The International Association for Religious Freedom – a Profile<
From Darwin to Zygon – Signs of Reconciliation
The Science of Compassion
Scientists and Mystics Taking Hands
Michael Dowd and "Evolutionary Christianity"
A Salute to America
A Mystic Vision with a Social Conscience
Secular Religion Not an Oxymoron
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.’’
“Interview an Atheist at Church” Takes Off
A few months ago, a random idea popped in my head: What if pastors interviewed atheists as part of their Sunday service? Having been a youth pastor at one point, and now an atheist, it was as if I was trying to connect two different stages of my life. More importantly, I thought about some of the benefits this might generate amongst atheists, pastors, and congregants alike.
A Faithful Democratic Response to Immigration Reform
The intersection of citizenship and immigration is finally coming to the fore in national conversations. President Obama’s 2013 State of the Union message forcefully addressed immigration. On its heels came the Group of Six’s immigration reform bill. Pieces in The New York Times and The Nation, respectively on immigration and workers’ rights and deportation and detention halts, stand out as worthy markers.
Why Young Adults Are Disappearing from Our Congregations
My work life so far has focused on the youth and young adult communities in Muslim and Unitarian Universalist (UU) settings, and this essay is about the challenges they face. Many American faith communities face the problem of large elderly populations and small to non-existent populations of young people from 18 to 30. The Pew Forum reports that a third of the U.S. population under 30 now identifies as religiously unaffiliated. Clearly, faith communities are having trouble maintaining relationships with their estranged youth communities.
Religious Freedom, Meet Secularism — Your Best Ally
In what could go down as one of its most notable reckonings of the era, the Supreme Court heard arguments next week in two major gay marriage cases. As the advocates and justices prepare to spar over California’s Proposition 8 and the federal Defense of Marriage Act, important constitutional principles had a much-needed day in the sun.
Offering an Overdue Welcome to the Atheist Community
A week after 9/11, on a Monday afternoon, 400 clergy in vestments assembled in Civic Center, San Francisco, a rainbow of color representing an unprecedented diversity. They processed into Bill Graham Civic Auditorium where 5,000 had gathered to mourn the terrible tragedy the nation had suffered. After a long, thoroughly interspiritual service, people streamed out. In a far corner of the green a group of people stood alone, protestors, waving posters.
How to Develop Spiritual Friendship
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.
The Case for Atheist Chaplains
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.
Light in the Night Sky
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.
On Atheists and Theists Together at the Interfaith Table
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.
The Mosque Cares’s Ramadan Sessions as Communal Education
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.
“Who isn’t at the table?”
“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.
Camp Anytown – the Details and the Results
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.