A prominent Hindu statesman in the US has praised the Church of Norway for its work in building bridges with other religions.

Rajan Zed is president of the Universal Society of Hinduism and a featured panellist of “On Faith”, the prestigious online religious forum run jointly by Newsweek and The Washington Post.

Zed said there was a need for serious and honest dialogue between faith communities and encouraged other world religions to begin new conversations with each other.

Religion, he said, is “the most powerful, complex and far-reaching force in our society so we must take it seriously”.

He commended the Church of Norway for developing a 40-page study guide on interreligious dialogue and a seven-page ‘Guiding Principles for Interreligious Relations’ booklet which stated the Church’s aim to “penetrate more deeply into the secrets of the Kingdom of God” and contribute to peace and reconciliation on the local and international level through interreligious dialogue.

“As representatives for the majority, we have a special responsibility to contribute to breaking down stereotypes and providing an alternative to the popular conception of adherents of other religions,” Zed said.

He suggested that interfaith dialogue would help faith communities overcome stereotypes and prejudices and bring them closer to the truth.

“As dialogue brings us reciprocal enrichment, we shall be spiritually richer than before the contact.”