Appreciating Religious Diversity : Stereotypes Aside, O.C. Is Home to a Variety of Faiths

William A. Shane, managing director of the National Conference in Orange County, has observed that the actual diversity of faith traditions in the county contrasts with some stereotypes about homogeneity. The current name of his organization is a reflection nationally of a new American landscape: The group was originally founded in 1927 with the name of National Conference of Christians and Jews.

Shane notes that the county already has a number of interfaith conversations and programs underway. This spring, buoyed by the interest generated by religious diversity fairs held during the past two autumns, the National Conference has launched a tour of various houses of worship. It began on April 12 with a visit to the Islamic Society of Orange County and continued on Friday with a visit to Temple Beth Sholom in Santa Ana. Later stops will be made at Holy Family Cathedral in Orange and the Second Baptist Church of Santa Ana.

After the success of the fairs, the National Conference asked a good question: How could it keep the momentum of dialogue going? One answer the organization came up with was the tour. By actually going to a house of worship, visitors can get the atmosphere and feeling of a faith community in ways that might not be possible through reading or hearing about a particular tradition. There also are plans to visit Sikhs, Native Americans, Buddhists, Mormons and others, and hopes of developing a program for teenagers.

The inaugural tour of the Islamic Society of Orange County, the largest Islamic center in the western United States, had visitors learning about beliefs and religious practices from center director Muzammil Siddiqi, attending one of the day’s five periods of worship, touring the facility and attending a reception. The occasion was itself an education in the diversity of Orange County’s population; the Fountain Valley-based Council on Islamic Education estimates that there are between 50,000 and 100,000 Muslims in the county coming from almost every place where there are Muslims--for example, from Africa, the Mideast and Asia.

Efforts to build bridges between various groups within Orange County’s diverse population should be encouraged. The National Conference is to be commended for this user-friendly approach to fostering understanding.