On the threshold of a new world religion

Parliament of the World's Religions in Cape Town

In 1999 the World Parliament assembled again, this time in Cape Town. More than 7000 participants from the different religions were there to share their insights, wisdom and inspiration . Again, the intention was not to try to create a new world religion, but instead to promote collaboration and a sense of community, where plurality is respected and valued. A further goal was to find new solutions to the extensive global problems that confront mankind today.

The conference included interreligious dialogue, building up networks, a declaration supporting action directed towards solving the global problems, and presentations of groups that are involved in humanitarian work related to the World Parliament.

The essence of the conference was summed up in the document A Call to Our Guiding Institutions. This document is directed towards the many institutions that govern human affairs. It takes its point of departure in the ethics of the 1993 conference and proposes solutions for a more just and harmonious world. Basically the objective is to promote good human relations.

The Parliament of the World's Religions assembles every five years. It is a powerful and synthesizing organ that inspires people all over the world to gather forces to make the world a better place for all.

The Council for the Parliament of the World's Religions has a website at www.cpwr.org where also A Call to Our Guiding Institutions can be downloaded.

On the threshold of a new world religion

We will now address the second current, the esoteric one.

The statement that we are on the threshold of a new world religion raises several questions, such as: Who is stating this? How do we identify this tendency?

It is primarily the English esotericist, Alice A. Bailey, in cooperation with the Tibetan master, Djwhal Khul who have presented the vision of a new world religion. They did this at the end of the 1930's and beginning of the 40's. It is particularly in the books, The Reappearance of the Christ, and The Externalisation of the Hierarchy that they have outlined the central theses on which this vision is built.

One of the clearest expressions of the New World Religion is the many new spiritual groups and initiatives that go under the collective name New Age. It spans widely, from the pioneers within humanistic psychology to the phantasts and their wild ideas. However, what all New Age adherents have in common is the idea of the deity within each of us, service to mankind, and a holistic outlook on politics, religion and culture.

It is "an undogmatic movement of individuals who share some basic ideas". "It is a path of knowledge rather than a system of faith." We can add that it is based on the esoteric values and insights of the traditional religions, as all new must take its origin in the best of the traditions.