November 12 - Christians, Muslims, Buddhists Gather to Remove Fear, Stereotypes

Hundreds of Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists and atheists have convened at a Texas church in an effort to try to understand one another.

The Global Faith Forum kicked off Thursday at NorthWood Church in Keller and Pastor Bob Roberts, Jr., is hoping the crowd will be open to listen to one another and even build friendships.

The forum isn't a gathering of theologians to debate religions, he made clear. Rather, it's an opportunity for people of multiple faiths to get to know one another, start conversations, and learn from each other.

"For me, questions as to who is God and how do we find salvation, are not the primary questions I’m seeking and seeking to answer at this forum," he wrote. "I’ve come to acknowledge that theologically there are irreconcilable differences in some of what I believe and what others believe. But, how we relate to others, and how we work together in the world is everything."

As the purpose of the conference states, participants – most of whom are Christians – are "moving from a conversation about other faiths, to a conversation with other faiths. And many of the religious leaders involved are friends of Roberts.

The forum is part of what he calls a "multifaith" effort, and not an "interfaith" one. While interfaith implies dumbing down one's faith to get along with those of other religious traditions, multifaith allows participants to hold on to their convictions and not compromise on what they hold to be true.