By Our Staff Reporter NEW YORK: A nationally broadcast program on the CBS television featured a Sikh representative amongst those of other major world religions.
The program called “Family of Faith” was broadcast by the CBS. here on June 17. It featured the efforts of the Temple of Understanding at the Cathedral of St. John The Divine in uptown Manhattan to “promote understanding between the World’s religions, to recognize the oneness of Human family, and to achieve a spiritual United Nations,
Gurinder Singh Mann represented the Sikh Cultural Society at the meeting of the Temple of Understanding which was held on May 2 which was extensively covered in the TV program. Many of the speakers addressed the meet from the podium which was adomed by the religious symbols of various faiths and the Sikh Khanda Chakkar was on the side directly facing the camera.
He told the CBS TV that “in the last decades of the Twentieth century religions have come back and they have a role to play,” (in solving the problems that we are facing today). Religion is not going away but is here to stay and should be used in a creative way to address the problems which humanity is facing at this particular juncture in history, he added.
Speaking to the World Sikh News Mann, also teaches a grad uate course on Sikhism at the
Columbia University pointed out the importance of Sikh representation in the religious life of the New York City. He said that since the Sikh look different from the followers of other religious traditions, it is important for them to explain these differences to the world by and large ignorant of their religious beliefs. He said he was grateful to the Sikh Cultural Society for offering him the opportunity to represent the Sikh community in this forum which is gaining increasing importance. Rabinder Singh Bhamra the Vice President of the Cultural Society said he was happy to receive the invitation and that the society would be happy to contribute towards the efforts of fostering greater understanding of the faiths of the world.
The program placed the origins of the interfaith gatherings to the Chicago World Fair of 1893. Themes which emerged from it were that “the economic and political must have a moral and spiritual basis,” “God didn’t mean to limit himself to anyone particular faith,” and that the people must live in peace with compassion.
Dr. Karan Singh who is the co-chair person of the international committee of the Temple of Understanding and Acharya Sushil Muni also attended the conference.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 23, 1989
