Still Running Off at the Keyboard

[Religion News Service] According to Islam, do humans carry the sins of their ancestors? What is more important in Judaism -- the self or the community? What does "70 x 7" refer to in the Bible?

If you answered "no," "the community" and "how often Jesus says we are to forgive each other," you would be ahead in a new board game designed to promote interfaith understanding.

The game, "7th Heaven," tests players' knowledge of Judaism, Islam and Christianity in a way that people from junior high school age and up can enjoy learning about different religious practices, said John Cooper, a mechanical engineer from Lincoln, Nebraska, who developed the game.

Does the game succeed?

The consensus, after a recent contest among four interfaith leaders from Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and Muslim traditions in Cleveland, was that "7th Heaven" is a useful, if limited and occasionally flawed, way to make interfaith learning fun.

"It would be a great discussion starter among already knowledgeable adults," said Sister Donna Wilhelm, board president of InterAct Cleveland, an interfaith group. Playing a board game can make "dialogue and understanding more simple, more human."

Cooper said he began thinking about the concept a couple of years ago after he met some Iraqi refugees while volunteering at Lincoln's People's City Mission. Conversations with refugees and others led him to an appreciation of common themes shared by the three faiths.

Yet he also realized that while understanding is a widely held goal, it often ends up a relatively low priority as many religious groups struggle to educate people on their own faith.

His answer: "Well, why don't I make a game out of it?"

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