In Theory:

From the World Council of Religions meeting in October 2001: “Over the years, many leaders, both religious and secular, have recognized the need to create an entity that would address critical world issues from the perspective of the faith traditions. By bringing together the leaders from the Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Islamic and Indigenous traditions, the human community can begin to draw upon the collective wisdom and universal moral and spiritual principles that are the bedrock of all the great religions.”

From the 2009 World Parliament of Religions:

“Working towards a more just, peaceful and sustainable future lies at the heart of aspirations of people everywhere. Emerging at this moment in history is a growing and shared recognition that ‘we are all in this together.’ The deciding factor in our future will have to do with those things which will make us an Earth community, and for which we must take common responsibility.”

The bottom line is WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. Living from a place of individual peacefulness, love, acceptance and forgiveness as taught in our places of worship will create a world that works for everyone.--The REV. BEVERLY CRAIG is pastor of Center for Spiritual Living — La Crescenta. Reach her at (818) 249-1045.

The Rev. Bryan Griem: When I hear of ecumenical anything, I am not initially filled with warm fuzzies and a hopeful sense for the spirit of mankind. I know that when people generally hear of interfaith gatherings they think that finally these religious people, with all their differences, are at last learning to play nice and are accepting the fact that that they are all essentially the same. It sounds good, doesn’t it, nobody claiming that theirs is the truth while everyone else’s is wrong? It’s so fair, so ecumenical. Yet, there is a fundamental problem with this — an insurmountable one — and joining together in such a way only obfuscates truth rather than serve as its champion.

Some ecumenism is laudable, such as when different Christian denominations come together as brothers and sisters of common foundational faith, worshiping and working jointly for the glory of Christ, all the while putting their peripheral differences aside.

I have pastoured variously denominated churches and can attest that this is happening.