On the threshold of a new world religion

The Parliament of 1993 - towards a global ethic

In 1993 the World Parliament assembled again in Chicago to celebrate its 100-year anniversary. Over 8000 religious leaders and adherents were there to discuss the role of religion and spirituality in the new millennium. It was the hope that this meeting could initiate a more formalised cooperation between the religions.

The organisation that sponsored the meeting was the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions (CPWR). It has taken up the spirit of the parliament of 1893. Its object is to further the dialogue and cooperation among religions on a world basis.

The focus of the parliament of 1993 was the document Towards a Global Ethic. It formulated a series of ethical principles that the religions have in common and that they strive to have incorporated in the charters of the international political institutions. The introductory quotation in the present article has been taken from this document.

The document was signed by nearly 200 religious and spiritual leaders the world over. It emphasises such ethical principles as:

• Do not kill.
• Do not steal.
• Do not lie.
• Do not commit immoral sexual acts.

These basic principles are also formulated in the following way:

• Show respect for life.
  
• Be honest and fair.
  
• Speak and act truthfully.
  
• Respect and love each other.

The document further proposes that these principles lead to the following political commitments:

• Non-violence and respect for life
  
• Solidarity and a just economic order
  
• Tolerance and a life in truthfulness
  
• Equal rights and partnership between the genders.