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The Family and the Religious Spheres
Written by Mercedes González, Coordinator, Marriage and Family Initiative, UPF-Spain
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Madrid, Spain - On lovely spring day, April 24, 33 people gathered to learn about the vision of the family in Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Unificationism. It was an interesting program full of good content and historical meaning. With a common conviction about the importance of the family, we prayed for lasting peace in Afghanistan and throughout the world.
Our first speaker, Professor Emilio Asti from Milan University, an expert in Oriental cultures, gave a stimulating presentation about the Family in Buddhism. He said:
“Buddhism has given a great importance in single monks, but this religion has many useful teachings to develop a successful family life. Siddhartha Gautama Buddha and his disciples had a tremendous respect for the sanctity of the conjugal life. Buddha himself, before beginning his search for enlightenment, was married and had a son. In Buddhism, women are accorded equal value in the sangha, the Buddhist community of disciples, which is like a large family with no barriers of race or social condition. In all Buddhist societies, the family is well respected and has an important value in spiritual growth. The married couple aims to have a life of harmony and free from negative feelings for the sake of building peace in their home and society.
The virtue of compassion has a tremendous value for both married and single people. To keep a pure mind and calm attitude, harming no one, negativity has to be eliminated. Meditation is of great importance in the path to reaching Nirvana. Astrology has a big influence in making decisions about marriage and other life events.”
Mrs. Cristina Villar Rey, Director of Public Affairs in the Mormon Church of East Madrid, gave a presentation about the family in Christianity. She said:
“In Christianity, marriage is for eternity; it is sacred and instituted by God. Both partners have equal responsibility and complementary functions. The father and mother have the mission to love each other and their children. In the culture of the Roman Empire women's value and function were degraded, and men were considered more important than women. Jesus Christ gave a great value to women and respected them. The family in Christianity has the most important value in connection to God’s will and desire for couples to understand each other, respect one another, and love each other and their children unconditionally. In a Christian home there is an atmosphere of forgiveness and prayer.
Unity in the family is very important as well as harmony and peace. The home should be a place of good education and children learn from the examples and manners of their elders. The goal is to give joy to God and be useful in society.”
Mrs. Shapiry Hakami, President of the Association in Defense of the Rights of Afghani Women, spoke on the family in Islam. She said:
“The Islam is a teaching for peace and righteous living. We do not wish suffering on anone, not even animals. Education is obligatory for men and women. The family is the basic cell of society. We respect elderly people; we don’t have separate homes for the elderly; we take care of them in our own families. When children marry, the eldest child is married first, and then the rest of the children. Divorce is allowed and separation too. There is no concept of adoption; we may bring another child into our home and raise them, but he or she will not inherit the family's money or possessions. A man can have four women in marriage, but these women need to have a great sense of duty to be a good wife and mother also to be very loyal to the family and clan. All the children are treasured by the family.”
Mr. Manuel Campillo, Director of the Family Federation for World Peace in Madrid, gave an in-depth presentation about the family in Unificationism. He said:
“In the Unification tradition, the family is the base and model for the Kingdom of Heaven. The true temple or dwelling of God is the family, the place where love and life are manifested. The family is not only an instrument for life but an instrument of salvation, of restoration, and a place to cultivate peace. In our daily life, we relate with many people and then return home to this place of stability and sharing of heart with family members, a place where there is a trinity of love flowing among the father, mother, and children. As husband and wife, are are also meant to relate as a trinity with God, and we extend to our family the flow of love we experience with God."
He quoted some of Father Sun Myung Moon's teaching on the family:
“The perfection of love between man and woman is the perfection of the universe. If this love is demolished, the order of the universe will break down. The loving embrace of man and woman is where the universe is unified.”
“The true husband is the one who tells his wife, 'because I was born for you, I will live for you and die for you.' The wife will say the same.”
“If a married couple has a family where all the members of that family help one another unselfishly, then this family will be ideal; they will be happy and at peace.”
There was time for questions and answers and then a break for lunch and opportunities for sharing. Everybody felt nurtured and inspired.
For the second part of the program, Dr. Azizurahman Hakami, a political science professor, gave a PowerPoint presentation on the origin of the conflict in Afghanistan. As a native from this country, he knows the situation very well. He said:
“Because of its geographical situation, Afghanistan is the crossroads of Central Asia, the Middle East, and South Asia. Afghanistan has around 4,000 years of history and a great strategic value. It has been a country without peace because of different invaders.
In 1979 the Soviet Union invaded the country. Then the Taliban people with their leader Osama Bin Laden suffered a lot. After September 11, a coalition troops leaded by the USA and Great Britain caused devastation but did not resolve the fundamaental problems. In these days, Afghanistan is in a dramatic situation as a victim of foreign meddling, with misery and corruption in various levels of society.”
We closed our program with a toast for peace and an interreligious prayer for married couples of the four different religions. Husband and wife joined hands to hold a candle and the husband offered a prayer. We sincerely asked God for peace in the land of Afghanistan and for His blessing in this area of conflict.
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