Address at the ceremony ending a study course concerning interfaith dialogue (1)
By the grace of God, I was privileged to be present at the ceremony ending a sutdy course about “Interfaith Dialogue”, held by the Diocesan Commission for Interfaith Dialogs – Pastoral Center of Archdiocese HCM City, in the morning of January 7, 2012.
After the introduction of Reverend Bảo Lộc, we all, representatives from various religions and the participants of this course, stood up for prayers before entering the friendly conversation with love and harmony. All faces brightened with the light of brotherhood and fellowship.
Our hearts filled with joy at the observations of Mr.Hóa that, with this study course, the spirit of Interfaith Dialogue is deepened; especially, when Reverend Bảo Lộc said that this spirit should be promulgated among the believers. This is a necessary ideal. Just imagine, once the believers of various religions attain a vision about the importance of Interfaith Dialogue, then how broad will be spread the spirit of Assisi initiated by Holy Father John Paul II and surely how fast will the Ark of God’s Faith reach its destination of Unity, because the power that causes the Ark to move ahead is in the hands of the sailors – the believers – and not of the steerers – the spiritual leaders. The role of the steerers is only important on keeping the Ark in the right direction. Therefore, we are confident that when the participants of this course about Interfaith Diague advance on the path of service they will surely harvest the results beyond our imagination, because besides our efforts we also have the affirmations of God.
Wishing the participants of this Interfaith Dialogue course to proceed firmly on the path of service, in order that each city quarter, each village, each neighborhood… will become magnificent with the spirit of love and harmony, as we are “leaves of one tree, flowers of one garden and drops of one ocean”, all of us truly belong to one family – the family of mankind – under one common Father, the One True God.
While admiring the spirit of Interfaith Dialogue, which is launched powerfully by the Catholic Community, we remember the spirit of the World Religion Day initiated previously by the Baha’i Community, which is now unable to reinstated due to lack of a proper Headquarters that the Government has not returned to us in the short time after recognition.
Following are some notes about the World Religion Day mentioned in the booklet entitled “Brief history of the Baha’i Faith about fifty years of development in Việt Nam”:
The World Religion Day
1. Significance
The purpose of the World Religion Day is to attract the awareness of people to the harmony of the spiritual principles and unity of the world religions, and to 
emphasize that religion is the mighty power for world unity. Baha’i teachings say that:”Religion must be the cause of unity and harmony. Religion is the greatest instrument to establish the World Order and Well-being for mankind.”
In order to transform all social evils of the world, turning hatred into love, jealousy into mercy, and vague sympathy into abiding solidarity, the first celebration of the World Religion Day was held by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of America in 1950. On the third Sunday of January each year the Baha’i communites all over the world celebrate this event.
At this World Religion Day gathering, everyone have the opprtunity to witness by their own eyes and ears that differences and hostilities are not parts in the teachings of any religions, because their main purpose is unity and harmony. Abdul-Baha says:” If religion becomes the source of antagonism and strife, the absence of religion is to be preferred.” (Abdu'l-Baha, Foundations of World Unity, p. 22)
The motive for establishing the oneness of mankind is the merciful Message of the Messengers of God through Ages, such as: Moses, Buddha, Christ, Muhammad, the Bab and Baha’u’llah….
It is proved that the objective study of various religions is leading to a universal foundation. Our main question today is how to overcome the dark forces that threaten the existence of mankind? What the believers of all religions should do urgently to build a human society with prosperity and spirituality, before the falling of people into the abyss of division?
Integrating into the common goal of religions in various countries of the world, the Community of the Baha’is of Việt Nam has organized every year the celebration of the World Religion Day, continuously from 1962 to 1975, not only in Sài Gòn, but also in other cities such as Đà Nẵng, Quảng Nam, Pleiku, Cần Thơ, Rạch Giá, Phan Thiết, Phan Rang, Bình Tuy, with warm participation of the spiritual leaders, scholars, believers and others.
Few days before the celebration of this event as well as in other Holy Days, hundreds of banners bearing sacred verses were placed at many streets corners in the city, to be removed afterwards to restore the former state of the city, and the coverings of the mass media have informed in due time to all strata of people in the country.
Since the day of national reunifiction (April 30, 1975), regretfully due to lack of recognition, we could not celebrate the World Religion Day, which is a good occasion that representatives of religions can sit together to think about matters profitable for life, for human beings to recognize one another as brothers, annihilating all wrong prejudices, discriminations, and to realize the high and real ideals of religion.
(to be continued)
Nguyễn Đình Thỏa
