A multi-faith organization offering spiritual/humanitarian assistance to people in distress around the world, Monks Without Borders, Inc. has begun planning a project to create the first ever Museum of World Religions in the U.S. The idea is to facilitate a museum that is dedicated to educating people about the diverse religious cultures, beliefs, practices, languages, rituals, architecture, etc. lived by people around the globe. Though Monks Without Borders is only in the fund-raising stage of development, they aim to provide an online interactive museum in the meantime. Both the virtual and actual museums will have exhibits on a variety of themes, including Creation Stories, End Times Prophecies, Afterlife Realms, Spiritual Experiences, The Golden Rule, Music & Sacred Sounds, and Peace Prayers.
The U.S. has museums and online interactive exhibits of many types and styles. However, a museum that is geared towards learning, understanding, and experiencing the living world religions is something that is greatly needed in our country. Indeed, since Americans tend to be less religiously literate than other nations (see Prothero's "A Country of Religious Illiterates," Christian Science Monitor, Jan. 20, 2005), an attractive and interesting place where people can visit to learn more about the plurality of religious traditions would be a monumental step in the right direction (though it certainly wouldn't solve the problem -- that's where changes in education and public policy come in).
(Above photo from Museum of World Religions website.)
No comments:
Post a Comment