Religions push to address environmental issues

So there is something we can all agree on...

Leaders from the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Baha'i, Jain and Zoroastrian faiths called on G20 nations to cut greenhouse gases.

They said climate change posed a "very real threat to the world's poor".

Their joint call at a meeting at Lambeth Palace in London precedes the Copenhagen summit which aims to deliver a new global climate treaty.

In a statement, the religious leaders urged G20 governments to fight for a deal which would quickly end global reliance on fossil fuels.

Read full article.

Image from BBC News.

Inter-religious Open House

Hi UBA friends,

Here are some details on the event that was mentioned this week at our meditation meeting. It looks like an interesting chance to check out some of the different faiths and traditions that UCLA has to offer, including a tour of some of the actual facilities offering different religious services, so many of you may want to check it out. Rev. Kusala will be among those giving presentations towards the beginning of the event.

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Inter-religious Open House
When: Saturday, January 31, 2009
Time: 11:00am - 2:30pm
Location: UCLA Campus (meeting at the University Catholic Center, 633 Gayley Ave)
What: a tour of four houses of worship/meditation at UCLA, with short presentations from other religious groups

Goal:
- to educate ourselves of the commonalities and rich diversity among different religions
- to celebrate together the richness and diversity of organized spirituality here at UCLA

Houses of worship to be visited (in order):
University Catholic Center
University Lutheran Chapel
Hillel
St. Alban's Episcopal Church

Other religious groups participating:
Univ. Buddhist Assoc., MTO Suffi Assoc., Wesley Foundation, Hindu Student Council, and the Univ. Presbyterian Church.

Worried about lunch? Well Don't!
We will be starting with a FREE Continental Breakfast and ending with a FREE Lunch (we'll be taking into consideration the dietary needs of all participating religious groups)

This is really a great opportunity to meet new people from many different backgrounds, build relations with other groups on campus, and get a glimpse of just a few religious groups at UCLA (not to mention, getting a free bite to eat)!

***As a side note, for those of you on Facebook, it might be helpful to search for the event (by the name "inter-religious open house") and RSVP to it, just to give the organizers a better idea of how much food to buy.

Chief Monk meets with President of Pakistan

Chief Buddhist Monk Jeon Woom Deok, who is the Chairman of the Gandhara Arts and Culture Association, Korea, met with President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan. They talked about future projects and cooperation between the Pakistan government and the Chief Monk in "promoting goodwill and interfaith harmony".

Gandhara is the name of an ancient kingdom once located in what is now northern Pakistan, Kashmir, and eastern Afghanistan. During the 1st to 5th century, Buddhist Kushan Kings brought the kingdom to its peak.

According to the CIA World Factbook, the Pakistani population is 95% Muslim (75% Sunni, 20% Shia), 5% other (includes Christian and Hindu).

Read full article.

Photo from Associated Press of Pakistan

Buddhists gone bad in Bangladesh

Buddhist monks in cooperation with local council officials are holding 13 converted tribal Christians captive to try to convert them to Buddhism by force. They are being held captive in a pagoda in a southeastern mountainous district of Bangladesh.

According to the Compass Direct News article, the Bangladeshi population is 90% Muslim, 9% Hindus, and 0.7% Buddhist, leaving less than 0.3% of the population left to be Christian or other.

Read full article.

Bombings in southern Thailand

Three bombings in southern Thailand has killed one person and wounded at least 71, report police. This was the largest attack in months suspected to be done by a Muslim insurgency since 2004. Generally, the insurgents carry out drive-by shootings and small-scale bombings aimed to frighten Buddhist residents into moving out of the area.

"More than 3,300 people have been killed since January 2004 in the three provinces, which are the only Muslim-dominated areas in the Buddhist-majority country.

Thailand's population is about 90 percent Buddhist, and many of the country's Muslims feel they are treated as second-class citizens."