BANGALORE INITIATIVE FOR RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE (BIRD)
E-mail: benjaminpn@hotmail.com
BIRD: AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
Bangalore Initiative for Religious Dialogue (BIRD) is a little lamp, lit and kept burning, by a group of kindred souls and fellow pilgrims. Theirs is an inter-faith voyage of discovery, sailing on the winds of near-identical views on people and events signifying that whatever the darkness, however profound the sense of loss, the light of God’s love – be it Ram, Allah or Jesus - will continue to shine, for those who have the eyes to see, a heart to love and a soul to believe. BIRD’s premise is simplicity itself -striking a match in a dark immense cavern, to dispel the surrounding gloom.
We believe that the religious attitude is a thing of permanent value to mankind, individually and collectively; and consider it, wherever it is found, deserving of reverent recognition. Amidst the conflicting claims made on behalf of different religions, all of which have sprung from this common attitude, we believe there is an urgent need for a full and free exchange of our differing religious experiences, in a spirit of mutual respect, appreciation and sympathy and approximation to Truth.
We realize that any attempt to weaken the hold of the truth of any religion upon mankind is to weaken religion itself. Therefore we strive not to weaken but to strengthen each other by mutual respect, trust and co-operation. We seek to help one another more fully to understand and live up to the best in all religions.
The Initiative invites people of all faiths to share through it the richness of their various religious traditions and experiences in this adventure of spirit and support of one another in the struggle for social justice, identifying themselves as closely as they are able with the oppressed and the disinherited, and treating all human beings as brothers and sisters.
In order that each may bring into this Initiative the very best that he/she can, we desire to explore fully the value of our religious traditions and disciplines and present them for the benefit of all. But we do not desire to persuade any one within the Initiative to our own religious belief and practice.
We believe that such an interchange of experiences will lead to an enrichment of one another’s religious life; mutual respect, understanding and tolerance and co-operation in purifying and strengthening the religious attitude of mind as against the irreligious or materialistic attitude from which our personal, social and national problems have to be tackled.
We also believe in sharing our deepest convictions with one another, but sharing them on a basis of equality, of genuine respect for and acceptance of the validity of each other’s faith. Such a sharing demands earnestness, both in holding one’s own faith and in seeking to understand another’s. For we get nowhere if we meet on a basis of indifference to all faiths.
The Initiative provides an element of newness in the relationship between religions when it openly and unreservedly asserts that there is no monopoly in religious truth, that the followers of the different religions can help each other best by each being true to one’s understanding of the Truth, and that we can all grow together into an ever-deepening and widening understanding
We are convinced that only through Inter- Religious dialogue can we diffuse the recurring tension between religious groups and communities in our country and that the Bangalore Initiative for Religious Dialogue will be able to provide a platform for addressing those issues which are the causes for tension and resentment.
BIRD office-bearers and Patrons
The Bangalore Initiative for Religious Dialogue (BIRD) is a registered Trust. Its membership is drawn from different religious backgrounds- Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh and others. Some of the prominent persons associated with the BIRD are:
Office bearers and Patrons
P.N.BENJAMIN
Founder Trustee
Chairman & Coordinator.
EMERSON SAMUEL
Founder Trustee & Secretary
GEORGY C. GEORGE
Trustee & Treasurer
PATRONS
DR. A. RAVINDRA (I.A.S & former Chief Secretary)
DR. C.T. KURIEN
DR. M.V.NADKARNI
PROF. N.S.RAMASWAMY
PROF. DR. MUMTAZ ALI KHAN (former Minister for Minorities &Wakfs)
BRIG.(Retd) CHACKO ABRAHAM
Mrs. MOLLY VARGHESE
REV. DR. THOMAS NINAN
Rev. Dr. MANI CHACKO
SIDDARTHA, Fireflies Ashram
DR. KEN GNAKAN
SUHAS JEEDE
E.P.MENON
Dr. THOMAS GEORGE
NOEL NORONHA
RAM SUNDER
DR. C. ALEX ALEXANDER (USA)
Bishop GEORGE NINAN (USA)
PHILIP MATHEW
DR. K.C.SAMUEL
REV. DR. KIRAN SEBASTAN
Dr. (Mrs) USHA BENJAMIN SAMARTHA
DANIEL THOMAS
Major ALEXANDER JOHN
Aditya Mohan
E-mail: benjaminpn@hotmail.com
BIRD: AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
Bangalore Initiative for Religious Dialogue (BIRD) is a little lamp, lit and kept burning, by a group of kindred souls and fellow pilgrims. Theirs is an inter-faith voyage of discovery, sailing on the winds of near-identical views on people and events signifying that whatever the darkness, however profound the sense of loss, the light of God’s love – be it Ram, Allah or Jesus - will continue to shine, for those who have the eyes to see, a heart to love and a soul to believe. BIRD’s premise is simplicity itself -striking a match in a dark immense cavern, to dispel the surrounding gloom.
We believe that the religious attitude is a thing of permanent value to mankind, individually and collectively; and consider it, wherever it is found, deserving of reverent recognition. Amidst the conflicting claims made on behalf of different religions, all of which have sprung from this common attitude, we believe there is an urgent need for a full and free exchange of our differing religious experiences, in a spirit of mutual respect, appreciation and sympathy and approximation to Truth.
We realize that any attempt to weaken the hold of the truth of any religion upon mankind is to weaken religion itself. Therefore we strive not to weaken but to strengthen each other by mutual respect, trust and co-operation. We seek to help one another more fully to understand and live up to the best in all religions.
The Initiative invites people of all faiths to share through it the richness of their various religious traditions and experiences in this adventure of spirit and support of one another in the struggle for social justice, identifying themselves as closely as they are able with the oppressed and the disinherited, and treating all human beings as brothers and sisters.
In order that each may bring into this Initiative the very best that he/she can, we desire to explore fully the value of our religious traditions and disciplines and present them for the benefit of all. But we do not desire to persuade any one within the Initiative to our own religious belief and practice.
We believe that such an interchange of experiences will lead to an enrichment of one another’s religious life; mutual respect, understanding and tolerance and co-operation in purifying and strengthening the religious attitude of mind as against the irreligious or materialistic attitude from which our personal, social and national problems have to be tackled.
We also believe in sharing our deepest convictions with one another, but sharing them on a basis of equality, of genuine respect for and acceptance of the validity of each other’s faith. Such a sharing demands earnestness, both in holding one’s own faith and in seeking to understand another’s. For we get nowhere if we meet on a basis of indifference to all faiths.
The Initiative provides an element of newness in the relationship between religions when it openly and unreservedly asserts that there is no monopoly in religious truth, that the followers of the different religions can help each other best by each being true to one’s understanding of the Truth, and that we can all grow together into an ever-deepening and widening understanding
We are convinced that only through Inter- Religious dialogue can we diffuse the recurring tension between religious groups and communities in our country and that the Bangalore Initiative for Religious Dialogue will be able to provide a platform for addressing those issues which are the causes for tension and resentment.
BIRD office-bearers and Patrons
The Bangalore Initiative for Religious Dialogue (BIRD) is a registered Trust. Its membership is drawn from different religious backgrounds- Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh and others. Some of the prominent persons associated with the BIRD are:
Office bearers and Patrons
P.N.BENJAMIN
Founder Trustee
Chairman & Coordinator.
EMERSON SAMUEL
Founder Trustee & Secretary
GEORGY C. GEORGE
Trustee & Treasurer
PATRONS
DR. A. RAVINDRA (I.A.S & former Chief Secretary)
DR. C.T. KURIEN
DR. M.V.NADKARNI
PROF. N.S.RAMASWAMY
PROF. DR. MUMTAZ ALI KHAN (former Minister for Minorities &Wakfs)
BRIG.(Retd) CHACKO ABRAHAM
Mrs. MOLLY VARGHESE
REV. DR. THOMAS NINAN
Rev. Dr. MANI CHACKO
SIDDARTHA, Fireflies Ashram
DR. KEN GNAKAN
SUHAS JEEDE
E.P.MENON
Dr. THOMAS GEORGE
NOEL NORONHA
RAM SUNDER
DR. C. ALEX ALEXANDER (USA)
Bishop GEORGE NINAN (USA)
PHILIP MATHEW
DR. K.C.SAMUEL
REV. DR. KIRAN SEBASTAN
Dr. (Mrs) USHA BENJAMIN SAMARTHA
DANIEL THOMAS
Major ALEXANDER JOHN
Aditya Mohan
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