HWPL World Alliance of Religions' Peace Office Journal

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HWPL World Alliance of Religions’ Peace Office Journal

January 2022 Issue

January 2022 HWPL WARP Journal

131 WARP OFFICES MEETINGS HELD IN 84 COUNTRIES IN DECEMBER 2021

Africa

23

Europe

30

Middle East 5

South Africa

Uganda

Sweden

Germany

Syria

South Sudan

Egypt

Moldova

Romania

Jordan

Sudan

Rwanda Kenya

Nigeria

Lesotho

Eswatini

Zimbabwe Gambia

Burundi

Côte d’Ivoire Tunisia

Zambia

Namibia

Norway

Estonia

Spain

Czech Republic Cyprus

Netherlands

Albania

Switzerland Kosovo

Finland

France

Hungary

Armenia

United Kingdom

United Arab Emirates Yemen

Kuwait

Oceania

3

Australia

Portugal

Lithuania Poland Italy

CURRENT WARP OFFICES STATUS As of December 31, 2021 Total of 266 offices in 129 countries Europe 36 Countries 44 Offices

13 Countries 14 Offices Middle East

25 Countries 32 Offices Africa

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Oceania 3 Countries 7 Offices

Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

CIS

5

Asia

31

Belarus

India

Kazakhstan

Cambodia

Ukraine

Laos

Kyrgyzstan

The Americas 34 Japan

Sri Lanka

Canada

Belize

Guyana

Bahamas

Brazil

Nicaragua

Thailand

Panama

Myanmar (Burma)

Costa Rica

Vietnam

Chile

Malaysia

Venezuela Mexico

Grenada

Guatemala

Jamaica

Indonesia

El Salvador

Nepal

Ecuador

Bhutan

Argentina

Philippines

United States of America

Bangladesh

Trinidad And Tobago

Pakistan

Antigua and Barbuda

5 Countries 6 Offices CIS 25 Countries 44 Offices Americas Asia 22 Countries 119 Offices

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Special Activity

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That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. (Psalm 1:3)

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The mendicant who lives in friendliness and calm (has faith) in the doctrine of the Buddha, he will attain the tranquil, blessed place where (bodily) existence is at rest.

(Dhammapada 368)

Happy New Year~!

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So do not fear them, but fear Me, that I may complete My blessings upon you, and that you may be guided.

(Quran 2:150)

Blessing us with His Glance of Grace, the Kind and Compassionate, All-powerful Lord comes to dwell within the mind and body.

(SGGS 49)

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Grama Geeta (India) May he bestow prudence on all of us!

May he inspire us towards the righteous cause!

May he guide us to speak the truth!

May he make us conscious about spirituality!

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Have I not commanded you?

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

(Joshua 1:9)

Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

For the new year of 2022, the Department of WARP Offices would like to wish you good health and joy in your lives! As such, we are sharing messages of blessings from the religious scriptures with you.

Please choose a number at the top of this chart and follow the line. Whenever there is another “road” down the line, follow the new “road” until you reach a message from the scriptures as a special gift just for you!

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And Allah has made for you shade out of what He has created, and has given you resorts in the mountains, and has given you garments to protect you from the heat, and garments to protect you from your violence. Thus He completes His blessings upon you, so that you may submit.

(Quran 16:81)

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Those, who teach this most confidential knowedge amongst my devotees, perform the greatest act of love.

They will come to me without doubt.

(BG 18.68)

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Onewhose consciousnessis permeated with the Lord’s Name — receive the blessing of his darshan in the early light of dawn.

(SGGS 228)

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There is no fear for him whose thought is untroubled (by faults), whose thought is unagitated, who has ceased to think of good and evil, who is awake (watchful, vigilant).

(Dhammapada 39)

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May there be forever, for this family, (abundance of) cattle, righteousness, influence of righteous persons and the righteous Order of Ahura.

May there come hither, the good, powerful, beneficent holy spirits of the righteous, carrying with them the healing virtues of righteousness, as extensive in width as the earth, in length as the river, in height as the sun, to help the virtuous to withstand the vicious and add to the Honor and Glory (of God).

(Yasna LX.4-5)

Introducing WARP Offices worldwide

02 29th HWPL Zambia Lusaka WARP Office

Participants

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1 Fr. Benjamin Itungabose / Catholic 2 Swami Guneshananda / Hinduism 3 Pastor Aiden Lee / Protestant

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Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

Topic: The Cause of Pain and Unhappiness in the World Everyone suffers from pain and sadness. And every time that happens, humans wonder why they suffer from this kind of pain. In some cases of pain, it is sometimes incomprehensible to human thought which could lead to resentment towards the Creator.

Recently, religious leaders of three Theistic religions, Catholic, Protestant, and Hinduism, gathered over the course of two WARP Office meetings to discuss in-depth the causes of suffering and what the solution is based on the scriptures. Panelists opened the discussion with the first part, The Cause of Pain.

Q1. What is your scripture written about cause of pain and unhappiness?

Fr. Benjamin Itungabose / Catholic

According to the Catholic teaching on suffering, the cause of pain and unhappiness is the fall of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, when they disobeyed God’s word. Human beings were created to live in harmony and peace with God. However, they chose the path of disobedience and this brought about not only suffering or pain but also death. (Genesis 3:16~17)

For Catholics, human beings cannot achieve happiness and peace except in God. Indeed as St. Augustine puts it in his Confessions, the human heart is restless until it finds rest in God. Although the human act of disobedience to God’s will is the ultimate cause of suffering, God may however allow suffering to open the hearts of those who are stubborn to his call to turn them to Him. God is able to bring good even out of the evil that human beings commit.

The Catholic teaching on suffering also points out that the sin of Adam and Even though it brought into the world suffering and death, made God become man through the mystery of Incarnation. The evil remains evil, but the good that God draws out of it is far greater.

The Catholic Church also teaches that suffering or pain can be a means of spiritual purification.

(1 Peter 4:1) Suffering prepares us for eternal glory. (2 Corinthians 4:17, 2 Timothy 3:22, Matthew 5:12)

A Christian suffering is a share in the suffering of Jesus Christ. (Colossians 1:24, John 16:33) To be a disciple of Christ one has to suffer as he did. (Luke 14:27) Through suffering a Christian imitates Christ. (Philippians 3:10)

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Introducing WARP Offices worldwide

Swami Guneshananda / Hinduism

In our scripture in Hinduism, particularly in Srimad Bhagavatam, people work for pleasure but they get unhappy, why? Why do people suffer? The answer is the Law of Karma.

If we performed an action that is not righteous then certainly, we are going to suffer a lot. Our past made our present, our present make our future, that is why we have to take responsibility on our own shoulders. We cannot blame other people for anything. That is what education means in Hinduism, taking responsibility, that is the theory of Karma Yoga. If you want to remove the pain in your life, the strict answer is removing that which causes us miseries. If I hate somebody, then certainly it is not pleasant in my mind. If I have an inimical (hostile) attitude towards anybody in the universe, then certainly I’m going to suffer.

If I work on my righteousness, then the result is going to be very happy. This is the first base answer.

If we perform the right action, then good things will come. And that is in the Bhagavad Gita last yoga-Sanyasa. Krishna comes to Arjuna. Krishna means Vision of God. And Arjuna means Man of Action. Combining your vision and action, you will have prosperity, victory. And with righteous action, there would be peace and silence.

Pastor Aiden Lee / Protestant

The Bible said that the cause of misfortune and pain is the existence of Satan. God showed 2 types of spiritual existence through the bible. One is the one true God the Creator and the other is Satan.

Then why did God let us know about Satan? Because He wanted to let us know that the doctrines of God and Satan are different and if we follow the doctrine of Satan, it is the beginning of misfortune and pain. If we learned the wrong doctrine, the consequences are dire.

Adam and Eve made a covenant with God and they promised to keep the words of God. But when they heard that they could become like God from the serpent, greed came into their hearts and they followed the Serpent (Revelation 20:2). The Serpent I just said is not the animal. The characteristic of serpents is that they have poison. When a serpent bites a person, the poison spreads in the body. If the poison doesn’t be taken out quickly, the person will eventually die. God recorded it as an animal called a serpent because the devil deceived people with words like the poison of the serpent.

Through Adam and Eve, who heeded the words of Satan, the world became full of sins. God had to leave us and Satan rule over the world and the hearts of people. (Ezekiel 36:2) In conclusion, all the cause of misfortune and pain is from Satan.

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Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

Q2. Is pain what God wants or one’s own problem?

Fr. Benjamin Itungabose / Catholic

People ask questions such as: Why are there so much suffering in the world? Why do righteous people suffer? Why does a loving God allow suffering? ˙God allows us suffering in order to use the gift of free will. Human beings have the freedom to choose good and to reject evil and vice versa. This gift of free will was given to our first parents, Adam and Eve, and they squandered it away through their disobedience. The misuse of free will results in great suffering in the world. An example is environmental degradation that has resulted in climate change. God does not want robots in his Kingdom. He wants children who genuinely follow His commandments. ˙God allows suffering so that we can obey Him from our hearts. Indeed, if God would control all our actions, we wouldn’t be able to develop an obedient heart – a heart willing to yield to God’s purpose and perfect will. The example of Jesus can be found in the Letter to the Hebrews and the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians.

˙God allows us suffering so that we can develop a righteous character in us. God is more concerned about developing our character. A comfortable life may be pleasing, but it does not produce strong faith.

˙God allows suffering so that we can learn through experience. When we live a life without God, we suffer the consequences of our actions. God, through our experiences, wants us to learn the difference between good and evil. He wants us to learn that the only way to live this life is to follow His commandments.

In conclusion, Suffering is bound to happen because of the bad choices we make.

Righteous people do suffer to prove their faithfulness and obedience to God.

˙Job suffered to prove his faithfulness to God. Job cursed the day on which he was born but never cursed God or himself. He cried out to God, family, and friends in ways that he faced his pain, but which did not lead him to sin. He shows us how to make the experience of suffering useful.

Salvific suffering.

˙Christ suffered for sinners so that they may be redeemed.

Swami Guneshananda / Hinduism

God is neither offering pain nor pleasure or happiness. According to Hinduism, God is above this happiness and suffering. Why do I suffer? We human beings are suffering because of ignorance.

What is ignorance? It is when you are performing unrighteous action. If you correct your action, you will have happiness. The goal is not just to remain in happiness. The goal is to go beyond happiness and misery. Because as long as there is happiness, there can also be misery. As long as you are in happiness, you are in pain also. So let us go beyond this pain and happiness, happiness and misery.

That is the goal of life.

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Introducing WARP Offices worldwide

Why do we feel pain? Because of ignorance, God doesn’t want any pain or any suffering. God has given all the opportunities to you. It’s up to you now, to decide what to perform. I’ve given you the ground. I’ve given you the opportunities.

This is what Hinduism is teaching, let us go beyond happiness and misery.

Pastor Aiden LEE / Protestant

Adam was a great man God chose and even made a covenant with him. We should not overlook that these characters also made wrong choices due to Satan. Adam was greedy and arrogant to become God due to the interference of the devil of Satan, as a result, his eternal life was lost and his lifespan was reduced. Adam was handed over to Satan’s scheme. Because of this Satan, the connection between people and God was cut off, and when they were no longer supplied with life, people start to get pain and started to suffer and die.

To inform this fact, God recorded the existence of Satan through the Bible. Ephesians 6:12 of the Bible says that our fight is not about blood or blood, but about the spirit of evil. It is recorded that we must fight against the devil that hinders connection with God who wants to give life and leads to pain and death.

If we are ignorant of the Bible, we can make the wrong choice like Adam. The pain which God gave to us leads us to growth and he only gives pain which we can solve.

In Lamentation 3:33 said “For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men” It is not what God wants for a person to suffer. Also, it happens because Satan wants it rather than individual problems. But the pain given by Satan makes us hurt, sick, and causes people to die.

The causes of pain as explained from the perspectives of three religious leaders were diverse. In some religions, pain originated from Satan, while other religions view pain as a result of human behavior or human ignorance. However, all three religions had something in common; which is that it was not the intention of the Creator, God for people to just suffer. Instead, the Creator wants humans to overcome pain and trials, and be happy. Another commonality is that in order to solve the suffering, various factors that cause the pain must be solved. We hope that the teachings of each religion helped you gain understanding about the causes of pain in our lives and consider what could be the solutions to this.

*Disclaimer: To encourage free speech in an open interfaith dialogue, we have shared minimal information of participating panelists in our dialogues.

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Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

03 69th HWPL Arab Emirate Dubai WARP Office

Participants

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1 Mr. Asi Faeq Salih / Kakai 2 Pastor Anish Thomas / Christianity 3 Dr. Imran Mohammed Ismael / Islam 4 Pastor Sarah Shin /Christianity

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Introducing WARP Offices worldwide

Topic: Figures in Religious Scriptures There are many respected individuals we can find in religious texts. Many look up to them as exemplary role models and guides in faith. Despite the different time periods, cultures or backgrounds, we may realize that their lives are not that different from our own and there are common experiences we face and through their experiences, we can perhaps feel a shift in our mindsets and find wise solutions. Through scripture, these figures can become our mentors that we all need in our lives.

Their stories act as a bridge to understand what the Creator‘s will might be and how we can live a life of purpose according to that will.

Let us look into what was discussed in the Arab Emirates Dubai WARP Office meeting held in December 2021, and we can find out more about the inspiring individuals recorded in religious scriptures of Christianity, Islam and Kakai.

Q1. Please introduce a religious figure written in your scriptures that you would like to emulate from (learn from). What are the reasons you would like to follow the example of this figure?

Mr. Asi Faeq Salih / Kakai

In Kakai religion, there are prominent figures who were leaders who guided people to the truth and enlightenment from the path of darkness, through their behavior and speeches. We have many figures, for example, Shehk Ameer, Baba Nowse, Mam Nazar, Said Farzi, Darwish Habib. All of them have a clear idea about goodness, truth, good morality, and how humanity becomes peaceful. Also, there are simple explanations and interpretations of the Holy Saranjam for Kakai believers. They show a visible way to us to show us how to cross life’s bridges, and all the ups and downs.

Their advice was written in poems, conversations, and stories. Although they lived in the past, they are still well-known and loved by Kakai believers. They wrote in Kurdish language, so experts are needed to translate them. However, I think, sometimes the translations do not deliver the messages clearly. I am no translation expert so I will just share the messages. The messages tell us that for life to be peaceful, we should not hurt others, nor be a source of pain for others, and we must control our behavior and check our greed and ego during our lifetime because that burns our souls.

All of them were knowledgeable figures and guide people to find the best way, the best road to the truth and not to make mistakes and to be honest with each other. Wealth and money do not survive (beyond) our lives on Judgment Day.

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Dr. Imran Mohammed Ismael / Islam

The main figure whom we should emulate as a Muslim is our prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him). He is the last messenger of Allah, Allah said, “Muhammad is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of Allah and last of the prophets. And ever is Allah, of all things, Knowing” And his message is for all people on the earth as Allah said: “And We have not sent you except comprehensively to mankind as a bringer of good tidings and a warner. But most of the people do not know.”

Therefore, God commanded us to make him an example for us, “There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often”

Pastor Anish Thomas / Christianity

For a Christian, this question is a no-brainer. A Christian, in very simple terms, is the follower of Christ or to put in Christion jargon, someone who is in Christ. So, it is not a question of why I ‘like’ to follow Him, it is the ultimate goal of a true Christian. The reasons are many. I would like to point out a few here.

He is the only religious leader who could boldly tell the world that He is the Way. He did not come in and ‘suggest’ some ways to salvation. For if you do this or that, you may be saved. He boldly proclaimed that there is a certain foolproof way to salvation and that was through himself. Not only did He say that, but He also proved that through His resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is unique in history, so much so that there is no parallel to it in the entire history. Well, there may have been claims, but whether they are verifiable is another question. An empty tomb is there to testify the claim that Jesus made that He would be resurrected on the third day. The historical proof for the death and resurrection of Christ is undeniable when viewed even through secular historical data. So, the first reason why I follow Him is that He is the only one to make a solid claim and then back up what He claimed through the undeniable truth of the resurrection.

The second reason has to do with His Life. He lived a life that He preached. He was not the kind of person who would set some rules and then go on to break them Himself. He is so entwined inseparably with His Word that I am able to completely trust what He says. He said He is The Truth. And He lived that truth in His Life. You would not see Him utter a lie or even a false testimony, no matter what the consequences were. He was so clear and stood by what He preached even in the face of certain and excruciatingly painful death by crucifixion.

There are many other reasons like how he healed the sick, raised the dead, and fed the poor, but for me, these two stand out to be the top 2 reasons for which I follow Jesus.

Pastor Sarah Shin / Christianity

Yes. I’d like to learn from Moses. What comes to your mind when you think of Moses? Many people think of the prince of Egypt, the ten plagues, the miracle of the Red Sea parting, the two stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, and furthermore, the pillar of fire and the pillar of cloud. However, I would like to tell you why I want to learn from Moses by answering the given question.

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Introducing WARP Offices worldwide

First, at the age of 80, he was instructed to lead God’s people out of Egypt. He left a stable life behind and obeyed his calling. You can imagine that it was a huge burden and a great challenge for him to go back to Egypt where he had committed a crime, and then to lead so many people from there. In Exodus 4:13, it is written, “But Moses said, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.“ Moses asked God to send someone else, but he obeyed in the end.

Second, Moses taught and ruled God’s people according to the word of God’s law. In Exodus 35:1, “Moses assembled the whole Israelite community and said to them, “These are the things the LORD has commanded you to do:” And in Deuteronomy 8:11, “Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.”

Third, Moses risked his life and prayed for the people when the people sinned before God and God wanted to punish them. Exodus 32:31~32 reads, “So Moses went back to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. But now, please forgive their sin--but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.”

I respect the actions of Moses, which he showed while preaching God’s word and leading God’s people, and I think that those are the actions that we must do today to convey God’s will.

Q2. Is there another person in your religious scripture that you would like to introduce in particular?

(An interesting religious figure that many may not know about or a personal person of interest from the scriptures)

Mr. Asi Faeq Salih / Kakai

For this question, I want to speak about a great Kakai leader. His name is Shekh Ameer, and he lived in the 16th century near the Iranian border. He was knowledgeable in religion. And he was literate with an effective role in his time and till now, he had always tried to guide humanity to goodness, to help others, and to get rid of the world’s hardships and problems.

He tells us that God has created us purely, so we must remain pure. Also, he explained how we should be good to ourselves, talk to our inner selves, stay clear from chaos, violence, and evil, and not hurt others.

Shehk Ameer was a knowledgeable person who made an impact on people. Many followed him. He writes poems and stories. He speaks to the heart and explains that whatever happens is because of the heart, which means that we have to control our feelings and senses in this world so that we make light of ourselves and not make mistakes. This means that we should decide with our minds that comes from pure and deep thinking. This tells us that we must love our lands where you are borne and not hurt any other creatures because when we pass away, our soul enters other creatures, be it humans or animals. We have to respect our life, fight to live, to try to be a water source for the thirsty, like rain for every flower. We should live a normal, simple, and happy life. When you die,

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everything you have in this life such as money or wealth becomes the past and does not come with you. Only your deeds, behaviors, grants, goodness become your name and your identity.

Dr. Imran Mohammed Ismael / Islam

Of course, there are many who are mentioned in the Quran that we should make them examples in our lives and to emulate from, such as prophets and good men and women that Allah mentioned through their stories in the Quran. For example, Allah said about prophet Abraham: “There has already been for you an excellent pattern in Abraham and those with him, when they said to their people, “Indeed, we are disassociated from you and from whatever you worship other than Allah.”

And there is a chapter(surah) in the Quran called Maryam, that talks about Mary and her son’s store that is saying that all people the Allah could do anything that he wants, such as giving a boy to Mary while she is not married, and Jesus was born with no father. Allah said: “She said, “How can I have a boy while no man has touched me and I have not been unchaste?” He- the Angel- said, “Thus [it will be]; your Lord says, ‘It is easy for Me, and We will make him a sign to the people and a mercy from Us. And it is a matter [already] decreed.’

And then about Jesus, it is said: “That is Jesus, the son of Mary - the word of truth about which they are in dispute It is not [befitting] for Allah to take a son; exalted is He! When He decrees an affair, He only says to it, “Be,” and it is [Jesus said], “And indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is a straight path.”

Pastor Anish Thomas / Christianity

There are many other persons in the Christian scriptures apart from Jesus. They are all stalwarts in their own right. From Abraham to Moses and David, these are some of the figures that stand out. But for me, it is apostle Paul that stands out above everyone else. There are many reasons for this.

Paul was directly or indirectly associated with about 18 of the 27 New Testament books. 13 are directly attributed to him. The authorship of the epistle to Hebrews is widely attributed to him, though there are differences of opinion. There are four other books that were written or assisted by his close companions. It is hard to imagine that he was doing all of this while being constantly on the move. Viewing it from the kind of transportation facilities in place at around AD 50 makes this a humanly impossible task. What is spectacular about it is not that he wrote it, but that all of them were best sellers and they continue to influence the lives of billions of people around the globe.

And that was not the only obstacle he had to overcome. Christianity was facing a lot of persecution during this time and being an evangelist was a sure way of getting attacked, arrested, and incarcerated. Most of these persecutions often ended in death. But none of these deterred Paul and he continued to preach the gospel in places where it was never heard before and where there was great opposition against it. This is what makes him one of the greatest figures in Christianity. He had a clear understanding of the message that Christ himself wanted to convey and he was successful in recording that message vividly for posterity. Nobody understood grace the way that Paul did. If it were not for Paul, grace and hence the essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ would have been lost.

Even now people find it difficult to understand grace. For a person coming from a Jewish rabbinical background, it is phenomenal to have understood it clearly and then to explain it in writing to the churches at that time. These writings still convey the same message with the same clarity even after

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Introducing WARP Offices worldwide

centuries have gone by. Paul will be remembered as the man who carried the gospel of Jesus Christ in its true essence not only in his lifetime but for countless generations across the earth. This is what makes him one of the stalwarts of Christianity.

Pastor Sarah Shin / Christianity

Peter was one of Jesus’ 12 disciples. He was a fisherman and was not very educated, but he left everything behind and obeyed Jesus’ calling (Luke 5). He was quick-tempered and passionate. He listened to Jesus and always asked Jesus questions if he had any. So, even when many people misunderstood the words of Jesus and left him, he followed Jesus with an understanding of the word (John 6:66-69). In Matthew 26, when Jesus predicted that Peter would deny Jesus, he assured Jesus that it would never happen, but when Jesus was arrested by Roman soldiers, Peter denied that he knew Jesus.

The resurrected Jesus appeared when Peter regretted his actions and returned to fishing after Jesus died. In John 21, Peter cast his net all night but caught nothing. Early in the morning, he saw Jesus but did not recognize him. However, he followed Jesus’ command to cast the net on the right side of the boat, and he was unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish caught. Eventually, Peter recognized Jesus, and he counted the fish caught in the net, and it was 153. And Peter was instructed to preach the word of Jesus and lead Jesus’ people and he obeyed to the point of death.

We have seen what our panelists thought about various religious figures in the scriptures and who they wanted to emulate from. So, what can we learn from their experiences for our lives?

Some things that we can learn are the need to kind to others and ourselves, to obey God’s commands despite feeling inadequate, leading by example, and overcoming difficulties, even at the face of persecution, with the help of God. Taking a leaf from the lives of these inspirational people in scriptures, we hope that we can all strive to become better believers, better leaders, better humans together, with the help and wisdom given to us by God.

*Disclaimer: To encourage free speech in an open interfaith dialogue, we have shared minimal information of participating panelists in our dialogues.

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Special Edition Introducing the Concept of Sin in ISKCON

This is an in-depth introduction to different concepts of religious importance, prepared by our fellow messengers of peace according to their various religious affiliations.

This would be the first of many special editions. We hope to have the support and encouragement of our readers.

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Special Edition

Introducing the Concept of Sin in ISKCON

Prof. (Dr) Rajesh Jalnekar International Speaker and Mentor Vice President, ISKCON Pune

1. Consequences of Actions Sin is deliberate disobedience to the laws and orders of GOD. Our present actions, good or bad, are responsible for our future enjoyment and sufferings. Similarly, our present sufferings or enjoyments are reactions to our past deeds. (See Figure below:) Present Acrions (Good / Bad)

Present Acrions (Enjoyment / Suffering)

Enjoyment / Suffering (In Future)

Past (Good / Bad Actions)

Sinful actions are prohibited by scriptures and are performed mostly out of ignorance and are responsible for our sufferings in this or the next life.

Sinful Activities

Out of Ignorance

Prohibited by Scriptures / God

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Suffering in This / Next Life

Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

2. Sins and Suffering (1) The four sins that make us suffer.

The images below show the four sins and the religious principles they destroy: 1. Meat eating destroys mercy, 2. Intoxication destroys austerity, 3. Illicit sex destroys cleanliness, and 4. Gambling destroys truthfulness.

Results of sinful actions: Born stressed, poor, ugly and/or handicapped

(2) Cycle of action and ignorance As shown in the figure below, ignorance results in sinful desires, which in turn leads to sinful activities.

Sinful activities give rise to reactions, which are of two types: 1. They create sinful situations and thus leads to sufferings.

2. They also lead to increase in sinful tendencies.

Sinful Desires

Sinful Activities

Sinful Reactions

Create Situations

Increase Sinful Proclivity

Reads to Suffering

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Special Edition

(3) Reactions to sinful actions Reactions to sinful actions Sinful reactions manifest, either in this life or the next. The following figure illustrates various karmic reactions with the help of an analogy.

1. The accumulated sinful reactions are called Sanchit karma, 2. The quota allotted to be suffered in this life is called as Prarabdh Karma, which one must suffer in the present life today or tomorrow and 3. The sufferings we are currently going through in this life are called kriyaman Karma

(4) The wheel of samsara The repeated birth and death due to sinful actions and sinful reaction is perpetual and makes a living entity suffer birth after birth. This in the Vedic dictionary is called samsara or repeated cycle of birth and death. Amongst all the life forms, the human form is the rarest of the rare, and is very special, as it provides us the opportunity to be freed from this bodily imprisonment and sufferings.

The Wheel of samasara with a Soul taking on different Bodies like (clockwise) Humans, Aquatics, Plants, Insects, Birds and animals

The figure below shows that, under the Lord’s supervision and as per our Karma (activities), we get reactions in the form of birth in a particular species of life. The Lord of Death Yamaraja, who is authorized/bona fide representative of Lord Krishna, carries out this task.

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श्रीभगवानुवाच कर्मणा दै वनेत्रेण जन्तुर्देहोपपत्तये । स्त्रिया: प्रविष्ट उदरं पुंसो रे त:कणाश्रय: //Shrimad Bhagavatam 3.31.1//

“Under the supervision of the Supreme Lord, and as per our karma, the living entity enters a womb of a woman, through male semen and gets a particular type of body.”

3. Judgment of Sinful People Living entities can be classified into two categories

1. Arya (Civilized): Law Abiders, theist, Devotees Ex Arjuna, Prahalad Maharaja 2. Anarya (Uncivilized): Law Breakers, atheists, non-devotees, Ex Ravana, Hiranyakashipu

Sinful people do not belong to GOD and the judgment that comes upon them are as below: 1. Birth in lower species of life like tress, insects, reptiles etc 2. Even if born as humans, will be born with a deformed body or a diseased body 3. Will be born in hellish conditions of life 4. Perpetually suffers the fourfold miseries of life viz Birth, old age, disease and death 5. Born with different sufferings as poor, ugly, mentally challenged etc 6. Life full of anxieties and stress

People who break the laws of God are sinful people performing the four sinful activities.

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(1) Those who perform Devotional Service to The Lord are Saved Devotional service or spiritual activities are the activities performed for the pleasure of the Lord Shri Krishna and on the instruction of Lord Shri Krishna without self-motives. They are completely spiritual and are free of any actions or reactions. But they are not inactivity. However, since the activities are performed for the pleasure of Lord Shri Krishna, they do not bring any sinful reactions. See the figure below: Behalf / Pleasure of Lord

No Results / Bondage

Spiritual Activities

No selfish Desires

(2) Examples of Devotional (Spiritual) Activities The figure shown below, demonstrates the spiritual activities performed for the pleasure of the Lord and on the instruction of the Lord. ˙Offering incense to the Lord ˙Cooking for the pleasure of the Lord and then offering it to the Lord ˙Cleaning vessels which are used to cook food for the Lord ˙Mopping the floors of a temple ˙Singing the Lord’s glory in the form of kirtan or bhajan ˙Chanting the holy names of the Lord

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(3) Benefits of Spiritual (Devotional) Activities.

The benefits are summarised as follows:

1. Purifies our senses, consciousness, thinking, mind, and attitude 2. Liberates us from the cycle of Birth, Old age, Disease and Death, 3. Makes us eligible to return to the kingdom of God 4. To enjoy an eternal blissful and happy life in the association of the Supreme Lord.

Purify our Consciousness

Eternal Happiness

Benefits.

How God Saves Us?

Liveration / Return to Kingdom of God

(4) Leading a God centric life One should Lead a God-centric life as explained below:

A : Association; Associate with saintly people B : Books; Read Holy Books like Bible, Quran and Bhagavad Geeta C: Chanting; Chant the holy names of the Lord D : Diet; Eat sanctified food which is first offered to the Lord E : Engagement; Use our skills, talent and Resources in the service of the Lord

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