Not In God’s Name
Our faith traditions are highways leading to the same destination.
- Mahatma Gandhi
Not In God’s Name
Trapped in religious riots in Delhi, filmmaker Paula Fouce follows the Dalai Lama on a journey to understand religious intolerance. Not In God's Name shows how the world is ravaged by extreme divisions between religions. We examine the similar values of all faiths, and their potential for drawing us together to share a common ground. Featuring Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, Robert Thurman Ph. D., Joseph Prabhu Ph. D., Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, Dr. Karan Singh, Ph. D., Georg Feuerstein, Ph. D., Michael Bernard Beckwith, and leaders of many faiths.
Tolerance
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If you put Jesus, Buddha, and Mohammed in the same room together, they will embrace each other. If you put their followers together, they may kill each other!
Swami Prabhavananda
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And I Jesus, have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they need my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shephard.
John 10:16
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There is not a single place in all the corners of the world where God is absent.
Omoto Kyo, Michi - No-Shiori
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We believe in God, and in what has been revealed to us, and what was revealed to us, and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Issac, Jacob, and the other tribes, and in what was given to Moses, Jesus, and the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to God do we submit.
Koran 3.84
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In the world there are many different roads but the destination is the same. There are a hundred deliberations but the result is One.
I Ching, Appended remarks 2.5
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There can be no doubt that whatever the people of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly Source, and are the subjects of one God.
Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah
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And Peter opened his mouth and said," Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation one fears Him and does what is acceptable to Him."
Acts 10:34
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There is no compulsion in religion.
Koran 2.256
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Will you then compel mankind, against their will, to believe, except by the will of God.
Koran 10.99
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Those who praise their own doctrines and disparage the doctrines of others do not solve any problem.
Sukritanga 1.1.50
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Not one of you is a true believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for Himself.
Fourth Hadith of an-Nawawi
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The Buddha says, "To be attached to a certain view and to look down upon others' views as inferior - This the wise men call a fetter."
Sutta Nipata 798
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Comprehend one philosophical view through comprehensive study to understand another one.
Sanmijitarka of Siddhasana 1.28
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All men are responsible for one another...
Talmud, Sanhedrin 27b
About the film
Throughout history, man has searched for something greater than himself. This universal quest runs through all cultures, and the religions of the world promote peace and harmony. Yet sometimes things go terribly wrong. In India in 1984, filmmaker Paula Fouce was trapped in the religious violence following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her own Sikh bodyguards. Revenge was taken by Hindus against Sikhs leading to days of carnage.
Paula was immersed in a peaceful land where normally eight faiths coexist. Yet at times, misunderstandings explode. Her own life threatened in the violence, she could not understand the horrendous conflict that is spread in the name of God. And today it is threatening our entire world.
Paula returned to India on a quest to understand the hatred that can arise in the name of religion. Is there anyway we can break this tragic cycle of intolerance? It has escalated to nuclear confrontation. Meeting His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, she discovers he has taken a pilgrimage to learn about the eight religions coexisting there. Following His Holiness’ example, Paula too, takes a pilgrimage.
His Holiness, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, His Holiness Ugyen Trinley Dorje, the 17th Karmapa, Dr. Karan Singh, and leaders of eight religions explain the reasons for religious intolerance. In today's world, there are 50 conflicts at any time being fought in the name of religion.
A team of award winning filmmakers came together to create this beautiful journey to tolerance, beyond conflict – which so ravages our world today. Aren't we all just worshipping the divine?
Cast
TENZIN GYATSO, 14th DALAI LAMA
The political and spiritual leader of Tibet, His Holiness Dalai Lama has been living in exile in Northern India since 1959 when the Chinese began a brutal repression of the Tibetan people. The recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, the Dalai Lama works tirelessly to promote understanding and compassion throughout the world, traveling, speaking and teaching. He has authored dozens of books on ethics and Buddhism. Tenzin Gyatso was recognized as the Dalai Lama at two years old, and was educated as a monk, attaining the highest philosophical degree of Buddhism. In 1949, he took on the role of ruling Tibet when China invaded. He has received over 84 awards and degrees and works now to have Tibet recognized as an autonomous region of China.
Michael is the founder and Director of the Agape International Spiritual Center in Los Angeles. He is a co-founder and President of the Association for Global New Thought. Dr. Beckwith is the originator of the Life Visioning Process. He is a noted author and international keynote speaker, and has been the recipient of the Gandhi, King, Ikeda Award and the Humanitarian Award of the National Council for Community and Justice.
GEORG FEUERSTEIN, Ph. D.
At the age of fourteen, Georg became interested in the study of Yoga and published his first book five years later on the Yoga tradition. The author of over forty books on the philosophy of Yoga, Georg Feuerstein is the leading authority on the Indus Valley civilization. For several years, Georg was sponsored by Laurence Rockefeller. He teaches now through study courses and is highly regarded in the areas of spirituality and consciousness research.
Joseph Prabhu is a Professor of Philosophy at the California State University in Los Angeles and the President of the Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy. He is also the author of "Human Rights in Cross Cultural Perspective" and "Liberating Gandhi: Community, Empire, and a Culture of Peace" (forthcoming). He is a Trustee of the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions. A former Senior Fellow at the Harvard Center for World Religions, Joseph has written numerous articles, books, and lectures throughout the world. He studied at Cambridge University and was one of Mother Teresa's first altar boys when he grew up in India.
Karan Singh was born into the royal family of Kashmir, his father being the Maharaja. At the age of eighteen, he was appointed the Regent of Kashmir. He also served as the Governor of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. When the Independence of India took place, his family decided that Kashmir should remain a part of India. Dr. Singh has served as Chancellor of three universities. Dr. Singh was a Member of Parliament in India and is a noted author of several books on philosophy and a leader in the worldwide Interfaith movement.
ROBERT THURMAN, Ph. D.
Robert studied at Harvard University. A Professor of Comparative Religion at Columbia University, Robert was the first Western monk to be initiated by the Dalai Lama. Author of many books on Buddhism, Robert is known as an authority on Tibetan texts and translations. He holds the first endowed Chair of Buddhist Studies in the US. Robert works tirelessly in the Free Tibet movement. He is the co-founder and President of Tibet House, New York. Time magazine chose him as one of the 25 most influential Americans in 1997.
RAZIA SULTAN
An Indian activist with experience in the UN, Razia served at UNICEF from 1976-1999. Tirelessly working for the rights of children, she was a founder of the Trans Asia Alliance for Child's Rights. She is the only Asian to have served as President of the World YWCA. Ms. Sultan works with the Mosaic Charter to promote tolerance and respect between faiths.