meaning. One way in which I can best describe interfaith is that it is a lifestyle and a way of being. In other words, interfaith means realizing that we are all one. One with all of mankind, one with nature, one with the planet, and one with all life beyond our knowledge. It is acknowledging that we are all connected. Once I discovered this fact, I realized that it was impossible for me to feel any anger or hate towards someone else, because I see myself in every person.

I have become very interested in the universal unconscious recently. In many ways, the universal unconscious plays a very big role of interfaith. In Buddhism, the universal unconscious is described as "enlightenment". It's reaching that level of awareness where you completely let go of all of the distractions that inhibit your ability to reach a deeper understanding of your own spirit, and the collective spirit of all living things.

I thought this was an important insight to share with the Interfaithing community because I really want the average person who isn't necessarily religious to understand that interfaith is not limited to people of faith. Anyone and everyone can be a part of this. The main point of interfaith is to be open to learning about different people, and refusing to give in to the stereotypes and biases that limit and control society. Knowledge is power, and now more than ever we have the ability to communicate with each other and learn the truth for ourselves.

Let this post be an open invitation for anyone searching for this truth to join us at Interfaithing and get involved. Every day is an opportunity to learn something new, meet new people, and make friendships. I hope this inspires you to start your own Interfaithing journey :) ]]> Delaine http://www.interfaithing.com/blogs/delaine/9-interfaith-going-beyond-religion.html http://www.interfaithing.com/blogs/delaine/8-important-lesson.html Wed, 24 Feb 2010 23:27:35 GMT I was recently at a friend's house for a party when I ran into an acquaintance of mine. I was asked the inevitable question of "What are you up to these days?" I usually love this question because it offers me the opportunity to talk about Interfaithing, a subject that the average person has never heard about before. Every person I have shared Interfaithing with up until this point has had the same reaction..."Wow, that's amazing! It's great that you are involved in such a positive project!" However, this conversation didn't play out the same way.

I always start the conversation by showing them my interfaith necklace and asking what it means to them. This always opens up the road to explain what interfaith is. After I explained what interfaith was, he flat out said that he would have nothing to do with interfaith or Interfaithing.

I asked him why and he responded that he doesn't believe or support any form of religion. I explained that you do not have to belong or believe in any one religion to understand or support interfaith. I added that interfaith means recognizing that people of faith and no faith alike believe in a fundamental set of morals and values that connect us all. I explained that even an atheist who doesn't believe in God still has a belief. Being an intelligent person, I was sure he would agree with that.

After 30 minutes of trying my best to make him understand, he still refused to see eye to eye with me. He agreed that we all believe in a certain standard of morals and values, but the fact that interfaith dealt with people of religious belief was his deal breaker. He explained that he grew up in a strict Catholic family and that's what turned him off of religion.

To my surprise, I began to feel anger and frustration towards him. We agreed to disagree and the conversation ended.

Still fuming over that moment, I took a step back and analyzed what just happened. And then I had a revelation.

I realized that even though I could not get him to say that he agreed with me, we both understood and fundamentally agreed with each other. Coming from a similar background, I understood his disdain for religion. It was only once I tried to put myself in his shoes that I remembered that at one time I was not a big fan of religion either. And even though he never said that he agreed interfaith specifically, he did say that he understood and agreed with the Golden Rule.

This interaction taught me a very important lesson, it' not about who is right and who is wrong. I will not be able to convince everyone that interfaith is the right path to take, and that is fine. What's important is being open to have these types of dialogues. If we can all agree on what is important, like treating every human being with the same dignity and respect that we wish to be treated with, then I believe humanity is on the right path.

That day I learned that I still have a long ways to go on my interfaith journey. There are always lessons to be learned, and new perspectives to hear. I think that is what excites me most about interfaith and about life in general! ]]> Delaine http://www.interfaithing.com/blogs/delaine/8-important-lesson.html http://www.interfaithing.com/blogs/delaine/7-my-interfaith-journey.html Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:00:36 GMT My name is Delaine and I am the Chief Editor and an Administrator for interfaithing.com. I thought I would share with you my spiritual journey and... My name is Delaine and I am the Chief Editor and an Administrator for interfaithing.com. I thought I would share with you my spiritual journey and how I came to be a part of Interfaithing.

I was born in Montreal 22 years ago to a mother and father who weren't particularly religious. However, my Grandmother was a very religious Ukrainian woman belonging to the Catholic faith, so for her sake I was baptized Catholic and had my first communion (I never went through my confirmation though). I attended Ukrainian school from a very early age where we were taught by nuns and religion was closely tied into teachings. It was a very old school approach to Catholicism and as a young child I was never very interested. Still, I attended Orthodox Ukrainian church, not really understanding much that the priest was saying.

Once she passed away, my family pretty much stopped attending church besides major holidays like Easter and Christmas. As I got older and school and extra curricular activities took much of my time, and religion fell by the waste side all together.

As a teenager, I began to question religion, God, death, and similar subjects. I came to the conclusion that I believed in a higher power but it wasn't the God that Christianity talks about.

Up until recently I never gave too much thought to religion, which I think is common among children my age living in North America. I can't remember why, but somewhere along the way I became interested in Buddhism. So I bought a book and read it cover to cover within a couple of days. I really liked how Buddhism isn't considered a religion, but more of a philosophy or a way of life. The idea of karma, re-incarnation, meditation, and energy really intrigued me. I decided that I would follow the religion of being a good person, and treating others the way I wanted to be treated, not even knowing that interfaith existed. I do not consider myself a Buddhist, but reading that book definately opened my eyes to other faiths and left me wanting to learn more.

About two years ago I met Sam and he told me what interfaith was and the global community that was already practicing it. He told me that he wanted to start a website where interfaithers around the world could connect with each other and grow the community bigger. I was instantly intrigued! At the time I had just graduated from fashion design school and had graphic design training so I decided that I wanted to help him launch this project.

As we began to build the site I became more and more interested in interfaith and in other religions. Although I was never the type in the past to join the social justice or pastoral committee, I found myself becoming interested in those subjects. And then I figured it out, the only reason I was never interested in religion, or social justice before was because I was never exposed to it the right way. A way that made it interesting and exciting.

It has been almost a year since I started working on Interfaithing and I cannot believe how far I have come spiritually. The more news articles I read, the more interfaith groups I learn about, and the more interfaithers I meet, the more attached I am becoming to this project. Because now I know why I am doing this. I am doing this because I know there are a lot of people around the world who like me have no religious attachment, and are unaware about other faiths. This is a very dangerous because ignorance and lack of religious understanding is what causes so much conflict in this world. For example, up until recently I knew nothing about Islam. All I knew was what I heard on the news, or read in the paper, which is very misinformed. Now I know that Islam has a lot in common with other religions, and that Muslims are very peaceful and charitable people.

We need to spread this wealth of information in order to better understand each other. It's not to say that we should all abandon our religion. Each religion is beautifully unique in its own way. It's about seeing the positive similarities in each other faith and coming together to find common goal solutions to issues of shared interest. As different as we all are, we are all connected. Now is the time to come together.

I am not a religious expert, I do not have all of the answers. And that is exactly the point. It isn't about being right or wrong. It's about never loosing that curiosity that pushes us to continually learn about one and other, ask questions, and grow as individuals. This is the journey I am on.

I hope this gives the Interfaithing community some insight to who I am, and where I want to go. I hope you will join me! I look forward to meeting everyone who does! ]]> Delaine http://www.interfaithing.com/blogs/delaine/7-my-interfaith-journey.html