Tweet Your Faith: Think Interfaith
As part of our Thirty Days of Love, we are taking time to focus on the beauty of crossing social, religious, and ethnic borders in faith, love, and compassion. As a campaign that understands the power of social media to create interconnectedness the world over, today we will celebrate our “Think Interfaith” week by sharing quotes from various faith traditions’ scriptures, prominent members of those faith traditions, and others who are simply leading thinkers of our time. Each quote focuses on respect for all faiths & faith traditions, and the notion that wisdom and divinity is not the province of just one religion.
Below, you will find quotes organized by faith tradition, as well as an array of “miscellaneous” quotes. We hope you find wisdom across the board. You can tweet these quotes with one click, joining others the world over who wish to promote cooperation, unity, and interconnectedness. You can also paste these into your Facebook status. Have a quote of your own? Use the “add your own quote” box below!
Join us in spreading love, and may the love find its way back to you in spades.
- Use the widgets below to post to Twitter.
- To share on Facebook, cut and paste the full quotes into your status.
Sufism & Sufi Leaders
“How many paths are there to God? There are as many paths to God as there are souls on the Earth.”
- Persian poet Rumi
Sikhism & Sikh Leaders
“Do not say that the Vedas and the Koran are false. Those who do not contemplate them are false.”
- The Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Holy Book of the Sikhs
Islam
“The true servants of the Most Merciful are those who behave gently and with humility on earth, and whenever the foolish quarrel with them, they reply with [words of] peace.”
- Al-Furqan 25:63
“O ye who believe! Be steadfast witnesses for Allah in equity, and let not hatred of any people seduce you that ye deal not justly. Deal justly, that is nearer to your duty. Observe your duty to Allah.”
- Al-Maeda 5:8
Unitarian Universalism
“We need not think alike to love alike.”
- Francis David, Transylvanian minister and early Unitarian
Hinduism & Hindi Leaders
“Peace among religions is a precondition for world peace.”
- Social Worker Swami Agnivesh
“What interfaith seeks to do is to not allow religion to fall back into confrontational modes, into contemporary crusades and jihads, rather to move onwards to a new level of interfaith harmony and understanding.”
- Dr. Karan Singh, Indian Politician
Judaism & Jewish Leaders
“Man is never as open to fellowship as he is in moments of misery and distress.”
- Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, 1966
“He who devotes himself to the mere study of religion without engaging in works of love and mercy is like one who has no God.”
- Babylonian Talmud, Abodah Zarah, 16b
“A man should always speak in a way that increases civility with one’s brothers, relatives, and with any person, including a non-Jew.”
- Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot 17a
”Our Rabbis taught, ‘Give sustenance to the poor of the non-Jews along with the poor of Israel. Visit the sick of the non-Jews along with the sick of Israel. Bury the dead of the non-Jews along with the dead of Israel – Because of the ways of peace.’”
- Babylonian Talmud Gitten 61a
Christianity & Christian Leaders
“There are three things that will endure – faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love.”
- 1 Corinthians 13:13
“This is my commandment: that you love one another as I have loved you.”
- John 15:12
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”
- John 4:7-8
Buddhism & Buddhist Leaders
“My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.”
- The Dalai Lama
Additional Quotes
Judaism & Jewish Leaders
“On what basis do we people of different religious commitments meet one another? First and foremost we meet as human beings who have so much in common: a heart, a face, a voice, the presence of a soul, fears, hope, the ability to trust, a capacity for compassion and understanding, the kinship of being human. My first task in every encounter is to comprehend the personhood of the human being I face, to sense the kinship of being human, solidarity of being.”
- Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, 1966
“…in place of the Old Bottom Line of money and power, a New Bottom Line of Love and Generosity is possible. People of all faiths need to shape a political and social movement that reaffirms the most generous, peace-oriented, social justice-committed, and loving truths of the spiritual heritage of the human race.”
- Rabbi Michael Lerner
Unitarian Universalism
“We have all of us, whether rich or poor, whether high or low, of whatever nationality and religious conviction, the same supreme necessities and the same great problem and infinity of love.”
- Augusta Jane Chapin (1836-1905), Universalist minister and educator
Hinduism & Hindi Leaders
“I offer you peace. I offer you love. I offer you friendship. I see your beauty. I hear your need. I feel your feelings. My wisdom flows from the Highest Source. I salute that Source in you. Let us work together for unity and love.”
- Mohandas Gandhi
“I came to the conclusion long ago … that all religions were true and also that all had some error in them, and whilst I hold by my own, I should hold others as dear as Hinduism. So we can only pray, if we are Hindus, not that a Christian should become a Hindu … But our innermost prayer should be a Hindu should be a better Hindu, a Muslim a better Muslim, a Christian a better Christian.”
- Mohandas Gandhi
Christianity & Christian Leaders
“I see religion as a powerful positive healing force for this nation and the world. But that force is blunted, weakened, compromised inestimably, if we turn religion into a tool for advancing political strategy; if we make it a matter of how to win political office; if we treat it as anything other than a sacred part of life from which we ought to draw sustenance and values and strength for living courageously as good citizens.”
- Interfaith Alliance President Dr. C. Welton Gaddy
Buddhism & Buddhist Leaders
“Do not be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology, even Buddhist ones. All systems of thought are guiding means; they are not absolute truth.”
- Thich Nhat Hanh
“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle,
and the life of the candle will not be shortened.
Happiness never decreases by being shared.”
- Sutta Nipata Buddhist scripture
“ I appreciate any organization or individual people who sincerely make an effort to promote harmony between humanity, and particularly harmony between the various religions. I consider it very sacred work and very important work.”
- The Dalai Lama
“We who have been born Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, Muslim, or any other faith can be very comfortable in each others temple’s, mosques, and churches, praying or meditating together to create a spiritual mass of consciousness which can overcome our greed, hatred, and illusions.”
- Dr A. T. Ariyaratne, Founder of the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement
Islam & Muslim Leaders
“Contact (between religions) is good. One should listen to and respect the doctrines professed by others. Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadasi, desires that all should be well-learned in the good doctrines of other religions.”
- Rock Edict Nb12 (S. Dhammika)
Miscellaneous
“Ultimately, America’s answer to the intolerant man is diversity, the very diversity which our heritage of religious freedom has inspired.”
- Robert F. Kennedy
“We may have different religions, different languages, different colored skin, but we all belong to one human race.”
- Kofi Annan, 7th Secretary-General of the United Nations
“True religion has a universal quality. It does not find fault with other religions. [...] Forgiveness, compassion, tolerance, brotherhood and the feeling of oneness are the signs of a true religion.”
- Sri Chinmoy, Spiritual Teacher
“If we live in our oneness-heart, we will feel the essence of all religions which is the love of God. Forgiveness, compassion, tolerance, brotherhood and the feeling of oneness are the signs of a true religion.”
- Sri Chinmoy, Spiritual Teacher
“I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple, pray in your church. For you and I are sons and daughters of one religion, and it is the spirit.”
- Writer Kahlil Gibran
“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.”
- Poet and Activist Audre Lorde
“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
- Former South African President Nelson Mandela
