It is encouraging to note that King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and Pope Benefict XVI exchanged gifts at the Vatican last week.
It was a show, at least, of tolerance among the world’s major religions. But what would have been better, really, is if the pope had met Abdullah in Mecca, the Vatican of Islam. But that is not allowed by the muslims.
It is time for us to approach the muslims and get them to relax their intolerance and reticense to associate with us. And the religions of the democratic countries should lead the way.
If we could unite the religions of the world in an informal way, we could go a long way in making the world safer for everyone. They could go a long way in gaining understanding among people worldwide without the force of governments with armies at their sides. There could be more understanding and love in the process than military power.
The pope could take the lead in pursuing this pathway that has never been pursued in the past. The fact that the king of Saudi Arabia visited him in the Vatican indicates there is an opening between the largest Christian religion and the political leader of the major non-Christian religion.
After all, the world was not divided into nations when it was created. And it should restore that unity by joining with one another to support the many values that almost everyone worldwide accepts. Love and tolerance are its basic tenets.
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