Interfaith

Utah Interfaith Council Unites for Olympics

February 9, 2002

Source: The Houston Chronicle

On February 9, 2002, The Houston Chronicle reported that "at first glance, Salt Lake City could seem a one-faith kind of town: Mormon... But as athletes, their families and spectators arrived from around the world for the Olympic Winter Games that began yesterday, other faiths are cooperating to make sure visitors find the religion of their choice in Salt Lake City, whether it be Catholic or Baha'i... the official Olympic organizing committee has gathered an interfaith council of 45 city religious leaders charged with...

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Sept 11 Awakens America to its Own Religious Diversity

February 9, 2002

Source: Star Tribune

On February 9, 2002, the Star Tribune reported that "ever since Sept. 11 the United States has seen a resurgence of sensitivity to and expressions of civil religion - we value service, cooperation, equality of justice and opportunity, respect for diversity and national symbols and ideas... The Rev. Peg Chemberlin, executive director of the Minnesota Council of Churches, said, 'Part of what we're seeing is a firm commitment to the celebration of religious pluralism. In that it's a central value of a democracy'... Chemberlin said, '...

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Greek Orthodox Church Joins Massachusetts Council of Churches

February 9, 2002

Source: The Boston Globe

On February 9, 2002, The Boston Globe reported that "the Massachusetts Council of Churches, which for a century has been an exclusively Protestant organization, has welcomed the Greek Orthodox Diocese of Boston to its membership, marking a milestone for ecumenical relations here... The organization, which works toward unity of Christian churches and which lobbies the Legislature on behalf of its members, now represents every major Christian church in Massachusetts except the Roman Catholic Church. The Catholic dioceses of...

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Bush Approves Faith-Based Initiative Compromise

February 8, 2002

Source: The Boston Globe

On February 8, 2002, The Boston Globe reported that "President Bush gave his blessing to a compromise version of his faith-based initiative yesterday that would deliver more private and public resources to religious charities over the next two years... The compromise, achieved by White House negotiators and a bipartisan group of senators, was a breakthrough for Bush. The bill would use tax incentives to spur charitable giving, while increasing the amount of grant money for groups that deliver social services... The bill's...

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San Diego Woman Teaches about Islam at Local Schools

February 8, 2002

Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune

On February 8, 2002, The San Diego Union-Tribune featured a story on Tehseen Lazzouni, a local Mulsim American woman active in the community. "In September 2000, Lazzouni, with the help of four other Muslims, formed the Islamic Speakers Bureau, which has 10 volunteer speakers who go into schools to talk to students about Islam... Lazzouni knew that many teachers were calling local mosques to find Muslims to come and speak to their students... Peter Evans, a social studies teacher at Torrey Pines [High School], will be...

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Controversy Over Participation in Interfaith Service

February 8, 2002

Source: The New York Times

On February 8, 2002, The New York Times featured the story "Seeing Heresy in a Service for Sept. 11." It reported on the controversy over Rev. David Benke's participation in the national prayer service with leaders from other faiths. The article explained, "Addressing his 'brothers and sisters,' he prayed: 'The strength we have is the power of love. And the power of love you have received is from God, for God is love. So take the hand of one next to you now and join me in prayer on this field of dreams turned into God's house of...

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Senate Negotiators Agree on Modified Proposal

February 6, 2002

Source: The New York Times

On February 6, 2002, The New York Times reported that "Senate negotiators have reached agreement with the White House over President Bush's proposal to give federal money to religious charities, Congressional aides said tonight... The aides said details of the agreement between Senators Joseph I. Lieberman, Democrat of Connecticut, and Rick Santorum, Republican of Pennsylvania, will be announced Thursday by the lawmakers and President Bush... The aides said the most contentious elements of a bill adopted by the House last summer...

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U.S. Navy Muslim Chaplain Ministers to Prisoners in Cuba

February 3, 2002

Source: Los Angeles Times

On February 3, 2002, the Los Amgeles Times reported that "Navy Lt. Abuhena Saif-ul-Islam has [an] assignment with no historic precedent: to provide spiritual guidance and comfort to the captured Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters being held at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo, Cuba... Although the detainees have been described as boiling with anger at America and Americans, Saif-ul-Islam finds them mostly confused and anxious about the future... 'They're pretty consistent in seeking God's help' he said. 'The Koran says God helps those...

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Tibetan Buddhist Monks to Create Mandala in DC for Protection of US

February 3, 2002

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

http ://w ww.asia.si.edu/exhibitions/mandala

 

On February 3, 2002, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported that "for six hours a day for two weeks... 20 Tibetan Buddhist monks... [created] the largest sand painting ever constructed in the United States... They began creating Jan. 11, four months after terrorists struck the Pentagon, [until] the day of the painting's final consecration, just before it was destroyed, its millions of grains of crushed...

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University Chancellor Re-Examines Role of Religion in Higher Education

February 2, 2002

Source: The New York Times

On February 2, 2002, The New York Times featured an article on David K. Scott, "who until last spring was chancellor of the University of Massachusetts flagship campus in Amherst... Mr. Scott said he feared that constitutional prohibitions against promoting religion had been used to effectively banish religion from public universities, or at least to 'ghettoize' religion in departments where it can be safely ignored by those who do not study it... Mr. Scott said he would like to see universities revamp the general education...

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Connecticut Muslims Open New Mosque in Former Bowling Alley

February 2, 2002

Source: The Hartford Courant

On February 2, 2002, The Hartford Courant reported that "after years of worshiping in rented space while enduring failed attempts to establish a place of their own, [central Connecticut] Muslims have what they have been searching for... The mosque is in a former bowling alley turned office building... The congregation does not yet have an imam, a Muslim religious leader, and plans for a library and kitchen will have to wait until funding improves. But just having a site for the 44 member families devoted to the Shiite branch of...

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Spiritual and Religious Books Still in High Demand

February 2, 2002

Source: Newsday

On February 2, 2002, Newsday reported that "while the number of people flocking to weekly church services may have returned to normal since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, sales of books exploring how to make sense of incomprehensible evil are still strong... what is unusual about some of these post-Sept. 11 spiritual guides is that they are having a longer than usual shelf life, perhaps because they wrestle with timeless questions, such as: Where is God when senseless tragedy occurs? What is the nature of evil? Can we forgive? And how do we...

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Japanese American Minister Struggles to Balance Christianity and Asian Ancestry

February 2, 2002

Source: Los Angeles Times

On February 2, 2002, the Los Angeles Times reported on a common "concern in Asian and Asian American churches: In becoming a Christian, does a convert sever ties with his non-Christian loved ones." The article focuses on the story of Dickson Yagi, "born in a Buddhist family in Hawaii... He had been the first member of his Shingon Buddhist family to convert to Christianity... Yagi went on to become a Southern Baptist minister... The third-generation Okinawan American's personal experiences convinced him that the 'good news' of...

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New Zen Monastery to Open in Oregon

February 1, 2002

Source: The Oregonian

On February 1, 2002 The Oregonian featured an editorial on a meeting in Clatskanie, OR that was "sponsored by a Portland-based Zen Buddhist group, the Zen Community of Oregon, to explain its plans to remodel a former elementary school into a monastery and seminary. But many objected to adding the Zen sanctuary to the community's eight churches... 'Our goal is to protect those that have not yet accepted Christ,' said Loren Dummer, the Assembly of God pastor. He worried that that the Zen Buddhists, who are not evangelical, would try to...

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