Source: The Kansas City Star

On June 20, 1999, The Kansas City Star reported the results of a poll that they conducted on the religious practice of Kansas City residents. According to their survey, 52% attend religious services weekly and 68% pray daily. The Kansas City area is home to more than 2000 religious congregations of more than a dozen faiths. Maggie Finefrock, chairwoman of the religion/spirituality cluster of the Mayor's Task Force on Race Relations, stated: "The Kansas City area provides a rich diversity of religious and spiritual experiences...

Source: The Boston Herald

On June 18, 1999, The Boston Herald published an article on the nonprofit Boston Justice Ministries, which is a coalition of eleven area churches and synagogues who have worked over the past year to help free women from violent domestic situations while honoring their beliefs. Rev. Anne Marie Hunter, a United Methodist minister who founded Boston Justice Ministries, stated: "There were too many women of faith that I was hearing from that were staying in abusive relationships because of their faith. Also, I was hearing about people'...

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

On June 13, 1999, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the Racine Interfaith Coalition in Racine, Wisconsin collected 107 guns in a weekend "buy-back" on June 5-6, which was designed to make streets safer. The Coalition raised close to $20,000 for the buy-back to provide $50 and $100 gift certificates for the Regency Mall in Wisconsin to those who returned the guns. The persons returning the guns were asked no questions; seven illegal weapons were among the 107.

Source: The Houston Chronicle

On June 11, 1999, The Freedom Forum Online offered an Associated Press article reporting that Religious groups urge Christians to boycott Army over Wiccans. The Houston Chronicle published a similar article stating that "conservative Christian organizations this week called for a nationwide boycott of the Army, demanding it reverse its policy of accommodating soldiers with alternative religious beliefs."

Source: Sacramento Bee

On June 9, 1999, the Sacramento Bee reported that a coalition of religious leaders in the Northern California Interreligious Conference and the California Council of Churches have produced a report entitled, "Welfare Reform: Public Policy and Theological Reflections," which aims to spell out needed changes in CalWORKS, the California program that seeks to trim the welfare load by 80 percent. The report contains findings based on conversations of clergy and public policy specialists with social service providers, religious leaders,...

Source: The Washington Post Magazine

On June 6, 1999, The Washington Post published an in-depth article in their Sunday Magazine on the efforts of the Washington Interfaith Network entitled, "Prayers for the City: The Washington Interfaith Network Believes Organization, Commitment, Discipline and Multiracialism Can Help Turn the District Around, But There Are No Heavenly Miracles in the Secular City."

Source: The Plain Dealer

On May 20, 1999, The Plain Dealer reported that a dozen Muslim, Christian, and Jewish clergy, representing about 1.2 million Northeast Ohioans, met at a Cleveland mosque on May 19th to discuss how they can more effectively deal with the growing numbers of poor people who are seeking their aid. An interfaith coalition has formed around this issue due to the recent experiences of many religious communities in attempting to help those whose public assistance benefits have run out. Welfare caseloads in Ohio are at their lowest levels...

Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune

On May 7, 1999, The San-Diego Union-Tribune published an article on the experiences of students in a world religions class at Cuyamaca College in El Cajon, California. Paul Carmona, chairman of humanities and performing arts at Cuyamaca and professor for the course, asks that his students visit two religious communities other than one's own, one Eastern and one Western. Carmona commented on the changes that take place within the students as a result of these visits: "There seems to be a paradoxical side of it, where a...

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

On April 26, 1999, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published an article on the Celebration of Religious Pluralism at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Union, held on Sunday, April 25th, and sponsored by The Milwaukee Association for Interfaith Relations. About 150 people participated in small group discussions, a peace dance, and other activities. Rev. Martin E. Marty, a retired University of Chicago professor and director of the Public Religion Project, was the keynote speaker. Marty stated: "those of you who...

Source: The Houston Chronicle

On April 17, 1999, The Houston Chronicle published an article on research being conducted by Helen Rose Ebaugh, a University of Houston sociologist, on immigrant religious communities in Houston under the formal name of The Religion, Ethnicity, New Immigrants Research. Ebaugh identified 793 immigrant congregations in Houston and developed in-depth case studies on 13 of the congregations. Ebaugh stated that, "aside from being a spirituality center, the church, the mosque, the temple or gurdwara becomes a home away from home....

Source: Sacramento Bee

On April 7, 1999, the Sacramento Bee reported that local faith-based and secular groups are stepping up aid to the Kosovar refugees. Muslim, Christian, and Jewish groups in the area have provided a great deal of relief to the refugees. Jim Rodgers of the Catholic Charities of Sacramento expressed that giving money is more helpful than clothing or food because, "trying to transport goods is so much more expensive." Several organizations are collecting funds for Kosovo: the Sacramento Area League of Associated Muslims, the American Red...

Source: Los Angeles Times

On April 2, 1999, the Los Angeles Times reported that Orange County religious groups are sending food, clothes, medical supplies, and prayers to the Kosovar refugees. Many of Orange County's Islamic centers are holding special prayer services for the refugees and conducting "dollar campaigns" to help raise the money necessary to ship the necessary items. Jihan Assaf, spokeswoman for the Islamic Society of Orange County, stated: "The purpose is to have a special prayer for all of the people in need there, as well as show support...

Source: The Boston Globe

On March 28, 1999, The Boston Globe published an article on the attention that businesses are now paying to spiritual values in the workplace. "Employers are responding, as more and more companies try to create humane, compassionate, and fulfilling work environments by tending to their employees' souls." Several recent conferences and books have addressed the issue of how spirituality can improve work culture. Ellen Hayakawa, president and CEO of the Centre for Spirituality and Sustainability in Vancouver, Canada, stated: "If work...

Source: Star Tribune

On March 20, 1999, the Star Tribune of Minneapolis published an article on the many Jewish and Christian organizations who are offering assistance to the Muslim community of Minneapolis in the aftermath of a devastating fire that destroyed the Islamic Cultural Community Center. Donations for rebuilding, offers to share worship space, and aid in the clean-up of the mosque are some of the ways Jewish and Christian organizations have shown their support for the Islamic community in Minneapolis. There are plans to rebuild the mosque in the...