A new Elon University program took a half dozen incoming freshmen to Atlanta this summer as a cultural immersion into various world religions, including Buddhism, Judaism, Islam and Hinduism. Said one student of the experience: “Now I feel like I can help eliminate false conceptions and prejudices people have of religions.”
The group visited the Al Farooq Mosque in downtown Atlanta and prayed alongside hundreds of congregants before visiting with the mosque director and a tenured congregant. Students later attended a lecture with a rabbi at the Congregation Beth Jacob, an Orthodox Jewish community, then took part in a Friday evening Shabbat service, which was followed by dinner at a local Lebanese restaurant.
Students visited the Hindu Temple of Atlanta (billed as the largest in North America) and spent two hours with leaders at the Dorje Ling Tibetan Buddhist Center. There they participated in a brief meditation. The following morning, the group attended a two-hour service a the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation.
Not every activity was directly related to religion. Students took in an Atlanta Braves baseball game and visited area attractions, from Olympic Centennial Park to the Georgia Aquarium to the World of Coca-Cola.
Students offered comments after the program:
“…I have a new respect and appreciation for [Islam] that I did not before. Actually viewing and meeting people of a particular group has a bigger impact than anything you hear or read.”
“…the world will always have people of different belief systems and we can never live peacefully as long as we fight understanding of each other.”
“This could help my Elon education by helping me to feel more comfortable trying new experiences and things I am uncomfortable with, helping me to learn more.”
“It’s impossible to like everyone or understand everything but by realizing there is some common ground it becomes possible to be more tolerant and more accepting of others.”
“Different religions shape how people view the world, which affects how the people behave….Understanding different cultures, etc. helps me relate to people with different views than my own.”
“By understanding what people believe in or what is spiritually important to them we will learn more about what they value – this is significant so we do not make wrong assumptions.”
“I can now use my knowledge to seek a better understanding of others and increase the quality and quantity of communication between cultures.”
– Information and student quotes forwarded by Phil Smith, assistant chaplain, Truitt Center for Religious & Spiritual Life