In the Old Testament, the story of Jacob and Esau tells us of two sons, separated by birth. Both were both taught to love and respect one another, which ultimately led to both brothers being seen and treated as equals. This story teaches us that true equality comes when we treat each other with mutual respect and love.

In the New Testament, in the Book of Matthew, it is stated that “there are no one greater than the other”, highlighting the importance of equality and how we should treat each other with respect and understanding regardless of our differences.

Islam's respect for differences was born from the belief that differences are not a hindrance to the creation of unity but rather a unity in diversity.

Islamic verse states, “Among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. There are indeed signs in that for those who know.” The Quran notes the word “ayat” and describes the heavens, earth, languages, and colours as God’s signs.

We know that the purpose of a signpost on a road is to show us the way to our destination.

In the context of the Quran and this verse, the diversity that we see in languages and skin colour are signs that are meant to help Muslims to reach the Creator. Like the sun, moon, stars, oceans, rivers, mountains, plants, and all the natural world, God has displayed His unique signs.  

Muslims believe that in acknowledging the diversity of differences of culture, food, clothing, interests and hobbies can be strengths because they solidify their relationship with the Creator through a recognition of the fact that all are creation.

Jesus told the story of The Good Samaritan to teach us about kindness. 

In this story, Jesus tells of two men, a priest and a Levite, considered to be good who passed by an injured man, showed him no kindness and left him to die.  By contrast, a Samaritan, a man whose nation was considered terrible, came upon the man, rescued him, and took him somewhere to be cared for, and showed true kindness.

Although it’s easier to look the other way and pass by, true kindness is helping those who are in need, even if it is inconvenient.

Founded some 500 years ago in what is now India's Punjab region, Sikhism is the world's fifth-largest religion.  Their founder Guru Nanak preached that selfless service (Seva) and hard work are as important as prayer.

When Sikhs visit the gurdwara (the Sikh place of worship), they don’t just spend time in front of the holy book, giving thanks and praying, they spend an equal amount of time helping cook, looking after the devotees' shoes and cleaning the premises. During the Covid pandemic the sense of helping others by being good Samaritans was seen when some gurdwaras in India melted the gold they had collected over the last 50 years to set up hospitals and medical colleges, whilst another in

Maharashtra fed two million people in 10 weeks. In Sikhism, showing kindness and doing good turns is seen as a celebration and not a duty.

The bible has a number of verses that help us to understand about learning, many of which may be found in Proverbs:

Proverbs 12:15 “The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.”

Proverbs 18:15 “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out.”

Romans 15:4 “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”

In the Old Testament, Proverbs and Leviticus both describe safety as being achieved through truthfulness and being trustworthy (following the rules).

Proverbs 14:25 “A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is a traitor"

Leviticus 25:18 “Follow my decrees and be careful to obey my laws, and you will live safely in the land.”

Whilst in the New Testament John and  Paul both describe the joy of truth and doing what is good.

3 John 1:4:"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."

Titus 2:7 "In everything set them an example by doing what is good."

In Hinduism, truth means describing something exactly as you saw it, heard it or sensed it in some other way to others. Hindu scriptures say that where there is truth, there is Dharma; where there is Dharma, there is light; and where there is light, there is happiness.

Honest means behaving with others in a truthful and in a straightforward way, not manipulating others or playing with their emotions and not cheating them in financial transactions.

Truth and honesty are very basic human virtues and are considered essential in a good human being. In Hindu culture, a person who is honest and speaks the truth even when there is a danger to his life, health, and wealth etc., is said to be one of a very strong character or in other words, he has moral integrity.

For example, Hindus revere the life of King Harishchandra because he was willing to forgo everything for the sake of truth and keeping his word. The story of King Harishchandra teaches us that once we give a promise, we should keep it. We may have to suffer a lot to keep our promise. But we should not break our word given to someone else.

We are all familiar with Aesop's Fable of The Boy who Cried Wolf, designed to illustrate that no one trusts someone who does not speak the truth.

Jews believe that we all need to have a safe space where we feel comfortable and respected. It is about learning how to settle disagreements respectfully, and with dignity. This idea goes beyond their own homes, into synagogues and the wider community.

Creativity and creation are a major theme in the Old Testament. From the creation of light through to the creation of humankind, and the creativity of Noah's family ensuring their safety from the flood.

In Paul's letter to the Romans 12:2 , he writes: Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Humanists do not see that there is any obvious purpose to the universe, but that it is a natural phenomenon with no design behind it. Meaning is not something out there waiting to be discovered, but something that we create in our own lives.

We are all connected to something bigger than ourselves, whether it is family and community, a tradition stretching into the past, or an idea for the future.  This way of thinking means that there is not just one big ‘meaning of life’ but that every person will have many different meanings in their life.

Humanists consider that each one of us is unique, and our different personalities depend on a complex mixture of influences from our parents, our environment and our connections. They change with experience and changing circumstances.

There are no simple recipes for living that are applicable to all people. We have different tastes and preferences, different priorities and goals. One person may like drawing, walking in the woods and caring for animals, another may like cooking, watching TV or savouring a favourite or new food.

We may find meaning through our family, our education or our hobbies, giving rein to our creativity or our curiosity, our intellectual capacities or our emotional life.

Humanists believe the time to be happy is now and the way to find meaning in life is to get on and live it as fully and as well as we can.

In the Old Testament, we can read in Exodus when the Ten Commandments, were given to Moses on Mount Sinai. The commandments contain several principles that emphasise the importance of honesty and integrity.

The ninth commandment explicitly instructs against bearing false witness, in other words it promotes honesty.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.                Exodus 20:16

In Luke Chapter 19:1-10 we can also read the story of Zacchaeus, a tax collector who repented and returned the money he had cheated from people after meeting Jesus.

The Hindu story of the Honest Old Man, reminds us that even if others in this world don't know when we are dishonest, God always knows.

Once there lived a very pious old man. As he had to travel to another city with a lot of luggage, he decided to undertake the journey on a train. When he went to buy a ticket, he was pleasantly surprised to see that the vendor was an old acquaintance. The vendor greeted the old man and said, “Please do not bother to pay for your luggage. I will be on the same train, so I will ensure no one questions you”.

The honest old man then asked the vendor how far he would be travelling. The vendor told him the name of a station. The old man, who had to travel further, replied, “And who will accompany me after that?” The vendor said,” I will instruct the next guard to let you travel without any problems”.

The old man insisted, “How far will that guard see me through?” The vendor again replied, “He will accompany you to the end of the journey.”

The old man now said, “But my journey will not stop there.” The perplexed vendor now asked him, “How far will you be travelling?”

The old man replied, “I have to go beyond all these worldly stations. After death I will go to see God. Which guard will accompany me there and help me get through there?”

The ticket vendor was speechless!

The old man then explained to the guard that the train was not his (the vendor’s) property, and thus, the vendor had no authority to allow anyone to carry extra baggage and travel without paying the correct fare. He said, “I may be able to cleverly evade the customs and fool the authorities of this world, but I will not be able to fool God.” The guard realised his mistake and apologised to him.

Moral : Like the guard in this story, sometimes we make the wrong choice thinking no one will know, or we won't get caught. However, as the old man explained, though our deeds may not be known to others, God always knows what we have done­ good or bad. Thus, we can overcome the temptation to do something incorrect, thinking about what God would think of our deed, regardless of what others think.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that worshipping God properly means living properly - which includes living honest, truthful and sober lives.