In an era of religious wars and crusades, it’s not everyday when people of different faiths get along.
Monday night, Northwestern students put aside their religious differences and met with each other for a common cause: food.
About 60 people attended the Interfaith Dinner at Parkes Hall hosted by the Interfaith Living Unit. The idea was to bring people together to open a dialogue about religion and to serve as a prologue for more interfaith activities, according to the group’s president Collin Johnson.
“It’s just the beginning of the interfaith movement here on campus,” said Johnson, a SESP sophomore.
Harmony in Spirit, NU’s only all-Christian a cappella group, performed before the potluck dinner, and the keynote address was given by religion professor Stuart Sarbacker.
Sarbacker said “there’s a metaphor to be found in the idea of a potluck” because guests sample a little bit of every food. In the end they gravitate toward the one they like and take more of that.
Sarbacker said having conversations about religion can help overcome prejudices.
“One can develop literacy about other religions without having to embrace them,” he said.
The example Sarbacker gave was of two of his students. The students, through discussion and understanding, have not only come to respect one another, but have become best friends, he said. One is a Muslim from Pakistan, the other a Hindu from India.
“We live in a pluralistic world,” Sarbacker said. “You can’t make the sort of assumptions in this environment that you could where you came from.”
Weinberg senior Ashley Westwood said she came to the dinner because she was curious about other faiths.
“I like to talk to people about religion (and) ask them questions,” Westwood said. “If (religion) is something really central to their lives, you can’t really understand them unless you understand this core part.”
Westwood, who identifies herself as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, said she thinks the biggest gap to overcome is not between different religions, but instead between atheists and people of various faiths.
Jenica Watts, a Weinberg senior, said she was afraid at first that the dinner would be composed of only Christians and Jews, but was pleased at the diverse mix of religions that attended.
“(We should) try exploring the commonality of the human experience rather than concerning ourselves with each others’ differences,” Watts said.
Johnson said the Interfaith Living Unit in Foster-Walker Complex sponsored the event because they are “interested in living in an interfaith community.”
“What I want to get out of it is learning about other people’s faith to strengthen my own,” he said.
He said he feels there is an interest in interactions between different faiths beginning across the world.
Sarbacker said it is important to be realistic and to realize that there are always going to be religious differences.
“We shouldn’t simply embrace our similarities without recognizing that there are real differences,” Sarbacker said. “Those issues are going to stay with us.”
Still, Sarbacker said there is hope for unity.
“Religion should in principle teach us to be better people,” he said.
Reach Phillip Swarts at [email protected].
