Institute brings religions together through dinner
Various religious groups joined together Wednesday for an interfaith dinner sponsored by the Latter-day Saints Student Association.
Religious leaders and students from the USU Catholic Newman Center, the Navigators, Aggies for Christ, Crew and LDSSA were in attendance.
“We’re seeing more and more interfaith dialogue than I think I’ve seen in my lifetime,” said Wayne Dymock of the LDS Institute of Religion.
Dymock said the “Mormons and Methodists” talks currently taking place in Washington, D.C., and other interfaith activities are all evidence that representatives from various religions are starting to talk with one another.
“We feel like all the other faiths have something to offer,” said Doug Maughan, also from the Institute. “We want to take what they have and add a little bit to that. Sometimes there’s fear when people don’t know each other, and, when they know each other, it breaks down all the barriers and there’s trust. We’re just trying to build bridges of trust.”
This is not the first time different faiths have interacted around campus. Maughan said the Institute often joins the groups attending the interfaith dinner, as well as multiple other groups, to participate in service projects such as Stuff-a-Bus, blood drives and the Special Olympics.
“Unfortunately, I think there’s separation in our Utah culture on both sides, and discussions like this will open up the channels of communication,” said Evan Cummings, a member of the Newman Center. “A lot of the non-LDS members of campus like to cluster themselves away with their friends and with their same religions. We need things like this dinner to help people open up on both sides.”
Maughan said right now is a “Mormon moment,” in which the LDS church is in the spotlight in society and politics. He said it is important that members of different religions understand each other and are comfortable approaching each other at times like these.
“I think as a school and as a society, the problems we have are because of the lack of unity that we have,” said LDSSA president Danny Noall, who organized the dinner. “So our goal here is to increase those bonds. We are all working toward the same thing, so I don’t see why we can’t have that common goal and work together toward it.”
Jason Barbieri, leader of the Navigators, said events like the interfaith dinner are crucial for finding the truth.
“The Bible calls us … to always be ready to answer for the hope that we have,” Barbieri said. “I think part of that entails understanding why you believe what you believe. I operate under the idea that if I, under my faith, don’t have the truth, then I’d be foolish to stay with that faith just because that’s what I was raised in.”
Andrea Cannon, an LDSSA member who attended the dinner, said activities like this make it easier to discuss religious topics and ask questions.
“Sometimes, even if you’re acquaintances with someone of different faiths, it’s awkward to bring up religion,” she said. “In an environment like this where it’s meant to be an inter-religious activity, it’s much easier to bring up questions like, ‘What’s Ash Wednesday?'”
Barbieri said the students who went to the dinner are looking to discuss faith and religion and break from what is comfortable.
“Whether it’s comfortable to talk faith or not, people need to do it,” Barbieri said.
He said a “huge question” he has been trying to answer is if mainstream Christianity and Mormonism are “one-in-the-same gospel.”
Kelby Bosshardt, president of the Institute of Religion Student Council, said LDSSA is planning many interfaith activities in the near future to continue an interfaith dialogue.
– bracken.allen@yahoo.com