If we agree in love, there is no disagreement that can do us any injury, but if we do not, no other agreement can do us any good. Let us endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit in the bonds of peace. — Hosea Ballou (1771-1852), Universalist minister

IN TODAY'S WORKSHOP... We learned about religious pluralism, or interfaith cooperation, and Unitarian Universalists' historic role in building it. We also discussed the role of stories in our lives, and set the stage for working more on our own personal stories of interfaith cooperation. Here are a few activities to continue your exploration:

• Now that you have discussed religious pluralism with other youth at your congregation, bring it home to discuss it with your family! Ask an adult in your household about their experiences with religious diversity. Did they know people who were religiously different from them when they grew up? How did they feel about and deal with those differences? Are their memories similar to your experiences as a twenty-first century young person? Different? How?
• Together with family and friends, watch this video of inter-religious interaction. Do you think these kinds of conversations are possible in your community? What could you do to make them possible?
• Discover more stories about religion in the world by tracking or collecting newspaper items about religion. Do you see any patterns or themes?
• To think further about stories and their power, read a book that tells a familiar story from an unexpected perspective. Here are some examples of stories told from different points of view:
  • Compare the classic story "The Three Little Pigs" with the children's picture book The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka.
  • Compare the classic story of Cinderella with the short story "Cinderella" in Friedman's Fables by Edwin H. Friedman.
  • Compare the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare to the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard (both available as videos).
  • Compare the book Beowulf by Anonymous to the book Grendel by John Gardner
  • Compare the book The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum to the book Wicked by Gregory Maguire.
• The modern Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions includes youth from all over the world. Explore some of the programs for youth here. Watch this video about the participating youth.