An Ottawa group called Bridging
the Rivers of Faith is celebrating the
end of a successful year and the beginning of its second year of
activities. The group launched in the fall of 2010 under the Canadian
Federation of University Women (CFUW) – Ottawa with the intended desire
to advance understanding about different religions.
This group’s
aim is to learn about some of the world religions and then focus on
specific issues from the perspective of the various faiths. Such issues
include the freedom to believe, the advancement of women, marriage and
family life, human rights and the worship of God. This year’s talks on
Hinduism, the Bahá’í Faith, Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam, Christianity and
Judaism were received with enthusiasm and respect for the calibre of
the presentations, the questions and discussions generated, and the
growing friendships developed for the twenty two members. They have
come to appreciate the numerous commonalities amongst faiths and the
learning process is leading to stereotypes being broken down as
perspectives broaden.
The Bahá'í community of Ottawa has been
involved in the initiative through the participation of its Interfaith
Office member, which works with people and organizations that foster
peace, harmony, and understanding and respect for the world’s religions.
