Sensitivity and Awareness

Making Contact with people of another faith

People of another faith normally welcome requests from Christians who want to learn more about another faith but bear these points in mind when making contact:

• A local inter faith group may be the best place to start, if you want to arrange a speaker from another faith or a visit to place of worship
  
  

• If you are making direct contact with a faith organization or place of worship, write first to give the organization time to consider your request. This can then be followed up by a telephone call.
  
  
• It may be necessary to ring several times because contact people for other religious communities can be extremely busy and often work on a voluntary basis.
  
  

• When asking speakers from different communities, avoid clashes with key festivals or days of religious observance. A synagogue, for instance, should not be asked to provide a speaker on a Friday night or a Saturday (Shabbat). Fridays are difficult for Muslims because of the importance of midday prayers.
  
  

• If you have made an arrangement, check on the day before the event to see that everything is all right.

Visiting Places of Worship

When going to a place of worship it is important to follow guidelines for clothing so as not to cause offence.

Baha'i Place of Worship : no special requirements: advisable to dress modestly.

Buddhist Temple or centre : Visitors will be expected to remove shoes (clean socks and tights a good idea) and maybe sit on the floor (loose fitting, modest clothes therefore advisable). Some Buddhists on entering the main shrine room will prostrate three times. Visitors are not expected to do this. In some traditions it is disrespectful to sit with feet pointing towards the shrine.

Hindu Mandir or Temple: Clothing should be modest. Visitors will be expected to remove shoes (make sure your socks/tights are presentable) and maybe sit on the floor. Sometimes women are asked to cover their heads. In the temple, sit with crossed legs or with legs pointing to one side, since it is disrespectful to sit with feet pointing to the sacred area at the front.

Visitors may be offered prasada - a piece of food, perhaps a piece of fruit or a sweet, that has become sacred by being offered to the deity. If taking a piece, hold it in cupped hands with the right hand uppermost. If you are uncomfortable with taking such food, it would be wise to tell the hosts beforehand, explaining that it is for personal religious reasons and not out of disrespect.

A Jain Temple: clothing should be modest. Head covering is not necessary for either men or women. Visitors will be expected to remove shoes and should not take any leather goods into the temple. When Jains enter the temple, they will bow towards the images in the temple. Visitors are not expected to do this but a reverent silence is expected. As in the places of worship of other Indian religions, pointing feet towards the images is considered disrespectful.

A Jewish Synagogue: Clothing should be modest with arms and legs covered. Women are advised to avoid trousers. In an Orthodox synagogue married and divorced women will cover their heads and, in some cases, sit separately from men. All men and boys cover their heads in a synagogue. Such covering (a cappel) is usually provided for visitors.

A Mosque: clothing should be modest. For women this means ankle length trousers or skirt - not tight or transparent - and a long sleeved, high-necked top. Women are expected to wear a headscarf and usually pray in a different part of the mosque than men (although women in a mixrd,group visit to a mosque are often taken into the main prayer hall). Shoes are removed before entering the prayer hall (make sure your socks and tights are clean and presentable). Do not offer to shake hands in a mosque with people of the opposite sex.

A Sikh Gurdwara: clothing should be modest. Head covering is essential for men and women ( a large clean handkerchief is fine for men and a scarf for women). Shoes are removed before entering the gurdwara so, again, clean, presentable socks and tights are necessary. No tobacco, alcohol or drugs should be taken into a gurdwara. Seating is on the floor and men and women sit separately. Feet should not be pointed towards the sacred Sikh scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib , which will be placed on a low platform covered by a canopy in the centre of the gurdwara.

At the end of worship, a sweet pudding made of butter, flour, sugar and water may be offered to you. This is karah prashad and should be eaten with the right hand. It is considered holy food. If you are uncomfortable with taking such food, it would be wise to tell the hosts beforehand, explaining that it is for personal religious reasons and not out of disrespect.

The above has been adapted from Religions in the UK: Directory 2001-3 , pp 63-76

Welcoming People of Other Faiths onto Methodist Premises

• Many faiths have dietary requirements. The easiest way cater for people of several different faiths on church premises is to make the meal vegetarian. Eggs are usually not considered vegetarian and only cheese that is marked 'vegetarian' on the packet should be used. Cakes and biscuits should not have animal fat or gelatine in them. Some dishes should not contain any milk products and, if Hindus and Jains are present, some should have no garlic or onions (some Hindus and Jains avoid these).

• If you are catering for people of just one other faith, the best way forward may be to ask them what to avoid.

• Be aware that members of some religious traditions may wish to retire for private prayer or meditation during an event to which they have been invited on Methodist premises.