Interfaith

Boise High grad brings community together to counter local Baptist pastor

June 28, 2022

Lizzy Duke-Moe, a Boise High School graduate who is attending Brown University in the fall, was spurred into action last week to counter a local Baptist pastor who called for the death of all gay people.

Duke-Moe said in an email that her mom, Keely Duke, and stepmom, Sarah Seidl are married — “they got married in Idaho,” Duke-Moe said, and her mother had shown her an article about the pastor’s sermons. “And...

LGBTQ youth of faith retell their stories to inspire others

June 27, 2022

Sabrina Hodak grew up in a Modern Jewish Orthodox family but only truly embraced Judaism at age 16, around the same time she understood she was bisexual.

It was an upsetting and confusing time, because the same religious mentors who helped her strengthen her beliefs kept saying her sexuality would conflict with her faith.

“That was very frustrating, because I also knew that a lot of other religious people believed that,” said Hodak, now a 19-year-old psychology major at Florida International University. In her journal, she kept asking, “Can I please just find...

Is Intermarriage Good for the Jews?

June 23, 2022

In 1990, American Jews decided they had no future.

That was the year the National Jewish Population Survey—then the most comprehensive study of American Jewry ever undertaken—revealed that more than half of America’s Jews, 52%, were intermarried. Though the report itself was even-keeled in its analysis, the reaction among many Jews veered toward panic.

Intermarried couples weren’t raising their...

Louisville Tibetan Buddhist monastery holds interfaith memorial for lives lost in combat and mass shootings

May 30, 2022

A Tibetan Buddhist Monastery held a Memorial Day service to honor the lives lost in combat and recent mass shootings.

Believers of different faiths joined hands on Monday at the Drepung Gomang Institute on Hubbards Lane.

Twenty-one candles were lit throughout the ceremony to represent a pillar of light in the darkness.

Source:...

Religious leaders, community members come together after Chabad House fire

May 23, 2022

Religious leaders, elected officials among others attended a ceremony at the Jewish Community Center on Sunday to show unity after a fire destroyed the Chabad of Kentucky back in April.

On April 23, firefighters were called around 4 a.m. to respond to the headquarters for Chabad of Kentucky in Almara Circle after a grease fire broke out, spokesperson for the Saint Matthews Fire Department Rick Tonini said.

Firefighters were able...

Buffalo church holds interfaith service to lament massacre

May 16, 2022

Hundreds of people brought their pain to the altar Sunday in remembrance of the 10 lives lost and three injured in a mass shooting in Buffalo on Saturday.

Macedonia Baptist Church, just minutes away from the Tops Supermarket where the tragedy took place, held an interfaith service that called for healing and action. Senior Pastor Julian Cook said planning a service that would bring people from all walks of life together was necessary, as the hate crime that took place affects everyone.

“Part of the lie of racism is that it only impacts minorities, right? Part of the...

Roe v. Wade: Faith leaders react to leaked SCOTUS opinion

May 3, 2022

A draft opinion suggesting the Supreme Court will vote to strike down Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision guaranteeing federal protection for abortion rights in the United States, was published Monday night (May 2) by Politico.

The Supreme Court ...

Piscataway's Muslim Center of Middlesex County Marks Ramadan with Interfaith Iftar Dinner

April 18, 2022

Ramadan Mubarak! The Muslim greeting meaning “blessed Ramadan” is often heard throughout the month-long religious celebration.

As Muslims around the world break their daily fast during the holiest of holidays for the faithful, members of the Muslim Center of Middlesex County (MCMC) in Piscataway hosted an interfaith Iftar Dinner on April 11, bringing together hundreds in the community in prayer, learning, and understanding of Islam and the meaning of Ramadan.

Observance of Ramadan, which this year runs from Saturday, April 2 through Sunday, May 1 is one of the...

For many, Easter Sunday marks a return to in-person worship

April 17, 2022

For many U.S. Christians, this weekend marks the first time since 2019 that they will gather in person on Easter Sunday, a welcome chance to celebrate one of the year’s holiest days side by side with fellow congregants.

The pandemic erupted in the country in March 2020, just ahead of Easter, forcing many churches to resort to online or televised worship. Many continued to hold virtual services last spring after a deadly winter wave of the coronavirus and as vaccination campaigns were still ramping up. But this year more churches are opening their doors for Easter services with...

Interfaith Ramadan Iftar event is a celebration of traditions, Frisco's cultural diversity

April 12, 2022

It was a celebration of Ramadan Iftar traditions and Frisco's cultural diversity at Monday evening's Interfaith Ramadan Iftar program at Frisco Hall.

The Islamic Center of Frisco played host to the event, along with partners whyislam.org and the Frisco Inclusion Committee.

Close to 200 guests attended the program, which included a question and answer session on the Ramadan Iftar traditions and the Islamic faith, and also recognition of various city and civic leaders and organizations who have supported the Islamic Center...