by Sofia Sayabalian
Having the opportunity to visit Reykjavík, Iceland was a special one. I always thought of Iceland as an isolated place–far, freezing, and frosted with whispers…
by Frank DiGirolamo
“Wow! … You just listened to my whole anthem.” It was late at night, years ago, on North Broadway in Capitol Hill. “Miguel” had just recited his life story to me for a good 20 minutes…
by Camila Torres
When I was a child, I was terrified of the dark. I hated going to sleep, because, once the lights turned off, the sheer possibility of encountering a monster kept me awake…
by Amina Malkin
When talking about religion, my father will sometimes talk about “the chosen people,” a title that Jewish people have historically adopted as a way to reference being descended from…
Last spring semester I mentioned Spiritual Friendship in a course I was teaching on spirituality. One of the students shared with me that he had never heard the term. He was intrigued with the concept — it seemed to describe one of his relationships.
Because words like ‘chaplain’ and ‘chaplaincy’ have religious connotations, some atheists and non-believers prefer not to use the terms. Nonetheless, a need for atheist chaplains exists, and a growing number of people are stepping into the role. Atheists, a significant portion of the public, have needs like anyone else, seek out mentors and counselors who can advise them, and care for them. But the issue is bigger than being acknowledged and represented in the healing community, important as those matters are.
The community I serve, West Hill United Church in the east end of Toronto, is always evolving. The most recent physical change entailed reclaiming the space previously dedicated to my office to turn it into a multipurpose meeting room. I work mostly from home, and the office had become a repository of old files and artifacts collected over my years in ministry. Making the change was clearly a wise choice.
As an interfaith activist, I’ve worked to bring an end to religious division. In recent years, this has increasingly meant speaking out against the rise in anti-Muslim rhetoric and violence sweeping America.
Thank you for your interest in interfaith relations in Southern Nevada.
In two weeks, the Interfaith Council opens its Spring Camp Anytown in Lee Canyon. Approximately 60 youth will venture up the hill to be together for a life-changing weekend.
“Who isn’t at the table?” Father Gerry’s Irish brogue pressed the question so often that it became a kind of mantra for the leaders of the Interfaith Center at the Presidio in its formative years. “Who isn’t here yet?” P. Gerard O’Rourke has given more than half a century to grassroots and global interfaith relationships. His everyday passion for inclusivity helped inspire the Interfaith Center to invite an atheist to its board ten years ago. Henry Baer accepted that invitation and proved to be a leader whose interfaith passion and generosity enrich the cause in the San Francisco Bay area.
What follows is a brief program description from The Mosque Cares, one of RFPUSA’s religious communities. The program is designed to instill a sense of community identity while ministering to its neighborhood. This is the first in a series portraying activities of religious communities that are members of RFPUSA.
Camp Anytown is a nationally recognized, 50-year-old award-winning training program for youth focusing on leadership skills, human relations, and diversity. The goal of Camp Anytown Las Vegas is to create communities based on inclusivity, respect, and understanding through youth leadership and empowerment. This year our Spring camp is being held April 26-28.
Chris Stedman’s Faitheist is a fine, compelling book written by a deeply faithful person, who by his own admission is more interested in building something than in tearing something down. His faithfulness is not to a set of religious beliefs but to a search to understand and honor his unique humanity and the unique humanity of others in ways that contribute positively to life on Earth.
This report is republished from the Euphrates Newsletter regarding the meeting between Ron Edry and Majid Nowrouzi, citizen peacemakers who have inspired each other but never met, at the Public Affairs Conference 2013 at Principia College in Illinois last month. Janessa Gans-Wilder, founder of the Euphrates Institute, is on the faculty at Principia. Ed.
This month at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a select group of students will show their humanitarian spirit by participating in the Bleedin’ Heathens Blood Drive. On February 12, they will eat cake to celebrate Darwin Day, and earlier this year, they performed “de-baptism” ceremonies to celebrate Blasphemy Day, attended a War on Christmas Party, and set up Hug An Atheist and Ask An Atheist booths in the campus quad.
There is a moment in the middle of Faitheist that nearly took my breath away. Chris is living in Bemidji, a small town in northern Minnesota near the headwaters of the Mississippi river. The nearest big city is Fargo, and it is several hours away. In the winter, the snow piles up so high he can’t see out of the bedroom window in his garden apartment.
Is secular religion a contradiction in terms? The popular answer would be: ‘‘Of course! Religion can’t be secular, or it wouldn’t be religion.’’
Dear Friends of Religions for Peace USA,
Religions for Peace USA is pleased to announce a new partnership with The Interfaith Observer (TIO) to deliver a special edition monthly e-newsletter about the field of interfaith relations.
This year is going to be a big one for interfaith collaboration in our nation’s capital. And Millennials are going to be at the forefront.
One of the best ways to generate community with young people is food. Food is a must! It not only provides an excuse for multitudes of people to come together but can create a strong bond, stronger than we imagine. Centuries of tradition and craftsmanship have gone into the creation of humankind’s many foods, and they can bring peace to one’s mind and stomach. A delicious meal, from whatever community, can also be a great conversation starter. In America, if you have Murgh Makhani (an Indian chicken curry dish) with Naan (bread), or Saag (collard greens) with rice, people can ask about the origins of the dishes and the role food plays in a community.
Like many interfaith Jewish and Christian couples, my husband and I began discussing the question of our faith years before our children were born. Because we each felt connected to our religions and wanted to share our traditions with each other, we decided to observe both. That choice has always felt right to us, even though there have been times when others did not understand our decision.
