DIFFERENT BELIEFS – SHARED VALUES

In a world where troubling news abounds, Tysons Interfaith is dedicating 2026 to highlighting “What’s Going Right.”  Whether it is individuals, organizations or nations working to improve the lives of others and to build a just and peaceful future for all of us, there is always good news to be found.

We hope the following blog post will bring you encouragement and inspiration to make a positive difference in your own corner of the world.

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Contributed by Michael Goldberg, the Baha’i Community

On May 17, 2026, Tysons Interfaith sponsored an educational event that explored the shared values of various religions. There was a panel discussion with three presenters, Dr. Ashkan Monfared representing the Baha’i Faith, Rabbi Jeffery Saxe representing the Jewish Religion, and Dr. Richa Agarwala representing the Hindu Religion.

The Interfaith Movement aims to foster peace by reducing religious conflict, violence, and prejudice, while emphasizing shared values like justice and the Golden Rule.  It works by bringing diverse faith groups together to work on issues like poverty and human rights, by dispelling stereotypes, by educating communities about other religions to reduce fear and discrimination, and advocating for religious freedom.

Each presenter had ten minutes to present the core values of their religion. This was followed by an interactive session between the audience and the presenters. Each religion has unique frameworks, yet they share common spiritual principles.  All three traditions uphold the Golden Rule: treat others as you wish to be treated.  They all share a sense of justice and righteousness, living a moral life, standing up for fairness and protecting the vulnerable. Giving to the poor and serving the community are spiritual duties in each faith. Human life is viewed as sacred and a gift from a higher divine source. Creating harmony in society and fostering peace among people are central goals. Each religion acknowledges a single, ultimate, divine reality, the source of the universe.

One takeaway I gleaned from this discussion is that we must rethink the path to peace. That to have peace, we must first have unity and not just the absence of war. We can build that unity by knowing that our friends and neighbors although different in appearance, religion or culture, share the same moral principles that are most important to us. This event is the first in a series that will explore the underlying values of other religions. The next event will be held in September. Stay tuned for the upcoming announcement.  

This blog post is the expressed opinion of its writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Tysons Interfaith or its members.