As the twentieth century opened, the prejudice that seemed
more likely than any other to succumb to the forces of change was that of
religion. In the West, scientific advances had already dealt rudely with some
of the central pillars of sectarian exclusivity. In the context of the
transformation taking place in the human race's conception of itself, the most
promising new religious development seemed to be the interfaith movement. In
1893, the World's Columbian Exposition surprised even its ambitious organizers
by giving birth to the famed "Parliament of Religions", a vision of
spiritual and moral consensus that captured the popular imagination on all
continents and managed to eclipse even the scientific, technological and commercial
wonders that the Exposition celebrated.
- The Universal House of Justice (From a
message dated April 2002, addressed to the World’s Religious Leaders)
