Скачать или смотреть North Carolina Bishop Joins Interfaith Dialogue in Seoul Amid Religious Freedom Concerns

Bishop Charles Dudley, a Christian pastor from Havelock, North Carolina, traveled to South Korea to participate in an interfaith dialogue on religious freedom. He joined monks, priests, and pastors from various denominations and countries around a single table—an image that speaks to the gathering's nature.

The discussions addressed declining religious participation, the post-COVID epidemic of loneliness driving higher suicide rates, and faith communities' responsibility to bring people "back around the table of togetherness."

Dudley emphasized that religious freedom serves as "a moral compass for our community" and that faith leaders must sometimes leave their neighborhoods to engage in global discussions on these issues.

What makes Dudley's testimony notable is his candor about theological differences. "I'm a devout Christian. Mother Moon's a Unificationist," he stated plainly. "We have our differences."

Yet he argued that Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon accomplishments—universities, hospitals, and businesses employing people across generations and continents—cannot be dismissed. "We have to sometimes step outside of what we think or what we thought we knew about someone and look at their body of work," he said.

After researching and meeting her personally, he concluded: "I thought starting a church was all I had to do to change the world. But when I met her, she's actually changing the world."

When a pastor openly acknowledges theological disagreements yet still advocates for a religious leader's freedom based on her humanitarian legacy, does that carry more weight than voices from within her own community?

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