Happy Mother's Day from Who's ? Right

All Abrahamic religions acknowledge the commandments given by the Creator to Moses on Mt. Sinai c/1466 B.C, toward the end of the Bronze Age. Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah/Old Testament is traditionally attributed. He is the most important prophet in Judaism, and is also considered an important prophet in Christianity and Islam, as well as a number of other faiths. One of the most important commandments, was:

The 5th Commandment:

And he [Moses] wrote on the tablets, according to the first writing [of God], the ten commandments, which the Lord spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the Lord gave them unto me. "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." - Exodus 20:12

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Proverbs 31:28-31 says about the godly woman:

28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

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In Christianity, Jesus said unto his disciples:

"For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.:" - Matthew 15:4

"For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:" - Mark 7:10

"Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother." - Luke 18:20 

"When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! 27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst." - John 19:26-28

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The Islamic Quran states the following about Mothers:  

"And revere the wombs that bore you, for God is ever watchful over you." (4:1)

The Prophet Mohammed once stated:

"Stay with her [mother], for Paradise is at her feet." 

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The Buddhist's Perspective of Motherhood:

Motherhood is viewed in Buddhism as a position of high responsibility as well as of respectability. If a woman goes through her household life honouring the responsibilities cast on her as a mother, she can lay claim to honour and respectability in commensurate with the degree of sincerity she has displayed in discharging those responsibilities. It was by highlighting this responsible and respectable position as the mother of man that the Buddha raised the status of women in society.

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Hindu Woman's role as a Mother:  

The Hindu mother is an object of reverence. The saying 'Matri devo bhava' ('mother is divine') is apt. According to Hinduism, God creates, maintains and destroys the universe but the power with which he performs these functions is called Shakti (universal energy) and this takes a female form. This Shakti or power is worshipped alongside God as the Divine Mother. This is the origin of mother worship and thus the idea that the human mother is worthy of reverence and worship just as the Divine Mother or Shakti.

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"A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts." ~ Washington Irving

Parliament of the World's Religions

There have been several meetings referred to as a Parliament of the World’s Religions, most notably the World's Parliament of Religions of 1893, the first attempt to create a global dialogue of faiths. The event was celebrated by another conference on its centenary in 1993. This led to a new series of conferences under the official title "Parliament of the World's Religions".

1893 Parliament

In 1893, the city of Chicago hosted the World Columbian Exposition, an early world’s fair. So many people were coming to Chicago from all over the world that many smaller conferences, called Congresses and Parliaments, were scheduled to take advantage of this unprecedented gathering. One of these was the World’s Parliament of Religions. The 1893 Parliament, which ran from September 11 to September 27, had marked the first formal gathering of representatives of Eastern and Western spiritual traditions.

1893 Parliament

Today it is recognized as the occasion of the birth of formal interreligious dialogue worldwide. Absent from this event were Native American religious figures, Sikhs and other Indigenous and Earth centered religionists. (It would not be until the 1993 Parliament that these religions and spiritual traditions would be represented.) The conference did include new religious movements of the time, such as Spiritualism and Christian Science. The latter was represented by its founder Mary Baker Eddy.

Rev. Henry Jessup addressing the World Parliament of Religions was the first to mention the Bahá'í Faith in the United States (it had previously been known in Europe.) Since then the Bahá'ís have become active participants. The Buddhist preacher Anagarika Dharmapala was invited there as a representative of "Southern Buddhism" - which was the term applied at that time to the Theravada. He was a great success and by his early thirties he was already a global figure, continuing to travel and give lectures and establish viharas around the world during the next forty years.

1993 Parliament

The Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions (CPWR), host organization for the Parliaments of the last two decades, officially dates from 1988 when two monks from the Vivekananda Vedanta Society of Chicago suggested organizing a centennial celebration of the 1893 World's Parliament of Religions.

In 1993, the Parliament convened at the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago. Over 8,000 people from all over the world, from many diverse religions, gathered to celebrate and dialog and explore how religious traditions can work together on the critical issues which confront us all. Dr. Gerald Barney of the Millennium Institute gave the keynote address on the state of the environment. This keynote and the introduction of the document, Towards a Global Ethic: An Initial Declaration, mainly drafted by Hans Küng, set the tone for the subsequent ten days of discussion. This global ethic was endorsed by many of the attending religious and spiritual leaders who were part of the Parliament Assembly.

Also created for the 1993 Parliament was a book, A Sourcebook for the Community of Religions by the late Joel Beversluis which has become a standard textbook in religion classes. Unlike most textbooks of religion each entry was written by members of the religion in question. The text of the revised Sourcebook is available online at Sourcebook Common.

The keynote address was given by the Dalai Lama on the closing day of the assembly. Cardinal Joseph Bernardin also participated.

The Parliament Purpose

The Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions, suggests that the Parliament will "educate participants for global peace and justice" through exploring religious conflict and globalization, creating community and cross-cultural networks and addressing issues of religious violence.

It suggests it will support "strengthening religious and spiritual communities" by providing a special focus on indigenous and Aboriginal spiritualities; facilitating cooperation between Pagan, Jewish, Christian, Bahai, Jain, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh and Hindu communities; crafting new responses to religious extremism; and confronting homegrown terrorism and violence.

For more information, please visit Parliament of the World’s Religions