New TV Show to Examine Three World Religions

A program exploring three of the world’s religions will be screened on CBS on Sunday, October 13th. The show will focus on Tibetan Buddhism, Christian Science and Jainism as part of an interfaith special.

The show, which is entitled “World Religions: Tibetan Buddhism, Christian Science and Jainism” will begin by offering a fascinating insight into Tibetan Buddhism and will take the viewer inside Padma Samye Ling, a monastery and retreat based in New York, During the show the Venerable Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and the Venerable Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoch will discuss the Buddhist faith.

Next, the show will examine Christian Science, a religion that was founded by Mary Baker Eddy more than a century ago. Christian Science is about understanding in the goodness of God and the religion is based on the readings of the bible. During the show, there will be an interview with a resident of New York who will explain how their life is influenced by their faith in Christian Science.

Finally, the Jain religion, which originated in India more than 2,500 years ago, will be discussed. This is a religion that many people might not be familiar with, however there is a strong Jain community in the United States. The religion was introduced to the US in the 1970s by a Jain monk, His Holiness Acharya Sushil Kumar.

The Jain religion has been in the news recently following the horrific Nairobi attacks. Members of the Jain community have been described in many media sources as the “silent heroes” of the Nairobi Westgate Mall attacks.

While the attack was underway, and people in Nairobi were fleeing for their lives, many of them gathered at the Oshwal religious centre. The centre soon became a shelter for survivors and family. Journalists and the security forces also gathered there. In the aftermath of the attack, there were many requests for help. Knowing that the city was in desperate need, members of the Jain community came together to provide assistance wherever they could.

Last fall, CBS also aired CBS PRESENTS: FOOD, FAITH & CULTURE, which examined traditions in Islam, Jainism, and Sikhism.

The show, which is executively produced by John P. Blessington, is a one-off special and anyone interested in watching what is sure to be a fascinating insight into three of the world’s religions will need to check their local TV listings for the exact time it will be broadcast. It will also be available for view on the CBS website at http://www.cbsnews.com/religionandculture/.

Resources

• Jain Community Comes to the Aid of Westgate Mall Attack Victims
• CBS Religion on Facebook
• CBS Religion on Twitter