This year’s lecture was entitled “Where did we come from? Questions and Answers
from Creation Stories” and delivered by Dr James Holt, Associate Professor of
Religious Education at the University of Chester and member of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints. The speaker was a specialist in world religions and
explained that in all the major religions there was always something there before the
universe as we know it was created, beyond time, while universes are constantly
created and destroyed. He then gave examples from various religious texts about
the nature of creation and showed that there are common themes in them all – that
from chaos came cosmos, from no-thing came some-thing. The use of stories to
explain this is central to who we are and helps us to understand the big picture –
they tell us what is important and give directions on how to lead our lives.
A common thread running through the major religions is the universal presence of
God and that humanity is one. He stressed how all creation is inter-related, and that
man is the steward of the earth, and there is no excuse for treating the earth
carelessly. We have a responsibility to care for all. This idea is very important to an
interfaith gathering, especially in times of political turmoil, and his message of the
unity of all beings was very appropriate.
There was a lively question and answer session following Dr Holt’s talk and, after he
was presented with a gift of appreciation, Elinor Chohan, Chair of AIG, thanked him
and people had the opportunity to mingle and chat while enjoying refreshments.
We are most grateful to Holy Angels for allowing us the use of their new Parish Hall
and to all those members of AIG who managed the refreshments and helped the
evening to run smoothly.
Carolyn Jones
(Hon. Sec., Altrincham Interfaith Group)