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On September 28-th, Interfaith Cultural Organization hosted it’s Second Annual Interfaith Dialogue Dinner. The event took place at the newly established Hilton Garden Inn Hotel in Downtown Athens, thanks to the generous support by our sponsor, Istanbul Center for Culture and Dialogue of Atlanta. Approximately seventy people participated from different ambiences, including religious leaders of Athens community, academicians from UGA, politicians, graduate students active in interfaith dialogue and members of Turkish-American Society. The event, titled as “The Art of Living Together”, served to share the perspectives of Abrahamic religions to a multi-religious community. Inspiring and thought provoking speeches were given by the following. - Dr. Richard Friedman - (Department of Religion, UGA) - Imam Umit Goker (ICCD - Istanbul Center for Culture and Dialogue, Atlanta, GA) - Dr. Elizabeth LaRocca-Pitts (Watkinsville United Methodist Church) Dr. Richard Friedman, distinguished professor of Jewish studies at UGA Department of Religion, pointed that Jews, or any other religious groups, can not judge others by the rules they judge themselves. The differences have to be respected. Imam Umit Goker, from Istanbul Center for Culture and Dialogue, pointed to the importance of this type of activities in bringing peace and harmony to the community, giving a very striking example of an ant which carries a droplet of water to stop the fire in the woods, when The Prophet Abraham put in fire. When told that the droplet of water would do nothing to prevent the fire, ant’s answer is full of wisdom for all of us: “At least, I am showing which site I am on!”. Our final speaker the Reverend of Watkinsville United Methodist Church and lecturer at the Department of Religion of UGA, Dr. Elizabeth LaRocca-Pitts, pointed the importance of neighborhood and love for them in Christian community. “You can not love your neighbor, without knowing him or her,” she concluded. The Interfaith Dialogue Dinner series is one of the many activities of IFCO to promote mutual understanding and peace within UGA and Athens community, among which there are video lectures, sport tournaments and informative seminars about different religions. With these types of events we hope to spread droplets of peace within our community that will bring love and harmony to the lives of its members. We would like to thank our speakers for sharing valuable knowledge and experience with us, as well as all participants of the event for being with us and supporting the dialogue effort.
   Dr. Richard Friedman - (Department of Religion, UGA)  Umit Goker (Imam - Istanbul Center for Culture and Dialogue)  Rev. Dr. Beth LaRocca-Pitts (Watkinsville First United Methodist Church)  Hilton Garden Inn, Downtown Athens, GA For more pictures go to  | |
   
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Sponsor of the event: