Religious Unity Shines at Time of Religious Conflict

At a time when religious harmony is under threat in our community over events taking place in the Middle East, religious unity was on display at a recent event in Sydney.

The Catholic Institute of Sydney held an interfaith panel recently, where members of the Muslim, Jewish, Buddist, Sikh, and Baha’i faiths and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were invited to answer questions from a live audience about their beliefs.

The event was held on the campus of the Catholic Institute of Sydney in the suburb of Strathfield.

Latter-day Saint Chris Ramirez, a young adult from the Macarthur stake (diocese) said, “One of the purposes of the event was to inform and enlighten the audience about how we are all striving to live our faith in our communities, and how we respond to our trials.”

“Being a part of the panel”, he continued, “allowed all of us to step outside of our comfort zones and take upon ourselves the responsibility to share with others who we are and what we believe.”

Sharon Seiuli, the Macarthur stake Director of Public Affairs attended as a member of the audience and said, “I believe the panel to be a symbol of all faiths living in harmony within our society.” 

Ms Seiuli continued, “I was impressed by how the young people on the panel talked about sharing their religious beliefs daily, whether it be in the workforce, education system, or within their own families.”

Mr Ramirez summed up his feelings about the day when he said, “Personally, while hearing all the issues and potential solutions other faiths had, it dawned on me how much we have in our Church that we just don’t realise.”

“I gained a stronger conviction of the inspired nature of the structure of our Church programs. From Primary (for children) to Relief Society (for women) and priesthood service (for men). We have so much”.

Watch a video about what members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe.