A panel of religious experts gathered this past Wednesday to discuss destiny and the hereafter in the latest chapter of the "Exploring Perspectives" interfaith dialogues.
The topic of discussion, "Destiny: Where am I going?" explored the interpretations of fate and the afterlife by various religions.
Representatives from several denominations including the Roman Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist, Secular Humanist and Protestant faiths discussed their views on destiny and answered audience questions.
"It's about people with open minds getting together and exploring different viewpoints of religion and world issues," said Cole Zanetti, a senior pre-med and psychology major, who helped create the Interfaith Dialogue after being inspired by a religious panel he had seen on "Larry King Live."
"It's not a about proving a person wrong or right, but to inform people so they can make their own decisions and define their own moral paths."
Although each speaker had a differing perspective of life after death, there was a common theme throughout the panel: what is done in life today has a profound effect on the afterlife.
Reverend Pat Keleher of the UB Campus Ministries Association's Newman Center explained how literature and art is used to depict the Catholic version of the hereafter.
"Dante's 'Divine Comedy' and the Sistine Chapel are staples of Catholicism. They show the horror of hell and the joys of heaven," Keleher said. "The quality of the afterlife is based on the mode of the life lived today."
Rabbi Avrohom Gurary of the CMA's Chabad House spoke of the Messianic era in the Judaic faith as a time of ultimate good and heightened knowledge of all things, and God's people will be rewarded after their six thousand years of servitude.
"We are hired by God as contractors to make the world a better place," Gurary said. "If our mission is completed correctly, God will reward us."
Dr. Othman Shibley from the UB Dental School discussed the Day of Judgment in the Islamic faith.
"We are meant to live a life of testing, suffering, and pain in order to live a life of peace, happiness and reward in the afterlife," Shibley said. "We work toward the hereafter by doing good deeds. The person who loses out the most in the judgment is the person who comes with tons of prayers but has hurt others."
Reverend Stuart Buisch of the CMA's Campus Church Connection spoke of the Protestant viewpoint, where entrance into the hereafter is gained by "following the word of God."
"Destiny is that there is a heaven and a hell, and biblical accounts give us examples of which way we can go," Buisch said. "The 'follow me' part of the gospel is the most difficult part of belief, but everyone is accountable to God by their actions."
Other opinions on the panel showed that not every religion believes in the idea of everlasting life after death.
Professor of French and comparative religion Jeanette Ludwig explained the Buddhist ideas of karma and reincarnation.
"'Where am I going?' is not really a Buddhist question. It's more like 'What am I becoming?'" Ludwig said. "Rebirth in the realms of heaven or hell is only temporary, and in our lives we must try to purify our actions in order to be born into a higher realm."
Nathan Bupp, communications director at the Center of Inquiry also presented a unique view towards faith.
"The questions of the Secular Humanist are 'what is the good life?' and 'how ought I to live?'" Bupp said. "Humanists don't need the promise of the afterlife to be imperfectly happy. All they need is this life."
The audience was small, but those in attendance found the dialogue interesting and meaningful.
"I'm an international student, and at home I'm only exposed to my own religion," said Ili Amirah Sulaiman, a sophomore aerospace engineering major. "By coming here, I've learned about other religions so I can respect them more."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
