Almost 70 per cent of Australians claim to have some kind of religious affiliation and religion continues to be an unmistakeable global force. It shapes personal and collective identity and most particularly how we conceive of and respond to "the other".

The major and some minor world religions were well represented at the Parliament of the World's Religions that ended last week in Melbourne, though perhaps not quite the entire world. The organisers, based in Chicago and offering these ambitious international, inter-religious festivals each five years, hoped for 10,000 people. Over a crowded week of activities about 6000 people attended, but with noticeably few speakers or participants from Africa, Asia and even Europe.

A further vast group, or group of groups, conspicuous by their absence, were religious exclusivists or fundamentalists. A few souls stood outside with banners to assure participants that Jesus was the only way, but most didn't come close. There is a long, agonising history to those absences.

Read it all.

Filed under: * Culture-Watch • Globalization • Religion & Culture • * Economics, Politics • Politics in General

Registered members must log in to comment.