All in Good Faith

Author(s): Jean Potter, Marcus Braybrooke
Publisher: World Congress of Faiths

Page 24

Development of Interfaith Prayer and the Discussion
Attendance at Hindu rites is discussed and practical issues, such as whether the Christian should accept prasad or food which 'has been offered to an idol'. This leads into discussion of the meaning of idols. The possibility of a Christian accepting a Hindu as a 'guru' is discussed. The celebration of interfaith marriages is given some attention. It is recognized that most Orthodox Muslims would not encourage non-Muslims to participate in their official worship.
The volume also contains interesting contributions from Hindu and Muslim scholars and a clear account of Gandhi's prayer meetings. Mr S N Rao distinguished different forms of worship in Hinduism. The highest is the realisation that the Supreme Spirit and the individual Spirit are one. Constant meditation upon the divine within the heart is a lower form of worship. Lower still is singing hymns of praise to an external deity. Because of this acceptance of various ways of worship, Hinduism, Mr Rao claimed, is the most 'catholic' of religions. To support this he quoted from the Bhagavad Gita:
'Whatever may be the form in which each devotee seeks to worship Me with faith, make their faith steadfast in that form above (7, 21)'.
Hindus, therefore, he said, should have no problem in praying with members of different faiths (35). Although some temples restricted the entry of non-Hindus, this was only a matter of 'narrow orthodoxy, prejudice or ignorance' (36). The non-Hindu, however, should have a proper understanding of the role of idols, if their participation in Hindu worship is to open up genuine religious feelings in their hearts (37).
Fr Xavier Irudayaraj, as a result of a questionnaire, found that almost all Hindus asked supported interfaith prayer, especially as a way to strengthen social harmony and integration. They insisted that one's own faith is not contaminated or diluted by sharing in the worship of another faith community (38).
Professor S M Abdul Hameed indicated the problems for orthodox Muslims, who are required to give wholehearted allegiance to Allah, of joining in interfaith prayers. He mentioned, however, the Sufi tradition, which stresses divine immanence. He ended his comments with
these words:
'Love, love of the Maker is the essence of Sufism and love is something that is human and it is love that makes man partake of the element of divinity. It may not be an exaggeration to say that to be divine one must first be human, because humanity leads
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