More than 20 truth-seekers gathered in Emerson 105 last night for the first annual Harvard-Radcliffe Interfaith Forum, entitled "Understanding Belief."

Naomi S. Stern '97, the organizer of the event, explained that the forum was a result of collaboration between the Catholic Students Association (CSA) and Harvard-Radcliffe Hillel. Representatives of Secular Humanism, Catholicism, Judaism and Zen Buddhism accepted the invitation to address students on the philosophy of their respective religions.

Speaking first on Secular Humanism was Derek C. Araujo '99. According to Araujo, Secular Humanism is an atheistic philosophy that focuses on life in this world. "Secular Humanists are non-religious people," said Araujo. "We're committed to making the best of this life."

Araujo insisted that Secular Humanists are "tolerant of religion." At the same time, however, he maintained that his philosophy is "committed to the cultivation of moral excellence," a belief which, he conceded, might bring Secular Humanists into conflict with certain other religious principles. For example, he noted that Secular Humanists are also "committed to the protection of euthanasia and reproductive freedom."

Robert M. Haas '97 spoke on Roman Catholicism. In his brief opening remarks, Haas said that "Catholicism is about the fact that God loves mankind and we should love each other and we should love God."

Speaking next on Judaism was forum organizer Stern. Citing a passage from the Jewish commentator Rashi, Stern highlighted what she said was a fundamental Jewish "tension between the universal, defined by the creation, and the particular, defined by Jewish law."

Charles A. Goodman '97 spoke last on Zen Buddhism. According to Goodman, Zen acknowledges the perfectibility of humanity. He argued that people have perfection within them "just as ice is really already water." Zen, he suggested, provides a methodology for unearthing that perfection