Hindus have backed the idea of a multi-faith center at the new $1.2 billion Perth Children’s Hospital in Australia, opening next year.
Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that having a multi-faith center at the children’s hospital; a neutral place for meditation-prayer-worship-reflection by diverse faith communities of Western Australia; would be a step in the positive direction.
Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out that many world-class hospitals in various countries housed multi-faith centers.
Rajan Zed urged Western Australia Premier Colin Barnett and Health Minister Dr. Kim Desmond Hames to continue with the plan of multi-faith center at Perth Children’s Hospital, which would be the right thing to do in view of increasing diversity of the state. Moreover, government should not be in the business of promoting one religion over the other, Zed added.
Zed further said that multi-faith center would be a highly appropriate place to reach out to God as we were all equal in the eyes of God. All hospitals in Australia should be equipped with multi-faith centers providing resources to the faithful of all major religions and those with no religious affiliation, where patients/families/staff could turn to and feel at home in the moments of suffering/grief/loneliness/difficulty for quite-time/prayer/reflection/spiritual-support and seeking hope/peace/comfort/healing/courage, Zed stressed.
This is the most important of step to be taken, as human being, we need support and a shelter to feel at home at times, and such a place is really as grace of god in times of need. May this project be a success. Good god help us all understand a smile and a helping hand is also part of service to god. Each day I meet people who keep asking me to pray for them, why? Because they need to be near god, and a small center in a hospital is the ideal place to feel at home as a refuge to god”s lap.Thank you.