An interfaith discussion that was held recently gave representatives a platform to discuss how religions can collaborate constructively and learn from one another. The discussion was hosted by The Biggs Picture, a film and digital media company located in Jamestown, and took place between six representatives of different religious perspectives. Those involved in the discussion represented that of Protestantism, Catholicism, Islam, Hinduism, Paganism, and the Hare Krishna movement.
The purpose of the interfaith discussion is to establish a constructive space for dialogue, whereby representatives of religious faiths can broaden their understanding of both the comparability and variances of diverse religious perspectives.
Cameron (also known as “Gav”) Biggs (24), one of the founders of The Biggs Picture, says that there is “one point where people’s views will change – they’ll start to see more similarities in the different religions, as opposed to noticing all the differences.”
The representatives of the interfaith discussion. Fifi Formson, Yaseen Walls, Sherri Govender. PHOTO: Cameron Biggs.
Biggs also mentions that the discussion progressed in a commendably civil and respectable manner. “There’s actually a lot of common ground and a lot of charity that’s afforded on all sides.” In general, the discussion merely “scratched the surface in terms of what people wanted to talk about”.
He further states that, “We tend to want to intellectualise everything and want to look at it from an academic point of view, but for a lot of people it helps them make sense of their lives and gives them direction.”
Nathan Rens (22), the convener of the discussion and a BA Humanities student at Stellenbosch University, says that, “faiths have a lot to gain from one another, from understanding where one another come from, and from broadening their respective concepts of God.”
He also says that there will be more interfaith discussions planned in the future. The “general consensus” amongst the representatives is that the prospective discussions “should involve debates on specific issues”.
Nicholas Tutt, a Mechanical Engineering student at Stellenbosch University and a representative, says that the interfaith discussion allows for the possibility of learning about unfamiliar things when it comes to people’s spiritual views.
The other three representatives of the interfaith discussion. Nicholas Tutt, Axl Moss, Rainer van Leeuwen. PHOTO: Cameron Biggs.
Tutt says that while this type of discussion may not change someone’s perspective entirely, it does have the ability to change a person’s perception of other people. He mentions that, “it would educate people so as to not make rash judgments based off of stereotypes and unqualified research.”
This discussion was more of an introductory dialogue for several more that is anticipated for the future.
Rainer James van Leeuwen (24), a Masters in Economics student at Stellenbosch University and another representative during the discussion, mentions that he is “curious to see where this goes”. He goes on to say that “It will take a more serious discussion to see whether people’s viewpoints will change”.
The interfaith discussion represents an exciting prospect of consideration and collaboration between different religious faiths – a prospect that may be both positive and vital. It is the type of discussion that is a touchstone of true diversity.