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FORWARD
By Hon.Barney Leith
(Chair Religions and Belief Consultative Group UK; Chair Faith Based Regeneration Network; Director Office of Public Information, National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the UK)
Despite the growing numbers of couples in the UK who live together as if married, but who remain unmarried, marriage remains a sacred commitment for people of all the major faiths. Marriage, say the teachings of my own Bahá'í faith, is a sacred and eternal bond. Other faiths express similar beliefs in different ways and through diverse practices and rituals.
Marriage provides an essential spiritual, moral and social framework for raising children to become faithful citizens and moral agents. These children will make noble contributions to the betterment of the world and will understand that human diversity, so essential to the richness of society, must be held together by acknowledging our common humanity and expressing our solidarity one with another.
It is increasingly likely in our multi faith society that a person of one faith may marry a spouse from another religion or tradition or world view. Such multi faith marriages face many challenges and the risk of lack of harmony between the partners and their families is, sadly, considerable.
The informative introduction included in this book and the chapters written by leading members of the UK's nine major faiths will help partners - intending and actual - and their families of different faiths or beliefs to overcome misunderstandings and to face the challenges.
And beyond the immediate needs of married couples or those intending to marry, the book will also assist faith communities, local authorities and schools to develop a better understanding of the importance of marriage and the meanings of the diverse and beautiful practices by which the faiths publicly cement the commitment of two people to each other.
I commend the initiative of the Jain Academy in compiling and publishing this book.
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