Written By: Arash, Zeyad and Manny
World Religion Day is celebrated annually on the third Sunday of January. According to Stats Canada, “[religion] refers to the person's self-identification as having a connection or affiliation with any religious denomination, group, body, sect, cult or other religiously defined community or system of belief. Religion is not limited to formal membership in a religious organization or group.” World Religion Day is observed to showcase the harmony between the world’s major religions and should act to unify humanity in the view that many of us are bound by religion.
World Religion Day was established by the Baháʼí Faith to promote interfaith harmony and understanding. The teachings of the Baháʼí Faith promote unity and prosperity for all nations, races, creeds, and classes. While many other religions have varied social practices, the Baha'i Faith believes that all religions are united in their purpose of unifying humanity.
Understanding the primary tenets of other religions is the focal point of the celebration. Many organizations of people celebrate the day by facilitating interfaith events where faith leaders convene and discuss the commonalities and differences between religions in an effort to educate and invoke critical thinking and appreciation for others’ beliefs. People are encouraged to talk to and listen to people from faiths different from their own and to understand the basic principles of other religions. So, while the COVID-19 pandemic may have prevented some of these events this year, we encourage each of you to spend some time learning about other religions, to have discussions with your family and friends about the role religion plays in society, and to think about your own religious beliefs, where they stem from, and why you abide by them.
Emile Durkheim, one of the fathers of sociological thought, posed that religion held the following functions within society: providing social cohesion via shared rituals and beliefs in maintaining social solidarity, providing social control and conformity through the enforcement of religious-based rules and morals, and offering meaning and purpose to answer any existential questions. One could potentially interpret religion as the stance taken on these existential questions by a particular ideology, but World Religion Day functions to remind us that we all ask these existential questions and are all humans on this earth seeking answers. Regardless of how you choose to answer these questions, the Golden Rule common throughout ALL religions is that we must accept all people and treat all others with respect.
While religion is often a subject of persecution, interfaith events such as World Religion Day initiate meaningful dialogue and educational discourse. World Religion Day serves as a platform for faiths to share their beliefs without persecution. Open, respectful conversations between individuals of different faiths serve as a stepping stone to overcome religious discord. Interfaith dialogue also serves as an opportunity to enhance your understanding of your family, friends, and community. However, characterizing World Religion Day as a day of religious education would be unjust; it is a day where diversity is not only understood but embraced. The purpose of World Religion Day is to help people realize that religions can coexist harmoniously as they all play a vital role in uniting humanity.
Although this year's World Religion Day will be affected, there are still many COVID-19-friendly ways to celebrate. Having conversations with friends who practice different religions is a simple way to celebrate World Religion Day. While having these discussions, try to find beliefs that connect their faith to yours. Another way to celebrate World Religion Day is by discussing what religion means to you. These discussions may help you realize that religion plays a fundamental role in many of our lives. Use World Religion Day to explore your religious curiosity, and reflect on how religion serves to unify humanity.
"The purpose of religion [...] is to establish unity and concord amongst the peoples of the world; make it not the cause of dissension and strife." - Baha'u'llah, founder of the Baha’i faith.
The most recent Canadian data collected from a nationwide census, unfortunately, dates back to 2011, and so we implore you to heed caution in applying these data a whole decade later to how this distribution would look today. Nevertheless, the range and level of diversity in Canada should be embraced and celebrated, which is the true purpose behind World Religion Day. It is also important to note that the following religions are listed as “major” religions, as per Stats Canada, and would have met a particular minimum threshold to make the list, so the true number of religions practiced in Canada, and the rest of the world, would be much greater.
Here is an effective resource to learn more about religion:
TruTube: offers great short videos, sharing information regarding the origins, beliefs, and holy sanctuaries of various religions.
Thank you for reading this blog post! Join us on our journey of advocacy by subscribing to our blog and stay tuned for future posts!
Check out our social media:
Instagram: @plan.ualberta
References:
https://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jul/24/advancing-freedom-of-religion-globally/
https://bahai-library.com/pdf/b/buck_celebrations_world_day.pdf
https://www.pledgeling.com/blog/world-religion-day-supporting-harmony-among-religious-groups
https://www.twrecruitment.com/post/2021-1/world-religion-day-resources