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A CALL TO OUR GUIDING INSTITUTIONS
DECEMBER. 99
exacerbated by a burgeoning human population and unprecedented ecological pressures. It is vital that we develop a global perspective in order to meet adequately our ethical responsibilities as human beings.
THE CALL TO RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY
From such a perspective, our religious and spiritual communities can best serve by extending the hospitality that our traditions teach. In solidarity with those in need, we can act with compassion, generosity, and courage to build a just and joyous life for all. In so doing, however, we must realize that religious and spiritual individuals and communities cannot act alone but must engage with people from all walks of life, who possess expertise and experience of every sort. Only in such a collaborative spirit can we find the basis for real service and genuine hope.
We call on the institutions of religion and spirituality to develop practical ways to engage creatively with other guiding institutions in pursuit of a just, peaceful, and sustainable world.
In this spirit, we invite all individuals, communities, groups, and organizations engaged with the institutions of religion and spirituality to reassess their roles for the next century.
Each is invited
to deepen respect and mutual welcome between religious and spiritual communities—in that spirit of hospitality which is to be found in each tradition;
to strengthen the search for those shared ethical and spiritual values and principles that can enable religious and spiritual communities to engage creatively with one other and with the world;
to encourage religious and spiritual individuals and communities to speak out for the welfare of all human beings in the name of their own values and in solidarity with others;
to provide leadership to assure that the Earth is respected, revered, and protected;
1999 PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS
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