Ohio has been at the center of spiritual diversity for centuries.
Tarunjit Singh Butalia, a professor in the College of Engineering, talked at the Younkin Success Center last week about this diversity and the importance of accepting others regardless of their religious affiliation. His book, “Religion in Ohio: Profiles of Faith Communities,” which he co-edited with Dianne P. Small, lays out the histories of religions throughout the state.
“Religious faith and spiritual strength make Ohio great,” Butalia said.
The reason so many religions practice their faith in the United States, and in Ohio particularly, is obvious to Butalia. Most people have more freedom to worship in this country than in their home country, he said.
The 386-page book is broken into chapters written by contributors. Most chapters include the history, beliefs, important facts, demographics and contact information for each religion.
Despite the positives of practicing faith in the U.S., Butalia said there is room for improvement and used Ohio State as an example.
“It is like faith has been pushed away to the outside of campus,” he said, referring to the location of spiritual centers and churches around the university.
Another problem he sees is the way individuals view other religions. He said that many people either understand their faith through a narrow vision or think that everyone else should believe the same things they do.
He said people’s religions have more in common than many think and that the most promising faith model is “pluralism,” in which people form relationships across religious boundaries. Its most basic principle is unity, not separation.
Butalia also discussed guidelines for dealing with differences across the religious divide. “We must not overlook our differences, but deal with them with sensitivity,” he said.
He said a person should speak out against hate directed toward any religion, not just their own.
“The rule of religion is to complement each other, not to compete with them,” he said.
Religious competition has existed for thousands of years and has resulted in casualties around the world. But Butalia warns that the faiths themselves are not to blame, saying, “religion is not the cause of violence; religious people are the cause.”
He urges individuals and groups to work together to overcome differences and end these conflicts. “If we are to be part of the problem, then we must become part of the solution,” he said.
Butalia was born in India but has lived in central Ohio since 1989. He earned a doctorate in civil engineering from Ohio State. He also serves on the Religious Experience Advisory Council of the Ohio Bicentennial Commission and the Interfaith Association of Central Ohio.
He is a member of the Sikh faith and said he shows off his Buckeye pride through the combination of a scarlet turban and a gray beard.
