Religions of the World Celebrated at Festival of Faith 2009

Interfaith Council of Greater Portland Brings Understanding of Beliefs to Portland

Portland, OR: In a world filled with strife, sorrow and death, the Interfaith Council of Greater Portland is providing the spiritual celebration by bringing people together to experience joy, brotherhood and love at its fourth annual Festival of Faith:

Festival of Faith
Sunday, November 8, 2009
2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
First Unitarian Church Downtown Portland
1011 SW 12th Ave.
Portland, OR 97205
Click here for directions

Recognizing the difficulty many people have defining themselves spiritually, the Festival of Faith opens doors to the rites, rituals and culture of the major religions to help people find spiritual definition. Opportunities to experience many faith traditions including aspects of, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Scientology, Baha’i, and Native American spirituality will be available at over 20 different booths. Each group will teach or show some part of their religious belief or teachings.

According to Gulzar Ahmed, Co-Chair of the Interfaith Council of Greater Portland, “This is our fourth annual Festival of Faith and each year we try to find ways that connect more deeply into the community to further enrich everyone in as spiritual a method as possible. Our aim is to promote understanding between the many faith traditions represented in the Greater Portland Metropolitan area and encourage cordial discourse at a grass roots level. We believe it is essential to recognize the diversity in our beautiful Portland and to promote peace by learning from each other.”

The Festival of Faith is sponsored by the Interfaith Council of Greater Portland. The theme for this year is “Sharing the Path.”

“This event is the epitome of interactive religious instruction. A person can visit the booth of any particular religion they are interested in and gain immediate insight into how that religion manifests its worship. There will be ample opportunities to talk to people, discuss faith practices, share, and rejoice.” said Milt Markewitz, Co-Chair of the Interfaith Council of Greater Portland.

There will be performances, rites and prayers throughout the day from some of the religious groups. Highlights will include a Buddhist blessing, Native American flute performance, Hindu dancers and a gospel choir.Refreshments will be served and the entire event is free to the public. For more information, go to www.ifcgp.org or call 503-238-1155.