Thenpurpose of this day is to promote understanding and harmony betweennpeople with different religions.
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nThere’snno doubt about it: it can be hard to TRULY accept and respect beliefsnthat you yourself do not share. Rules about what and when and wherenyou can eat may seem pretty arbitrary—if they aren’t part of yournown tradition. Particular beliefs about how the universe and thenEarth and humanity came to be can seem just plain wrong—if younweren’t yourself taught those beliefs from an early age. n
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Butneven if you don’t share a certain belief, you can still respect thenbeliever.
Butneven if you don’t share a certain belief, you can still respect thenbeliever.n
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nHenor she was probably brought up with traditions and teachings thatndiffer from your own. He or she is likely honoring her parents andncommunity by continuing their religious tradition. n
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nOthers’nbeliefs almost certainly mean as much to them as yours do to you.
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nOthersnwant to be respected, just like you do.
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nTheynwant the freedom to act on their own consciences, just like you.
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nTheynwant freedom within their own brains, just like you.
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nTodaynwould be a great day to learn more about at least one world religion!nHere are a few suggested resources—but you can easily find manynmore:
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then official World Religion Day websiten
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an video about an interfaith group’s trip to Jerusalemn
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United Religions Initiative—this is the page for Jainism, but theren are entries for many other religions, as welln
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Mr. Donn’s page about Taoism, which is not really a religion (it’s an philosophy), but which is always listed with other world religions.n By the way, poke around Mr. Donn’s websites for entries on othern philosophies and religions.n
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Kids.Net’s entry on secularism (also not a religion, but rather an philosophy); again, there are also entries on various religions andn philosophiesn
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Chiddingstone’s page on Hinduism—click the links to explore othern world religions, as welln
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nAlsonon this date:
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nCelebrate Rio de Janeiro
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Anniversarynof the first game of basketball
Anniversarynof the first game of basketballn
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nAnniversarynof the U.S. patent for the first successful roller coaster
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