LA Nuclear Disarmament

Ask Obama to work for world nuclear disarmament:
wagingpeace.org/appeal

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Nuclear Age Peace 
Foundation

nuclearweaponsfree.org

Beyond War

Nuclear Free Future

LA Catholic Worker 
YouTube Vandenberg protest

Be Carbon Neutral - go to e-bluehorizons.comor CarbonFund.org. Fill in the form with your total energy use and sign up for a monthly contribution via credit card - usually less than $20. 

• The Importance of Conscience
• Beginning Again
• Table of Contents continued

DECLARATION OF INTERDEPENDENCE

We the People, hereby declare our interdependence -- our connection to the Source of All Life and to all life forms.  We affirm that diverse individuals, groups, and networks are necessary for the creative development of humanity, and that to strengthen UNITY-AND-DIVERSITY throughout the universe is our individual responsibility and privilege.

We therefore pledge --

• To affirm the existence of a Supreme Beingness, called by any name or no name;
• To advance both individual initiative and human fellowship through mutual trust, understanding, and respect;
• To seek the truth in the spirit of love;
• To integrate reason and faith, science and religion;
• To ensure that all aspects of life be kept in dynamic balance for maximum health and well-being;
• To respect the teachings of the prophets and sages of all times and cultures;
• To provide present and future generations with the opportunity for full realization of their potential; and
• To build with joy a new civilization of freedom, justice, and peace founded on reverence for life.

Reverence for Life in an economic sense implies that each person's conscience has a built in respect for the good of the community over the individual good at the expense of the community. -- Rev. Dr. Mary Mann, There Are No Enemies, page 43

In the Ten Commandments of Judaism, which also has greatly influenced the Christian religion, "You Shall Not Kill" is of the greatest importance.  In modern society, the commandment that we not kill each other and also not kill other forms of life, is still centrally important.  Each of the historic religions has a value code, but we must examine again what values are important in our civilization and adopt a code of living for this age.  Doing this is a function of conscience, as is the need to live by the code being established for today.

The absence of such a modern, globally agreed upon code that is taught to everyone is one of the reasons why so many killings are now taking place.  In our time we have science as a central element in how we discover what is right, but it is the most important purpose of religion to promote human and spiritual values.  Our places of worship -- churches, temples, synagogues, and the like -- are the buildings where these values are generally taught.  While our rituals vary greatly, the centrally important values need to be basically the same.

As the different religions examine their teachings, two elements are found to be present in some form.  One is the Golden Rule, which says Treat others as you would like others to treat you.  The other is some belief about God, called by any name or no name.  The understandings of this Ultimate Reality differ, but the idea is present in some form in all of the major religions.  Other values are also very important, brought to us through our individual and collective consciences, but these are generally considered to be the most accepted values.

The killings of twenty elementary school children and seven adults in one very short period of time has aroused the consciences of many people throughout the United States, and some significant changes of attitude and laws are being called for.  If we truly believe in the sacredness of life and the need for mutual respect across all lines of race, culture, and religion, then we generally do not need guns to protect ourselves.  The teachings of nonviolence given by Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King are a much better way to create a culture of peace in our society.

It is high time that we cultivated our consciences and acted in a nonviolent manner for the future of ourselves and our planet.

May peace prevail on earth!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 319-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

The new year has begun.  It has joyously been introduced by the Rose Parade, which is a bold celebration of creativity, worldwide outreach, and professional quality.  At the opposite end of the United States is the coming together of our political leaders, who have struggled for months, and even years, to find essential areas of agreement upon which they can build in the coming years.  At last the Senate and House of Representatives have accepted the "deal" that will avoid the "fiscal cliff" that could have put us back into a recession.  So we now have a good reason to move forward with encouragement and faith in the future of our nation and the world.

We have also witnessed a number of other countries celebrating the beginning of the New Year, so we know that we are not alone in our enthusiasm for the prospects of the year 2013.  What we need to do now is to continue this enthusiasm throughout the year by taking on the essential areas where change is most needed and attempt to move together toward solving the problems involved.  We need to become good listeners, support each other in our honest efforts to solve our various problems, and accept each other's efforts to contribute to creating a better world.

In addition to the various outer world areas of progress, which still need much more improvement, we have inner world work to do.  The Unity-and-Diversity World Council and its cooperating individuals, groups, and networks have set in motion an ongoing plan through the Peace Convergence held last September.  The first meeting will be held on Saturday, January 19th, 2-5 p.m., and its theme will be "Inner Peace", which is one of the sectors of the Peace Wheel.  Since the Peace Wheel does cover both inner and outer dimensions, this is an appropriate place to begin.  Once there is a common sense of being together morally and spiritually, it will be much easier to tackle the other dimensions of creating a culture of peace.

You are cordially invited to join this pioneering effort to bring all dimensions of life into one experimental venture, what I see as being the nongovernmental equivalent of what the United Nations is for nations.  Since the world is now moving more and more into being a democracy, the centrally most important part of that work is the effort of peoples to create a united world which includes supporting the coming together of nations.

Happy New Year to you all, and may peace prevail on earth!!!

Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmaill.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

Tomorrow is the day when we should be actually writing the resolutions, assuming that we are ready to take that process seriously.  Instead of just seeing New Years Eve as a time of celebration, it is important that we seriously prepare for the arrival of the New Year.  If we have a gathering to go to in the evening, then by all means we would do well to find a time earlier in the day to sit down, give thought to what you wish to accomplish in the New Year, and then write down what it is that you have concluded.

What I have done for a number of years is to post these resolutions on the wall right in the front of my desk, so that I can see what I wrote and periodically update how I am progressing in terms of achieving what I said was important for my life.  What I find is that the resolutions I am now making are mostly ongoing goals, so that I need to continue most of them from year to year.  I do however note that progress is being made on them each year.

I find that there are personal and spiritual matters to handle, as well as those pertaining to society.  Through the Unity-and-Diversity World Council I am able to handle both kinds of concerns, since UDC through its Peace Wheel relates to inner and outer dimensions.  This coming year we will be holding monthly sessions highlighting each of the sectors of the Wheel.  In addition to focusing on a particular sector, such as Inner Peace in January, I trust that over time we will hear from all of the sectors and provide time for them to advance their own concerns each month.  By working together, we should be able to relate to many of the personal and social concerns that need attention in our present world.

Once again, the Unity-and-Diversity World Council's work is to help bring individuals, groups, and networks together in cooperation on common concerns.  Its design is that of a peoples' equivalent of the United Nations, though the carrying out of the work is different in many ways from the U.N.  It is not a group; it is a network of networks, a coalition of individuals, groups, and networks in all fields.  The work can be accomplished locally by face-to-face meetings, but its worldwide work needs the use of computers, life streaming, and other high tech ways of reaching out worldwide.  May this coming year open many doors to our worldwide possibilities for growth.

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

There will be those of you who will readily respond to the call of Birth 2012.  To you it is an obvious move when many others are seeing the need for change and the increasing response to what is being called for.  There will be others who say that there is no proof that is the moment in time when we are to awaken to the new reality.  To you the continuing violence and war, and the serious climate changes, and other difficulties indicate that the time has not arrived yet.

The fact that there are still many challenges is not a reason to delay the change.  Just the opposite is true.  It is because things are getting worse in many ways that the time is being called for to turn the corner toward what is needed for the future.  In addition to the many indications of things getting worse, there is also a major gathering of people who have turned the corner and are proclaiming that the new day is emerging.  It is these people to whom we should be listening so as to find out what to expect in the days ahead.  The point is that we need to energize the change now as an ongoing process.

A new civilization is born out of a new seed, a new vision of life as it is meant to be.  In the past these new visions have come from a single individual such as Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, Gautama (the Buddha), LaoTze, and the like.  In a democracy, the seed is likely not just to be one individual but a seed group that begins to get a common vision.  Lewis Mumford, author of The Conduct of Life, describes this very well when he says "The new age will begin when a sufficient number of men and women in every land and culture take upon themselves the burden people once sought to transfer to an Emperor, a Messiah, a dictator, a single God-like person.  That is the ultimate lesson of democracy: the burden cannot be shifted.  But if each one of us,  in our own full degree, accepts this desperate condition for survival, that which seemed a threat to our future development will be transformed into a dynamic opportunity."

That new vision is springing up among a number of individuals and also within a host of groups in different parts of the world.  What is needed most right now is gathering those individuals, groups, and networks together so that the global civilization can be brought into mutual understanding and collective activity.  Both the proclaiming of the vision and the carrying out of its implications are necessary.   That is why we need the United Nations and also a peoples equivalent of the U.N. to complete the work that is to be done.  The work of the peoples "U.N." begins with a moral and spiritual awakening, and then it needs to be translated into the action steps which are the extension of the vision.  All of this takes time, yet much is already underway.  Birth 2012 appears to be the time when it all begins to gather together and become increasingly visible.

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.; P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles,
CA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; Email: udcworld@gmail.com;  Website: www.udcworld.org

My last message talked about the meaning behind the focus on "Birth 2012", the central time of which was on December 22nd of this month.  A large number of people around the world resonated with this thought and were able to participate through the use of life streaming.  The question is now as to how this new level of consciousness can be sustained?  What will it lead us toward, and is that direction sustainable?

Let's understand first of all that we are not just talking about a few minor changes in our existing society.  We are talking about a global civilization, which is the inevitable development of a consciousness of this planet as becoming one single organism.  The visual part of seeing the planet as one entity helps that process along.  What we need is the Spirit and the energy which it will bring to see that planetary oneness is made manifest.  This is in part a matter of time, but the crises that are taking place all around the world should provide us with a real sense of urgency to make this vision a reality.

It is this weekend in which the "fiscal cliff" is coming to its point of urgency.  We cannot just let crucial matters of this kind go unattended and unresolved without losing the faith of the people in our society.  The context of our future work is that of moral and spiritual awakening.  Though we may be working in many different fields, our moral and spiritual values need to be basically the same. They include taking time to tune into our spiritual nature and seek guidance for how we live our lives, and then being honest, merciful, cooperative, always seeking to serve others according to our guidance.

With regard to the "fiscal cliff", we need to require government leaders to keep in mind the people they were elected to serve and make sure that they do just that.  If they are not doing their job, then it is our responsibility to remind them and if necessary replace them.  According to my understanding of the crisis at hand, if things go beyond January 1st, we still need to make sure that the people are kept in mind.  To live in a morally and spiritually awakened society means that all of us have a responsibility to see that things work right for all concerned.  Therefore, the year 2013 will be a year when, if for no other reason than the fact that the new civilization has now begun, we are called upon to be a real part of that change and act accordingly.

In the remaining three days until the New Year begins, let us meditate and pray for the guidance we need to live in the new world.  If possible, write down your New Year's resolutions and then see that you follow them.  These are serious times, and therefore we need to be at our best and help others to do likewise.

May peace prevail on earth!!!

Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FASX: 310-827-9187
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

We will either evolve toward a more sustainable, compassionate, and creative global system, or we face the real possibility of devolution and destruction of our life support system and of much of life on Earth -- within our own or our children's lifetime!  This dangerous reality is motivating us to enter into what I call the first age of conscious evolution -- that is, evolution by choice and not by chance.  It means that we need to be causal in the actions and direction we take in this lifetime.  What is being required of us is to learn to co-evolve with nature and cocreate with Spirit. --Barbara Marx Hubbard, Birth 2012, pages 3-4

The central event of this birth was held at the Agape International Spiritual Center in Culver City, California.  It included a host of well-known speakers and performers who are involved in this life-changing vision of the future.  The question is -- what does it all mean, and did it change life in any tangible way?  How will your life and mine be different as a result of this campaign, and where does it all go from here?

Pitirim Sorokin, a former professor of sociology at Harvard University, said that in any time of crisis, two things are happening at the same time.  The first is that the majority of people are following the crisis, in which everything is getting worse and with no end in sight.  The second effect is that more and more people are either hitting bottom or seeing bottom and beginning to change accordingly.  In the first half of the crisis, life is going on a downward spiral.  However, as the crisis continues, those who have seen the way beyond are getting stronger and more clear as to what has to change.  Consequently, things do begin to change for the better. Eventually, those forces do prevail, and conditions begin to improve in the direction of restoration.

How do we know when that time of change has arrived?  That is what "Birth 2012" is about?  There are major movements now that are having their influence in bringing about this global change.  Birth 2012 is a group of people who are saying that now is the time when that change is happening, and that from now on the forces of transformation into a new and global civilization are going to be increasingly influential in eliminating the dark forces which have been leading toward the destruction of our society.  If this is true, then it is truly a time of celebration and of dedication to the support of this trend.

Unity-and-Diversity World Council (UDC) has supported this creative transformation since its beginning in 1965 during International Cooperation Year.  We support it not just as a one-time event but as an ongoing work.  Therefore, at this time of year, each and every year, we celebrate the coming together of all faiths to share together that energy and call for renewal.  We held this Interfaith Celebration of Light on December 16th, and we are now gearing up for a new education and action plan for 2013 which grew out of our Peace Convergence on September 16th as part of Peace Sunday/Peace Fest.  We invite all of you to take part in this effort beginning on Saturday, January 19th, 1-4 p.m.  Watch for further details between now and then or contact UDC.

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

Moving from a time where consumption is the keynote to where sacredness and responsible citizenship are front-and-center is the order of the time, but it does take real attention and goal-setting. Some people have said that making New Year's Resolutions doesn't work, but that is based on how we approach the matter.  If we decide that they can work, then we will set out to be serious about what we focus on and make sure that we follow up throughout the year.

If we decide that this is a sacred task for these remaining days of 2012, then we need to set about this task with every ounce of energy we can bring to meditating and then making these decisions.  Many people in France, I am told, are now deciding that instead of continuing to consume goods as they have in the past, they will talk about the change they are going through and decide to save their money.  If in the interest of gaining more centeredness and self-control, we decide to spend daily time in meditation, then it will be easier for us to choose other options to keep our lives in balance.

It appears that, with or without the results of the "fiscal cliff", 2013 is going to be a year of many challenges, financial and other. Let’s therefore be prepared by reviewing our life and discovering ways in which we can do better at accomplishing our life goals through making the most responsible choices we can.  May Spirit be our guide as we make these choices.

The scriptures of the world's religions and other related sources can help us in this direction.   The Unity-and-Diversity World Council is in a unique position to help with this process, since we have three books that deal with the scriptures of the major religions as well as teachings which have arisen since the time of the major religions. World Scriptures covers in brief the scriptures of the major religions plus a number of more recent faiths.  World Scriptures, Vol. 2 focuses on teachings from sources that are of a scriptural nature but mostly not in the world's scriptures.  Science and Spirituality is a book containing many short readings on various uplifting subjects, plus the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, A Global Ethic, and the Earth Charter.  It also contains a Civilization Time Line from 3100 BCE to the present.  Please contact UDC if interested.

May your New Year be a powerful reflection of the effort you have put into this time period to look at your life and how it can be a more perfect reflection of who you are and what you truly believe.

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

Unity-and-Diversity World Council; P. O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

THE TASK AHEAD
Second in a series of eight

Am I claiming that there is only one task ahead?  Certainly not. There is ending the nuclear weapons and power nightmare as well as ending war itself, establishing a sustainable environment, getting rid of the gun confusion and threat, developing an educational system that meets the needs of today's children in an increasingly global context, creating a meaningful family system that allows us to move beyond the present sexual looseness and irresponsibility, etc.  The list is immense.  It is so immense that it is hard to know where to begin. Except if we realize that all the tasks to be undertaken need to done in a certain ethical and spiritual framework.

We are now in a very major transitional period in the world at large. We are at the end of Western civilization, as I mentioned yesterday, and the global civilization is just beginning.  Every value that we have been living by needs to be reexamined and changed as needed in terms of the emerging global civilization.  It is not one new religion that we need, but rather a new context for ethics and spirituality that can give us values to live by in this increasingly global age. What made this country great in its earlier years was its courage to solve its problems and to establish itself as a new nation despite all the challenges involved.

What will make this world great it that all of us take upon ourselves the agreement to live at our highest level of vision and courage, so that we can carry out the tasks that lie before us.  We need a viable faith in order to do this, and we need to be able to share with others whose faith is different from ours.  The essence of faith is not that we all go to the same church or temple; it is that we discover that we need each other in order to accomplish many of the tasks that need to be undertaken.  As we try, we will find that a more inclusive level of faith does exist, and that we need to embrace that understanding as well as our particular religious expression.

The second American revolution is the world revolution, as was pointed out some years ago by British historian Arnold Toynbee.  It is based on the coming together of the world's religions, not just the large historic faiths, but also the smaller and often newer ones.  It is not just an aimless rebellion, but rather a restructuring of self and society based on the new level of human and spiritual values that are now arising rapidly.

Part of the rebuilding has already been done, and we need to pay attention to its accomplishments.  That is, we need to recognize the work of the United Nations, which was established in 1945.  We need to know what the United Nations is and why it exists.  We also need to give credence to what it has accomplished.  It is not a perfect organization, but it has done much to bring about the global civilization.

We also need to know what the Unity-and-Diversity World Council is and why it exists.  It was established just twenty years after the U.N. in 1965 during International Cooperation Year.  When the U.N. celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2015, the UDC will be celebrating its 50th anniversary.  Many people tend to ignore the U.N., thinking that it is not a significant organization, and even more people come to that conclusion about UDC.  For that reason I am now speaking out about both organizations, because they are designed in much the same way. The UDC is designed to be a peoples' equivalent of the U.N.  We have the beginnings of a General Assembly, though we have not understood its importance yet.  We have not done much so far with a Security Council, but it too is important.

We have Specialized Affiliates, parallel to the Specialized Agencies of the U.N., though we need many more.  The United Nations was born in San Francisco, but its central base of activity was transferred to New York.  It also has a base of power in Switzerland, which derived from the earlier League of Nations.  The UDC was born in Los Angeles, and it appears that it will continue to be centered in this international, intercultural, and interfaith city.

The task ahead for us is to follow up on our Peace Convergence held last September as part of the Peace Sunday/Peace Fest.  This is our General Assembly in its new form, and it needs to be developed from its beginning into a number of ongoing affiliates.  Your support is very much needed.  Its first meeting will be Saturday, January 19th, 1-4 p.m.  The venue will probably be the IMAN Cultural Center where our September event was held, but we will keep you posted on this matter.  Please save the date.

May peace prevail on earth!!!

Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

This evening is "Christmas Eve", or at least that is what it is called.  Just to see how seriously our society takes the meaning of that most sacred time, I decided to tune in to all of the television channels to see how it is being portrayed.  PBSSoCal and KCET were largely showing cultural programs with little or no mention of Christimas.  The other channels were showing anything and everything, except little or no mention of Christmas.  Only one channel had to do with a religious program, and that was the story of Jesus' life.  Even there the program was filled with violence and hostility, rather than the peaceful and inspirational nature of what religion is supposed to be all about.

Other things are happening at this time of year that are significant for the future.  An interfaith movement is beginning to build momentum in general, and the movement is now realizing the importance of all faiths coming together at this time to pay respects to the different teachings and traditions from which they come.

Prior to the birth of Christianity, the mystery religions celebrated at this time.  In fact, it took many years for Christianity to realize the power of this season and the importance of celebrating Jesus' birth now, since Jesus was not born in December. Today it seems that many who are looking for sacredness at this season are also examining and celebrating the other religions as well.  We just held an Interfaith Celebration of Light on December 16th.

In the last few weeks, especially since the horrendous shooting at the elementary school in Connecticut, there has been a great deal of discussion about guns and their proper place in current society. Should we have assault weapons on our streets?  Is there a way to prevent mentally unstable people from being able to purchase a gun? Do we want our schools to be treated as armed camps and even our teachers have to carry a gun?

What I am discovering is that to a large extent we have cut sacredness out of our consciousness, and reverence for life does not seem to play much of a part in our decision-making.  If we respect all forms of life, as Albert Schweitzer pointed out should be a central part of our modern ethic, then why should we be having a gun with which to go hunting animals?  I find that it is fear that prompts us to get a gun, and then we need to create an "enemy" in order to find an object to justify its use.

Martin Luther King, whose birthday we will be celebrating next month, and Mahatma Gandhi before him, taught that we need to establish nonviolent societies in order to have a proper basis for modern living.  If instead of trusting in the gun, we decided to trust in the power of Spirit, we would then have a sufficient basis for keeping the peace.  We need to receive training in the meaning and applications of nonviolence, so that we know what to do when challenged by people or circumstances that would cause us harm.

I have been recommending for many years now that from December 25th to January 1st we go within our own consciousness and ask what we can do during this next year to change our lives in the direction of greater reverence for life and more willingness to apply nonviolence to our daily living.  I plan each day from now until the beginning of the New Year to write about some aspect of this transformation.  It is true that if we hope to solve the problem of guns, or fiscal cliffs, or having a sustainable environment we are going to have to return to respecting all life and to make our life decisions accordingly.  Now is the best of all times to move in that direction.

May peace prevail on earth!!!

Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc., P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA 90066
Phone: 424-228-2087; Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

We will either evolve toward a more sustainable, compassionate, and creative global system, or we face the real possibility of devolution and destruction of our life support system and of much of life on Earth -- within our own or our children's lifetime! --Barbara Marx Hubbard, Birth 2012, page 3

For Leland, there is a time when the shift to the new civilization will become much more visible, but that the process is continuous and needs to be celebrated each year at this time.  For more than fifty years through the Unity-and-Diversity World Council and its predecessors, this unfolding process has been acknowledged in music, prayer, meditation, and messages from the world's faiths, beginning in 1958 on Los Angeles City Hall Grounds. 

In my writings, I have developed the same kind of process that Christianity has celebrated each year, but with a different message.  The Sundays in December leading up to December 25th begin with advent, meaning preparation for a new birth, to be followed by the immediate Sundays prior to the 25th as an intensification of that birth up to the 25th itself.  The difference is that the message now heralds the birth of a planetary age, the time when science and democracy are becoming global and bringing their contributions to center stage.  A new kind of faith is also emerging, one which brings together all faiths that seek to help unify the planet.

For Barbara, and for the Shift Network in her footsteps, this is the year in which the change happens as a unique and specific year.  For me, I accept the fact that much is happening this year that needs to be celebrated and brought forward.  It is in many ways a very unusual year, and one in which we do need to stop and "count our blessings".  At the same time, every year in the recent past and the future is also a time to acknowledge our progress toward the establishment of the global civilization.

I call upon everyone to take time during this month, and especially in the last week leading up to December 25th, to go within and seek answers as to how each individual and faith community can help realize this dream.  How can we help bring Spirit to the center of the process and get ourselves in tune with the Life Force of the universe, called by any name or no name?

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

The term "unity-and-diversity" is intentionally hyphenated in order to show that it is one concept rather than separated, unconnected ideas, namely "unity" and "diversity".  Democracy derives from the notion of "unity-and-diversity".

 Democracy is based upon a pluralism of races, cultures, and religions being contained within one society.  It is a very rare and fragile concept, and one which needs to be cherished and preserved. Even in an officially democratic society, such as the United States of America, it is often forgotten or misused.

In recent times, democracy has increasingly become the property of the world as a whole, yet it is far from being understood and appreciated.  --  Leland Stewart, Science and Spirituality, page vi

The Unity-and-Diversity World Council (UDC) recognizes the importance of the fact that the birth of the global civilization will be focused at a particular time and place, yet this new phenomenon has been acknowledged and celebrated annually by UDC since the late 1950's.  The Holy Day Season - which is the few weeks leading into the New Year - is an occasion which is evolving into an interfaith time in which all religions are increasingly celebrating either separately or together. 

This year the UDC and the Spiritual Salons have joined together to further enlarge and deepen the meaning of this unique season.  We have invited various interfaith councils and faith groups in the greater Los Angeles area to hold an Interfaith Celebration of Light on Sunday, December 16th, at the Village Church and Interfaith Center, 343 Church Lane, West Los Angeles (Brentwood). The event will start at 5 p.m. with a potluck supper and time to visit tables from each of the organizations, to be followed by a program from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. 

The program will consist of a candlelighting meditation for everyone, messages, music, prayers, poems, sacred skits, and other creative expressions in a joyous evening in recognition of the deeper meaning of democracy.  It is also an acknowledgement of the role religions and spiritual groups have to play in the flowering of democracy in our interdependent planet.  You are cordially invited to participate.

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

Humankind is having a...birthing experience on a macro level.  If you look at planet Earth as a whole system, it's obvious that we're over-populating, we're polluting, and we're running out of resources.  Like an infant that is reaching the "due date" of its birth, we're overgrowing "the womb" of the Earth. Our "birthing" crisis is inflicting pain and suffering for millions, as well as the possible destruction of our life support system. The urgency of our global crisis is causing people to wake up all over  the planet.  It's dawning on us that something creative -- something new -- is pressing within us to emerge. -- Barbara Marx Hubbard, Birth 2012, page 10

My observation is that the year 2012 is the year when this change is happening more and more, and that therefore it is the time when the birth of the global civilization is becoming increasingly visible.  This is not to say that everything will change overnight, but rather that the needed changes are starting to happen now to the extent that the birth of the global civilization is truly emerging.  It is like the 100th monkey effect, which means that as enough monkeys find the food they need to eat, all of a sudden every monkey catches on and goes after the food. 

Some people have criticized Barbara Hubbard for proclaiming the year 2012 as being the year of the new birth, claiming that the change into the new civilization is a slow and challenging process. This also is true, but the changeover has to start some time, and it is in fact well under way. There is an explosion of speaking out on the part of a host of highly qualified speakers in many fields, and at the same time there is a technology that has the capability of reaching millions of people almost instantaneously. The net result is that a huge number of individuals and organizations are coming forth with teachings related to the transformational process now in motion.

The Unity-and-Diversity World Council (UDC) is part of that process and has been for all of its forty-seven years since its birth during International Cooperation Year 1965, when the United Nations General Assembly declared this special year for nongovernmental organizations to take action themselves and to cooperate with each other. During that year the UDC held its first International Cooperation Festival and published its first International Cooperation Directory of organizations. UDC is now celebrating its 47th anniversary and will reach its 50th anniversary in 2015. This is the same year that the United Nations will celebrate its 70th anniversary.

For us, this is a very special occasion, and we now are busily preparing for that time. It is not only the year for a larger Peace Sunday, but also a time now to expand our global education programs and to become increasingly active in terms of service to others. 

UDC is different from many organizations due to its inner and outer transformational work, which is reflected in its Peace Wheel that includes all areas of concern. We are meeting at this time to develop the diverse areas of concern represented by the Wheel and will soon be announcing how this effort will be carrying out the first phase of activity.  You are cordially invited to take part in the ongoing programs as well as the annual Peace Sunday.

Spirit is One; paths are many!

Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

UDC GENERAL ASSEMBLY 
Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012 (12), 10 a.m.-12 noon

The Peace Convergence at Peace Sunday/Peace Fest has given us a new direction for our General Assembly by bringing many individuals and groups together to explore common ground and to gain new participants.  We are now going through the steps needed to consider what has been recorded and to see how it can be applied in the next couple of months.  Saturday's Assembly will go over the results and see how it will affect our future work.  Please come and be part of this exciting process.

VENUE: UDC CENTER , 12806 Matteson Ave. #10, Los Angeles 90066

Directions :  Take Santa Monica Fwy. to San Diego Fwy, left to Venice Blvd. (1st exit), left on Venice 1 bl. beyond Centinela to Wade St., left 2 bls. to Matteson, right 1 bl. to Moore St.  Park on street, go to 2nd floor and ½ way down hall.

BACKGROUND:  The General Assembly is the one activity of Unity-and-Diversity World Council (UDC) which potentially deals with every area of concern related to creating a worldwide culture of peace.  UDC began during International Cooperation Year 1965, initiated by the General Assembly of the United Nations.  Let's make 2012 a major step forward in building the Assembly.  Your presence is what makes it all possible.

ORDER OF ASSEMBLY: 

10:00   Call to order and opening attunement
10:10   Peace Sunday/Peace Fest and Peace Convergence
11:10   The economy and the presidential election
11:20   Decision-making
11:45   Announcements, offering, and closing attunement
12:00   Refreshments and clean-up time 

Announcements:
Next meeting -- Sat. Oct. 20th, 10 a.m. till 12 noon (unless otherwise notified)
Special Peace Sunday 2015 celebrating the 70th anniversary of the United Nations and the 50th anniversary of Unity-and-Diversity World Council.   Watch for details.  Many co-sponsors will be involved.

Unity-and-Diversity World Council, P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA US 90066 Phone: 424-228-2087; Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

There will be established on earth a new consciousness and power which will shape a race of wise spiritual beings and take up into itself all of earth-nature that is ready for this new transformation. --Sri Aurobindo, Science and Spirituality, page 171

The Center for Religion and Public Life on the campus of the University of Southern California announces major events of different religions on a regular basis.  The School of Religion at Claremont is now beginning to train faith leaders for Judaism and Islam, as well as Christianity, and it will soon include Buddhism.  The headquarters of the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions is in Chicago, from which a very large Parliament is held in various parts of the world every five years starting in 1993.  The United Religions Initiative began its work in 1995 to develop an interfaith charter, which was launched in the year 2000.

In addition to exploring the teachings of the existing religions, new input into this process is coming from modern science and from the emergence of democracy in the United States and around the world.  The result of this process is a new basis of faith that is supported by ongoing research and a mutual respect for the diverse teachings of the world's religions.  No one religion can any longer be able to provide all the answers to the value needs of the world's peoples, but rather through a sharing of our interfaith understanding we are able to find answers adequate to our moral and spiritual needs.

The "conscious evolution" teachings of Barbara Marx Hubbard, along with the Shift Network, is declaring in December of this year, 2012, the birth of a new world.  Whether one wishes to identify this major worldwide change with that particular date is up to the individuals involved, but it is clear for those who have studied the new teachings that something very major is happening during this time.  It is our opportunity and responsibility to support this effort in order to help give greater reality to the global emergence that is taking place, usually below the radar.

Interfaith is a very important part of the emerging landscape, but it is not the only part.  Every aspect of life is being challenged to rethink itself and to connect with the new energies that are being released.  Together we can make the necessary changes and thereby become stronger and have more hope for our individual and collective future.

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc., P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA 90066; Phone: 424-228-2087; Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

Peace cannot be kept by force.  It can only be achieved through understanding. --Albert Einstein, Science and Spirituality, page 178

Sixty-nine organizations were listed as supporting this event, almost all of whom were co-sponsors.  Most of these organizations were from the Southern California area, but a significant number were also from other parts of the United States and the world.  The UDC from its beginning in 1965 has always been worldwide in scope, even though its headquarters has continued to be in the Los Angeles area.  It began as a participant in International Cooperation Year 1965, which was initiated by the General Assembly of the United Nations.  During the coming four years, we will expand our outreach internationally, so that we will truly live up to our purpose, which is as follows:

The purpose of the Unity-and-Diversity World Council is to establish and sustain a local-to-global cooperating body of individuals, groups, and networks for the pursuit of peace, justice, and an environmentally sustainable civilization for all races, cultures, and religions based on universal ethical and spiritual principles.

Now that this initiating event has been held, the Peace Sunday/Peace Fest Steering Committee will be meeting this coming week to evaluate the event, examine the decisions made during the Peace Convergence, and then to begin planning for the programs indicated during the weekend.  Each month will highlight one of the sectors from the convergence, but also including aspects of interest to all of the sectors of the Unity-and-Diversity Wheel. 

The program already committed in this process is the interfaith/intercultural sector, which will hold a Holy Day Season Interfaith Celebration in December sponsored by organizations in the interfaith and intercultural fields.  Other programs will be announced once the Steering Committee has met.  You are cordially invited to take part in these monthly meetings and to suggest ways in which you can contribute to this 4-year effort.

May peace prevail on earth!!!

Unity-and-Diversity World Council, P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA  90066
Phone: 424-228-2087; Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

Rev. Leland Stewart, B.S.E., B.T.
Unity-and-Diversity Fellowship
2 September 2012(12)

This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, that    government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth. -- Abraham Lincoln, Science and Spirituality, page 145

This past week has seen a partial change in that attitude.  Now that the Republican Convention has felt it necessary to concentrate more on what their party has to offer the country, the candidates and their fellow speakers have been giving more time to praising the virtues of their own candidate.  There is still a long way to go, but at least there has been some change in that direction.  One can only hope that the Democrats will do likewise.

What do we mean by spiritual awareness, and how is it important to the political realities at this time?   Spiritually aware people are more sensitive to others' feelings and seek a oneness of all beings and all life.  The idea of two parties sitting on two different sides of an aisle and correspondingly finding reasons to disagree with each other based on that arbitrary separation is foreign to those who have that sensitivity.  Beyond that division is our commonality of being Americans, and beyond that we are citizens of an increasingly global community.

Our "specialness" as Americans is not that we have more money or weapons than anyone else, but that we hopefully have a spiritual awareness that also extends beyond our shores to the rest of the planet and cares for people very different from us on a very real basis.  I am happy to be an American, yet I find that the overly zealous kind of American is doing great damage to our relation to the rest of the world.  To have peace in the world, we need to give space to all religions. races, and cultures.  If we are constantly singing the praises of our own country, we may well be putting down those who happen to have been born and grown up somewhere else. 

In our prayers and meditations may we seek to widen our horizons and to include those of many backgrounds and traditions.  May we open ourselves increasingly to the phrase that is on our coins, "e pluribus unum", which means "out of the many, one".  We need to be the place that truly is open to unity-and-diversity, who sets an example to the rest of the world without at the same time being smug or complacent.  May we be the change we would like to see in the world! (a quote said to be from Mahatma Gandhi).

Spirit is One; paths are many!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc., P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA 90066; Phone: 424-228-2087; Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

Why weep when a person dies, since that one is only going home? --Sikh scriptures, Science and Spirituality, page 155

In the interfaith movement, there is a developing sense of solidarity; what affects one affects all. For every person of faith, having a sacred space or spaces of quiet and safety is very important. To have a place of worship disrupted by a deranged individual is highly unfortunate. 

Sikhs wear the turban as a symbol of their faith. It stands for the Divine. People who enter a Gurdwara are expected to wear either a turban or some type of head covering. In the early days after 911 some Sikhs were killed because people thought they were Muslims. With this situation, apparently the individual responsible was a white supremacist who had a history of associating with others who were racist in their beliefs.

Our responsibility in a situation like this is to show our support for the victims and do everything we can to see that these incidents do not happen again. An expression of sympathy to any Sikhs we know is important, or going to events that are happening which show support for their faith community. Together we can much more readily overcome other situations which could develop.

May peace prevail on earth!

NOTE:  With this concern in mind, UDC has set up an Interfaith Celebration at the local Sikh temple to show our support.  It will be on Sunday, August 19, 3-5 p.m., 1620 Preuss Rd., West Los Angeles 90035.  You are cordially invited to come and to invite others.  Call UDC if you have questions or need directions.

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2807; FAX: 310-827-9187
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

This letter is to call for solidarity among people of faith in the wake of the murderous shooting inside a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, yesterday.  Seven people have now been reported killed, plus a number wounded including a police officer.  The gunman was also killed after he tried to kill a police officer.

We pray that we will give solace to the victims' friends and relatives in any way we can plus others of the Sikh faith.  One interfaith organization called for a visit to a Sikh temple this morning.  May the spirit of the American people be strong and help us to see that such irreverent acts do not happen in the future.

Spirit is One; paths are many!

Rev. Leland Stewart, B.S.E., B.T.
Founder/Central Coordinator
Unity-and-Diversity World Council
Phone: 424-228-2087

The universe emerged and developed from one source, and we evolved through the optimal process of unification and harmonization. --Morihei Ueshiba, Science and Spirituality, page 173

If we look at the earth from a distance, which we can do thanks to the space program and the many photographs that have been taken from space, we can easily see that the boundaries we have created between nations and peoples do not really exist except in our minds.  As we are able to move beyond these divisions, we can get a sense of the whole body of the earth and our part in it.  What is in the process of emerging in our time is a civilization based upon that consciousness.  It is different than anything which has happened previously, and it is easy to visualize.

Because it is easy to visualize, it should also be easy to create.  Right now that possibility seems very remote, yet we need to stand back and seek to grasp how clear it is once we take the time to focus on it.  Science is helping us to come to this awareness.  We can help ourselves to establish that awareness as a central part of our daily living.  It would be worth our while to have a meditation time every day in which we do this visioning and remind ourselves as to our need to live in the consciousness of a whole planet, what former Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations called "The Planet of God"..

As the ways of democracy spread, we find that races, cultures, and religions are coming together into a larger whole.  We are gradually learning the importance of mutual respect and understanding.  One of the central documents of our Unity-and-Diversity World Council is our "Declaration of Interdependence".  We have been taught the importance of freedom and independence, and we celebrate that awareness on July 4th each year.  But we need also to understand that beyond independence is interdependence.  We are a total body of humanity and all life.  Our survival as a species depends upon our coming together as one and supporting each other.  We are different in many ways, yet ultimately we are one.  It is time to experience and celebrate our Oneness.

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: uudcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

Peace Sunday/Peace Fest 2012 is presented by the Unity-and-Diversity World Council along with numerous other co-sponsoring and participating organizations.  It is a transformative weekend-long celebration and educational convergence* (see description below) to help awaken humanity for a sustainable and evolving world. These critical times on our planet today call us, more than ever, to step up and create a CULTURE OF PEACE together.

Peace Sunday/Peace Fest is being hosted by the IMAN Cultural Center, 3376 Motor Ave., Los Angeles, CA  90034 from Friday, September 21st through Sunday, September 23rd, 2012. It includes an outdoor exhibit of various peace/justice, interfaith/spiritual, environmental, humanitarian organizations and other relevant products and services. For further details, updates and registration:

www.peacesunday.org  &  www.udcworld.org. Contact: peacesunday@gmail.com

PROGRAM

FRI. 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. ~ Welcoming ceremony and International Day of Peace Program
SATURDAY 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ~ Convergence* Process (see description below) with scheduled breaks
SUNDAY 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. ~ Interfaith Service
SUNDAY 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. ~ Peace Sunday Program and event Finale will include inspirational speakers, performers and multi-media.

* The convergence process provides an opportunity to connect with many other people and organizations who are involved in different aspects of peace-building, with the goal of creating ongoing cooperative relationships and projects. To facilitate this, the convergence will begin with participants divided into twelve sectors, which will later converge into four quadrants and finally into one central peace hub.  Please join us as we launch this exciting peace-building process.

PARTICIPATION

Group Discounts: 5 -- 9 people get $10% off each ticket; 10 or more get 20% off each ticket

A.  As an INDIVIDUAL:

(1) Full weekend - by 8/31 - $100 ($125 afterward) 
(2) Fri. night - by 8/31- $25 ($30 afterward)
(3.) Sat. only - by 8/31 - $50  ($60 afterward) 
(4) Peace Sunday - by 8/31- $25 ($30 afterward)

B.  Special Offer packages for ORGANIZATIONS:

1. Organization application* -- includes TWO full weekend tickets -- $100 (value $200)
Should your organization want to include a booth or display table please add -
2. Non-Profit Booth* package -- also includes ONE full weekend ticket - $150 (value $250)
3. For-profit booth *  -- includes ONE full weekend ticket - $200 (value $300)
4. Non-Profit 3'x6' table package -- includes ONE full weekend ticket - $80 (value $150)

STUDENTS and SENIORS -- please enquire.

* Booth consists of a 10' x 10' Canopy, table and 2 chairs. Electricity is an additional charge of $20

Meals will be available for purchase. Details and order forms will be posted on our website www.peacesunday.org

REGISTRATION:

Online with Paypal available soon at www.peacesunday.org or send Check/Money Order to:
Peace Sunday, P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA 90066-9201; Ph: 424-228-2087  310-453-2101

Dear friends:

We are sending your this announcement of Peace Sunday/Peace Fest so that you can know when and where the event will be and can make your plans accordingly. We hope you will plan to participate in the full weekend.  We need your help now to register or donate extra if you can in support of our getting the event started.  Everything over the $100 registration makes you a co-sponsor, for which you will be listed in the program.  Thank you kindly for your cooperation.

Peace Sunday/Peace Fest Steering Committee 

From Independence to Interdependence

You shall live a responsible life in accord with the supreme interests of our planet and of the human family.  --Dr. Robert Muller, World Scriptures Vol. 2, page 43

Once we have achieved our independence, we then need to make a Declaration of Interdependence.  There is a Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, and there is at least talk of establishing a Statue of Interdependence (the name may be slightly different but with the same idea) on the West Coast.  Freedom and responsibility go together.  We Americans tend to take our freedom for granted, yet we have come to the position of seeing ourselves as wanting to dominate the world and control it by military force whenever we feel it is necessary.  Instead, we need to learn the ways of nonviolence and to practice diplomacy in our relations with the rest of the world.

The United Nations was established in order to help the world practice the ways of peacemaking, but only a small number of American citizens pay attention to the U.N. and its ways of solving global problems.  We have about one hundred sixty military bases around the world, which bears witness to our desire to control other countries more than to work with them.  It isn't that the U.S. is losing its power so much as the fact that other countries are developing their power and challenging the U.S. in its role of being the sole superpower.  Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS and author of a New York Times bestseller, has a book entitled The Post-American World,  In this book Fareed points out that the world is now rising and will no longer accept our former attitude of dominance and thinking of ourselves as being superior to the rest of the world's nations and peoples.

We can be a significant influence in the world of today and tomorrow if we will work with the other nations and to offer our diplomatic skills, as well as to practice the principles of nonviolence.  We still have much to offer to the world, but only if we reform our ways and make our own Declaration of Interdependence. 

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087 (new number); FAX: 310 -827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

Unity-and-Diversity...proclaims that the emerging global civilization is the great new era about which all religions have dreamed, that during this time life throughout the world will find new unity and significance, and that consequently all prophecies will in some sense be fulfilled.  --Leland Stewart, World Scriptures Vol. 2, page 134

In the midst of the many challenges of our age of transition, an ever-increasing effort is being made by some of the faiths of the world to come together to discover their common ground and to proclaim the values needed for a global civilization.  We are spiritual beings who have a human role to carry out on this planet, and we also have a divine destiny to manifest as well.  It is in our coming together and discovering our common ground that we will have the strength to fulfill that destiny.

The word "interfaith" has emerged in the last few decades to characterize a new movement that brings together people and groups who have transcended the idea that a one faith is sufficient at this time to provide guidance for everyone.  Instead, great added strength is coming about because these individuals and groups find they can unite based on all that they have in common.  The differences are not needing to be denied, but rather they are often found to be sources of uniqueness which can be offered to enrich each other.

Researchers in the field find that there are a number of different dimensions to interfaith.  One is dialog between faiths to increase understanding of the various teachings.  The second is to spend time becoming immersed in another faith, but eventually coming back to one's own faith enriched by the experience.  A third is to take on a second faith and live strengthened by the combined values.  The fourth is to withdraw from all faiths and to live a life without any faith involvement.  Finally, a fifth response is to become attuned to some or all of the faiths and to find a new synthesis that harmonizes them despite their differences.  All of these approaches to interfaith have followers, and they represent various stages in the process of coming to terms with the global civilization.

In every community throughout the world there needs to be a center where people of the world's faiths, and those of no particular faith, can come to meet and learn from each other.  We call this a Unity-and-Diversity Center.  It is a place for worship based on the wisdom and enlightenment of the different faiths and the new insights of the age into which we are being born.  Creating these centers is a centrally important part of the work in which we are engaged.  We invite those who feel this need to join in this joyous effort.

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

You are all the leaves of one tree and the drops of one ocean. --Baha'i Faith, Science and Spirituality, page 173

Most impressive to me was the fact that they were from the Mahatma Gandhi Ashram, where the values of Gandhi are being preserved and projected into the world.   This is new to me, and I am very happy that there is a Gandhi Ashram, and that the values on which Gandhi based his life are being taught and sent out to the world.  Among these values are service to others, keeping a balance between the material and spiritual sides of life, and practicing love to all.

In the midst of all the confusions and uncertainties of our time, this program came as a breath of fresh air.  It was sincere, the children were very capable, and the message was abundantly clear regarding peace, love, and nonviolence as well as their importance at the present time.  It should come as no surprise that a very capable staff of people were involved in the training of these children.  Both the children and the staff were introduced at the end the program.

Central to the ongoing theme of the program, a large plastic ball was periodically brought forward and tossed around among the children.  Its use was of two kinds: one where the children were competing with each other to have the ball, and the second when they all cooperated in throwing the ball around.  Symbolically, the world can function well and be a stable place to be when it is being handled well, but when its handlers cannot get along with each other, the world itself is in jeopardy.

We are that world, and the children symbolized those responsible for the well-being of our planet.  Ultimately, we are all responsible, and we need to greatly improve our capability of working together in order for our future to be assured.

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first(
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

I AM THERE

Do you need me?
I am there.
You cannot see Me, yet I am the light you see by.
You cannot hear Me, yet I speak through your voice.
You cannot feel Me, yet I am the power at work in your hands.
I am at work, though you do not understand My ways.
I am at work, though you do not understand My works.
I am not strange visions.   I am not mysteries.
Only in absolute stillness, beyond self, can you know Me
   as I Am, and then but as a feeling and a faith.
Yet I am there.  Yet I hear.  Yet I answer. ...
                --James Dillet Freeman, World Scriptures Vol. 2, page 32

We live in a time of great crisis and uncertainty.  The 2012 Presidential election brings this into the limelight even more than it would otherwise be.  In the United States the disparity between rich and poor is becoming ever greater.  And the financial challenges in Europe are very much a part of the problem, to say nothing of the continuing violence in Syria and elsewhere. 

One could easily give up on hoping for a brighter future.  We see more and more tattoos, dark glasses, and sexual improprieties.  What is our world coming to?  Where is the promise of America as the shining light of democracy for the rest of the world?

This is where the role of faith, and of the faiths of the world, is needed to help us find our way through the darkness of this moment in time.  As James Dillet Freeman says in his opening quotation, Spirit is with us everywhere and all the time.  We just need to raise our consciousness in order to discover Its presence.  It may be that the faith you are following can help you in this challenging time, or perhaps you need to go deeper and find a faith that does lift you up.  It could be that you need to find your own individual faith because none of the existing faiths are suitable to meet your needs.  Whatever it takes, now is the time when we all need to discover what does fit for us and give the answers we need.  There is no one path that is suitable for everyone.

There is now a rapidly growing interfaith movement.  This movement begins with dialogue among the world's faiths, so that we can understand and appreciate moral and spiritual values as seen from many different perspectives.  As a result of this dialogue, some people simply grow stronger in their own faith as it is seen in a new light.  Others join another faith that is more suited to their present needs.  Still others come to relate to all faiths and to absorb their teachings as part of their own.  Some relate to more than one faith, while still others become atheists or agnostics. 

The central role of the faiths, old and new, is to help strengthen the moral and spiritual values that support our individual and collective lives.  That role needs to be greatly improved at this time for the growth of the global community to be assured.

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver. -- Mahatma Gandhi, Science and Spirituality, page 151

Often when there is too much emphasis on money, or perhaps too much money in relation to the rest of our life, human relationships get out of balance.  As difficult as it may seem, money needs to be in balance with the rest of life in order for life to be the most fulfilling.  Money is an energy, and its proper use is needed so that life can flow and not be constantly running into barriers. 

The place of money in the United States in particular has gotten very much out of balance with the rest of life, and the results of that unbalance have now shown themselves.  Corruption has made its way into social and political life and caused severe breakdowns.  A new and updated set of values on a worldwide scale is going to be needed in order for life to regain its sense of meaning. 

Healing has its physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects with the individual, and it also has a relationship aspect in terms of people getting along with each other.  All of these aspects are important and need development.  Public schools today generally do not admit the existence of the moral and spiritual aspects of life.  In most textbooks health is limited to physical, mental, and social.  It is high time that we opened the door to our moral and spiritual development at home, at school, in the community, and in the world as a whole. 

A good place to start in this urgently needed process is to make every effort to heal ourselves by taking time on a daily basis to eat healthy food, to get enough sleep, and to cultivate healthy relationships with all races, cultures, and religions.  Having a spiritual home is important toward this end.  If it is a place that offers what we truly believe, then it is a good way to keep our lives in balance. 

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

To the property of motherhood belong nature, love, wisdom, and knowledge, and this is God. --Julian of Norwich, Science and Spirituality, page 196

First of all, I would like to look at what girls and women today are doing to their values as well as their relation to men and to society.  Never before in my many years on this planet have I seen so much emphasis on sex and the flaunting of the human body.  The difference between how girls and women are presenting themselves and what constitutes prostitution is a very thin line indeed.  Instead of reserving our sexuality for the time when men and women, boys and girls get to know each other, many girls and women are advertising themselves as sex objects to anyone who would observe.  Rather than wait until lovers make the commitment of getting married before having sexual intercourse, many couples feel free to live together without accepting responsibility for their actions and the effect it can have on their children.

With this situation in mind, one of the most important tasks of this Mother's Day is to convey the need to have girls and women take control of their lives and become more responsible human beings.  There are at least two areas of this responsibility that need our special attention.  The first is the responsibility for raising united and stable families, ones that can stay together and care for each other.  Mothers have a special role in that area, since they bring the children into the world and are generally with them much more of the time in their growing up.

The second potential role mothers have, and other women as well, is with regard to the state of the world.  During certain periods of time in the past, women and particularly mothers have had to take radical steps to force their male counterparts to stop fighting with each other and establish peace in society.  Especially now, when the world seems to be getting involved in never-ending war, the responsibility of mothers for seeing that this pattern changes could not be more needed. 

Women's nature is generally more gentle and long suffering.  Caring for the welfare of children, which is especially the role of mothers, is a natural result of bringing children into the world.  Mothers are the ones who need to prepare themselves for birthing the children, so they are naturally drawn to caring for their offspring.  Mother's Day is a time to remind ourselves of the special role that mothers have in caring for the future generation and for life on earth.  What can we do together to support that essential role?

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

We are witnessing a tremendous movement for the advancement of human rights and democratic freedom in the world.  This movement must become an even more powerful moral force, so that even the most obstructive governments and armies are incapable of suppressing it.  This is an occasion for all of us to reaffirm our commitment to this goal.  It is natural and just for nations, peoples, and individuals to demand respect for their rights and freedoms and to struggle to end repression, racism, economic exploitation, military occupation, and various forms of colonialism and alien domination.  Governments should actively support such demands instead of only paying lip service to them.

(Today) we find that the world is becoming one community.  We are being drawn together by the grave problems of overpopulation, dwindling natural resources, and an environmental crisis that threatens the very foundation of our existence on this planet.  Human rights, environmental protection, and great social and economic equality are all interrelated.  I believe that to meet the challenges of our times, human beings will have to develop a greater sense of universal responsibility.  Each of us must learn to work, not just for oneself, one's own family, or one's nation, but for the benefit of all humankind.  Universal responsibility is the best foundation for world peace.

This need for cooperation can only strengthen humankind, because it helps us to recognize that the most secure foundation for a new world order is not simply broader political and economic alliances, but each individual's genuine practice of love and compassion.  These qualities are the ultimate source of human happiness, and our need for them lies at the very core of our being.  The practice of compassion is not idealistic, but the most effective way to pursue the best interests of others as well as our own.  The more we become interdependent, the more it is in our own interest to ensure the well-being of others.

I believe that one of the principal factors that hinders us from fully appreciating our interdependence is our undue emphasis on material development.  We have become so engrossed in its pursuit that, unknowingly, we have neglected the most basic qualities of compassion, caring, and cooperation.  When we do not know someone or do not feel connected to an individual or group, we tend to overlook their needs.  Yet, the development of human society requires that people help each other. 

I, for one, strongly believe that individuals can make a difference in society.  Every individual has a responsibility to help move our global family in the right direction, and we must assume that responsibility.  As a Buddhist monk, I try to develop compassion within myself, not simply as a religious practice, but on a human level as well.  To encourage myself in this altruistic attitude, I sometimes find it helpful to imagine myself as a single individual on one side, facing a huge gathering of all other human beings on the other side.  Then I ask myself, 'Whose interests are more important?'  To me it is quite clear that, however important I may feel I am, I am just one individual, while others are infinite in number and importance.*

*Quoted from World Scriptures, Vol. 2, pages 4 and 5.

Spirit is One; paths are many!

Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Emaii: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

In the midst of the many, there is the One!

Today is the day when Dr. Linda Groff, who still teaches at California State University at Dominguez Hills, was ordained as an interfaith minister through the Unity-and-Diversity World Fellowship.  The Fellowship is a specialized affiliate of the Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc. 

Linda has been teaching in future studies, intercultural and interreligious studies, and world affairs.  She likes looking at the big picture and the wholeness of things.  Now that her teaching load is decreasing, she is paying more attention to spiritual matters, starting with the holding of monthly spiritual salons at the Village Church and Interfaith Center on the Westside of Los Angeles.  About fifty people came to the ordination, including four interfaith ministers, six ministers of a variety of faiths, and three other leaders who are in some form of interfaith activity.

Unity-and-Diversity Ministers are those who have a commitment to the well-being of all.  They recognize the diversity of paths uniting in the One Spirit -- whether that One is called God, Brahma, Yahweh, Allah, Great Spirit, or by any other name or no name.  They see that every atom in the universe is co-existent with every other atom, that what affects one affects all.  Such committed beings, therefore, are entering into a life of service to the new civilization as listeners as well as speakers, and as servers as well as guides. 

Unity-and-Diversity Ministers are those who not only make a place for their own thought and teaching, but who also make room for the ways of all other sincere seekers.  Unity-and-Diversity Ministers are those who work toward the dynamic integration of diversity among all paths.  Such individuals seek the love and light in all paths.  They aim in all humility to serve the good of the whole, transcending the personal self, so as to become clear channels for honoring Spirit as it connects us and all our paths.

Now that Linda has been ordained, she will continue to develop the spiritual salons, aim to complete the writing that she has well begun and which spells out the teachings she wishes to share with the world, and also carry out marriage, funeral, and other kinds of services as requested.  She is now part of a core group for a Sunday morning interfaith service that has just recently begun.  She may well take on some leadership role in that gathering as it develops over time.

We wish Linda well in her ministry and look forward to continuing to work with her.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

CELEBRATING PASSOVER, EASTER, SPRING

Humanity's function within the Earth-organism is to extract from the activities of all other operative systems within this organism the type of consciousness which we call 'reflective' or 'self' consciousness -- or, we may also say to...give meaning, value, and 'name' to all that takes place anywhere within the Earth-field.  --Dane Rudhyar, World Scriptures Vol. 2, page 50

For those of us who identify with the different faiths of the world, all of these celebrations have their meaning and reflect the sacredness of the season.  At the same time, new ways of acknowledging the rites of spring are being created.  The Shift Network is developing a particular way of looking at each season and the year as a whole.  This year is being seen as Birth 2012, which sees the year 2012 as a special year in which of violence and war will be replaced with ever-increasing emphasis on mutual respect, mercy, and cooperation.  The spring will increasingly be seen as a time of awakening and the renewal of life.

Instead of observing one religion only, and seeing all other religions as inferior, it is time to discover the meaning in all faiths and celebrate the larger reality which all of them have in common.  Different religions come from different sources and events that shaped their rituals and ceremonies.  This is not to make other rituals and ceremonies wrong, but rather something to understand and appreciate.  We do not need to celebrate all rituals of the different faiths in order to study them and be guided by their wisdom. 

This weekend is an especially important time in which to develop our sense of sacredness and to grow religiously.  Last Friday was the time of Jesus's crucifixion, which is to be followed by his resurrection on Sunday.  The drama of Jesus's coming into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the Passover on Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter are all parts of a very powerful enactment of the final days of Jesus's life and what is to follow.  There will be a new drama coming in the near future when the power of the new and global civilization is finally able to come into its own clarity.  We do not know all of the details of what that drama will be, but we do know that this age will soon come into its own, and in that happening life on planet earth will be sanctified and renewed.

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

Pain, grief, loss, and ceaseless frustration of every kind are there for a real and dramatic purpose: to wake us up...and...release our hidden splendor. --Sogyal Rinpoche, Science and Spirituality, page 188

We live in an age of rapid change, and one of the major agents of change is our ever-increasing capability in developing and utilizing new technologies.  For some time in the past, these technologies were used for making bombs and other means of destruction on other people and nations, including the creation of nuclear weapons.  Gradually, however, the peoples of the world have come to realize the futility of these destructive pursuits and have begun to pay attention to more positive uses of technology.

One of these new developments is called "life-streaming".  It consists of taking an event that ordinarily would reach a few hundred people and expanding its reach to twenty thousand or more.  In that way, change can occur more quickly because it reaches many more people at the same time.  This process is now being used to envision the emerging global civilization in a variety of ways and also the steps that are necessary in order to go from where we are now to where we need to be.  The ways of war are in the process of becoming obsolete as compared with the unlimited numbers of constructive uses of our time here on planet earth.

As the positive uses of technology are expanding, so are the paths of life and the understandings of what our inner life is all about.  What was once rather dull and uninviting is now becoming clear and irresistible.  The design of new homes and businesses, the improvement in the means of transportation, and the modernizing of the ways of educating are just a few of the examples of how technology is helping people to discover life anew.

Spiritually speaking, the essence of life --called by any name or no name -- is reborn in us when we truly awaken and realize the joy that is ours when we attune to the Great Spirit, the One in the midst of the many.  In that consciousness, hardships can be endured, obstacles overcome, and battles won.  What seemed impossible otherwise, all of a sudden become possible and even inevitable.

May peace prevail on earth!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

On Thursday evening this week, March 22, the Shift Network held a special program at the Vortex Dome in Los Angeles featuring Barbara Hubbard and focusing on Conception 2012.  What this means is that on this date it is nine months until the symbolic birth of the global civilization.  December 22nd is also the approximate time of the winter equinox and the shortest day of the year. 

The global civilization brings together the rise of democracy and modern science.  Likewise it includes the emergence of technology, which has done so much for better and worse to bring about the new civilization.  The program on Thursday evening was a manifestation of the role that technology is playing in the coming about of the symbol of the earth as a unified planet.  Barbara Hubbard, who many years ago with the help of John Whiteside developed "Syncon" (synergistic convergence), a whole planet process to draw together all the different dimensions of life that are taking part in helping to bring about the global civilization.

The Unity-and-Diversity World Council also had a part to play in this effort.  Having been exposed to Syncon, the Council developed its own process that resulted in the Unity-and-Diversity Wheel.  The Wheel has four quadrants (Researching Universal Principles, Developing Universal Persons, Communicating New Realities, and Implementing New Civilization).  It also has twelve sections, three for each quadrant.  See the UDC brochure for the UDC logo and a layout of the Wheel.

It is also interesting to note that the new civilization began with the coming of the New Millennium in the year 2000, according to UDC's teachings.  The political turmoil of that period seemed to deny the reality of the new world, especially with the attacks in the USA on September 11th, 2001.  Please note the current date 2012(12).  The (12) symbolizes the coming of the global civilization, the new genesis according to Dr. Robert Muller, Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations for almost forty years.

Please read the poem by Walt Whitman at the beginning of this message.  It points out that democracy is not just one country, or even Western civilization alone, but rather earth's resume entire that is part of this unfoldment.  It has taken another twelve years for the consciousness of one whole planet to be growing and finally to be more and more visible. 

Another new element of the global civilization is the coming about of the interfaith movement, a phenomenon that is growing very rapidly at this time.  Los Angeles alone has close to twenty interfaith organizations.  Interfaith first of all consists of different faith groups beginning to talk with each other and to respect the various teachings and rituals that help the faiths to stay together.  Secondly, more and more people are finding themselves learning from the many faiths and finding that they can be of one faith and, at the same time, are able to relate to the other faiths as well.  Still others find their own faith to include all faiths rather than their teachings and rituals being based on one faith alone.  This diversity of paths is a healthy phenomenon, but it is taking time for people to absorb these various levels of faith.

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P. O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone : 424-228-2087 ; FAX : 310-827-9187
email : udcworld@gmail.com; Website : www.udcworld.org

In my humble opinion, non-cooperation with evil is as much a duty as is cooperation with good.  In the past, non-cooperation has been deliberately expressed in violence to the evil-doer.  I am endeavoring to show the world that violent non-cooperation only multiplies evil, and that withdrawal of support of evil should require complete abstention from violence. --Mahatma Gandhi, World Scriptures, Vol. 2, page 173

Gandhi came before Martin Luther King, but both of them were applying the same principle in their efforts to solve major social problems.  In Gandhi's case it was the rule of India by the British, and with Dr. King it was the Negro as a second class citizen.  Both of them lost their lives for their commitment, but their actions made major changes for the better in India and the U.S.A. respectively.

The application of soul force to social transformation is not over with.  In fact, it has just begun.  While the specific ways of using it are somewhat different now, the method is the same: it replaces reliance on violence and war with respect and a loving attitude toward all beings.  The world waits for enough human beings with a strong commitment to these practices to overcome war, environmental destruction, political corruption, and the like.

Soul force requires a powerful ethic to make it possible.  Its reliance is on truth, respect, loving kindness, and other ethical qualities.  Because of these qualities, miracles occur where otherwise there is likely to be deepening crisis.  Today we are faced with mutual antagonisms that could easily lead to war and ultimately to nuclear war.  Likewise, because of our lack of attention to major ecological change, our society is facing severe damage on a global scale. 

We, the peoples of the world, are called upon to take on the responsibility for using soul force to transform our nations and the world into a livable civilization in the next few years.  We cannot afford to do less. 

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

Unity-and-Diversity World Council, P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

We who know what God is, and who know what humanity is, have  attained.  Knowing what humanity is, we rest in the knowledge of  the unknown.  Working out one's allotted span and not perishing  in mid-career, this is the fullness of knowledge. --Taoism, Science and Spirituality, page 174

The beginning of that process necessitates looking at ourselves and discovering who we are.  That awareness must include our inner life and our relation to our families, our communities, our nations, and our world.  This is especially true for those of us who are joining together to form a moral and spiritual community based upon a new and global vision.  This is the essence of the Unity-and-Diversity World Council, and it needs to guide all of the other work in which it participates.

As the new civilization takes shape, it will be around new understandings of God, called by any name or no name.  There are those who see this Infinite Spirit as taking the form of a person and others who experience it in other ways.  Others have no consciousness of a Divine Spirit.  Those who do have this awareness need to discover their common ground and to help others to discover what is real and what is not.  We are One in the sense that we all live on planet earth and need to find ways of getting along and learning to appreciate our blessings. 

UDC's efforts center around the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity.  At the spiritual level we are One, but at every other level we are diverse: in race, culture, interests, age, sexual preferences, life styles, etc.  Diversity is not to be denied but rather embraced and appreciated.  If all flowers were of one color, then gardens would not be very interesting.  If all human beings were of the same height and skin coloring, life would be much less enriching.  It is the broadening of our awareness that makes the difference.  Living in appreciation of what is helps life to be joyous and worthwhile. 

We are spiritual beings living a life on planet earth in different countries and under differing circumstances.  Most of all, our awareness of Spirit makes us one, and our respect for differences helps us to enjoy life and our part in it.  Now is the time to develop our acceptance of the transition we are going through and enjoy the many benefits it has for those who can move into that consciousness.

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

Humanity must progress as a whole. Unity in variety, not uniformity, is the pattern for world-culture. There is no inherent conflict between science and religion, between reason and faith, or between poetry and philosophy.  --Swami Vivekananda, Science and Spirituality, page 193

"Unity-and-diversity" and "interfaith" sound very much alike, and in many ways they are. The main difference is that "unity-and-diversity" applies to the whole society, rather than just to religions. It is, in fact, the essence of democracy. It was placed on U.S. coins in the words "e pluribus unum", which means "out of the many, one". It applies to races, cultures, religions, sexual preferences, and the like. It also applies to the peace movement, the justice movement, the environmental movement...

"Unity-and-diversity" is not a church, in that it seeks to be the gathering-place for all peoples, where individuals of every religion can find themselves at home if they are open to religious diversity. Every sizable community in the world should have such a place, so that all people of faith can get to know other faiths and the people who profess them. While the "unity-and-diversity movement" gets its greatest strength from the interfaith movement, it needs to go beyond and extend into the social and political arenas. 

Our "unity-and-diversity movement" is just beginning a weekly Sunday a.m. interfaith gathering. We are just getting to know each other at this level. We discovered in our dialog last Sunday that we are not a religion, but that we are an important part of a movement. We seek to share with each other and to empower each other to be who we are in our search for the truth in the spirit of love. We hold an interfaith prayer/meditation at the end of each meeting, and we enjoy music as a part of our meetings. 

This Sunday we will be starting one round of a sharing time using the talking stick. The purpose of using the talking stick is to permit each person to have a reasonable time to share something in-depth before we get into our general dialog. Having more than one round tends to stifle the sharing, but without it, some of the less vocal participants find it hard to be heard in any real clarity. You are cordially invited to participate in these gatherings or to share your thoughts on email. We'll report on how it goes.

Spirit is One; paths are many!

This is a new cycle of human power.  It is the hour of unity among  all peoples, and of the drawing together of all races and classes. --Baha'i Faith, Science and Spirituality, page 170

A lot of time and energy is presently being put into dialogue between the existing religions of the world. The historic religions are seriously beginning to talk with each other and to seek greater understanding of their similarities and differences. Some people say that the religions are all basically the same. Others say that they have irreconcilable differences. But somewhere in between these two opposites lies the truth that the religions are not the same, but that with effort they can understand each other. 

In terms of Christianity, the Holy Bible has two parts, The Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is basically a Christian renaming of the Hebrew Bible. Christianity itself is expressed in the New Testament, which arose as a result of the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth and those who followed him. As the global civilization emerges, we need a testament based upon this new reality that will cultivate and sustain the modern world. Two of the new realities of this age are science and democracy, both of which are just beginning to be fully developed in the world at large.

The Unity-and-Diversity World Fellowship exists to proclaim this new consciousness and to cultivate its "unity-and-diversity gospel". Let's be clear that it does not seek to replace the existing religions but to put forth teachings that will emphasize unity, respect for diversity, and support a world that can live together in peace and harmony.

In order to accomplish this monumental task, interfaith services are needed in every community, services that bring together people of different faiths to inspire mutual understanding and cooperation. The teaching of Spirit is One; paths are many needs to be carried out through these services and the activities that will derive from them. 

The World Scriptures now exist, including World Scriptures, Vol. 2 that looks to the future and brings forth the teachings that have developed since the birth of the world's major religions. Science and Spirituality is the other book in this series, the one which has numerous readings from the religions and other sources as well as music, documents such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, The Global Ethic, and the Earth Charter, and a global timeline. 

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

I believe that prayer is the very soul and essence of religion, and therefore prayer must be the very core of the life of a person.  Begin therefore, your day with prayer and close your day with prayer so that you may have a  peaceful night. -- Mahatma Gandhi, Science and Spirituality, page 186

The idea of God is in itself going through a transformational process, though which it is becoming more inclusive of different practices and more in-depth. Prayer is a way of tuning in to God, the ultimate dimension of life, called by any name or no name. Usually it is a fairly brief process and with definite objectives in mind. Often it is to overcome a problem that has just arisen and needs immediate attention.

Meditation, on the other hand, is a more sustained practice which may last for ten minutes to half an hour or more. It is a way of quieting the mind and bringing us to our true nature. It does not require belief in a personal God.  t has more to do with the overcoming of suffering, which for Buddhists is the central goal of life. 

In the work of the Unity-and-Diversity World Council, we have been using the term "attunement" to suggest that we tune in to this Ultimate Reality, whether we consider it prayer or meditation. We have found acceptance for this understanding of how to get in touch with our soul, our Supreme Identity. In that consciousness, who can hate or kill or injure another person or form of life? It is important for us all to develop a practice that helps us to move in that direction. We need to find peace within ourselves and to spread that peace throughout the world.  The year 2012 is an ideal time to make that transformation.

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401
Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087
FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com
Website: www.udcworld.org

Youth Rising is an opportunity to celebrate the work of emerging leaders as well as to explore new projects and ideas that will allow us to exchange violence, oppression and war for PEACE at all levels.--Youth Rise Up for Peace, Shift Network, Online Dialog

Most nonprofit organizations have been talking for some time about the importance of involving youth, and some of them have succeeded in including them in one way or another. However, this effort has involved youth from many countries of the world and given them a chance to be heard regarding how they are contributing to peace and service to humanity.

The change that is taking place at this time is that the new peace leaders are not those with deep-seated anger about the world condition, but rather individuals who have a more developed moral and spiritual awareness. They are servers of the Most High, and therefore they work from a sense of joy and well-being. The net result is that they do not further increase conflicts but help to resolve them.

Those youth who have awakened to their role as servers generally have greater energy to accomplish their missions, and they usually work together in groups. This quality means that more will be accomplished in a given length of time and with more of a sense of purpose. The participation of youth is a very important aspect of the global transformation that is taking place.

An outstanding Peace Sunday Committee has recently been formed to empower and enlarge Peace Sunday toward holding an especially large event in 2015 at the 70th anniversary of the United Nations. These individuals are very active with numerous groups who seeking creative solutions to the world's problems. They recognize that youth need to be a vital part of upcoming Peace Sundays and the educational programs that accompany the larger events.

May this change of consciousness continue to accelerate as we move forward in the 21st century and the new millennium.

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA 90066-9201
Phone: 319-391-5735; Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone that  loves is born of God and knows God.  One that loves not, does not know God, for God is love. --Christianity, Science and Spirituality, page 164

Love is a very diverse word in the English language. To the religiously minded, love is a sacred word which has to do with the highest form of love, which might be called selfless or unconditional love. Buddhists have a clearer term when they refer to compassion. 

When someone says "Make love, not war", that person is generally not referring to the highest form of love but rather sexual love. Sexual love has many limitations and often leads to anger and frustration, since those whose love is largely related to sexuality may run into a love triangle between two parties of one sex and one of the other. This can easily cause conflict and even violence.

There is also filial love, which is love as between a father and son or daughter, a love arising from family bonding. There is also love of books or animals or other forms of life. The forms of love are many, and they have greatly varying degrees of intensity.

This past week the United Nations has been celebrating Interfaith Harmony Week at the U.N., which includes leaders from many different faiths and also officials at the U.N. who are interested in interfaith harmony.  Rev. Dr. Michael Beckwith of the Agape International Spiritual Center is one of the speakers. The love expressed in such an assembly of leaders is largely filial love, though in some cases it may rise to the level of  unconditional love. In either case it is very important and needs to be encouraged.

It is the unconditional love that needs most of all to be developed, the compassion for all beings that gives people the courage to live for each other and to be willing to suffer or die for a noble cause. Mahatma Gandhi called this love by a term he created, which is "satyagraha", meaning "soul force" or "truth force". Each of us has the right to choose our own destiny and to give our total being to the fulfillment of that destiny. If we encounter resistance to that destiny, then we can choose to follow our path regardless of the risk. If that path is one of unconditional love, then it will likely remain as a step toward the future that will encourage others to have the same kind of courage.

Next week, the 14th of February, is Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day is usually a time for boy-girl and man-woman relating, which is interpersonal love but not unconditional love. Perhaps it is time that we raised its meaning so that it is in fact living and loving beyond our personal selves. That is what love needs to be in this age of transition, of conflict and war. The future requires more of us. This is the time of a deeper kind of faith which along can give rise to a global civilization that will last.

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council; udcworld@gmail.com; 424-228-2087

 I believe that the transforming of the world is happening.  --Barbara Marx Hubbard, Science and Spirituality, page 170

In order to get an adequate idea of the meaning of the term "scripture", we must first look at religion more broadly. All major religions have their own scriptures, which to them are held as sacred. Followers of some religions are not as dogmatic as others about what scripture is and what it is not, but they do prize certain teachings of their religion above all others.

Today it should not be necessary to define in concrete terms which documents are to be considered as scripture. For a universal approach to come about, much of what once was scripture should lose this authority. At the same time, the very large volume of great religious literature that has been written since the beginning of recorded history should be opened to consideration once again. In fact, insofar as is possible, the way needs always to be left open for new scriptural writings or for the use of neglected ones.

What then is "scripture"?  It is the writings of people of all ages and cultures which are found to be valuable in helping persons to live by the highest that they know -- that is, to expand their circles of experience and to unite themselves with the whole of Life.  In the long span of history, what is looked upon as scripture is the document or documents which people at all levels of society discover to have this type of meaning.

In the emerging global community, regardless of what faith individuals profess, and including those of no official faith, there is a need for being exposed to all faiths, so that mutual respect is made possible. In other words, the basis of scripture is now shifting from that of one religion alone to the coming together of all faiths. In addition, there are those teachings which are arising from the new circumstances of our time: the rise of science, technology, and democracy. *

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187;
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

*From World Scriptures, Vol. 2, page xix

Let us have a church for the whole person: truth for the mind, good works for the hand, love for the heart; and for the soul that aspiring after perfection, that unfaltering faith which, like lightning in the clouds, shines brightest when elsewhere it is most dark. --Theodore Parker, World Scriptures Vol. 2, page 103

Every civilization needs its source(s) of guidance. Historically, the founders and the religious institutions that have followed them have provided the major guidance for the civilization. In Western civilization it was Jesus the Christ and the emerging Christian church which provided the needed guidance. In Asia, most of all it was Gautama, the Buddha, who with the temples that came from his teachings provided the guidance. 

In democracy, the pattern will be different in that it requires the involvement of many people in order to make the required impact. This is not to say that no single individual can have essential insights into what is to come, but rather that others also have insights that are part of the picture. What is a better description of the emerging phenomenon is that of group avatars, people who tune into Spirit and into each other and begin to function as a team. The new world, according to Lewis Mumford, will emerge when enough people move beyond what worked previously and begin to lend support to responsible and intuitive actions related to a larger global vision.

There is certainly a need for action in the world of social and political affairs, but the most important action for the transforming of our present condition is the effect of prayerful attunement to the higher vision, and the morally and spiritually awakened lives that follow. It is for this reason that I have spent my time working on World Scriptures, which has brought together in essence the teachings of the historic religions and some more recent religions and spiritual movements.  The original document was supposed to have a "new testament", which I have called "Central Scriptures". 

However, this portion of the original book was not published, so I have had to develop a separate book, which is now called World Scriptures, Vol. 2.  This book focuses on the future, bringing in the teachings which have come mostly since the time of the historic religions.  It is an attempt to reveal insights which can help us make sense of the emerging global civilization.  I call your attention to this book and the insights which it can provide.  If you want a copy, please let me know.

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

THE LAW OF POLARIZATION: In every crisis, two things are taking  place at the same time:  (1) The majority of people follow the crisis and find their world disintegrating, or (2)  others either see bottom or hit bottom and are able to move beyond the crisis and into the new synthesis.  -- Pitirim Sorokin, World Scriptures Vol. 2, page 112

What will actually happen will likely be related to what we believe.  Those who can envision a new life and a new world are apt to be the ones who move in that direction.  Those who expect devastation are much more likely to have experiences of that kind.

The quotation from Pitirim Sorokin can help us to understand what is actually taking place.  He indicated that in the first half of the crisis, the trend is more downward, and many people come to feel that there is no way out.  However, in the second half, more people have transformative experiences from seeing or hitting bottom and somehow find their way out of the difficult situations they are in.  If we can not only hear these words but also accept them as valid, then we can hopefully be more calm and not react in fear and confusion when some of the difficulties do take place.

It appears that the year 2012 is approximately at the middle of our present global crisis.  If so, then while the negative side of the crisis will continue for some time, the positive elements will begin to attract attention and bring about results.  For example, the nuclear stalemate of past years will likely find more and more people realizing that we must put an end to nuclear weapons and find a solution to the risks of nuclear power.  It is not healthy to live under the threat which both of these risks cause, and we need to provide for ourselves and our future generations a safer world to live in. 

The very threatening aspects of our global environmental crisis will also likely be dealt with and gotten under control.  As we become conscious of the transition we are having to make to a global civilization, we fill begin to accept the problems with which we are faced, and gradually we will find solutions to these problems.  The pressures of the crisis will force more and more of us to act for the well-being of all.  As a result, we will find there is a way beyond the crisis.

Most of all, we need a worldwide moral and spiritual awakening.  The problems are many and appear as separate, but ultimately they are all connected.  Seeing the larger picture will help us to find our way through and beyond the problems we face.  Now is the time to become whole persons and to accept our responsibility for the transformation.

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

A new type of person whose orientation and view of the world profoundly transcends an indigenous culture is developing from the complex of social, political, economic, educational, (and religious) interactions of  our time. --Peter S. Adler, World Scriptures Vol. 2, page 45

The challenge of this time of transition has produced an ever-increasing amount of interaction among the faiths of the world, and numerous interfaith programs have resulted.  All of this activity is necessary and healthy.  However, it is important to know that dialogue among faiths is not the same as producing a spiritual awakening.  Dialogue is important, yet the nature of religion is beyond dialogue and is experiential.  The new kind of religious experience does not require the giving up of one's faith in order to join some other faith.  What it does require is the experiencing of pluralism and the deeper implications of freedom and democracy.  It requires the inner discovery that life in the new world is of a different nature than that which existed earlier.

In many cases, it will require an experience of the role of science and consciousness.  It is very likely to include a vision of a world in which both science and religion have a role to play.  It is necessary that we discover a new level of faith that permits us to unite with all peoples and to experience our connections with all life, organic and inorganic.  This experience of living in a pluralistic world challenges us to respect different paths, to become good listeners so that we give place to those whose faith and culture are different from our own.

Life today is being lived in a very different context from previous times, and our form of worship needs to reflect that change.  Religion is not supposed to be an influence that holds us back and keeps us bound into a culture and faith of past generations.  Rather, it needs to lead us courageously into an often unknown future.  We now live in a world of great diversity, and we therefore need to create patterns of worship that absorb that diversity into our own understanding of life.

One way to solve that problem is to create a Unity-and-Diversity Center, one which welcomes religious diversity and builds it into the activities and program of the Center.  Guest speakers from different faiths will help us to accept their teachings and life values.  Hearing from scientists who work on human consciousness will give us a broader view of the universe in which we live.  Artists and philosophers can also help us to move beyond our otherwise limited understanding of faith and culture.

World Scriptures helps us to understand the faiths of the world and to appreciate the teachings they bring.  But what is also necessary is that we explore the teachings that have been given in later times, ones which help us to see the values that have been emerging since the historic religions began.  The reason there is a religion called Christianity is that there was a New Testament to add to the Hebrew scriptures which then became known to Christians as the Old Testament.

In the case of World Scriptures, the new material is called "Central Scriptures".  It is designed to serve a similar function, which is to bring together scriptural-type material to help provide guidance for people throughout the planet to live in this interdependent world and find meaning for their lives.  Have a Happy New Year!

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

We the People hereby declare our interdependence -- our connection   to the Source of All Life and to all life forms.  We affirm that diverse individuals, groups, and networks are necessary for the creative development of humanity; and that to strengthen UNITY-AND-DIVERSITY throughout the universe is our individual responsibility and privilege. --  UDC's Declaration of Interdependence, Science and Spirituality, page 28

This is the most powerful season of the year.  It is evolving in its meaning from that of a celebration for Christians alone, to where it is a sacred time for everyone, for those of every faith who wish to share with other faiths, to those who have no specific faith but who sense the need for all of us to come together and support the emergence of a global civilization that serves the well-being of all!

The Unity-and-Diversity World Council just held a Festival of Faiths last Sunday afternoon, December 18, at the Village Church and Interfaith Center in West Los Angeles.  There were fourteen co-sponsors of this event, and about the same number of faiths participated.  The purpose of the Festival was to celebrate the movement toward peace and justice, as well as the spirituality and uniqueness of each faith.  It also focused on a United Nations that serves the well-being and sacredness of planet earth and all its peoples.

It is time now to look at the deeper meaning of this Season and what it implies for each of us.  Today, traditionally Christmas Day, is becoming the day of new Genesis, of new birth.  Dr. Robert Muller, the late assistant Secretary General of the United Nations, has a book entitled The Birth of a Global Civilization.  Having gone through a great deal of personal struggle with the conflicting forces at work in Europe during the early 20th century, Dr. Muller decided to devote his life to the United Nations in creating a united and peaceful world.  His task has become our task, and it begins with our inward looking and discovering our particular role in helping bring about that kind of world.

The time between December 25th and January 1st needs to be one of inner reflection and decision-making, asking questions as to who we truly are and why we are here on planet earth at this time.  What can we personally do to help create peace and justice on earth as well as a sustainable environment.  How can we leave to our children and the world's children a planet based on a renewed sense of purpose and a global ethic that will sustain us into the unforeseen future?

New Year's resolutions are an important part of our growth and development.  They are meant to be kept, so that our life truly does change for the better.  Having reflected upon our present life, what changes will we make to see that our future is more alive, fulfilled, and worthy of preservation?  We are in a time of revolution; values are rapidly shifting, and the ways of democracy are being brought forth around the world.  Let us make this revolution a time of personal and planetary transformation.

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!
Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

The nonviolent approach gives (people) new self-respect; it calls up resources of strength and courage they did not know they had. -- Martin Luther King, Jr., Science and Spirituality. Page 172

Why did Occupy Los Angeles begin? It was a response to the ever-widening gap between the have's and the have-not's, the so-called 1% who have accumulated great wealth while the 99% are homeless, foreclosed upon, lost a job, or otherwise found their life uprooted during the present ailing economy. The city government has tried very hard to be sympathetic to the occupiers. Some officials not only welcomed them but said that they could stay as long as they wished to do so. Now the government has found that the situation is causing health and safety problems, and that the continuance of this situation is a public risk.

The question is: If this Los Angeles part of the Occupy Movement is to continue, where will it go, and how will it find willing individuals or businesses who will allow their land to be occupied in a similar way? Is it fair to have a group such as this occupying other people's land without paying rent?  If this does happen, then how will the occupiers be able to have their presence felt until the needed changes do take place? Will some of the "1%" step forward and make it possible for them to continue with their important cause? Or will others come forward and see that these needs are starting to be met?

At the same time as this challenge is facing Los Angeles, what is happening to the movement in general? Is there is strategy that is being developed that will permit the movement to continue its work? It is obvious that the need is there. The question is: Does the Occupy Movement have the courage and determination to see it through, or will it now close up shop and return to business as usual?

Occupy Los Angeles had an interfaith tent. In fact, it had two interfaith tents. One was fairly small. The second tent was used for meetings of prayer and meditation. The day three of us came by to take part in one of these meetings, the group was being led by a Quaker: Anthony Manousos. Other leaders in the interfaith movement were also there, another  Quaker, a Vedantist, a Jew, and a Christian. Twenty or more occupiers were also there. They were taking turns speaking Quaker style when moved by spirit. There was a seriousness and a positive quality to that meeting that rarely is part of resistance movements. It showed that there is hope for a new kind of movement that respects differences and is seeking to live together and create a new kind of society based upon sharing and cooperation.

Time will tell as to what happens now. My insight tells me that the Occupy Movement will continue, that it will somehow overcome the obstacles it faces, and that the results of its efforts will in time begin to get the results that it seeks. Egypt is struggling to take the next step in its evolution toward becoming a democratic country. Americans too have courage, and the time is how to begin creating a society that is responsible and which is concerned for the well-being of all.

What is your vision as to what will happen?  What are you prepared to do to help?

Spirit is One, Paths are Many!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

As one can ascend to the top of a house by means of ladder or a bamboo or a staircase or a rope, so diverse are the ways and means of approaching the Divine, and every religion in the world shows at least one of these ways. --Hinduism, Science and Spirituality, page 170

However, spirituality and ethics go together.  Spirituality is the vertical dimension of our life, and ethics is the related horizontal dimension.  Spirituality lifts us into the realm of inner connection with the Life Force, whereas ethics helps us to relate to other people and to all forms of life.   Spirituality is the awareness of the highest level of consciousness, where all of life is One. Ethics would guide us to help someone who is in need of food or shelter or a job that will provide the money necessary to pay one's living expenses.

Global spirituality has a special quality in that it exists in the context of many religions and ways of living. There was a time when the large majority of Americans were Christians, and the other religions did not play a major part in our culture. This time has very much changed now that all the world's religions are well represented in this country, in addition to which there are many other Americans who follow no specific religion or spiritual movement. This is true in most other countries as well, especially as democracy becomes more accepted as the basic form of government and way of living.

Global society has tended to become more fully divided between the haves and the have-nots. The middle class is consequently fast disappearing, and a large part of the rebellion that has brought about the Occupation Movement is the frustration that grows out of not having a job, a home, and/or a suitable way of living.  Increasing numbers of our current population are in that state.  Something has to change.

What I am noticing is that a number of the Occupation cities are developing interfaith dialogs and practices. Instead of these gatherings being largely negative, they are more seriously seeking positive ways of living that can help to increase their legitimacy. There is the hope that because of this more constructive and nonviolent approach, the Occupation Movement will gain more respect and be listened to as they state their concerns.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

There will be established on earth a new consciousness and power which will shape a race of wise spiritual beings and take up into  itself all of earth-nature that is ready for this transformation. --Sri Aurobindo, Science and Spirituality, page 171

This new movement does not have a single issue around which to gather.  Instead, it is a composite of people who feel they have been left out of "the American dream" and are not finding the kind of support system that a country such as the USA should be fostering.  It appears that we are still largely in a time of selfishness, especially among those who are looking out for themselves at the expense of everyone else.  Capitalism, as it is being practiced, has fostered this kind of attitude, and it will be necessary to rethink our purpose for being here in order to re-establish the balance that mature living is all about.  The word "sharing" comes to mind as the direction in which we need to go.

Western civilization is fast being replaced by global civilization.  We are one planet earth, and we need to be able to live together in this larger wholeness.  All races, cultures, and religions make up our new basis of life, so it is our opportunity to get acquainted and to discover the new common ground that will make possible our survival and our happiness.  We are one people, made up of a wide diversity of attitudes and life styles.  Instead of being antagonistic toward this diversity, we need to be enriched by it.  We need to create a global ethic and a spirituality that connects us and gives us meaning for our lives.

The occupy movement is the beginning of a long process of connecting with each other and getting acquainted at a deep level.  Not everyone can or should be on the streets in this process, but we all have a role of play.  We need to create a new sense of community that is open to diversity participation and is based on ethical behavior.  We need to create a global ethic and spirituality that can adjust to the new consciousness in which we find ourselves.  In religion, as in politics and all aspects of life, we are called upon to act responsibly and to care for other human beings and all forms of life.  As we do this, we will find that a whole new kind of life will open up to us.

This is the time, and we are the ones we have been waiting for!

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066. Phone: 424-228-2087; Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

To needlessly injure a single human being is to injure those divine powers within us, and thus the harm reaches not only that one human being but the whole world.  -- Mahatma Gandhi, World Scriptures Vol. 2, page 173

Can people of conscience let acts of injustice like this go by unchallenged? What has happened to our court system that it permits people to be killed despite doubts as to their guilt? How, in fact, can we allow people to be killed in order to prevent others from being killed?  Isn't there a better way to move beyond violence and into a worldwide culture of peace?

It is reported that the vast majority of countries in the world have rejected the death penalty as a satisfactory way of stopping people from killing each other. The United States now is fourth among the countries of the world in terms of the number of people suffering the death penalty. China is first. Instead of killing people who have killed other people, we need to focus our attention on rehabilitating criminals and helping them to become more civilized, even if they are kept in prison throughout their lifetime.

Most people have thought that the states in the U.S.A. who at one time harbored slaves had outgrown their prejudice against blacks. Apparently that is not altogether true. The Southern Poverty Law Center reports many instances of racial prejudice that still exist today; its job is to do everything it can to overcome these biases. The treatment of Troy Davis is a prime example of a miscarriage of justice. It is my hope that the Georgian authorities responsible for this action will be held responsible in a nonviolent way, so that future cases will be handled more humanely.

What can we do to help avoid such incidents in the future? For one thing, we can reach out to blacks and all other ethnicities and find ways of interesting them in being part of our gatherings. It is not enough just to say we are unprejudiced. We need to make an effort to help create multiracial, multicultural, and multifaith communities.  This is easier said than done, so we do need to make constant efforts to move in that direction. Instead of just saying "We are one", we need to demonstrate our commitment to understanding each other and being good listeners when different perspectives come up.

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc., P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA 90066Phone; 424-228-2087; Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcorld.org

It is not only their fellow human beings that the beloved of God must  treat with mercy and compassion; rather must they show forth the  utmost loving-kindness to every living creature. -- Baha'i Faith, Science and Spirituality, page 175

Before, during, and after the International Day of Peace there is a global meditation time set up in 15-minute intervals.  Individuals can sign up for one or more of these periods.  Many other events are taking place on that day as well.

This afternoon the Peace Sunday 2015 Committee, initiated by UDC, is carrying out its part in this event by inviting group leaders and representatives to the First Congregational Church of Long Beach to meet each other, to get acquainted, and to find ways of cooperation from this point on.  We are planning to hold a Peace Sunday in June each year, culminating with a Peace Sunday in the Hollywood Bowl or similar venue.  The meeting this afternoon inaugurates that process and will seek to develop the meaning and significance of Peace Sunday as a vehicle for bringing together individuals, groups, and networks to help establish a worldwide culture of peace, a global civilization.

Our Sunday morning interfaith service has a vital part to play in that process.  It is the moral and spiritual awakening that makes events in the larger world significant.  We are now living in a world which is permeated with economic, political, social, and spiritual weakness and confusion.  Conflicting values are tearing us apart and leaving many people in limbo, without work, without a real sense of meaning, and therefore wondering what life is all about.  In our rituals and our sharing together, we are endeavoring to make sense of life and to look forward to a meaningful future.  You are cordially invited to participate directly or indirectly.

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P. O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

Forgiveness is the grace by which you enable the other person to get up, and get up with dignity, to begin anew. --Bishop Desmond Tutu, Science and Spirituality, page 139

At that time, the world community at large was most sympathetic with what the USA had gone through, and many peoples and nations wanted to help.  We Americans had a choice as to how to respond to this challenge; we could start a war and try to place the blame on some other country, or we could forgive and seek reconciliation for these tragic events.  We chose the option of starting a war in Iraq, which later on engulfed Afghanistan as well.  The complications of going this route have also affected Pakistan and other countries.

What seems to be evolving now, as we take a longer view of what happened, is that we are beginning to look at reconciliation, diplomacy, and mutual respect as the more meaningful and long-lasting solution.  First of all, we are more and more attempting to understand Islam as a major religion of the world.  We are finding that most Muslims are not terrorists but responsible people.  Muslims pray five times a day as a reminder of their faith and a way of strengthening their convictions.  They fast during the month of Ramadan.  Every Muslim who is able to do so is asked to make a pilgrimage at least once in his or her lifetime to Mecca to gather in peace with other Muslims.

Many people are joining interfaith groups, which are groups made up of members of various faiths, so that they can get to know each other and to better understand their respective faiths.  Two such major organizations are the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions and the United Religions Initiative. 

The Unity-and-Diversity World Council has also been holding Peace Sundays every year as a larger witness to the unity of all faiths and the cooperative spirit of all kinds of individuals, groups, and networks in seeking peace, justice, and a sustainable environment.  The original Peace Sunday was held in the Rose Bowl in 1982, with 100.00 people participating, as a way of bringing to public attention the need to abolish nuclear weapons.  That need is still with us, and public concern is increasing with determination to succeed in this vitally important effort.

What is happening right now is an intergroup effort called "Eleven Days of Global Unity", which was initiated by We the World and is being co-sponsored by the United Religions Initiative.  It begins today with the observances of 9/11.  It continues for eleven days till September 21st, which is the International Day of Peace, established some years ago by the United Nations.  Each day has a separate theme, including unity, environment, women, and human rights.  Its basic goal is to create an understanding as to what will be necessary to create a worldwide culture of peace.

The UDC, through the newly formed Steering Committee for Peace Sunday 2015 at the 70th anniversary of the United Nations, is holding a Collaborative Exploration of groups next Sunday, September 18th, 3-5 p.m., at the First Congregational Church of Long Beach.  Its purpose is to bring group leaders and representatives together to examine how we can cooperate during the coming year, leading to Peace Sunday 2012 in June.  Hopefully other ways of cooperation will also emerge and help move toward UDC's longtime goal of helping to create a people's equivalent of the United Nations.

Therefore, on this historic day of the tenth anniversary of 9/11, we pray for an awakening of the healing spirit of individuals and nations, and that we will begin again to learn from 9/11 that the ways of peace are mutual respect, love, compassion, and the willingness to go the extra mile in support of the central qualities of faith.

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow  strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure. --Peter Marshall, Science and Spirituality, page 187

There are likewise inner storms, many of them caused by these outer storms, and many just by the uncertainty of the time in which we live.  Numerous homes have been foreclosed, and jobs have been lost.  Immigrants have often been forced to return to the country they left in order to seek greater freedom and opportunity.  None of us can be totally certain that we can escape all of these challenges.

Peter Marshall's quotation should remind us that the fulfillment of our life is not determined by avoiding all of these difficulties, but rather how we handle them.  If we take them in stride and adjust accordingly, then our life can be stronger and more worthwhile than if we had not had any challenges to overcome.  One good example of a person who had great obstacles to overcome and did so was Nelson Mandela, who had twenty-seven years in prison in South Africa.  His belief in a united, multiracial country finally prevailed, and he even became the leader of South Africa once he was released from prison.

The Unity-and-Diversity Fellowship has begun to hold weekly interfaith services on Sunday mornings in the belief that this kind of service is necessary in order to bring our communities together.  We have begun small by seeking to form a core group of people who identify with this need.  Once Labor Day has passed, we will be looking for a more public place to meet, so that we can enlarge the scope of this effort.  In this time of inner and outer storms, we seek to create a spiritual home for those who are looking for a more inclusive fellowship in which to meet and share with those of diverse faiths.  If you are one of those people, we hope you will join us on Los Angeles's Westside, online, or by mail.

Spirit is One; paths are many!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

I believe we will have better government when men and women discuss  public issues together and make their decisions on the basis of their common concern for the welfare of their families and their world. --Eleanor Roosevelt, Science and Spirituality, page 144

The most important role of the interfaith movement is to strengthen the element of faith, especially as it crosses the lines that separate different faiths.  At the same time, faiths are called upon to uphold ethical values in their communities and in the world at large.  They are the conscience of the community most of all, even though all people are encouraged to live an ethical and spiritual life whether or not they attend religious ceremonies on a regular basis. 

When governments oppress their people, as is happening in Syria and other countries in the Middle East and other parts of the world, many people of faith are called by their consciences to act in behalf of what is right.  We do not have to be political experts in order to know what is right; our consciences tell us that.  We need to respond to our inner guidance and to act from faith rather than fear.  What we do depends upon our abilities and our guidance, but acting to keep in line with truth is necessary to keep our lives on track. 

Let us look to the scriptures of the world, as well as the ethical and spiritual teachers of our age, in order to get clearer about what is needed from each of us and act accordingly.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

World Interfaith Network
C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

Rev. Leland Stewart, B.S.E.,.B.T.
Unity-and-Diversity World Fellowship
31 July 2011(11)

The truth is that God is the force.  It is the essence of life.  It is pure  undefiled consciousness.  It is eternal. --Mahatma Gandhi, Science and Spirituality, page 137

Republicans tend either to be opposed to the change or to make it only for a few months, whereas Democrats much prefer a longer term solution.  The unwillingness to compromise on this issue and find a bi-partisan solution threatens to weaken the U.S. credit standing in the world and to mean that virtually everyone will be negatively affected.

Many other issues face this country and the world which are not being well handled.  Is this a time to lose faith and give up on the dream that has made America great?  Is it a time to fear that the emerging global civilization will fail and leave everyone in difficulty?

Not at all.  Faith is more needed than ever, not just based on what has been but even more on what is to come.  It is a time to study the genius of the values and inspiration which propelled this country from being the youngest country in the world to the nation which cradled the birth and development of democracy.  It is a country which has helped to cultivate science and technology, making them an integral part of our development.

In the midst of all the dimensions of the outer world, there is the need for an inner life that gives an eternal meaning to everything that happens.  It is this element of our life that allows us to break through the glass ceiling of limitation and permits us to evolve more and more as life moves on.  Faith is what gives us the connection with eternal life, a sense of knowing the meaning of existence and how to be attuned to its highest values.  Mahatma Gandhi says that even if he fails a thousand times, he will not lose his faith.  It is that faith which keeps people going even when outer circumstances seem unbearable.

Pitirim Sorokin, a former Harvard University Professor of Sociology, pointed out that in every crisis two things are happening at the same time.  On the one hand, most people tend to follow the crisis and suffer the consequences of not changing with the changing circumstances. At the same time, those who either have hit bottom or seen bottom are able to change and work with a new vision in line with what is emerging.  Those who are able to change are the ones who help to bring about the new civilization that is in the process of emerging.  Sorokin called this "The Law of Polarization".

May we discover the truths which are being brought forth in our global crisis and respond in creative and soul-conscious ways that are at one with Spirit and in tune with Life.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

Rev. Leland Stewart, B.S.E., B.T.
Unity-and-Diversity World Fellowship
3 July 2011(11)

We the People hereby declare our interdependence -- our connection to the Source of All Life and to all life forms.  We affirm that diverse individuals, groups, and networks are necessary for the creative development of humanity; and that to strengthen UNITY-AND-DIVERSITY throughout the universe is our individual responsibility and privilege. --UDC's Declaration of Interdependence, Science & Spirituality, p. 28

My impression, however, is that most Americans today are more into the outward effects of that important beginning of our nation than in the substance and implications of that occasion in 1776.  Fireworks are a thing in themselves, and little seems to be said or thought about in terms of where we are today in our evolution and what lies ahead.

Democracy is a noble experiment in how to run a country, and the United States has had a longer opportunity than any other nation to benefit from its effects.  But what has happened is that we have tended to become irresponsible and to forget about our higher destiny.  Our morals have deteriorated, and we have become involved in petty pleasures. We have military bases around most of the world, and we are fighting wars in several countries.  We are still tending to declare our independence from the affairs of the world and not take the time to be cooperative and become interdependent.  Instead of showing off our military prowess, we need to study and apply the ways of diplomacy.  The United States of America needs to be an example to the world of what democracy is supposed to be about and why it is a significant kind of governmental system.

Most of all, we need to have a cooperative and supportive attitude toward the religions of the world.  We need to find a faith for ourselves that encourages us to be spiritually enlightened and morally principled.  It is essential for us to understand the crucial nature of our time and to take life more seriously.  Developing an inner life is a necessary part of our total existence; meditation and/or prayer need to help guide us through our troubled times. 

Therefore, on this 4th of July weekend it is important for us to look within and to take the next step in the evolution of our great nation.  We need to make a Declaration of Interdependence with our families, our communities, our nation, and our world.  It is time for us to become diplomats, counselors, mediators, and peacemakers.  This week a new term was introduced into our dialog: principled Peace Practitioners. Our world calls out for people who are honest, just, merciful, courageous, and loving.  All the technology in the world will not excuse us from developing the core values of life and applying them every day to our relationships.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

There will be established on earth a new consciousness and power  which will shape a race of wise spiritual beings and take up into  itself all of earth-nature that is ready for this new transformation. --Sri Aurobindo, World Scriptures Vol. 2, page xxi

As the new teachings are combined with new adaptation of the older teachings, a new synthesis can take place.  Likewise for our spiritual practices, they are likely to be a combination of both old and new into a meaningful panorama.  The new and modern ethics are shaped into teachings that are suitable to this age, and ways of living also are given a new sense of life that makes sense for more and more people.  At the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago in 1993, Hans Kunz introduced "A Global Ethic".  It became the major document of that Parliament and now has a book to develop its teachings.

We do need a global ethic that increasingly gets the approval of the world's peoples, so that there can once again be reliable guidance for what is ethical and what is not.  A new understanding of spirituality is also needed, so that the world's peoples can know what is reliable in our understanding of what has been called "God", "Spirit", "Oneness", or by any other name or no name.  These things take time in an emerging democracy, so that we cannot expect that everyone will have the same understanding or use the same terminology.  When we finally can accept the fact that not everyone needs to believe in the same way or follow the same path, then we will have discovered the meaning of faith in a democracy and be able to communicate it to others.

A spiritual practice is a series of teachings and rituals that help invigorate our life and make it more awakened.  It is to be practiced every day and give us a sense of meaning that can make our life more real and enlightened.  In an interfaith context, we have the privilege of learning from many faiths and discovering how they fit together.  We will discover that these teachings are both ancient and modern, and that somehow they can enrich our lives as we integrate them into our spiritual practice.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; Website: www.udcworld.org

And soul by soul, and silently her shining bounds increase; her ways are ways of gentleness and all her paths are peace. --Cecil Spring-Rice, Science and Spirituality, page 177

I am personally disappointed in my country at this point for its addiction to war and its resulting undervaluing of almost every other aspect of our society's well-being: education, religion, youth, the elderly, international cooperation, and the list goes on.  We cannot continue to fight war after war and still provide for our country's needs and the needs of other countries that need our help.  We are bankrupting our country and damaging our reputation as an example of what a democracy should be like.  When will we learn that there is a better way?  The world deserves more from us.

Not only have we put our economy at great risk, but we have sacrificed many of our precious youth to causes that are coming into increasing question.  The reasons why we are going to war are not what we are told.  We are caught in a maze, and we have not yet discovered how to get out. It is time that we showed the courage that will be needed to move beyond the maze.  We have a destiny that is being lost because we are going down a path that is not in our best interest.

It is time to establish nonviolence as our national policy and to work for the well-being of all through greater diplomacy and support for our own citizens and the citizens of all countries.  Let's encourage the United Nations to do its worldwide work and we Americans be an example of cooperation rather than dominance and control.  The world community will appreciate us more when we become a shining light that others can follow with confidence.

Perhaps this is the lesson for us as we commemorate Memorial Day this year!

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!! 

This is a new cycle of human power.  It is the hour of unity among all peoples and of the drawing together of all races and classes. -- Baha'i Faith, Science and Spirituality, page 170

The Unity-and-Diversity World Fellowship has a mission that is experiencing a new level of life at this time.  The three books that have now been published -- World Scriptures, World Scriptures Vol. 2, and Science and Spirituality -- are ideally suited to that new role.  A new kind of faith is being born, one which recognizes diversity of belief and accepts all legitimate faiths into its fold.  It acknowledges democracy in religion and science as a partner in its work. 

The Fellowship has just recently begun a new phase of its work utilizing the three books and the growing energy of the interfaith movement.  In addition to the work which the Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc. is supporting through interfaith celebrations on Sunday afternoons, the Fellowship is restarting its holding of services on Sunday mornings.  It is therefore an important time to explore what our mission should be and who we should be attempting to reach.

Most communities in this country are finding themselves with increasing numbers of Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and Jews, as well as members of a variety of more recently born religions and spiritual movements.  It is time for a unity-and-diversity faith to be established in communities throughout this country and the world who would help to bring these many faiths together in different ways throughout the year.  In order for that to happen, there have to be new teachings that relate to this global age, this providing a basis for the convergence of all faiths to happen.

Our Fellowship is beginning to explore this process and to experiment with ways of worship and outreach which will succeed in fulfilling its special role.  The three books mentioned above will help provide resources for such centers.  Ministers are being trained to know about all religions, ancient and modern, as well as understanding the roles of science and democracy as providing a new context in which to work. 

Is this a new religion or simply a way of bringing existing religions together?  People have different ideas as to what religion is and how it is to function in the global age.  Perhaps it is just best to do the work and not try to answer that question.  As we enter the global age, values will change.  Religions will likewise have to change so as to meet the needs of a new society.  New religions will continue to be born and grow, and there is ever-increasing need to understand them and to draw them together.  Thus the need for a path of synthesis becomes ever more important.  What it will be called, and how it will be understood, only time will tell.  Let us continue to take on that challenge and help people to see its special role in the modern world.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

To the property of motherhood belong nature, love, wisdom and knowledge, and this is God. -- Julian of Norwich, Science and Spirituality, page 196

Today is Mothers' Day.  It is a time to give recognition and thanks to our mothers as well as to those other mothers we know and love.  Mothers have an often little recognized role to play in the stabilizing of family life and the development of heart-centered consciousness.  Often it has been the women who rebel against war and violence in society and finally bring men to their senses.

Women generally have a more loving and understanding approach to life, as well as a way of patience which is so much needed in our world.  Women are usually more willing to seek reconciliation in conflict situations and to go the extra mile in relationships.  They are also the family members who generally care for the children and see that they take care of themselves.

What is beginning to be true of Mothers' Day is that it is becoming a time for many to get involved in a different kind of activism, one which seeks to tame the world and to overcome man's tendencies toward violence and war.  Some women also see it as a time to care for Mother Earth, to recognize that we humans have damaged our environment and caused some devastating earth traumas. 

Both the threat of nuclear holocaust and the possibility of ecological catastrophe are matters that need to have everyone's attention and action.  Women are more likely to respond because of their concern for their children.  Everyone's involvement is needed, especially now with major challenges occurring almost every day.  We live in a world in transition, and the outcome of such rapid change is difficult to predict.

In an increasingly global civilization, women's efforts to overcome second class citizenship and to be a powerful force for social change are being called on as never before.  Our world needs a nonviolent movement that will stand up to war and say "enough is enough".  Instead, the loving nature more characteristic of women is needed on the forefront of creating a new and sustainable society.  As has happened in some previous societies, women may have to say that they will not engage in sexual relations with their men until war and violence cease.  These are challenging times, and very major changes are needed to protect ourselves and future generations.

Now is the time to make those major changes, and women are often capable of leading the way!

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

What after all has maintained the human race on this old globe, despite all the calamities of nature and all the tragic failings of humankind, if not the faith in new possibilities and the courage to advocate them? -- Jane Adams, Science and Spirituality, page 137

One of the distinguishing features of democracy, especially when we are able to extend its realm beyond that of our holding elections, is the acceptance of diversity among religions and spiritual movements.  Faith in its various forms does have something in common, and that is the search for the oneness of all life, called by any name or no name.  At the same time, the teachings and practices of the many faiths throughout the world vary greatly.  It is important to respect these differences and seek to learn from them.

Recently a newly formed Spiritual Forum in the Los Angeles area heard from a Guatemalan shaman, who also is to present a fire ceremony which is part of their faith.  The wisdom of this man is remarkable and something from which all of us can learn.  Our own World Interfaith Network had a sharing this month, hosted by Radha Govind Dham Meditation Center in the San Fernando Valley.  These are but two illustrations of different groups who are part of the wide-ranging interfaith community.

Some of these faith groups have an ancient heritage, while others have grown up quite recently.  Science plays a part in this transformation by calling attention to the mysteries of faith and how they affect human life.  It also helps to distinguish truth from falsehood.  What is the essence of the change taking place at this time is that truth is like a many-faceted diamond, each face of which is unique and meaningful. To be open to the discovery of the various understandings of the Essence of Life is to discover more and more joy in living and being of service to our fellow human beings.

The faiths of the emerging global civilization will not be seen to be all the same.  Rather, they will widely vary, each of them having something to teach from which we can all benefit.  People can be of very different faiths and yet be part of the faiths of the world.  In coming to know each other, each will be enriched.  That also includes those who do not identify with any one faith, but instead find their faith in the synthesis of all faiths. These people also have a right to their own faith, and in many cases will have more to offer to the coming together of all faiths than those whose adherence is to any one of the faiths separately. 

In this understanding we are already entering into the promise of faith in the global age.  Let us give thanks for this realization and help to make it ever more enlightening.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA 90066-9201; Phone: 424-228-2087, Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org 

Put away from you all bitterness and wrath...and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another. -- Christianity, Science and Spirituality, page 140

On Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter, Jesus had his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, accompanied by the laying of palm leaves on the path he follows riding on a donkey.  On the following Thursday he and his disciples share the Last Supper, when everyone discovers that he is being betrayed by his disciple Judas, and that on the following day, Good Friday, he finds himself bearing a cross and walking to his crucifixion, which is shared with two criminals.

After the humiliation of his crucifixion, when his supporters and others began to lose faith in the power of Jesus' life and teaching, on Easter Sunday he left the cave where he was buried.  He is briefly seen by his disciples and then is risen, entering into heaven.  The combining of triumph and tragedy in this week-long drama creates a most powerful story of the end of a miraculous life and the beginning of a religion which has had a most powerful effect on human history from that time until today.

Because the story of the crucifixion and resurrection is unique to Christianity, many people have concluded that Christianity is the world's most significant religion, and that therefore all other religions are either untrue or of a secondary importance.  This has led to a great deal of interreligious conflict in the past, and in some quarters this debate still continues. 

In recent times, however, more and more people realize that all religions have their uniquenesses, and that the crucifixion and resurrection are among the special dimensions of Christianity.  Other religions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Judaism, have begun to be studied for their important teachings and influences, as well as being shared at their special times of the year.  Passover, for example, occurs as part of the last days of Jesus' life, and so now many people are taking part in the Passover Seder and learning what Jews have been taught as part of their faith.

An interfaith Easter is a time when people of many faiths come together to learn about the life and teachings of Jesus.  Children often share Easter eggs and baskets to offer a lighter side to the Palm Sunday to Easter drama.  People of an interfaith inclination then share and experience the relation of Christianity to other faiths in an open and respectful manner.  Instead of trying to see one religion as right and the others wrong, this new attitude seeks to understand and gain from the teachings of each religion, accepting each one as having something important to teach us about ourselves and our world.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

The major historical forms of religion are incomplete: there has not been formulated a way of life expressive of the type of personality in which the three major components of temperament are all fairly strong and of approximately equal strength.  ...(this) religious attitude will be designated as the unity-and-diversity path...We must do something to fix (these characteristics) before our attention, and investigate the consequences of taking the unity-and-diversity person as an ideal human type around which to build a philosophy, a religion, and a society. -- Charles Morris, World Scriptures Vol. 2, page 48

There are some Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, and Jews who enjoy this type of interfaith experience.  There are also members of lesser known faiths including Baha'is, Cao Dai, Unity, Spiritual Living, Brahma Kumaris, and indigenous who also feel at home in such gatherings.  Increasingly, as people study the world's religions and have occasions to meet with people of different faiths, the walls of separation are breaking down, and a new sense of common ground is emerging.

The meetings we are holding are helping us to strengthen this common ground as we prepare for a larger engagement with the community when the time is right.  We are not only sharing with people of the various religions.  We are also looking toward the future and the teachings and pathways that are just being born.  Science is discovering facts about the new life and energy the global age is bringing to light.  New ways of life are being born as we move into the global and universal civilization.  Once we can move through the clashes of the age which is slowly dying out, we will discover a whole realm of meaning and purpose that will unite us in worthwhile pursuits. 

It is most of all the task of spiritual awakening and moral integrity to help us move into the joyous world of spirit.  Our small group is in the process of discovering its own path of synthesis that can be a beacon light for the future of faith.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

 Nonviolence is the law of our species, as violence is the law of the brute.  The dignity of humans requires obedience to such a higher law to strengthen the Spirit. --Mahatma Gandhi, Science and Spirituality, page 172

The historic faiths meet the needs of the vast majority of the people of the world, yet there are those who seek a faith for the emerging global civilization that did not exist in previous times.  The world needs a path of synthesis, a path which is based on a fundamental understanding of the world's major religions, but a mission to unite them in respecting each other and serving the world's needs as a whole. 

Science has a role to play in developing the emerging global and universal consciousness, because its task is to explore the new civilization and its values, sorting out the valid from the invalid.  There is now a science of consciousness, which is very much at work in this domain.  Many scientists tend to be skeptical concerning matters of faith, yet scientists who are open will discover that faith is a very important element of life experience.  Discovering how it works, and what it does to empower individuals on their paths, is one of the central tasks of this emerging science.

Cultivating faith is not just a matter of being active all of the time.  In addition, we need times for prayer and/or meditation, times for reflection on what has happened and for looking ahead to anticipate what is yet to happen.  Modern society tends to be constantly involved in action of one sort or another, generally caught up in the material world, and not allowing the needed time to keep our lives in balance. 

Why are we so caught up in violence and war, when civilization depends upon individuals and societies that respect and care for each other? Why are we Americans, who have had the longest experience of democracy, having such a hard time being an example for the world in how to live nonviolently and with developing friendships among all peoples and nations?  This is the final few days (until April 4th) of the Season for Nonviolence.  Let us reflect on the above questions and see if we can find a way to change our ways of being so that we become examples of nonviolence to the world beginning with ourselves and extending our to the world as a whole.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!! 

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all people are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights, and that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. --Thomas Jefferson, Science and Spirituality, pages 162-163

Young people are capable, when aroused, of bringing down the towers of oppression and raising the banners of freedom. --Nelson Mandela, Science and Spirituality, page 164

Now is therefore a time of revolution in these parts of the world.  Revolution simply means a rapid time of change, culminating from a long and usually painful time of evolution to something better but not fully possible previously.  Now, all of a sudden, that period of incubation has exploded into reality, or at least potential reality.  This time of change is fraught with uncertainty and temporary unsettledness.  Will things improve, or will they get worse?  What we are told is that people generally will not return to what they no longer want and have fought so long to transcend.  Something much better is likely to emerge, but it will take time and patience, as well as perseverance.

Revolutions often seem to be negative.  Something that was oppressive is being rejected, and the result can leave some people feeling hopeless and full of anxiety.  On the other hand, the positive side is that something much better is likely to happen once the door has been opened.  The rapid development of the USA is a major case in point.  The role of faith is very important here.  Our faith is what can keep us pursuing our dreams and helping to make life better.

Our spirituality is what gives us the sense of the ultimate nature of life and keeps us looking up and trusting that life does have meaning.  At the same time, our ethics are what help us to relate to other people, to other forms of life, and to the world as a whole.  Even if we do not consciously have an awareness of God (called by any name or no name), we still need to live by ethical principles.  Everyone needs to keep to a high ethical standard in order for society to function well.  The Golden Rule can help us in that direction: TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WOULD OTHERS TREAT YOU.  Others today applies to all forms of life and to all aspects of life.

The world has reached a crossroads.  We are at a very crucial time for practicing our ethics in relation to our own life, to our neighbors near and far, to ridding the world of nuclear weapons, to resolving our challenges of global climate change, and the like.  It is time for all of us to step to our responsibilities and be the courageous and informed person we can be.  The price of freedom is eternal vigilance!

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

Unity-and-Diversity World Council, P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA 90066-9201; Phone: 424-228-2087; Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

NEWS UPDATE:

PEACE SUNDAY:  Having had a very successful Peace Sunday on January 30th, we are now considering having a second one with the same sponsors on June 5th.  We invite your suggestions and your participation in making the event even more valuable and successful.

HOLLYWOOD BOWL EVENT PROJECTED IN JUNE 2015 TO HELP CELEBRATE THE UNITED NATIONS 70TH ANNIVERSARY.  The Unity-and-Diversity World Council is taking the initial steps to plan for a widely sponsored and co-sponsored event for peace, justice, and environmental sustainability, and with maximum support from the scientific and interfaith communities.  The work has already begun, and the support is looking very good.  You are invited to help personally and with your financial contributions.  Please contact UDC with your thoughts, your commitment, and your donations.  We are truly grateful for your help!

FUND-RAISING FOR UDC -- at no cost to you.  Click on the website www.udcworld.acnpartner.com   Renew your cell phone or get anything you might like.  Tell your friends.  UDC gets a commission every month in response to your efforts.  Thank you for your assistance.

Humanity's function in the universe is to be its conscience.  Each human being has a unique conscience or a unique connection to the Life Force where it merges with all other unique consciences to become the collective conscience of humanity.  We must then accept the responsibility of acting upon this spiritual awareness to assume our now conscious role of preserver, up to the outer limits of our ability, of every aspect of the universe over which we may, by the exertion of our free will, exercise any control.  Control of resources carries with it the responsibility of maintaining the harmony of the Life Force. -- Rev. Dr. Mary Mann, World Scriptures Vol. 2, pages 36-37

What has happened in Egypt may well happen throughout the Middle East and in other parts of the world.  The revolution that took place in the United States before and after 1776, with the Declaration of Independence from England, is now about to happen in other countries which till now have remained totalitarian to a large degree.  While European countries have mostly become democratic between that time and now, many other countries have not done so.  The difficulties in Iraq and Afghanistan have shown how troublesome life can be when the forms of government are of a dictatorial nature in a world that is rapidly changing to those of freedom and democracy. 

On the surface, these changes are independent of religion, yet in many cases it is the religion of the country which is rigid and unable to change its ways.  This in turn affects the government and causes it to be rigid as well.  Religions, which previously have been quite separate from each other and often antagonistic, are now getting to know one other and finding ways of cooperation.  While the ways of violence and war die hard, the forces of light and mutual respect are gaining with each passing day.  It appears that Egypt has the good judgment and common sense to pursue paths of peace and harmony that will move them through their challenges and into a constructive future that provides for the health and well-being of its people and is a model for others.

We pray that the countries of the Middle East and around the world will support Egypt's transformation and also improve their behaviors as well, so that the emerging global community will increasingly be one of peace, justice, and environmental sustainability.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

This is a new cycle of human power.  It is the hour of unity among all peoples, and of the drawing together of all races and classes. -- Baha'i Faith, Science and Spirituality, page 170

Pitirim Sorokin, an internationally known sociologist formerly of Harvard University, once said in his Law of Polarization that in a time of crisis two things are happening simultaneously.  One is that the crisis gets worse, and that is what we see all around us today.  At the same time, however, the increasing seriousness of the crisis also produces its opposite, which is love and understanding and the coming together of forces calling for transformation.  In Egypt we now see the gathering of these energies demanding change and a new life for its citizens. 

It is time for all of us to come together in the name of truth and love.  We need to understand each other better and to find common ground upon which to base our lives.  We need to go beyond the limits of money and personal prowess and find the spiritual meaning of life.  Above the glass ceiling of fame and fortune is the discovery of soul awakening and eternal values.  The enlighted life grows out of the commitment to truth in the spirit of love. 

To change our society for the better calls for the practice of nonviolence as a way of life and a specific process of working together.  It calls us to work for peace, justice, and a sustainable environment.  Change may come through concerted action in our halls of meeting, but it may also require us to gather on the streets of our nation and world to insist that truth replace untruth, love replace hatred, and light replace darkness.   This is a time of convergence, of coming together to solve the problems of humanity and to preserve life in all its forms.  In the innermost recesses of our life we need to find our truth and to devote ourselves to its realization.

The United States has solved certain problems connected with establishing democracy, but other problems have arisen, some of which are uniquely ours and others are common to the rest of the world.  We have established a voting system that works fairly well.  We have set up an educational system that is designed to serve all youth, and we are attempting to improve it as we go along.  We have a variety of other  accomplishments, for which we are to be congratulated. 

But we have many areas that need serious attention at this time.  One is the abolition of nuclear weapons from the planet.  The new START Treaty was signed on Saturday by the United States and Russia, but it is only a first step.  We have to pay more attention to caring for the environment and seeing that we are not overwhelmed by the many ecological challenges that face us.  We have a long way to go to assure justice for all citizens regardless of race, culture, or religion.  Getting our educational system to be on a par with those of other countries is likewise needing serious attention.

All in all, it is time for the citizens of this country to step up to our rightful place in the leadership of the world.  We need to stop waging wars and pay much more attention to applying diplomatic solutions that show our respect for all peoples and our desire to live in peace and harmony with everyone.  In short, we need to be more willing to share with others and not act in a belligerent or exclusive manner.  Then we will discover that we have a lot more friends and supporters around the world.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

Soul by soul, and silently her shining bounds increase; her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace. -- Cecil Spring-Rice, Science and Spirituality, page 177

The participants were Rev. Dr. Tahdi Blackstone, President, Institute of Noetic Sciences Los Angeles; Rev. Jan Chase, Minister, Unity Church of Pomona; Rev. Al Duffy, Buddhist tour guide; Rev. Stephen Longfellow Fiske, singer, songwriter, producer; John Ishvaradas Abdallah, minister-in-training, author, Sufi; Rev. Dr. Mary Mann, author, playwright; and myself. All of us have been ordained except John.

The expansion of the U/D ministry in recent years was illustrated by the messages we received from near and far, including Rev. Kiran Bali, recent ordainee from England; Rev. Cliff Ishigaki, Director, Psychosynthesis Center of Orange County; Rev. Hede von Nagel, early ordainee and holocaust survivor living in Germany; Dr. S.L. Gandhi, Pres., Anuvat Global Organization in India; and Rev. Dave Turner, fairly recent ordainee. Dr. Gandhi is now in the ministry program.

What was evident with all the participants today was a deep concern for the trauma being experienced throughout the world at this time, and the lack of clear direction that could lead us into the greatly needed global civilization. Much creative and constructive work is going on beneath the surface, yet the clarity of vision has yet to manifest in the powerful ways that will be required to change the direction of our society in major ways. The sincerity and depth of the sharing were most palpable, with many profound insights coming forth. The ministers are now getting to know each other and to discover how much they have in common. Each expressed a feeling of needing to seek solutions and to contribute their talents and abilities to serving the well-being of all.

An interest in starting a model interfaith series of worship services on Sunday mornings was expressed.  What is needed is a suitable venue. These services can serve as an important way of understanding the religions and spiritual movements better and offering a place both Sunday mornings and other times for them to come together. It will also provide for getting more insights into the science-religion convergence and the new ways of life which it is bringing to the world. New monthly interfaith celebrations are also being considered in areas not presently being served.

In addition to the weekly and monthly offerings, great interest was expressed in having additional retreats and other events in which the involvement of all attendees is included. The next event in which UDC is a sponsor is Peace Sunday, which is to be held on January 30th at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Santa Monica from 2 to 6 p.m. Tables offered by different faith and other nonprofit organizations will be 2-3 p.m. and 5-6 p.m., with the program being 3-5 p.m. Everyone is cordially invited to participate. The flyer will be sent out soon.  Do save the date!

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc., P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA 90066; Phone: 424-228-2087, Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

Contact UDC for information or membership. 

The emerging global civilization calls for global visionaries. ...Written  by an artist-scholar, the artistic suspension of disbelief is offered to  effect a vision of humanity participating harmoniously in the Life  Force of the universe itself and using as a touchstone for their common  spirituality, their own religion, their own God, Allah, Yahweh, called by  any name or no name. --Rev. Dr. Mary Mann, World Scriptures Vol. 2, page 36

The challenge of this time of transition has produced an ever-increasing amount of interaction among the faiths of the world, and numerous interfaith programs have resulted. All of this activity is necessary and healthy.  However, it is important to know that dialogue among faiths is not the same as producing a spiritual awakening.  Dialogue is important, yet the nature of religion is beyond dialogue and is of an experiential nature. The new kind of religious experience does not require the giving up of one's faith to join some other faith. What it does require is the experiencing of pluralism and the deeper implications of freedom and democracy. It requires the inner discovery that life in the new world is of a different nature than that which existed earlier.

In many cases, it will require the experience of the role of science and consciousness. It is very likely to include a vision of a world in which both science and religion have a role to play. It is necessary that we discover a new level of faith that permits us to unite with all peoples and to experience our connection with all life, organic and inorganic. This experience of living in a pluralistic world challenges us to respect different paths, to become good listeners so that we give place to those whose faith and culture are different from our own. 

Life today is being lived in a very different context from previous times, and our form of worship needs to reflect that change.  Religion is not supposed to be an influence which holds us back and keeps us bound into a culture and faith of past generations.  Rather, it needs to lead us courageously into an often unknown future. We now live in a world of great diversity, and we need to create patterns of worship that absorb that diversity into our own understanding of life.

One way to help solve that problem is to create a Unity-and-Diversity Center, one which welcomes religious diversity and builds it into the activities and programs of the Center. Guest speakers from different faiths will help us to accept their teachings and life values. Hearing from scientists who explore human consciousness will give us a broader view of the universe in which we live. Artists and philosophers can also help us to move beyond our otherwise limited understanding of faith and culture.

World Scriptures helps us to understand the faiths of the world and to appreciate the teachings they bring. But what is also necessary is that we explore the teachings that have been given in later times, ones which help us to see the values which have been emerging since the historic religions began. The reason that there is a religion called Christianity is that there was a New Testament to add to the Hebrew scriptures which became known to Christians as the Old Testament. 

In the case of World Scriptures, the new material is called World Scriptures Vol. 2, the ending section of which is named "Central Scriptures".  It is designed to serve a similar function, which is to bring together scriptural-type material to help provide guidance for people throughout the planet to live in this interdependent world and find meaning for their lives.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc., P.O. Box 661401. Los Angeles, CA 90066; Phone: 424-228-2087; Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org. 

The Second Sunday in the New Advent

A new type of person whose orientation and view of the world profoundly transcends an indigenous culture is developing from the complex of social, political, economic, educational, (and religious) interactions of our time. -- Peter S. Adler, Science and Spirituality, page 170

The new vision for the Holy Day Season does not cut us off from the past, but rather opens us up to our universal heritage: past, present, and future.  We have much to learn from the indigenous peoples of the planet as well as from the historic religions and cultures.  But we also need to look to the future that is becoming visible through the discoveries of science, our emerging planetary awareness, and the story of the universe as a whole. 

The unique importance of the Holy Day Season is that it has evolved from the beginning of time to the present, and that is now taking a new step into the future.  The coming of democracy and science have contributed to this evolution in our time.  The rise of democracy has resulted in our gradual acceptance of pluralism, meaning that we are learning from and coming to accept the teachings of the world's religions and cultures as part of the coming global civilization.  Science has helped us to discover that we live in an evolving universe that is vast even beyond our capacity to imagine at this time.

There are those who have given up on religion or chosen to ignore its reality.  If we instead open ourselves up to our universal heritage, a very different and fascinating  kind of moral and spiritual vision can be ours.  The joy of the Holy Day Season lies in the realization that these new vistas are possible, and that our present time of troubles can be transcended as we meditate and pray for a world of peace and harmony.  Now is the time to go within and to discover that life has infinite resources to offer to us as we seek to transform our present reality into one that is meaningful and life-affirming.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org 

The First Sunday in Advent

You shall love one another, your planet, your family, the God of the universe, and your own miraculous life with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. --Dr. Robert Muller, World Scriptures, Vol. 2, page 43

The month of December is the most powerful time of the year, as it contains the Holy Day Season.  Although we envision a very different kind of season than is usually celebrated at this time, we call the first half of the month the time of advent and the second half the Holy Day Season itself.  This season has evolved through the years from the time when it was highlighted by the winter solstice, to the high point of the mystery religions, and then to the coming of Christianity and the birth of Jesus. 

Now, it is time for another step in the evolution of this powerful month into the time of the year when all faiths can celebrate together.  The Holy Day Season first of all implies that it is a sacred time, rather than just another holiday during which we go about our shopping and our vacationing.  It is a time for getting to know and appreciate faiths other than our own and to celebrate together.  It is a time of new birth, the birth of a global civilization, which certainly respects the birth of Jesus but also the birth of life within and beyond the historic religions.

World Scriptures, Vol. 2 begins with a passage from The Universe Story, which gives credence to the fact that in addition to being the time when our planet is beginning to come together, that ahead of us is the universe at large, which up to this point has hardly been explored.  With that in mind, we need to realize that our planet is just one of many planets and stars in a universe that is almost incomprehensible in its vastness, its beauty, and its wonder. 

During this month we will be exploring the new meaning of this Holy Day Season in its larger context and also suggesting a kind of spiritual practice that will help to give it transformative power.  Kindly spend time this year going within and asking yourself what we need in order to move through the challenges that are before us.  What can we do to become a more inspired, hopeful, and responsible person in a world that needs for us to be living a fully moral and spiritual life.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

 C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc., P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA 90066; Phone: 424-228-2087; Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

One of the most important audio-visual presentations I have seen in a long time is the one entitled "Why We Fight".  It awakened in me the awareness that the United States is caught in a web of money interests and corporate control that dominate our society and keep us from living up to the dream of what this country is supposed to stand for.  How we are to get out of this web needs to be the concern of every American, and it provides a real opportunity for coming together and exercising our courage from now until the matter is resolved.

The concern the DVD is talking about was beautifully expressed by then President Dwight Eisenhower in his farewell speech.  He called it the "Military-Industrial Complex".  It is a complex of military and corporate interests that combine to keep the war machine going year after year after year.  While most people think that we are fighting for freedom and democracy, we are actually involved in a self-perpetuating and powerful conglomerate that goes from conflict to conflict, war to war, seemingly without end.  It is absolutely necessary that we bring an end to this trend before the world community can regain its full respect and confidence in our nation.

Eisenhower admitted even during his administration that this conglomerate was out of control, and his prediction was to prove prophetic.  From president to president this problem has continued, until now President Obama finds himself involved in it and not having a suitable way out.  He needs our help to find a way out, and the only way I know of that is powerful enough is concerted nonviolent action and civil disobedience.  As most of you know, the champions of this "force more powerful" were Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, and Cesar Chavez. 

There are many organizations dedicated to bringing about peace and justice, and they are to be commended for their work.  All of these efforts are important.  But most important in actually accomplishing the end goal is the use of moral and spiritual principles in a movement that refuses to take "no" for an answer and carries out its own moral clarity in action "of the people, by the people, and for the people".

Some years ago a movement began called The Season for Nonviolence.  It was centered on the assassination dates of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, going from January 30th to April 4th.  Groups from around the country and the world took part by carrying on events highlighting the use of nonviolence.  The next phase of this effort needs to be an ongoing use of this method by individuals, groups, and networks willing to act together to stop the war machine and replace it with acts of kindness and diplomacy for the building of a global community.

If you respond to this calling, we invite you to contact UDC and together let us lend energy to this "force more powerful" until we are successful in having a lasting peace with justice and a sustainable environment.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!! 

 (Thankfulness) is not only the memory but the homage of the heart - rendered to God for all goodness. -- Nathaniel Parker Willis, Science and Spirituality, pages 146-148

Thanksgiving is an American holiday, set aside to honor the early settlers who came to this country for freedom and the opportunity of setting up a new society.  Today we still need to honor those days of courage and determination, but there is much more to be thankful for in our time.  While there are many challenges facing our nation and the world at this time, it is important for us to realize how much progress has been made and to give thanks for the personal and societal advances since our nation began.

On the personal side, we have gained the freedom to choose the religion which best suits our needs, the freedom to live where we wish, the opportunity to get an education for ourselves and our offspring, to list only a few of the blessings that are available to us.  We can raise a family and offer its members these opportunities as well.  We can choose the kind of employment that best expresses our talents and abilities, that is if we can get a job at all in this difficult time.

In giving thanks for these benefits, we also need to develop our courage to change those things in our life and in our societal life that need changing.  Achieving a balance between giving thanks for progress made and, at the same time, realizing the challenges of our time is important to this Thanksgiving holiday.  The pilgrims who came to the United States did not have an easy time establishing themselves in a new land.  Their thankfulness grew out of the struggle to succeed in the midst of many problems to solve and tasks to fulfill. 

In the 21st century of the third millennium, we have a net set of challenges yet to be met, the most immediate of which appears to be ending the wars we are fighting, finding suitable employment that can permit us to survive in this struggling economy, and doing all we can to preserve our environment for ourselves and future generations.

Therefore, at this Thanksgiving time may we remember our ancestsors and the reasons for their thanksgiving, as well as coping with the challenges that face us.  Let us realize that there is more to life than how much we can eat.  We must be courageous and honest, humble yet strong in our convictions.  May we be guided by the Spirit of All Life, called by any name or no name.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!! 

The new age will begin when a sufficient number of men and women in every land and culture take upon themselves the burden people once sought to transfer to an Emperor, a Messiah, a dictator, or a single God-like person. That is the ultimate lesson of democracy; the burden cannot be shifted. But if each one of us, in our own full degree, accepts this desperate condition of survival, that which seemed a threat to our further development will be transformed into a dynamic opportunity. --Lewis Mumford, The Conduct of Life, page 120

In matters of faith, a similar situation exists. The major religions, with the exception of Hinduism, have a single individual as founder and exemplar. Patterns of behavior then are developed in relation to the teachings of that single individual, often controlled by a powerful hierarchy. In a democratic society, many religions and spiritual movements need to become involved in shaping the community, in this case the global community. 

In response to that need, an interfaith community has emerged.  In fact, various interfaith communities are being born. The challenge now is to find a way for these interfaith communities to cooperate with each other at local-to-global levels. We are told on reliable authority that there will not be world peace until the faith communities are at peace with each other. There is much more to having world peace than the religions getting along, but this is certainly a good place to begin. 

One of the unfulfilled dreams in this regard is the creation of unity-and-diversity centers in each community whose task is to bring the different faiths together in worship and in cooperative activities throughout the year. This requires new teachings and new leadership, as well as a new sense of wholeness within individuals and in society. It is, in fact, the basis upon which a new and global civilization can be built. This is not to diminish the importance of the various faiths but rather the need to bring them together in cooperative interaction.

In this process, a new sense of moral and spiritual values needs to be at the center of the transformation. Right now we are at drift in a sea of conflicting opinions and valueless choices, and we are about to drown in that sea unless we awaken to a new sense of value and responsibility. May this election serve to remind us of the importance of the choices we make and the lives we pursue.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

If you wish to join UDC, please contact us through the above-listed address, phone or email.

If we seek real fulfillment in our lives, following a particular path and yet striving to realize our total potential and to relate to all paths, we will find some place for each of the following twelve guidelines:

Let us --

(1)    Be in tune with the Spirit of All Life, called by any name or no name.
(2)    Practice meditation, contemplation and prayer.
(3)    Show all-embracing love toward all beings.
(4)    Experience the true nature of our self and our universe.
(5)    Cultivate truth, goodness, beauty and respect.
(6)    Live simply and harmoniously with our whole self.
(7)    Use our energy for vigorous and constructive activity.
(8)    Rejoice in our connection with all human beings and all life.
(9)    Strive for peaceful family and community development.
(10) Get involved in improving the world's condition.
(11) Preserve the best of our universal heritage.
(12) Take heart and act upon our ideals.

Every civilization must have a set of moral and spiritual values that express its meaning and hold it together.  Our emerging global civilization is no exception to the rule.  These values arise from the civilization itself and must find acceptance among the people in order to be sustained.  The religions of the world have taught moral and spiritual values that were suitable for the previous civilizations which they represented, but we must realize that our upcoming civilization has to create its own. 

The above set of values came from a core group of the Unity-and-Diversity Fellowship some years ago and are included in World Scriptures, Vol. 2.  In 1993 the Parliament of the World's Religions came up with a document called "Global Ethic".  A book was written to further clarify the "Global Ethic", but it is clear that humanity has yet to accept any set of values for its future development.  While we are trying to stop wars around the planet and to set up governments that work, we also need to be creating and living by values that will sustain our life on planet earth and beyond.

A good place to start would be to affirm that we should not kill each other.  Rather, we need to have respect for all human beings and all forms of life.  We need to be living in a world that is safe for adults, children and all life.  In order for this to happen, we have to rid ourselves of nuclear weapons and indeed of war itself. 

In World Scriptures, Vol. 2 there is also a set of "Twelve Universal Avoidances".  In the process of purifying our lives we need to know things to avoid as well as those to affirm.  These avoidances have something in common with the Ten Commandments in the Bible, but there are some additional ones. 

(1)     Living as if no Higher Power exists
(2)     Needlessly killing any living creature
(3)     Committing adultery
(4)     Taking what is not ours
(5)     Telling lies
(6)     Gambling, overeating or hoarding material goods
(7)     Being prejudiced against any ethnicity, culture or religion
(8)     Hating another person or form of life
(9)     Living in fear and anger
(10)   Damaging or destroying property
(11)   Smoking, drinking excess alcohol or consuming other drugs
(12)  Doing anything which keeps the energy of the Supreme Beingness from expressing itself in every aspect of our life!

An awakened life needs to be a disciplined life, and the above avoidances give some important goals to set for ourselves.  They are a good way to clear the path for the positive affirmations that are also needing to be made. 

It is time for us to develop our inner life, as well as to work for a peaceful and united world.  The above guidelines can be of real help.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

There will be established on earth a new consciousness and power which will shape a race of wise spiritual beings and take up into itself all of earth-nature that is ready for this new transformation. -- Sri Aurobindo, Science and Spirituality, page 171

The interfaith movement is helping to bring together the faiths of the world, many of which have previously been discounting each other or are even at war.  A good example is that of the warring factions in Iraq within Islam.  For some time in the past, Protestants and Catholics in northern Ireland have been fighting with each other, whereas now some solutions are appearing.

There is, however, a new dimension of life which is gradually entering into the picture of what is needed.  The historic religions represent the values of earlier civilizations.  These teachings are still very important, but a new element has to be added in order for full reconciliation to take place.  This element has been brought forward through the birth of science and technology, as well as the advent of democracy.

Science depends on the use of reason to examine evidence and draw conclusions.  The scientific method has given new tools to the process of discovering truth.  Truth becomes more the result of exploration into the visible world, as contrasted to relying solely on revelation.  Even in science, however, revelation assists as it guides scientists in choosing what to explore and where to look for evidence.

Freedom and democracy have come along as we search for ways in which everyone has some truth to give, rather than relying on only one source.  All religions now need to be studied and listened to for the truths which they bring to our universal heritage.  No one religion any longer is in a position to have all the truth, while other faiths have none.  Listening is now becoming a sacred art.

In line with these new dimensions of life, the Unity-and-Diversity World Council Inc., through its Unity-and-Diversity World Fellowship and its World Interfaith Network, has taken responsibility for helping to create the new forms of scripture which will provide guidance for the emerging global civilization.

The first part of this responsibility has been the creation of World Scriptures, which includes the essence of the scriptures of sixteen different faiths, both the historic religions and several more recent faiths.  Now comes the task of bringing together in brief compass the teachings of the faiths and other sources that focus specifically on guidelines for the global civilization.  It is here that science and democracy have something to contribute to the notion of scripture.  Other sources are the arts, philosophy and wise individuals from all walks of life.  Much of this new material is now available in recently published World Scriptures, Vol. 2.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

Yet so it shall be; these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the "Most Great Peace" shall come. -- Baha'U'Llah, Baha'i Faith, Science and Spirituality, page 177

The International Day of Peace, established at this time because it is the approximate beginning date of the United Nations for the year, is next Tuesday, September 21st.  To commemorate this occasion, often without an awareness of its U.N. connection, vast numbers of events are taking place around the world in support of peace.  These events are generally not political demonstrations, but rather cultural and spiritual events that are peaceful in nature.

The Unity Church sponsors "Eleven Days of Peace" starting on September 10th and ending on the 21st.  There is for the first time a "Peace Week" on the internet beginning on September 14th and ending on the 21st.  Since September 11th, the time when the World Trade Center Towers in New York City came down nine years ago, this period is especially important to observe. It is a time when we need to reflect on how we can have a more peaceful and creative civilization that supports the well-being of all.

First of all, we need to find peace within ourselves through our various spiritual practices and sacred gatherings.  When we discover for ourselves that life does have meaning, and that our respect for life in all its forms is an essential part of our growth, we can then begin to reshape our society and make it more peaceful and loving.  There are many religions which can help us in this process, both those which now exist and those which are being born in our time. 

If the religion which you profess helps you in this process, then by all means go deeper into its teachings and manifest them in your life.  If it does not, or it you wish to discover truth in its many forms, then seek to discover what the world's religions and spiritual movements have to teach.  There are those people whose spiritual needs are met through the teachings of one particular faith, and there are those who need to look into many paths in order to see where they fit in.  Some people have a path of synthesis, as in Hinduism where it is called "integral yoga".  As we more completely find our path, we are then able to help others find theirs. 

Tony Blair, the former British prime minister, says that "faith inspires people to act and to raise their sights beyond themselves".  Tony is a Christian, yet he recognizes that we should strive to understand one another's beliefs and work together to build a better world.  Islam is a religion of peace, yet many Muslim extremists have misinterpreted their religion and followed paths that lead to violence.  Now is the time when we can help each other to move beyond violence and war to embrace cooperation, mutual respect, and diplomacy as ways to create a new and global civilization.  May the International Day of Peace help us in this direction.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld,org

World Scriptures, Vol. 2, which focuses on the emerging global civilization and ways of peace and goodwill for our time, is now available.  Order your copy from the above address for $20, which includes tax and handling. You'll be glad you did! 

God will guide us to peace.  If we will heed God's words, we will be led from the darkness of war to the light of peace. -- Islam, Science and Spirituality, page 177

Now, having passed 9/11, the International Day of Peace is being celebrated on September 21st, with a huge number of observances throughout the world leading up to that date.  For the first time, there is a "Peace Week" being done on the internet from September 14th to 21st, sponsored by both new and more established organizations concerned about peace both within the individual and in the world.  It is important to note that the reason for the choice of that date is that it is the approximate time when the United Nations begins its work for the year.

Here in Los Angeles there was an impressive interfaith ceremony yesterday at the Islamic Center of Southern California, focused on the meaning of 9/11.  Leaders of Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and other faiths spoke in support of Islam in its time once again of being under great pressure.  Islam is a religion of peace, though its followers do not always follow the teachings which it professes.  Is that not also true of other religions and peoples?  What about the drones (unmanned military aircraft) which our country is now producing at great expense to kill people in the Middle East without the loss of life on our part?

What has happened in many cases is that the almost unanimous rejection of Koran-burning has brought the faiths of the world more together in support of mutual respect and solidarity.  If we are to have a world of peace, the faiths of the world have an important role to play in coming to respect each other.  The threat of Koran-burning has generally had the effect of bringing faiths together in support of common sense and decency. 

The Unity-and-Diversity World Council has been active in this effort.  On September 4th our Inland Valley Interfaith Network took part in a special ceremony at the Bait'Ul Hameed Mosque in Chino which emphasized the importance of showing respect to the world's scriptures.  The UDC also contacted many interfaith groups in support of the 9/11 ceremony at the Islamic Center of Southern California.

Later yesterday, at Al Duffy's home in Fontana, our Unity-and-Diversity Fellowship ordained Al Duffy and Rev. Jan Chase into the Unity-and-Diversity Ministry.  Mary Mann, Ph.D., who was also to be ordained at that time and was unable to be present, will be ordained at our Los Angeles Interfaith Celebration on September 19th.

Regarding the International Day of Peace, UDC will stress its importance at our General Assembly next Saturday, September 18th, 9-11 a.m. at the St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, 11155 National Blvd., West Los Angeles.  Also a central focus on the International Day of Peace will be seen at our Interfaith Celebration on Sunday, September 19th, 2-4 p.m., at the Los Angeles Baha'i Center, 5755 Rodeo Rd., corner of La Cienega, in Los Angeles.  You are cordially invited to participate in either or both of those events.

Many important peace-making and consciousness-raising events took place in August this year, despite the fact that August is usually a time of vacations and recreation.  This trend seems to indicate that the state of our world is reaching people with increasing intensity, and that this year will see a continuation of that kind of concern.  UDC has an important role in that process.  Please read the bulletins you receive, and ask for any that you would like to have.  Check our website for other updates and participate when you can.  All of us are important to the transformation that is needed and is coming.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org 

Once again the specter of targeting Muslims has arisen, apparently due to the fact that a Muslim mosque/community center is being projected for a couple of blocks from ground zero in New York City.  The truth of the matter is that a Muslim building has been at this site for about ten years, but what is new is that it is to be expanded to include a mosque and community center.  My understanding is that at least one church and a synagogue are already in that general area.

As a result of the false publicity given to the Muslim project, as well as other misinformation about Muslims, various kinds of negative reactions are being projected for the September 11th commemoration this year of the attacks in New York and elsewhere a decade ago.  These include the burning of copies of the Holy Quran and demonstrations at some mosques throughout the United States.  In some cases Muslim congregations have had to put holds on building projects that had been scheduled for this year and beyond.

The Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions has issued a statement calling for solidarity in the interfaith community to overcome these fearful and hurtful actions on the part of citizens of this country and other countries where such actions may occur.  When concerned citizens of various faiths do mobilize in support of mosques or other religious facilities that are being threatened with negative actions and possible damage to their property and/or members, many such hysterical efforts have been overcome.  Now is one of those times when mutual support is needed.

Islam is a religion focused on inner and outer peace.  Those who misunderstand the religion and pursue terrorism in its name, using the idea of jihad to carry out suicide attacks, are a minority and are not following the teachings of Islam.  Muslims and others rightfully oppose their extremism.  In the case of burning copies of the Quran, these acts are very hurtful to Muslims and should be stopped whenever possible.  If they cannot be stopped before they occur, then at least people can mobilize to stop further hurtful acts and also speak out in behalf of common sense and fair treatment of Muslims.

All of the world's scriptures are sacred to the people who follow them.  They should all be respected and used for the purpose of study and worship.  The guidance which they provide is essential to the well-being of our society.  My work in World Scriptures is to bring the essence of the scriptures of the historic religions and various spiritual movements together so that they can be better understood and respected.  When changes are needed in order to eliminate parts of the scriptures that no longer serve to unite the peoples of the world, then I have attempted to make those few changes where changes are allowed. 

Religions are supposed to unite people and bind them together in addition to providing meaning for individual lives.  As our society becomes more global in scope, certain changes need to be made in order to support that major shift in consciousness.   My efforts are to help that shift take place, so that a new and global civilization will arise to support the principle of unity-and-diversity, a civilization based on the dynamic integration of diversity among all peoples and all life.  Hopefully, with the increasing strength of the interfaith movement and the common sense of the world's peoples, the bonds that unite us will be able to overcome the foolishness of those who would attempt to destroy us.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org
This article is my own and does not necessarily represent the Council. 

There will established on earth a new Consciousness and Power which will shape a race of wise spiritual beings and take up into itself all of earth-nature that is ready for this new transformation. -- Sri Aurobindo, Science and Spirituality, page 171

"Moral and Spiritual Transitions" has been our theme for the past year, which ends with this Interfaith Celebration.  Our Steering Committee felt that we should revisit the subject as a way of seeing where we are now with regard to that theme and where it might lead us for the coming program year.

Many events have taken place during this past year which show that our world is in a global crisis that could challenge us beyond our limits, or it should stimulate us to change our ways and learn how to get these happenings under control.  Two such events in recent times stand out in my mind: the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the even more recent monsoon flooding in Pakistan.  Several destructive events have taken place in China, and the relation between Israel and the Palestinians continues to be a major stumbling block in the Middle East.

One of the lingering problems, which has until very recently dropped out of getting media attention, is the very major problem of nuclear weapons.  Recently more and more people are calling for nuclear abolition. 

In the midst of these crises, important positive changes have been taking place that promise a brighter future for people and other life forms around the world.  The ethic of reverence for life, proclaimed decades ago by Dr. Albert Schweitzer, offers great hope for a new attitude toward life and the world.  The interfaith movement has begun to bring the world's faiths together, both in large conferences and in individual communities in various parts of the world.  Modern spiritual movements are also adding to the picture of change in our outlook toward life.

At the core of the transition that is inevitably coming is a new kind of faith that arises out of this age, with its scientific and technological dimensions.  The balance of reason and faith, science and religion is a key component of the transition beginning to be widely felt.  The historic faiths have much to add to this picture, but in addition there are new teachings and a new kind of perspective emerging.  The major challenges of our time help to force us to search more deeply and to change to meet the demands that confront us. 

I pray that the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity will help to shape the world that is being manifest at this time.

May peace prevail on earth!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066.  Phone: 424-228-2087; Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org.

Ethics consist...in my experiencing the compulsion to show to all will-to-live the same reverence as I do to my own.  There we have given us that basic principle of the moral which is a necessity of thought.  It is good to maintain and to encourage life; it is bad to destroy life or to obstruct it. ...Ethics are responsibility without limit towards all that lives. --Albert Schweitzer, The Philosophy of Civilization. pgs. 309 - 311

We are living in a time now where the most basic questions as to the meaning of life and civilization must be brought into our consideration.  The existence of nuclear weapons, the challenges of social and economic justice, and the environmental stresses that are confronting us force us, if we are at all aware of the seriousness of their implications, to ask ourselves as to what the value of life is, and what must we do in order to preserve it.  Some major changes need to take place if we are to come through this time alive and having a future.

A civilization is a society which has been able to bring itself together and to function well.  It is in our case a global society which has begun to live according to its highest principles and to help its citizens to come together in cooperation and mutual support.  In order for that to happen, all of us need to live according to ethical principles such as showing mercy to others, having reverence for all life, and being considerate of people of all races, cultures, and religions and for all other forms of life.

Dr. Albert Schweitzer, who grew up in Europe, got doctoral degrees in philosophy, religion, music, and finally medicine, was one of the wisest people of our time.  Having completed his studies, he went to Africa as a medical missionary to establish a hospital and to continue his ministry and his music.  One day on the Ogowe river he had a revelation concerning the ethic of reverence for life.  He then knew that ethics needed to extend to all human beings and to all life, and that the practice of ethics is at the heart of what makes a civilization possible.

Our society is now in a major transition.  It is moving from values which may have been suitable for the western world, to new values that are adequate for our global, scientific, technological, and increasingly democratic society of the 21st century.  We now seem to be largely in a state of limbo, without a clear sense of right and wrong, and a weakened commitment to truth in the spirit of love.

For us to have a future, now is the time when our ethical and spiritual values must be brought into the center of our lives and the place of guidance for our every thought and action.  It is time for us to abolish nuclear weapons, to end war in general, to get over our various prejudices, and to take care of our environment.  Instead of tattooing our bodies, violating our sexual integrity, and killing each other, we need to take a new lease on life and start living in tune with our spiritual nature and practicing our ethical principles.

Perhaps in order to begin this process we would do well to take off time to meditate and to pray for guidance in order to know what is right and how we can be in tune with the best in our nature.  Our existence in the big cities has tended to distract us from our deeper selves and to cause us to live on the surface of life.  British historian Arnold Toynbee has talked about withdrawal-and-return as a balancing of our inner and outer lives.  Let us see what we can do to find that balance and to live accordingly.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087, FAX: 310-827-9187 (call UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

The Unity-and-Diversity World Fellowship is a specialized affiliate of Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.  Its work is to develop the moral and spiritual dimension of our work, to hold sacred services, and to train ministers to carry out its work.

Three Unity-and-Diversity Ministers will be ordained for this purpose on September 11th, Albert Duffy (a Buddhist), Mary Mann, Ph.D. (a playwright and author), and Rev. Jan Chase (a Unity minister with a great involvement in interfaith work). 

               I do feel that there is orderliness in the universe, that there is an
               unalterable law governing everything and every being that lives
               and moves.  The law and the law giver are one.
                            Mahatma Gandhi, Science and Spirituality, page 134

This Sunday lies between August 6th and August 9th, the dates of the atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States.  No other country has used nuclear weapons against another nation. This time of year it is especially important to consider our own personal future, that of our children and grandchildren, and of the human race in general. This matter is not just a political issue; it is perhaps the most serious moral and spiritual issue before humanity today.

I was most encouraged by the fact that Bishop William Swing, the founder of the United Religions Initiative, wrote a letter to those involved in URI informing them that they are forming a cooperation circle (CC) to deal specifically with this matter and to give it the utmost international attention. They are scheduled to take a year organizing a plan for presenting this concern to the world and then do a public campaign starting next August. 

There was a time when people seemed to feel that the threat of nuclear weapons was taken care of, and that it would somehow work itself out. These people have been turning their attention to other crucial matters and ignoring the present and future risk.  Now we realize that such weapons in the hands of terrorists, or by accident, could put every city at risk, and in fact every citizen of this planet on a moment's notice. Millions of people could be killed from a single nuclear weapon, and a simultaneous attack could jeopardize the future of the entire planet. 

The point is that such weapons anywhere on the planet put everyone at risk, so the only way to eliminate that risk is to abolish nuclear weapons altogether and to set up a system for verification that does not allow anyone to create or use them. Since the United States was the only country to use them so far, we are the ones who have the greatest moral obligation to see that we and everyone else participate in this process.

We can begin by praying for peace among all peoples and all life. We can meditate on a world without nuclear weapons, a world of peace, justice, happiness, and a sustainable environment. Our sacred services can help create the needed climate of faith and transformation that will permit such a goal to be realized. All change of this kind requires time and focus. Often it necessitates people in the streets insisting on their wishes being fulfilled. To sustain life in this century and beyond will need to have people stand up and be counted for truth and love. And regarding nuclear weapons, the sooner the better!

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

ADVANCE NOTICE

Sun. Aug. 15, 2 p.m. -- U. S. Security in the 21st Century with Capt. Paul K. Chappell, U.S. Army; author of The End of War.  First Congregational Church, 241 Cedar Ave., Long Beach.  2587 cranes hang from the ceiling of that church, reminding us of the lessons to be learned from Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  Paul Chappell currently works for the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation in Santa Barbara.

Sat. Aug. 21, 9-11 a.m. -- UDC General Assembly meeting at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, 11555 National Blvd., Los Angeles 90064.  Will focus on nuclear disarmament, environmental sustainability, and other social concerns of participants.  Newcomers are cordially invited.  Refreshments served.  Suggested donation: $10, $8 for members.

Sun. Aug. 22, 3-5 p.m. -- Interfaith Celebration, meeting at Brahma Kumaris Center, 908 S. Stanley Ave., Los Angeles 90036, near corner of Olympic Blvd. Includes prayer, meditation, music, and sharing among faiths.  Theme: Moral and Spiritual Transitions.  Refreshments courtesy of Brahma Kumaris.  Suggested donation: $10, $8 for members.

We can bring a new world into being through all the scientific advances that allow us to communicate, to engage in dialog, and to create that global mirror in which all cultures (and all religions) can shine in their uniqueness. --Fatema Mernissi, Science and Spirituality, page 192

There are times in every organization, whether at the beginning or later on in its evolution, when a reevaluation is called for.  This time has come now for the Unity-and-Diversity World Council, though for a different reason than on a couple of previous occasions.  What is being called for now is a closer look at UDC's Vision Statement.   The present statement was actually put together by our Executive Board to replace the original statement which I wrote not too long after UDC was founded in 1965 during International Cooperation Year.

Thus it appears that UDC has had two vision statements so far, one written by me in the early years, the second written by the Executive Board about a decade ago, and now the call has come through UDC's Interfaith Network for another revision.  This time we need to give everyone in UDC an opportunity to participate in this process whether on our database or on our much more used email list, or through meetings called for this purpose.  This is an exciting moment in the clarification of "Who Are We?" and a way of being able to speak with one larger vision of our very important role in the emerging global civilization.

One additional consideration in this process is the possibility of having a blog of our own, which will allow us to link up with other related organizations and thus to expand our outreach.  We have been hampered by not being able to send to our full email list at one time.  Instead, it presently takes a period of about ten hours, 100 people at a time, to reach everybody just on our email list.  This has meant that we rarely communicate with our full email list, let alone our much larger list for whom we do not yet have emails.

Recently we have been working most of all with the emerging interfaith movement, which is expanding rapidly around the world.  We are somewhat involved with the environmental movement and the nuclear disarmament movement.  There are many more areas in which we need to be involved as we find leadership to head them up.  These include education, health and healing, scientific research, the arts, media, and the list goes on. 

Our General Assembly in theory includes all of these areas, but they will only emerge as leaders step forward to champion their causes. If you are one of the people who has a concern that needs to be expressed, especially if you could be a leader in one of these fields, by all means let us know.  Right now the General Assembly is focusing on nuclear disarmament, especially the upcoming Hiroshima/Nagasaki commemoration.  Please let us hear from you in areas of your expertise.

Most of all, please help us fully express our Vision Statement so that it includes you.  At that point UDC can become your organization because you have aided in creating it in its current form.  Thank you kindly for your cooperation.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

P.S.  The success of our efforts depends on contributions as well as meeting donations.  Kindly send your contribution, being as generous as you can, to the address below, with your check made out to Unity-and-Diversity World Council.  All contributions and meeting donations are tax exempt.  Thank you.

Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P. O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

We the People hereby declare our interdependence -- our connection to the Source of All Life and to all life forms.  We affirm that diverse individuals, groups, and networks are necessary for the creative development of humanity; and that to strengthen UNITY-AND DIVERSITY throughout the universe is our individual responsibility and privilege.  -- "Declaration of Interdependence", Science and Spirituality, p. 28

What I notice, however, is that our celebration is to a large extent more about setting off fireworks than it is about reflection as to how far we have come and where we are to go from here.  Independence is one stage in a process.  It is not enough to be independent.  We must also become interdependent within the United States and with the world at large.  Much of the flag-waving that occurs at this time of the year, and any time for that matter, can be a substitute for tuning into the meaning of other flags and how much they mean to their respective nations.

We are needing to be the exemplar of democracy, since we have had more time to develop our democracy than any other country.  Instead of insisting that other countries develop their ways of doing things in the same manner that works for us, we need to be helping other nations to develop in the ways that work for them.  Instead of fighting what looks like "wars without end", we need to vastly improve our diplomacy with other nations and show what the benefits of cooperation can be.

Some of us have wanted to see a new statue built, perhaps in Long Beach harbor, that would be focused on interdependence, on the search for "a world that works for all".  It is a question as to whether July 4th's time of independence can convert itself into a time of interdependence.  I suggest that it can, but that it take a great deal of soul-searching and inner discovery as to how we must change.  It is not just a change of name but of attitude toward ourselves, our nation, and the world.

This change needs to begin by broadening our understanding of Ultimate Reality, of God called by any name or no name.  It is the Spirit that is unified, though it will be understood quite differently from one religion to another.  Several of the world's religions are based upon a personal God, who is seen by them in terms like that of a human person.  Other religions, most clearly in Buddhism, do not have a personal God.  Yet they understand that there is a sacredness of life that must be cultivated through meditation and personal practice.  Hinduism recognizes both the personal God and the more mystical aspects of the Atman-Brahman relationship.  Neale Donald Walsch, in his book, Tomorrow's God, gives us some guidelines as to how to understand this inner presence in the days ahead.

Beyond the understanding of Spirit there is the realm of ethics that must be changed and strengthened so that it can be applied universally.  Whether people consider themselves religious or not, there are standards of living that must be followed if we are to have a society at all.  One of the most basic is "You shall not kill".  Dr. Albert Schweitzer's "ethic of reverence for life" presents a modern ethic that expands morality beyond human to human, aiming instead to include all forms of life.

Let us take time on this Fourth of July to reflect upon our accomplishments and our need to improve our life attitudes.  We need to become more responsible human beings in protecting life in all its forms and working toward a world that does serve the needs of all beings, human and non-human.  Having made this transformation of consciousness, we truly have a reason to celebrate!

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

Yesterday in many parts of the country, sponsored by the Sierra Club and other environmental organizations, there were linkings of hands across the sand in support of a ban on oil drilling on our coasts.  The United States has been experiencing, and apparently will continue to experience for some time to come, the worst oil spill in its history.  It is hard to believe that in such a technologically advanced nation as ours there would be a disaster very much out of control for such a long period of time.

The damage from this spill has now reached Florida and may well be heading up the east coast from where it started in the Gulf of Mexico.  It has killed untold numbers of wildlife and put countless individuals and businesses out of work if not out of existence. How could we be so careless that we would allow oil drilling a mile deep in the ocean and without ways of handling the potential damage?  What will it take for us to handle our affairs with wisdom and with caution?

One of the major aspects of the religious life is the desire to serve, to meet human needs wherever they occur.  Here is a prime example where service is called upon to help those people and also other forms of life that are struggling to survive this disaster.  What can we do individually and collectively?  Most of all we can pray for a miracle or a series of miracles to alleviate this pressure on all forms of life, so that the clean-up can begin and the suffering gradually eliminated. Those who are free to do so can go to the area and help save the wildlife that is perishing.  Those that can contribute money can lend their support to humans who have lost their livelihoods.

It is increasingly a time to come together and to find collective ways of solving the many problems that face our nation and the world.  Cooperation is key to gathering the strength it will take to create a global society that serves the wellbeing of all.  It will take dedication and patience, courage and determination.  We are being tested as to how much we care and how willing we are to focus our energies where the real needs are.  Our meditations and prayers are needed to bring that strength and clarity of vision.  We need the guidance in order to know how best to serve.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

World Interfaith Network
C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

            And the priestess spoke again and said:
            Speak to us of reason and passion.  And he answered, saying:
               Your soul is often a battlefield, upon which your reason and your
            judgment wage war against your passion and your appetite.
               Would that I could be the peacemaker in your soul, that I might
            turn the discord and the rivalry of your elements into oneness and
            melody. ...
               Your reason and your passion are the rudder and the sails of your
            seafaring soul.
               If either your sails or your rudder be broken, you can but toss and
            drift, or else be held at a standstill in mid-seas. ...
               And since you are a breath in God's sphere, and a leaf in God's 
             forest, you too should rest in reason and move in passion.

                             Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet, "On Reason and Passion"

We are living in a time when the meaning of life is being challenged and reshaped to align itself with the emerging global civilization, which is having to meet up with a whole new set of guidelines not known previously.  The historic religions can help, yet we must be open to new truth shaped also by modern science and the coming of democracy.  New teachings are being discovered, and many of the former teachings are being found inadequate to this age.

Religions have emerged to help people who have similar beliefs find each other and to gather into fellowship that supports those particular beliefs.  Often the differences of language and culture help to determine how different faith groups are formed.  However, in today's very diverse world, there is also a need for transcending these differences and finding another level of common ground.  This might be called the universal community, which can be manifest in each geographic community and also at a national and global level.  One does not need to be a world traveler in order to find those of different paths who have areas of common ground though there is real value in traveling the world for those who are privileged to do so.

The Unity-and-Diversity Fellowship seeks to unite people of every possible faith and culture throughout the world who seek to respect each other and to learn from one another.  At the same time, we encourage unity-and-diversity fellowships to form wherever there are enough such people to create this kind of gathering.  Its kind of spiritual service will reflect its diversity of culture and faith, including the music of these cultures and faiths, the practice of prayer and meditation, and the sources of its teachings from the various faiths, both ancient and modern. 

If you have this kind of interest, please contact us, and let's increasingly be in touch with the larger global fellowship that is forming in this time of rapid change.  We have very important work to do together in our own communities and with others worldwide that help us find our common ground in helping to create a world that works for all.  In our quest, be sure to include individuals, groups, and networks.  There is more common ground than we would ever imagine when we truly begin to share what we believe and what our aspirations are.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

Unity-and-Diversity World Fellowship
C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P. O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

NOTE:  We now have more copies of World Scriptures, Vol. 2, which is focused on the future and the kinds of scriptural type writings which move us in the direction of global unity in the midst of diversity.  Copies are $20 including tax and handling.  Make checks to Unity-and-Diversity Council and send to the above address. 

The diversity in the human family should be the cause of love and harmony, as it is in music, where many different notes blend together  in the making of a perfect chord. --Baha'i Faith, Science and Spirituality, page 192

On Thursday, April 29th this year, all that changed, as the two churches came together to worship for the first time.  There had been misunderstandings because of their lack of contact, and this was a move to help overcome those differences.  The result was a great sense of joy in coming to know each other and to discover common ground.

The work of Unity-and-Diversity World Council is to encourage this kind of crossing over so as to discover that there is common ground, and that the things we can do better together than separately need to be found and pursued.  The goal is not to pretend that there are not differences of culture and faith, but rather to seek those areas of cooperation where the combined energies can accomplish what can only be done if the crossovers do occur. 

Currently the Unity-and-Diversity Council's Interfaith Network is exploring common ground with the Culver City Area Interfaith Alliance.  The two organizations are centered quite close to each other on Los Angeles's Westside, and they have interfaith in common.  On May 16th, the Council (UDC) is being given an award for its interfaith work at a banquet in Redondo Beach by the Southern California Committee of the Parliament of the World's Religions.  (Call UDC if interested in coming to the banquet.)  In 2008 UDC was given a similar award by the South Coast Interfaith Council.

Hans Kung, creator of the Global Ethic introduced to the 1993 World Parliament in Chicago, has said that world peace will only occur when the faiths of the world get their energies together.  He appears to be right, and the fact is that the convergence of faiths is taking place more and more at this time.

This convergence includes not only the historic religions but also the more recent religions and spiritual movements.  The contributions of science to this process are also most important to recognize.  In our spiritual logo the atom, which symbolizes science, is shown as holding the various religions together.  Certainly science is playing an increasingly important role is helping faiths to modernize and to be relevant to the emerging global civilization.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!.

Unity-and-Diversity Fellowship
C/o Unity-and-Diversity World Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 661401, Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087; FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com; Website: www.udcworld.org

NOTE:  An additional person, Greg Stewart, has now entered the Unity-and-Diversity Ministry Training.  He has an art and media background and is interested in helping develop an interfaith congregation in the Los Angeles area.  Dave is now serving in a leadership role with the Freemasons and has had extensive experience with lesser known faiths. 

By community I mean places in which the bonds between people and those between people and the natural world create a pattern of connectedness, responsibility, and mutual need. --David W. Orr, Science and Spirituality, page 132

A major change in the relation of religions and spiritual movements has been the rapid rise of cooperation among them both in Los Angeles and around the world.  Religion, from its Latin root, means to bond together, to unify.  Religions have tended in the past to compete with each other, and even to fight with each other, as is still happening among Muslim sects in Iraq, and among Jews and Muslims in the Middle East.  A similar attitude is also being seen in the United States among Christian denominations, and between Christianity and other religions.  As a result, many people have turned away from religion, feeling that it is irrelevant to today's world.

Now that the interfaith movement is changing that attitude, all of us need to take another look at the potential of the historic religions, and the more recent spiritual movements, to provide leadership in achieving peace, justice, and a sustainable environment.  This change provides a real step forward in the emergence of a global civilization that works for all.  Science also has a role to play in the process of unification among religions, especially as it bridges between the religions and other dimensions of consciousness.

Cooperation is a simple word, yet it carries powerful meaning in terms of what has to happen in the world now in order for global society to emerge, and for people to feel safe to have a home, to raise a family, and to know that they will have a future. 

Two examples come to mind that are crucial in this process.  One is the need to do away with nuclear weapons, and in fact war in general, as a way of resolving conflicts.  As our cooperation increases, reliance on war and violence will decrease, and finally we will come to understand that we must get along with each other if our planet earth is to be a safe place on which to live.

The second example is that of creating a safe environment.  Instead of plundering the earth, we must come to see the earth as sacred and do everything possible to preserve it in all its beauty.  As we become more sensitive to these needs, we will lessen the pressure toward imminent collapse of ecosystems and the threat to all life which this involves.  It is high time that we did awaken to this urgent need.

At this time I put forth a challenge to the peoples of earth to rise to the occasion of changing our attitude toward the future.  We are one people, though we have many races, religions, and cultures.  Now is the time to come together, to get to know each other in more depth, and to cooperate for the well-being of all.  We can and we must heed this challenge if we are to have a dynamic and creative future.

In the Spirit of Unity-and-Diversity!!!

NOTE:  The Unity-and-Diversity World Council will be honored at the upcoming banquet of the Southern California Committee of the Parliament of the World's Religions on Sunday, May 16th, 6-9 p.m., at the Center for Spiritual Living, 907 Knob Hill Ave., Redondo Beach, California.  Theme: Joining Hands to Save the Planet.  Workshops will be presented 4-5:45 p.m. before the banquet.  For more information contact Ruth Broyde Sharone at radsharone@aol.com or on the website www.sccpwr.org.

The Stewart residence has now taken a major step forward to becoming UDC's office and, to a limited extent, a Unity-and-Diversity Center . Its books, files, and other materials, which for a number of years now have been in storage, are once again in the office and being utilized.  When UDC is ready to go the next step, then everything can be moved to a larger venue, but for now we are ready to begin more of a group effort to carry on the very important work of the Unity-and-Diversity World Council.

Perhaps you will ask -- what kind of volunteer help is needed?  We have a good computer which has UDC's mailing list and other files, so it is ready to be used for this purpose.  Help is needed to develop our membership, to write letters, to sell books and tapes, and generally to make sure that UDC keeps up with its needs and obligations.  A number of people should be part of this process.

As UDC does develop its office and staff toward this end, the income will also increase.  When it does become possible to begin paying its staff, those who have devoted themselves to its volunteer work will be the first to be considered.

UDC is a worldwide interfaith and intergroup cooperation council.  We work with individuals, groups, and network to maximize participation in programs in all fields based on needs and availability of leadership.  Right now the fields showing the greatest interest are interfaith and nuclear disarmament.  Environment is also very important but needs leadership to carry on specific projects.  Education is a major concern, but again we need leaders to continue an active effort.

What is being called for here is the office staff to support the work and to see that it helps fulfill the dreams which have been with us for so many years.  Your help is what will make the difference.

If you can give a few hours per week or month, contact UDC at 424-228-2087 or email us at udcworld@gmail.com.  Thank you kindly for your help. 

Unity-and-Diversity World Council 
Contact Information

Leland P. Stewart, B.S.E., B.T., 
       Founder/Central Coordinator
P.O. Box 661401
Los Angeles, CA USA 90066-9201
Phone: 424-228-2087
FAX: 310-827-9187 (contact UDC first)
Email: udcworld@gmail.com
Website: www.udcworld.org