Interfaith Council
USC has more student religious groups than any other university in the United States, and the Interfaith Council includes students representing the diversity of faiths across campus. All USC students are invited to attend any or all meetings of the Interfaith Council, to learn and share about their faith traditions from each other. The Interfaith Council sponsors events such as Multi-Faith Week, the Prayer Reading-Burning ceremony, SOULJOURN trips to visit faith communities in LA, and the CONOCIMIENTO Alternative Spring Break Trip.
IFC meets weekly on Wednesdays at 7:00PM in URC104. (University Religious Center)
Questions?
Email Vanessa Gomez Brake, Associate Dean of Religious Life.
Interfaith Council Videos
Faith in Five Words
Prayer Burning Ceremony: students read aloud and ritually burn the prayers written by students and staff and put in the prayer box in the Little Chapel of Silence
Interfaith Council member Angie Mendoza’s notes from the “World Religions 101” program offered by the Office of Religious Life in Fall 2014:
Buddhism: Seek enlightenment, everything changes so don’t cling to things,
goal = to get rid of ignorance
Sikhism: Don’t convert b/c there is no one right religion, serve others, God is in all of us
Judaism: Ask questions, be doubtful, have community, no heaven or hell (“chill” place)
Hinduism: Find the God in yourself and then you will find the god in everyone else; God = enlightened energy; Hinduism is not a religion but a way of life; tu-twa-amasi= you, me, and everything; true giving means not expecting anything in return; temptation breaks enlightenment; it’s okay not to follow some traditions b/c there are so many sources for them that if they are not personally life-giving don’t do them
Carl Jung’s Interpretation: God was so embarrassed by Job’s complaints that he had to take human form to make up for his crime against humanity
Mormonism (Church of Latter Day Saints): renewal of Christian faith vs. reform of Christian faith; Book of Mormon = addition to bible, after resurrection we will be Gods and create our own worlds (a lot of space), 3 levels of heaven and everyone goes to heaven, holy ghost = vehicle of communication (religion teaches the WHY, not the HOW)
Islam: spread mercy = heart of Islam; if you’re going to subscribe to a religion, it’s very important that you read its texts; hajab=part of Engie’s identity = show the beauty of your religion by acting as an example of it; god is one, there is no trinity; killing one innocent person is like killing all of humanity; no guarantee of heaven so stay humble and ask for forgiveness
SOULJOURN – USC students at the Hindu Temple on Las Virgenes Road
