Founder of the Moonies dies

So The Revd Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church, has died age 92, and his church mulls over its future direction. There has been lots of controversy surrounding The Revd Moon, his church and his Moony followers; charges that it is a dangerous cult, criticism of his mass wedding ceremonies, his own vast wealth and tax affairs that put him in prison for a spell. But in all the negative hype let's not forget that he also stood for tolerance between religions, something I wrote about in a blog a few months ago. This seems to have been forgotten amongst all the somewhat negative media reporting of his death.

Interfaith dialogue then and now

"From now on, the great religions of the world will no longer declare war on each other, but on the giant ills that afflict [humankind]."

Charles Bonney, 1893 Parliament of the World’s Religions

"World Scriptures will become a shining light,…a precious textbook for educating the younger generation who are to live together as one global family…to overcome barriers between religions, between races, and between cultures…through this text, all people will not only free themselves from religious ignorance and self-righteousness, but also realise the fact that, among religions, there are shared values and a universal foundation which are of greater significance than the differences which have historically divided religions."

Andrew Wilson, World Scripture and Education for Peace, in World Scriptures, October 1991.

"So let our differences not cause hatred and strife between us. Let us vie with each other only in righteousness and good works. Let us respect each other, be fair, just and kind to [one] another and live in sincere peace, harmony and mutual goodwill."

A Common Word Between Us and You, an open letter to all leaders of the Christian churches and denominations worldwide, signed by 138 leading Muslim scholars and intellectuals October 2007

And nothing changes!