March 16 - April 3, 2003
William H. Pitt Health and Recreation Center
The Center for Christian-Jewish Understanding and the University's Gallery of Contemporary Art are co-sponsoring the Global Ethic Foundation's remarkable exhibition.
The exhibition invites us to explore the fascinating world of the world religions so that we can have a better understanding of the importance of their ethical messages for our present-day society.
It does not just set out to provide information about religions in an objective and detached way. Nor does it engage in mission on behalf of one religion or another, or even a new world religion. Rather, it aims to provide orientation and to challenge you to think again about the importance of the great religions for humankind.
A fascinating topic…What do we know of men and women of other faiths and their religions? Why do we so often unthinkingly reject what is alien and unknown?
All religions have a dark side and a bright side; they contain traditions and visions; they are fascinating, and indeed beautiful. This exhibit examines the 4000-year history of the world religions for traces which help us to understand one another and bring us together more closely.
Global Ethic Foundation in Tübingen has created an exhibition consisting of twelve panels on the theme World Religions - Universal Peace - Global Ethic.
Sacred Heart University is only the third site for this exhibition in the United States. Prior sites have been in Europe, at the United Nations and at Seton Hall University.
With the help of short text panels, quotations, photographs and other illustrations, the exhibition introduces the four principles for a global ethic as well as six world religions (Buddhism, Chinese Religion, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism). Each panel measures 2 meters x 1 meter.
The four principles are:
(1) nonviolence and respect for life;
(2) solidarity and a just economic order;
(3) tolerance and a life of truthfulness;
(4) equal rights and a partnership between men and women.
For additional information on the exhibit, read World Religions Universal Peace Global Ethics.
See also: Declaration of the Religions for a Global Ethic (drafted by Hans Küng , President of Global Ethic Foundation, Tübingen).
In his pre to the brochure accompanying the exhibition, Hans Küng writes:
"People of all religions know far too little about one another; above all they know far too little about what all the religious and ethical traditions have in common. This exhibition tries to contribute towards changing that ... it aims to provide orientation and to challenge you to think again about the importance of the great religions for humankind."
I know from experience all the dark sides of the religions – the Christian religion and the others. Even today religions have often had a disastrous effect on many conflicts all over the world. But I also know the bright side of the religions: as doctrines and ways of salvation and liberation they can make sense; they can promote peace and reconciliation; and today they can still give men and women ethical standards and personal guidelines.
So let me invite you to the exhibition, led on by my vision of hope:
No peace among the nations
without peace among the religions. No peace among the religions
without dialogue between the religions.
No dialogue between the religions
without global ethical standards.
No survival of our globe
without a global ethic.
- Hans Küng