Interfaith

Confessions of Anti-Semitism

November 20, 1999

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

On November 20, 1999, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Bishop Peter Rogness, head of the Greater Milwaukee Synod for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, issued a statement in reaction to Catholic Archbishop Rempert Weakland's public apology for centuries of anti-Semitic words and actions by the Catholic Church. Rogness stated: "For the leader of the largest faith community in the area to make such a speech was profound...His words struck close to home. The second-largest faith community in the...

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Southern Baptist Church Distributes Prayer Guides to Help Convert Hindus

November 20, 1999

Source: The New York Times

On November 20, 1999, The New York Times reported that the Rev. Paige Patterson of the SBC may have a joint meeting with representatives of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York on the issue of messianic Jewish groups. Letters have gone back and forth between the two organizations since the SBC published a prayer guide at the time of the High Holy Days to convert Jews to Christianity. Though the format of the meeting has yet to be determined, it is most likely that a one-to-one discussion will take place between...

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Confessions of Anti-Semitism

November 12, 1999

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

On November 12, 1999, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Milwaukee's Roman Catholic Archbishop, Rempert Weakland, admitted to centuries of Catholic prejudice against Jews in an interfaith Catholic-Jewish service at Congregation Shalom in Milwaukee on Sunday, November 7th. Weakland stated: "I acknowledge that we Catholics, by preaching a doctrine that the Jewish people were unfaithful, hypocritical, and God-killers, reduced the human dignity of our Jewish brothers and sisters, and created attitudes that made reprisals against them...

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Southern Baptist Church Distributes Prayer Guides to Help Convert Hindus

November 9, 1999

Source: The New York Times

On November 9, 1999, The New York Times reported that Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jewish leaders, the heads of the four major Jewish theological seminaries, and the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, sent a letter to the Southern Baptist Convention president, Rev. Paige Patterson, asking the SBC to stop supporting "deceptive" tactics to convert Jews. The letter denounced the SBC's endorsement of messianic Jewish organizations: "Our quarrel with the Southern Baptist Convention is not over its right to proselytize....

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Southern Baptist Church Distributes Prayer Guides to Help Convert Hindus

November 8, 1999

Source: The Houston Chronicle

On November 8, 1999, The Houston Chronicle reported that the Hindus of Greater Houston organized a rally on Sunday, November 7th outside of the Second Baptist Church to protest the recent SBC prayer guide for converting Hindus. More than 100 people attended the protest, including several Jews, carrying signs saying, "Religious Intolerance is Un-American," and "The Truth is One. The Paths are Many." Gary Moore, spokesman of the 26,000 member Second Baptist Church, had not seen the guide, but spoke on behalf of Southern Baptists...

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Bowne Street in Flushing, Queens

November 7, 1999

Source: The New York Times

On November 7, 1999, The New York Times published an article on the multi-faith presence of Bowne Street in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens, New York. R. Scott Hanson, a doctoral student who is studying the religious diversity on Bowne Street, calls it "one of the most extreme cases, if not the most extreme case, of religious plurality." He has identified over 40 houses of worship in a square-mile area around the street. A plethora of churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, and gurdwaras exist side by side, with the immigrant...

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Pentecostal Teacher Becomes Head Administrator at Yavneh Academy in Dallas, Texas

November 5, 1999

Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune

On November 5, 1999, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that Donald Ray O'Quinn, an Irish-American Pentecostal physics teacher, was chosen to become head administrator of Dallas' only Jewish high school, Yavneh Academy, in March 1999. O'Quinn was chosen for his credentials and for his reputation as an inspiring teacher. Rabbi Michael Cytrin helps O'Quinn to run the Academy and oversees Yavneh's classes in Jewish faith, history, and law. Cytrin stated: "I can lead him [O'Quinn] through the labyrinth of the Jewish world...

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Spiritual Explosion in the Workplace

November 1, 1999

Source: Businessweek

http://www.businessweek.com/careers/content/jan1990/b3653001.htm

On November 1, 1999, Businessweek reported that "today, a spiritual revival is sweeping across Corporate America as executives of all stripes are mixing mysticism into their management, importing into office corridors the lessons usually doled out in churches, temples, and mosques...The number of related books hitting the store shelves each year has quadrupled since 1990,...

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Southern Baptist Church Distributes Prayer Guides to Help Convert Hindus

November 1, 1999

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On November 1, 1999, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported that 60 Metro Atlanta Hindus attended a rally on Sunday, October 31st at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta to protest the SBC's prayer guide to convert Hindus. Signs held by the protesters stated, "Bigotry and Hatred, the world can live without" and "Truth is one. Wise call it different." Shyam Tiwari, a software developer, attended the rally: "It's basically the pain we feel because of the denigration of Hindus and Hinduism by Southern Baptists...

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Christian-Jewish Interfaith Relations

October 30, 1999

Source: The Houston Chronicle

On October 30, 1999, The Houston Chronicle published an article on the 16th Annual Workshop on Christian-Jewish Relations, a forum held every two years to broaden communication and understanding between the two religions. This year's workshop was held in Houston and attended by 350 people. Jay Rock, a Presbyterian and director for Interfaith Relations of the National Council of Churches in New York, discussed the different Christian approaches to viewing salvation that can either accommodate or complicate interfaith relations...

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Southern Baptists Target Hindus in Conversion Efforts

October 23, 1999

Source: The Associated Press

On October 23, 1999, The Associated Press published an article entitled, "Ex S. Baptist Leader Chides Church" by Julia Lieblich. The article reports the reaction of Keith Parks, former president of the International Mission Board for the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), to the new prayer guides being published by the SBC. Parks was president of the Mission Board for 13 years, until he left for the more moderate Cooperative Baptist Fellowship in 1990. Parks stated that he was "no longer acceptable" to new convention leaders...

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Southern Baptists Target Hindus in Conversion Efforts

October 23, 1999

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On October 23, 1999, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported that on Monday, October 25th, the SBC is publishing its latest prayer guide on Hinduism and how Baptists should pray for the conversion of Hindus to Christianity. Subash Razdan, who chairs the board of trustees for the National Federation of India-American Associations, stated: "What are they trying to do, start a holy war?...You can make Christianity look good, but don't make any other religion look bad." Paul Courtright, an expert on Hinduism...

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Southern Baptists Target Hindus in Conversion Efforts

October 21, 1999

Source: The Washington Post

On October 21, 1999, The Washington Post published an article on the new prayer guide published by the SBC for Christian prayer toward Hindus during Divali, the Hindu festival of lights. The first sentence of the prayer guide reads: "More than 900 million people are lost in the hopeless darkness of Hinduism." The guide continues: "Pray that Hindus who celebrate the festival of lights would become aware of the darkness in their hearts that no lamp can dispel." Suresh Gupta, president of the Durga Temple in Fairfax, Virginia,...

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Interfaith Group in Texas Debates Whether to Accept Muslim Congregation

October 13, 1999

Source: The Houston Chronicle

On October 13, 1999, The Houston Chronicle reported that The Woodlands Religious Community, Inc. has voted to unanimously change its mission statement so that it can include non-Judeo-Christian faiths. The language of the statement was changed from Judeo-Christian to "people of faith, called by our traditions to compassion." Joy Jamaluddin, a member of the Islamic congregation who applied to participate in the interfaith organization, stated: "I believe that this will clear the way for our participation in Interfaith." The...

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