By
Anastasia Ching
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Speakers agree that their religion is integral part of their lives
A Muslim, a rabbi, a Christian and a Universal Spiritualist appeared in a panel discussion to explain their beliefs last night.
Unlike other jokes that begin similarly, this one has no punchline because it actually happened.
The "World Belief Forum," sponsored by the University of Arizona Campus Crusade for Christ, brought together four speakers representing Islam, Judaism, Christianity and Universal Spiritualism in front of an audience of more than 200 people in the Social Sciences auditorium.
The panel consisted of Rabbi Jonathan Freirich, assistant director of the UA Hillel Foundation, Omar Shahin, director of the Islamic Center of Tucson, Justin Reeves - spiritual name, Yogi Clamzananda- a Universal Spiritualist and religious studies senior, and Ron Salzman, a Christian and UA chemistry professor.
The intent of the forum was to allow the panelists to express their beliefs in a controlled, respectful atmosphere with the goal of promoting religious diversity and awareness, said Michael Easton, facilitator of the forum and Campus Crusade member.
The forum, which followed a question-and-answer format, allowed panelists to respond only to the questions asked, not to each other.
The planned questions asked of the panel - which the panelists had received prior to the forum - included: Why they chose their faith, what benefits they received from their beliefs, and what is their relationship with God.
Freirich and Shahin both explained their faiths as being a way of life.
"Judaism chooses you," Freirich said. "I did Jewishly because it was my way of participating in society."
Shahin, born a Muslim, has known only the Islamic faith.
"Islam is my way of life," Shahin said. "It's not just about praying before bed or going to church on Saturdays and Sundays, it's about everything you do in every day from the way you eat to the way you pray."
Both Salzman and Reeves said their beliefs were determined and solidified after a journey of learning.
"My father was a minister and a pastor, so I grew up in a Christian home," Salzman said. "You can't live somebody else's faith, however - at some point, you have to make it your own."
Reeves said his decision to accept Universal Spiritualism was based on a journey to universal truth.
"I tried to take all religions in," Reeves said. "I finally found Universal Spirituality and discovered that all religions have universal truths and that there's no point in nit-picking.
"It's all about universal love."
After the planned question period, the panelists took questions from the audience.
When a couple of audience members questioned the validity of religions other than Christianity, Freirich re-addressed the purpose of the forum.
"The last two questions have been how can your religion be true if my religion is true," Freirich said. "The four of us are sitting up here out of respect of our individual paths - part of living in a complex world is that there are different truths for different people."
Mia Town, an undeclared freshman, said she felt that Campus Crusade was unfair in its presentation of the forum.
"It seemed like Campus Crusade did this so that they could impose their beliefs on the other religious groups represented," Town said. "This was supposed to be about religious diversity and raising awareness."
However, Diana Ziegler, a journalism freshman, said that the forum helped her to see the religions represented in an unbiased way.
"You see these religions the way the media represents them," Ziegler said. "It's nice to get some personal response on their own religion."
