Interfaith is the realization that all people have the same goal, that of happiness, but just have developed, and are still developing, different methods of reaching that goal. It is more than just respecting all religions, and it is not practicing all religions (since that is imposable); it is rather transcending all religions, reaching beyond their dogmas and touching their essence. It is to practice not the religious ceremonies but imbibing the common soul of all religions, which is Love. Interfaith means to guide others to this understanding of what unites us--our search for happiness--by debunking the traditional concepts that emphasize our superficial differences.

I have no doubt that if I would ask God, whatever this is, what is more important: the religious laws that do not allow people of different faiths to marry, or the love of a couple? God would answer, “Love, of course”. And if I asked God what is more important: Religious observances and rules, or the happiness of all beings? God would answer, “The happiness of all.” And if I asked God again, what is more important: respect for religion or respect for all people? I believe that God would answer, “Respect for people.”

Many orthodox religions became a collection of rules and limitations rather than a presentation of ideas and practices to free our minds. When we feel limited, we suffer, and when we experience freedom, we are truly happy. Freedom and happiness are our basic desire, need, and human right. How can we free ourselves by limiting ourselves? Many religious ideas and rules, by narrowing our visions and closing our hearts, have become the reasons for division, hatred and wars.

Religion claims that there is a God and that there is one way, or one set of rules, by which we can serve, please or reach it. Interfaith, on the contrary, says that there is a God, but that there are many ways to worship or realize it.

In my view the only worthwhile laws of any religion are to love your neighbor as yourself, and conversely, not to do unto others what you would not want them to do unto you. All other laws should be in the hands of the government and not of religion. We live in the age of supermarkets where we can get whatever we want, whenever we want; it’s the same with religions and spirituality. I think it’s a good thing that today we do not have to accept blindly what was handed to us from our forefathers, but that we can pick and chose, from an amazing array of traditions, those things that speak most clearly to our hearts and apply most practically to our lives.

In the supermarket, when we buy readymade food, if we look at the little letters at the back of the package, we will see that it contains some ingredients that are not good for us. In the same way, there is no one readymade religion that is perfect for us or perfect in general. Like all things in the world, religions were not made perfect, and when you put the individual into the equation you can see the incompatibility even more.

I believe that for a good cook, it is better to chose good ingredients himself according to his knowledge, ability, and taste, and then create his own feast. Each religion contains an array of philosophies and techniques; some of them may be outdated (like expired food packages in the supermarket) and others might not be beneficial for us at a certain period or situation and can even cause harm (indigestion).

Interfaith shouldn’t just teach us to go to different restaurants (different religions) and enjoy their food, but also to be creative, to become expert chefs, to be knowledgeable enough to chose wholesome ingredients and create a magnificent dinner for ourselves to eat and for others to taste.

There is even a better option than buying a variety of ingredients in the supermarket; you can grow your own food in your backyard. The human mind is very fertile, so I have no doubt that by carful care, or even by letting it grow wild, it can produce the most marvelous ideas. All we need is to spend some time in our garden (meditation), observe the magic happen and pick up the fruit when it is ripe.

Swami Vivekananda said that there are as many religions as there are people living. No two people are exactly the same (and that’s an amazing fact!), and therefore no two people will tread the same path toward freedom and happiness. Make them believe that they must walk your path, a certain limited path that you and your group follow, and you have misguided them. No one knows a person more than he knows himself, and if you are a religious or a spiritual guide of some sort, your job should only be to help people clear their mind, so that they can perceive themselves more clearly. Show them that they have free choice and that there are literally limitless options, paths, and tools for them to realize their deepest desires and needs (happiness, love, freedom etcetera). The beauty of Interfaith is that it does not impose; it allows you to be as you are.