|
Viewpoint from Don McAllister for 22nd August 2014
Don McAllister
Unitarian Church, Great Yarmouth
The past two years have seen a great deal of work being done by the Task and Finishing Gro up, to establish the Interfaith and Belief Network of our Greater Yarmouth Borough. Work toward this end has been necessarily slow, though its progress sure, resulting in a ceremonial signing of its Vision Statement at the Town Hall. A joyous occasion for those who had committed so much of their time and energy to it.
Such networks as this serve a wonderful purpose, as they are a vehicle to bring people of different faiths together for collective acts of worship. If this is achieved it can only be for the good of the community. It gives the opportunity for those of different faiths to have a better understanding of each other and to be more tolerant. This is important in our town today, which sees a growing diversity of faith communities in our midst.
I am mindful of the ongoing debate in the letters page of the Yarmouth Mercury, where some religious intolerance, even between people of the same faith, is shown towards each other. And so I am grateful to Pastor Victor Hulbert’s recent article in Viewpoint, in he says, “Freedom of belief. Freedom of conscience must surely be principles of a civilised democracy. Difference should not lead to violence, but to an attempt to understand.”
Hopefully, more people will develop and share a growing open-mindedness and open-heartedness and commit to supporting this new Network, by signing its Vision Statement. We are all brothers and sisters under the same Heaven - let us then show the love and respect for each other that we ourselves wish to receive.
|
|
|
|
