by URI Members
The United Religions Initiative enjoys a kind of latitude and scope that invites the whole world in, but does so while honoring each of us and where we come from. That approach makes it a very personal
Voices of Hope
What Makes URI Unique?
by Paul Chaffee
In The Coming United Religions (1998), William Swing wrote “I began a long and inward journey in February 1993. During a 24-hour period in my life, I moved from…
The Journey Beyond Mutually Assured Destruction
by Paul Chaffee, Editor
Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) is a military term referring to opposing nations each having nuclear weapons. The argument for maintaining nuclear weapons is…
Nukes and the Bigger Picture
by Kehkashan Basu
Kutupalong – a beautiful, lyrical name. It could possibly describe a flower, a river, or an exotic bird. In fact, it is none of these three. Its claim to fame or rather infamy comes from the fact that it is the world’s largest refugee camp.
The Interfaith Community and Nuclear Weapons
by William Swing
What do the following tragedies have in common? 1 - The Columbine High School shooting of April 1999. 2 - The Virginia Tech mass killings of April 2007. 3 - The Boston Marathon bombing of April 2013. 4 - The Jewish Community Center murders of April 2014?
Faith Communities Stand Together Regarding Nuclear Weapons
Religion News Service Press Release
On October 16, Faith Communities Concerned about Nuclear Weapons, a group of diverse faith-based organizations and individuals committed to a nuclear-weapon-free world
Responding to the Unique Challenge of Nuclear Weapons
by Jonathan Granoff
The destructive capacity of nuclear weapons is beyond imagination, poisoning the Earth forever. These horrific devices place before us every day the decision whether we will be the last human generation.
Thomas Merton, Seeking Peace, and Nuclear Realities
by Michael Ramos
The Trappist monk, Thomas Merton, who passed away fifty years ago last year, is remembered largely for his prolific spiritual writing from the cloistered monastery. Yet his writing on nuclear weapons and peace still…
Getting Involved with the Major Anti-nuclear Players
by Paul Chaffee
Jesus warned about those who have eyes but cannot see. His injunction resonates today when considering the general ignorance of the dangers of nuclear weapons, a risk of even greater consequence than climate change.
Working to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons
by Jerald Ross
The very first resolution passed by the United Nations, in January 1946, called for the elimination of atomic weapons. The bedrock treaty for the control and eventual elimination of nuclear weapons…
The Patriotism of Hate Between Nuclear Rivals
by Tarunjit Singh Butalia
I’d just returned from a visit to South Asia. Right before my visit, the tensions between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan were at an all-time high, with each side portraying the other as evil and the enemy of its people.
“There Are No Winners in Nuclear War”
by Lidiia Batig
Our post-modern world is full of challenges, innovations, and opportunities. One of the most important is nuclear disarmament. I interviewed Rabbi Jack Bemporad…
Peace in Nuclear Times: Resources for Kids
by Vicki Garlock
Thanks to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the world now possesses “only” about 14,500 nuclear weapons, down from over 70,000 weapons, the estimated peak in the mid-1980’s.
Need-to-Know Resources for Nuclear Disarmament
by Megan Anderson
Nuclear disarmament is a nebulous concept for most of us. The threat of nuclear destruction is ever-present, but not something we think or talk about much. Part of the reason, perhaps, is that we feel helpless to do anything about it.
The Garden
by Dorianne Laux
We were talking about poetry. We were talking about nuclear war. She said she couldn’t write about it because she couldn’t imagine it.
Spirituality, Creativity, and Community
by Paul Chaffee, Editor
Drums and flutes are among the oldest tools empowering human beings to explore who we are. We have historical evidence that drums go back at least 7,500 years and probably much earlier.
To New Zealanders and Muslims Everywhere
Today we grieve with those affected by the mosque shootings in New Zealand. We grieve for the 49 lives lost and the pain of those who remain. We grieve for the fear and loss of a sense of safety that live on in the aftermath. And we grieve for the hatred that seeps into hearts leading to tragedies like this one.
The Art of Prayer Meets the Prayer of Art
by Cynthia Lindner
This autumn, visitors to the Art Institute’s Bucksbaum Gallery for Photography on the ground floor of the museum’s Modern Wing are met by empty white walls: there’s not a single photograph hanging in this gallery dedicated to their display.
Art and Interfaith Conversation
by Andrew Smith
I learn best by listening to people’s ideas over a good cup of coffee. One such conversation sparked ideas that inspired a whole series of interfaith dialogues that have taken place over the past few years.
How We See Each Other
by Libby Byrne
The gift of art helps us to see more clearly what is really there in our human experience. With this in mind, is there a relationship between the way we see art and the way we imagine religious communities might be inclusive for people with disabilities?