It’s often said that people fear they will lose their religion if they join interfaith groups, then find that their interaction with people of other spiritual paths actually strengthens and enhances their own. It’s also a source of pride for me that I can share something I kept private for so long and find that it genuinely touches the hearts of people who did not know about us. Read more
I have just returned from my annual vacation in Pennsylvania where my husband and I attend Pennsic War, the world’s largest medieval re-enactment event, attended this year by nearly 11,000 people. The event is a modern culmination of a 2000-year journey filled with religious warfare, hatred, and genocide based solely on disagreements over whose religion was “true” and which was “false.” Read more
I’ve written about this before and will, no doubt, write about it again. There are often default settings in the interfaith world that require patience and open-mindedness to reset. Years ago I was part of a group talking about “sabbath” and there was a sense that everyone has one and that it was a “day of rest” in which one communed with the Divine. Many of us, though, have sabbaths/holy days and they are not in the least restful. They... Read more
Patheos has an ambitious mission: to host the conversation on faith. That the Patheos team hasn't tried to limit the conversation that we're having is to be lauded. They know that there are going to be disagreements on the site, but they also know that to try and separate appropriate content from inappropriate would far worse. Read more
It seems to me that when you're writing a set of commandments, the first thing you put down is going to be the most important thing that you want people to remember. The Delphic Maxims begin with "Epou theo," which is usually translated as "Follow God." Read more
I was one of many students who recognized in Hal a guiding spirit. I turned to him for reflection and advice as I came to the end of both my college years and a troubled marriage. Like all gifted teachers, he asked more questions than he gave information, understanding the Socratic process by which we may discover our own wise depths. His peaceful calm and gentle sense of humor were a kind of sanctuary amidst the world’s intensities. Read more
My husband and I looked in our hearts and we decided that we are called upon by our Gods to speak out, not just for ourselves, but to preserve the Constitutional rights of all Americans. We don’t know where our stance will take us, but we are in this fight now, and we will not give up until it is over. Our Gods will accept no less. Read more
I worry that the eventual result of the SCOTUS decision in favor of Hobby Lobby will mean less religious freedom for us all, though probably even less of it for those faith and philosophical communities that remain largely misunderstood within American culture. Read more
Demonstrating appropriate sensitivity for cultures different from our own is arguably the topic which creates the most anxiety in those new to interfaith dialog. In the past, we have simply avoided discussions which might bring up uncomfortable differences, hoping to prevent possible misunderstandings. And yet, it is these very discussions which build our new friendships as well as community-wide networks of engagement. Read more
Interfaith is good work, hard work, and in my opinion, necessary work. But it feels good to gather with people who may not believe and practice exactly as I do but who still afford me the courtesy of hospitality and listening ears. For ten days at Pagan Spirit Gathering, I could set aside my flight-or-fight siege mentality and enjoy the fireside with others who are more-or-less like-minded. Read more
Wild Garden
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