Hindus laud Russian and Armenian church leaders for efforts at Interreligious Relations
24/3/2010
Hindus have welcomed reported joint statement of the leaders of Russian Orthodox Church and Armenian Apostolic Church stressing the importance of interreligious relations in pursuit of peace.
Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, applauded the reported recent declaration of Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Kirill and Patriarch Karekin II of Armenian Apostolic Church, which said: “It is only through the common efforts of all the traditional religions in the world that we can defend the value of faith for people’s private and public life”.
Emphasizing the need of interfaith dialogue, Rajan Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out, “Religion is a complex component of human life. Dialogue helps us to see interconnections and interdependencies between religions and even similarities in doctrines. Religions should at least work together on common religious concerns like peace-making and peace-keeping, social and economic development, freedom and human rights.”
More than one thousand years old Russian Orthodox Church, second largest Christian denomination, has about 135 million followers. Armenian Apostolic Church, one of the most ancient Christian communities, has over nine million adherents. Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksha (liberation) is its ultimate goal.
