Download A guide to the Faiths and Beliefs represented on Eastbourne`s Faiths

A guide to the Faiths and Beliefs represented on
Eastbourne’s Faiths Forum
Eastbourne’s Faiths Forum
The Eastbourne Faiths Forum is a resource to
enable different faith communities to explore what
inter faith may look like in the Eastbourne area.
Our core aims are:
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To build and maintain good relationships
based on mutual respect
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To encourage better understanding of each
others faith
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To provide a forum for discussing matters of
mutual concern and to provide a voice to
express common concerns as and when
appropriate
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To provide a forum that enables other bodies
to consult with the different faith communities
in our area
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To organise appropriate inter faith activities
The Faiths Forum respects and values the faith of
the other person; hence it does not seek to find a
common denominator on which all agree, nor to
convert the other person to another faith within the
Forum.
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Why is there a need for a faiths forum?
The forum came about in 2008 as a result of
feedback gathered during a period of consultation
on town-wide priorities. Feedback showed that
many people in Eastbourne considered faith to be
important and wanted it to have a much stronger
voice in the town. In response the council invited a
number of faith leaders from a range of religions
and beliefs to form a faiths forum in Eastbourne.
Faiths represented on the forum
There are many different faiths involved in the
forum from the following religions and beliefs:
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Christianity
Islam
Judaism, both orthodox and progressive
Paganism
Society of Friends (Quakers)
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Christian Science
Buddhism
Baha’i
This leaflet provides a brief introduction to each of
these faiths as described by Faiths Forum
representatives.
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Bahá’í
The Bahá’í faith was
founded in the 1860’s by
Mizra Hoseyn ‘Ali Nuri,
known as Bahá'u'lláh
(Arabic: "Glory of God").
It is a monotheistic
Ringstone symbol,reminder
religion. Today, there
of God’s purpose for man
are about five million
Bahá’ís worldwide.
Bahá'u'lláh taught that humanity is one single race and
the time has come for its unification in one global
society. Amongst the principles the Bahá’í Faith
promotes as vital to the achievement of this goal are the
abandonment of all forms of prejudice, the equality of
women and men, the elimination of extremes of poverty
and wealth, and the harmony of religion and science.
Bahá’ís all over the world are working with like-minded
individuals in their local communities and
neighbourhoods to raise capacity of each individual to
take charge of its own spiritual, social and intellectual
development.
For more information please visit Bahá’í UK website
www.bahai.org.uk
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Buddhism
Statue of Buddha
from Sanarth
Buddhism is based on the teachings
of Siddharta Gautama ‘Buddha’ – the
enlightened one. It originated in
Northeast India in 520BCE and now
has many different traditions and
Buddhists come from a variety of
backgrounds. There are currently
two Buddhist representatives on the
Forum, from Triratna and New
Kadampa traditions.
Triratna Buddhist Community
The Triratna Buddhist Community is an International
Buddhist movement founded in London in 1967. The
founder Sangharakshita spent 20 years in India studying
Buddhism with teachers from various Buddhist traditions.
This enabled him to synthesise vital Buddhist principles
and communicate them in a way that is appropriate for
the west.
Buddhists hold most precious the Three Jewels: the
Buddha; the Dharma (truth or teachings); and the Sangha
(spiritual community). The Buddha was an enlightened
human being so in Buddhism there is no ‘God’. This also
means that ultimately there is no barrier between ordinary
human beings and Buddhahood or full enlightenment.
Although we offer study courses our starting point is to
teach meditation, introduce basic Buddhist principles and
create effective community.
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As an active Buddhist community we are working on
creating the conditions for more people to practice the
Dharma. We are open to anyone who is interested in
joining the quest for more wisdom and compassion
which leads us to our ideal of human enlightenment.
For more information please visit www.eastbournebuddhism.com
The New Kadampa Tradition
The New Kadampa Tradition (NKT) is a modern Buddhist
tradition that takes its inspiration from the ancient
Kadampa practitioners of Tibet, renowned for their devout
spiritual practice.
Its world-wide network of over 1,000 meditation centres
enable people to learn how to put the Buddha's advice into
practice in order to improve the quality of their lives;
perceived by Buddhists to be dependent upon inner
development of peace and happiness. Meditation is seen as
central to this inner development because through it the
mind can be made calm and peaceful thereby leading to a
feeling of wellbeing.
The NKT has over 50 residential centres in the UK. The
nearest ones to Eastbourne are Bodhisattva Kadampa
Meditation Centre in Brighton and Maitreya Buddhist
Centre in Bexhill. These centres also run weekly
meditation classes in Eastbourne and Hailsham.
Christian Science
More about the NKT is available
at: http://www.kadampa.org
The Christian Science
Church was founded in
1879 by Mary Baker
Eddy to commemorate
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the words and works of
Christ Jesus and
reinstate Christian
First Church of Christ, Scientist,
Eastbourne
Spencer Road, Eastbourne, BN21 4PB
Tel. 01323-727776
www.christianscience.org.uk/eastbourne
While reading Matthew’s gospel she
recovered instantly from the effects of
a serious accident and she searched
the Bible thoroughly to discover
underlying spiritual laws which, when
understood and applied, make healing
natural rather than miraculous.
Through her discovery she healed others and taught
others to heal. Many have been healed by studying her
book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures
which supplements the Bible. Christian Scientists
understand one infinite Father-Mother God to be
universal Love, caring for each individual; ever-present
Spirit, lifting thought above material limitation; and
eternal Truth, bringing freedom to truth seekers, as
shown by Christ Jesus.
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Eastbourne’s church, founded in 1907, holds services on
Sunday mornings and on some Wednesday evenings
when members share their experiences of spiritual
progress and healing. We maintain a Reading and Sales
Room, have free magazines in our showcase, and
welcome visitors.
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Christianity
Christianity is all
about Jesus and
following him. He
was born, lived, died
and rose from the
dead 2000 years ago
in the land of Israel/
Palestine.
Christian Fish symbol
Through his death we are forgiven and our broken
relationship with God may be restored. His resurrection
assures us of eternal life.
Jesus calls us to follow him and to invite others to
become his followers. Empowered by the Holy Spirit we
seek to love one another and to love our neighbour as
ourselves. Followers of Jesus are part of a worldwide
community called the church. Church comes in many
shapes, sizes and expressions but we are united in
trusting in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and in
seeking to live like Jesus every day in all we do. Anyone
can become follower of Jesus by turning to him as
saviour and Lord, receiving his forgiveness, trusting him
for our future and being baptised.
The Christian community in Eastbourne includes some
sixty churches and thirty Christian agencies linked by a
network called Churches Together for Eastbourne. Many
of these churches belong to well established
denominations such as the Roman Catholic Church, the
Church of England, the Methodist Church, the Baptist
Church and, more recently, a variety of ‘new churches’.
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Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
The Mormon London Temple at
Newchapel (near Lingfield) Surrey
Members of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints (commonly known
as Mormons) can be found
at every level of society.
The movement was
founded by Joseph Smith,
Jr at the beginning of the
1820s.
The term ‘Mormon’ is derived from the Book of Mormon,
one of the faith's religious texts. Mormons believe in the
Holy Bible, both the Old and New Testaments and used
together, these scriptures offer insight into such vital
questions as the nature of God, salvation and the
Atonement.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a
restoration of New Testament Christianity as taught by
Jesus and his apostles. The basic values of morality,
civility and family espoused by the Church are similar to
those of most other Christian faiths.
Like many other Christian churches Mormons regard
Sunday as the day of rest and day of worship with most
Mormon families spending a substantial part of Sunday in
meetings and worship with their community
In Eastbourne members of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints meet at its centre in Furness Road,
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Eastbourne, East Sussex. Find out more about this faith
by visiting: http:///www.mormon.org
Islam
Islam, which means
‘submission to the
will of God’, began
in the year 570CE
in Arabia and was
revealed to the
World in stages
across 23 years, by
the prophet
Mohammed.
Qur’an Image created by Getideaka
Mohammed wrote down the messages revealed to him
and these became the Qur’an. In addition to the Qur’an
are the Sunnah, the practice and examples of the
Prophet Muhammad’s life, and the Hadith, reports of
what the Prophet said or approved.
Followers of Islam are known as Muslims, they believe in
only one God, ‘Allah’ in Arabic. Islam is the second
largest religion in the World with over 1 billion followers.
The most important aspect of worship is the five pillars
of Islam listed below, obligations which Muslims must
satisfy throughout their lives.
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the declaration of faith (Shahada)
praying five times a day (Salat)
giving money to charity (Zakah)
fasting (Sawm)
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a pilgrimage to Makkah at least once in a
lifetime(Hajj)
Muslims pray in a Mosque and their prayers are usually
led by the Imam. Eastbourne’s Mosque, situated in
Ashford Square, exists to provide an environment
conducive to prayer and education. It is committed to
promote Islam and the teachings of the Prophet (PBH).
The Mosque is also committed to play a significant part
in the wider community to promote peace and harmony.
The Islamic Community of Eastbourne has been given
planning permission to build a new mosque; an
impression of how this might look is below.
You can contact the Mosque as follows:
Eastbourne Islamic Cultural Centre
Ashford Square
Eastbourne
East Sussex
BN21 3TX
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Tel: 01323 727866
Judaism
Judaism started over 3500
years ago and today has
around 13million followers
worldwide.
Star of David and Torah
Picture courtesy of Microsoft
Jews believe that there is
only one God and they have
a special agreement or
covenant with him.
In exchange for all the good that God has done for
them, Jewish people keep God's laws and try to bring
holiness into every aspect of their lives. Jews believe
that people should be judged on how they live their
faith, and how much they contribute to the holiness in
the world, rather than in what they believe.
The most holy religious book in the Jewish faith is the
Torah. They also have the Talmud which provides
commentary on the Torah giving rules for how Jewish
people should live their lives and observing these rules is
paramount to Jewish life.
The most important day of the week is the Shabbat, or
Sabbath, which recognises the seventh day of creation
upon which God rested. Shabbat starts on Friday
evening and ends at sunset on Saturday. This day is set
aside for family and worship. Many Jews go to the
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Synagogue, their house of worship, on the Sabbath and
services are often led by a Rabbi, a Jewish holy man.
Eastbourne’s Orthodox Synagogue is situated on Susan’s
Road and services are held at 10am on Saturdays.
For further information on the Jewish faith and what
happens in Eastbourne please contact:
Orthodox Jewish faith
Progressive Jewish faith
01323 484135
01323 725650
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Paganism
Paganism is a diverse
term for a variety of
different belief systems
which share a central
belief that each
individual’s spiritual
path is unique and is
expressed within their
personal life.
Divinity in Nature
All Pagans believe that the Divine is in every living thing
and therefore that every living thing is sacred. We
respect and revere nature and the natural world and see
ourselves as part of that integrated whole.
Many Pagans follow the wheel of the year and celebrate
the different energies that are apparent during the
changing cycle of the seasons. They recognise how that
energy is reflected in themselves and in their lives and
use it to attune themselves to the aspects of the Divine
that are honoured throughout the changing year.
The Principal Tenets of Modern Paganism
 Love for and kinship with nature. Reverence for the
life-force and its ever renewing circles of life and
death.
 Recognition of the Divine in nature, acknowledging
both the male and female aspects of Deity.
 A strong positive morality in which the individual is
responsible for acting in harmony with their true
selves, with the wider community and the world at
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large. This is often expressed as ‘If it harms none,
do what you will’.
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Quakers - ‘Society of Friends’
The Quakers (later to be called The Religious Society of
Friends – or just ‘Friends’) began as a movement in
N.W. England in 1652, although some of the key
experiences occurred some time earlier. George Fox
(1624-1691) is generally credited with being the
‘Founder’ of the Quaker movement, and through mission
and migration, there are now 340,000 Quakers
worldwide.
Comparable with other religious groups, there are three
main traditions of worldwide Quakerism; these include
Evangelical, Conservative and Liberal Quaker traditions,
with the latter having a significant place in British
Quakerism. Nonetheless, each tradition holds in
common, four interconnected, key theological ideas:
1)
2)
3)
4)
the centrality of direct inward encounter with God
and revelation, and thus forms of worship which
allow this to be experienced;
a vote-less way of doing church business based on
the idea of corporate direct guidance;
the spiritual equality of everyone and the idea of
the ‘priesthood of all believers’;
the preference for peace and pacifism rather than
war, and a commitment to other forms of social
witness.
Exhibiting an influence beyond their numbers, Quakers
have been recognised for their commitment to fairdealing and honesty both in banking and ethical forms of
manufacturing. Their respect for human and non-human
animals, has informed work in prisons, in peace and
green movements, in animal rights and most recently in
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their commitment to gender equality, in their support for
same-sex marriage.
[source:- The Quakers: A very short introduction, OUP]
The Religious Society of
Friends has no symbol or
logo, however this red
and black star has been
used as a symbol for
Friends' service
organizations since the
late 19th century –
source Wikipedia
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Roman Catholic Church
The Roman Catholic
Church is the largest
Christian Church. It is
led by the Pope as
successor to Saint Peter
and by its bishops as
successors of Christ’s
apostles.
St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome
Catholics believe that Christ is fully divine and fully
human and that through his crucifixion and resurrection
he enables us to achieve spiritual immortality. Christ’s
sacrifice is perpetuated through the Eucharist where the
bread and wine are sacramentally changed into the body
and blood of Jesus.
In its social teaching, the Catholic Church promotes
social justice and solidarity with, and compassion for,
the poor. It instructs us that the moral test of any
society is how it treats its most vulnerable members.
Catholics also believe in the Stewardship of Creation, in
that we have a duty to care for the planet and all
members of God’s creation. All creatures, including all
human beings and all forms of life and the earth itself,
are aspects of God’s creation and are deserving of our
love and protection.
For more information log on to
www.eastbournecatholicchurches.co.uk
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If you are a person of faith and your faith is not yet
represented on the forum, and you feel confident that you
can speak on behalf of your faith, please contact Monica Ray
Facilitator, Eastbourne’s Faiths Forum, as follows:
Email:
[email protected]
Telephone:
01323 415000
By letter:
Mrs Monica Ray
Eastbourne’s Faiths Forum
c/o Town Hall
Grove Road
Eastbourne
East Sussex
BN21 4UG
Photograph on front cover courtesy of: Jean Whitehead,
Member of Eastbourne’s Faiths Forum
Leaflet Sponsored and Published by:
Eastbourne Borough Council, November 2011 Version 1
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