Learning about other religions has helped Music senior Julie Haydon become a more conscientious person.
“I’m a better friend,” she said. “I’m not stepping on toes in ways I thought I was. I’m more respectful.”
Discussion between members of different religions furthers understanding between different people and renews personal faith, said two members of the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions Monday night.
The Rev. Bob Thompson, chairman of the CPWR, and Josh Borkin, the Next Generation Coordinator, examined interreligious relations worldwide and on campus with 15 NU students in Willard Residential College.
“What interreligions dialogue forces us to do is look at ourselves more deeply,” said Thompson, the pastor at the Lake Street Church of Evanston. “(It’s) diversity training to the nth degree. We see ourselves in those that appear to be different.”
Since the parliament’s beginning in 1893, members have been committed to promoting dialogue between faiths, Thompson said.
“The idea is not to create one religion,” he said. “We are all different. We need to find the religion that makes sense to us.”
Borkin, who as Next Generation coordinator is in charge of engaging youth in dialogues, said young people are especially primed for this type of exchange.
“Young people do this dialogue stuff a lot easier than other people do,” he said. “Young people come to the table with less biases and less responsibilities. They can get to a deeper level quicker, (and they’re) not keyed into a specific way of thought.”
College — where students of a variety of backgrounds come together — is a wonderful opportunity to explore other religions, Borkin and Thompson said.
Weinberg freshman Francey Wattman said different religions can help individuals understand their own faiths.
“One of the times you see — God is through other people,” she said. “Through fellowship with these people you get a glimpse of the great green blob of love that is over everyone.”
An understanding of other religions can go far to strengthen faith as well, said John Franck.
“(Since coming to college) I’ve become more accepting of other religions,” said Franck, a Weinberg freshman. “At the same time I’ve learned more about my own faith. You grow into accepting of others nd grow into a greater care of your own faith.”
But a busy schedule makes having these extensive religious conversations difficult, Haydon said.
“Because NU is so intense — because of the quarter system, there’s no time to sit down and know the person living next to you,” she said. “It is a big thing (we’ve) missed out on.”
The Rev. Lloyd Kittlaus, pastor of University Lutheran Church, said religious discourse on campus has increased in his nearly 20 years at NU.
“It has been a very positive change in the NU environment for me,” he said.
Thompson said many social ills involve a breakdown in relationships, and a better religious understanding is a step toward mending those relationships.
“You can argue about the quality of the bread, but you can’t deny we’re all hungry,” he said.
The discussion was part of Religious Awareness Week being sponsored by the Northwestern Council of Religions.
