May 2023 – Interreligious Dialogue in Scotland

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By Joseph Sikora, Secretary for Interreligious Dialogue

In April, Duncan MacLaren and myself attended the demonstration Passover Seder at the Glasgow Reform Synagogue in Newton Mearns.

Lead by Rabbi Pete Tobias, we were, along with a number of other guests representing various faith traditions and local civic society, taken through the rich symbolism and meaning of the Seder.

As a teacher of Religious Education for 30 years, I had often taught my students about the story of the Exodus and Passover but every day is a school day and I learned so much just from being with Jewish community and Rabbi Tobias.

The celebration of the Seder itself is based on one simple line from the Torah “And you shall tell your children on that day ‘This is what the Eternal One did for me when bringing me out of Egypt’”. In this short verse we find two of the most important elements of the Seder.

Firstly, that it is meant to be told to Jewish children by their parents so that they understand the importance of the that led to their ancestors being freed from slavery and secondly, that the struggle for freedom continues and that it is a responsibility for every generation of Jews.

With insight and humour Rabbi Tobias, ably assisted by members of the synagogue at the various tables, took us through the symbolism of the various food that are found on the Seder plate, the somewhat odd custom of leaning to the left to drink the cups of wine, and the various ‘tricks’ that are used to keep the children focused on the meaning of the celebration and the important messages that the Seder holds for the whole community.

A truly joyful occasion somewhat bizarrely rounded off with the singing of a song about the Matzah unleavened bread to the tune of Mama Mia. I didn’t see that one coming.

A grateful thanks to the community of the Glasgow Reform Synagogue for the invitation and a lovely evening.

The photograph above shows Rabbi Pete Tobias extreme right talking to some of the guests. Duncan can be seen at the rear centre of the photo and Joseph is to the left, back to the camera.

Demonstration Passover Seder Read More »

May 18 2023

Scottish faith leaders speak out against assisted suicide

Bishops, Scotland

On Thursday 18th May Bishop John Keenan, Bishop of Paisley and Vice-President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, joined the Rt Rev Iain Greenshields, Moderator of the Church of Scotland and Imam Shaykh Hamza Khandwalla, Imam of Dundee Central Mosque, at the Scottish Parliament to sign a statement urging MSPs to vote down a proposal to legalise assisted suicide in Scotland.

The joint statement expresses “deep concern” that assisted suicide “inevitably undermines the dignity of the human person” and that it could “put pressure on vulnerable individuals to opt for assisted suicide.”

The statement ends with a firm commitment by the Church of Scotland, Roman Catholic Church, and the Scottish Association of Mosques to oppose assisted suicide and euthanasia.

Bishop John Keenan said: “Assisted suicide attacks human dignity and results in human life being increasingly valued on the basis of its efficiency and utility. Implicit in legal assisted suicide is that an individual can lose their value and worth.

“Evidence from countries where assisted suicide or euthanasia is legal shows that vulnerable people feel pressured to end their lives through fear of being a burden. In such situations the option of assisted suicide is less about having a ‘right’ to die and more about feeling the full weight and expectation of a duty to die.

“When vulnerable people, including the elderly and poor, express concerns about being a burden, the appropriate response is not to suggest that they have a duty to die; rather, it is to commit to meeting their needs and providing the care and compassion they need to help them live.”

Later this year Liam McArthur MSP is expected to present a bill before the Scottish Parliament proposing the legalisation of assisted suicide.

In their Joint statement the faith leaders said: “On behalf of the faith communities we represent, we wish to express our deep concern about the proposed Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, which will shortly be considered by the Scottish Parliament. Our faith traditions are united in the principle that assisted dying in itself inevitably undermines the dignity of the human person, and to allow it would mean that our society as a whole loses its common humanity.”

“The ways in which similar laws in other countries are being applied, and the effect that its introduction would have on some of the most vulnerable in our society, including the disabled and the elderly, would be extremely detrimental.” The statement ends with a call to “Members of the Scottish Parliament to consider carefully the implications of this Bill, to express their concerns, and to vote against it.”

Keenan-John-Bishop-1 — Bishop John Keenan

Moderator-Designate-Rev-Dr-Iain-Greenshields — Rt Rev Iain Greenshields

Hamza-Khandwallah — Imam Shaykh Hamza Khandwalla

Scottish faith leaders speak out against assisted suicide Read More »

May 8 2023

CFRIRR Report May 2023

Christianity, Interfaith Dialogue, Latest Updates

Churches Forum for Interreligious Relations

Recently I represented the Committee at the first in person residential conference of the Churches Forum for Interreligious Relations, since the COVID pandemic.

Held in the tranquil setting of the Quaker Woodbrooke Centre, Birmingham, this was a chance for me to meet and establish links with people from all over the UK who have, in many cases devoted their lives work to developing interfaith relations.

The first keynote speaker was Dr Elizabeth Harris on dialogue with Buddhists and what it means for Christian faith and witness. Her involvement with Buddhism was the result of what she calls a “pivotal visit to Sri Lanka in my early thirties” which led to her studying Buddhism there. She lived in the country for over seven years was inspired and influenced by Fr. Aloysius Pieris SJ. Her reflections on living among and engaging in interfaith dialogue with Buddhism was truly enlightening.

Later on the first evening, Canon Andrew Smith, Director of Interfaith Relations for the Bishop of Birmingham, spoke about the changing face of multi-faith Britain and Birmingham in particular, exploring the challenges and successes of positive inter faith dialogue. Of particular interest was his explanation of the diversity within the Muslim community.

The first day concluded with a discussion of the Interfaith Relations Paper produced by IFTAG (the Inter Faith Theological Advisory Group) with a reflection on the role of mission and evangelisation.

On day two, the keynote speaker was Rev. Dr John Parry, a United Reformed Minister who has studied Sikhism for over 30 years. He quickly took us through the history of Christian/Sikh encounters from the first encounters through trade and empire through to the present day. He highlighted some of the real benefits to communities that come with well established interfaith links and also pointed towards some of the fundamental missteps that can occur when entering into a dialogue with different faith groups.

What came across most strongly from this meeting to me, as a newcomer, was the incredible levels of commitment and collaboration that exists within the Christian community as a whole to advancing interfaith dialogue. It also demonstrated how powerful interfaith dialogue can be in building up communities and strengthening responses to issues of significant social and moral concern.

Joseph Sikora, Secretary of the Bishops’ Committee for Interreligious Dialogue

CFRIRR Report May 2023 Read More »