An Interfaith Students Club (ISC) has been formed at University of Nevada-Reno (UNR), its reportedly first such organization since it was established in 1874.
ISC aims to unite students of various religions and denominations including the non-religious and facilitate healing among them, cultivate social cohesion, increasing understanding of “other” religions and non-believer groups, seeking commonalities, providing a platform for frank and open discussion on various issues surrounding religion.
It plans to hold various multi-faith panel discussions on contemporary religious issues affecting the area-Nevada-USA-world, joint interfaith Thanksgiving prayers, a forum on “Faith and the Media”, and make efforts to establish a multi-faith prayer-room on the campus, etc.
Headed by Daniel Richard Sanchez as President, Suhayb Alsharekh is its Vice-President, while Andrew Protz is Treasurer. Its Spiritual Advisors include Dr. Thomas Butler, Pastor Emeritus of Sparks United Methodist Church; Fr. Stephen Karcher, Priest of St. Anthony Greek Orthodox Church; Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism; and Jikai’ Phil Bryan, Reno Buddhist Center Priest.
Congratulating on the formation of ISC at UNR, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Reno today, pointed out that religion was highly powerful and complex and a more inclusive understanding of religion was needed. Zed urged the Club to become a catalyst for interfaith dialogue because dialogue brought us mutual enrichment and helped us overcome prejudices passed on to us from previous generations.
UNR already has many faith-based student organizations like Latter-day Saint Student Association, Hillel (Jewish), Muslim Student Association, Women’s Federation for World Peace-Reno (Unification Church); and Christian groups—InterVaristy Christian Fellowship, Fellowship in Christian Athletes, Living Stones, ROCK Alpha Omega, Younglife’s CollegeLife, CHANGE Collegian Network, Newman Center, Little City International Student Fellowship.
UNR, land-grant state-supported institution which has over 18,000 students, is helping create “world’s most accurate atomic clock”, home to one of the largest earthquake-simulation labs and many Hollywood movies were shot on its campus. Marc Johnson is President.
