Plenary, 25 Jun 2003
Meeting date: Wednesday, June 25, 2003
Official Report
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Time for Reflection
The first item of business this afternoon is time for reflection, which will be led by the Rev Professor Frank Whaling, co-convener of Edinburgh Interfaith Association and Emeritus Professor of the Study of Religion at Edinburgh University.
The Rev Professor Frank Whaling (Edinburgh Interfaith Association; Chair of Edinburgh International Centre for World Spiritualities; Emeritus Professor of the Study of Religion, Edinburgh University): It is a joy and privilege to offer this reflection on the basis of my interfaith experience and vision. It is perhaps appropriate that spiritual leaders such as Jonathan Sachs have been here before, that the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh and Sri Chinmoy are in the capital today, and that the Dalai Lama will be here next year. There are saints in all religions. I have learnt much from others in the deepening of my own Christian faith, and am sure that the interfaith movement is one of the new beacons of our time.
In Scotland, interfaith awareness has grown rapidly in recent years. There are interfaith associations in our main cities, a Scottish Inter Faith Council, other bodies of interfaith significance, and increasing contact between the religions. This Parliament's time for reflection—for perhaps the first time in the history of any parliament—is religiously inclusive. Our children can learn about other religions in school and there is the possibility of interfaith chaplaincy in our educational institutions, hospitals, prisons and the military. In 2002, Scottish religious leaders met together for the first time and plan to do so regularly in the future.
My German colleague Hans Kung has written that there will be no survival without a world ethic, no world peace without peace between the religions, and no peace between the religions without dialogue between the religions. Scotland is part of the world, the world is part of Scotland, and Kung is surely right. Although religions differ and are diverse, they share basic values, such as do not steal; cheat; lie; or kill except in extremity; honour your family and love your neighbour as yourself. Separately or together, those religions give us meaning, purpose and values, and what Rabbie Burns called a sense of spiritual yearning. They light up the colour of a flower, the laughter of a child, the lilt of a mountain and the song of a bird. In the inner castle of our heart they kindle a spirituality of listening, empathy, prophecy, peace, righteous indignation, inwardness and involvement. Through dialogue, we move from bare tolerance to acceptance to mutual concern.
In 2001, as co-chair of an interfaith association in Scotland, I with others had a decision to make: 9/11 had happened and our annual September interfaith pilgrimage was due to visit a mosque, a Church of Scotland church, and a Buddhist priory. A smoke bomb had been thrown into the mosque. The question was whether we should cancel the pilgrimage or not. In the end, 150 people from different religions gathered together to share with our Muslim friends in their smoke-damaged mosque.
Our hope is that the interfaith journey that is just beginning will work with others in our total society towards the end that the care and concern of all the people by all the people for all the people might grow and abound throughout all this great land.
Presiding Officer, thank you for your kindness and courtesy. I wish good speed and God speed for the Parliament's work.