Baha’i: Martyrdom of the Bab

Last updated on: August 22, 2014 at 4:04 pm By George G. Coe

Do you know with which religion the Bab is associated? The Bahá’í faith originated in Iran in 1863. A young Iranian who called himself “The Báb” founded the religion which today claims about 6 million adherents. Hillary Chapman, a Bah’i educator, explains the significance of the Bab in this short clip recorded for PBS Religion and Ethics. The Bahá’í accept all religions and the divine nature of Abraham, Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad. The Iranian government has persecuted the... Read more

Searching for Spirituality in India: Gurus, Swamis, & Yogis

Last updated on: August 22, 2014 at 4:04 pm By George G. Coe

Studying Hinduism? Want to show your students a glimpse of the spiritual nature of India’s holy cities? These cities are a colorful mix of seekers searching for meaning from gurus, astrologers, swamis, and yogis. CNN’s Jessica Ravitz spent two weeks in the holy city of Rishikesh along the Ganges River on what she calls, “a personal mission: to write about this place and what it means to those who flock here.” The result is a colorful and fascinating feature story called Indian... Read more

Shocker! Muslims Hate Terrorism Too

Last updated on: August 22, 2014 at 4:04 pm By George G. Coe

According to The Pew Global Attitudes Project, concern about Islamic extremism is growing in Muslim countries. Indeed, “majorities in most of the nations polled are concerned about extremism. And in most Middle Eastern countries, concern about extremism has increased in the past year..” Recent events like the kidnapping of girls by Boko Haram in Nigeria or the attempt to form an Islamic state in Iraq may be fueling that growth, notes the Washington Post. Read more

Zoroastrianism: Origins & Growth

Last updated on: January 1, 2017 at 11:05 am By George G. Coe

Studying Zoroastrianism? Here’s an excellent radio broadcast all about the religion, especially its early history and development. In his Australian radio show, Encounter, host David Routledge, reviews Zoroastrian history and then interviews a professor of Zoroastrianism and several other people including a practitioner, a priest, and a counselor and spiritual adviser who works in the Zoroastrian tradition. Zoroastrianism started in Iran and grew with the three great Iranian empires which included that of Cyrus the Great, but began to weaken after... Read more

What is a Caliphate?

Last updated on: August 22, 2014 at 4:05 pm By George G. Coe

Studying Islam? The Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates that developed after Muhammad’s death in 632 are crucial events in the study of Islam. The video clip above and this short article from the News Hour provide a good review of the two great Islamic caliphates. In addition, On Faith has a great article called 5 Things Every Muslim (and non-Muslim) should know about the caliphate. And finally, Vox has a superb history of the caliphate. The golden age of Islam developed in Baghdad under the... Read more

Hobby Lobby Explained

Last updated on: August 22, 2014 at 4:05 pm By George G. Coe

What is Hobby Lobby? A chain of arts and crafts stores. Based in Oklahoma City. Privately held and has about 578 stores throughout the US. It has over 23,000 employees and it is one of the largest privately held companies in the country. Why did Hobby Lobby Sue? The store’s owners are upset with part of the Affordable Care Act that has to do with covering contraceptives with insurance. According to this article from the Washington Post, the owners “don’t... Read more

French Full Veil Ban Upheld: Just or Unjust?

Last updated on: August 22, 2014 at 4:06 pm By George G. Coe

The European Court of Human Rights upheld a 2010 French law that outlawed the full head covering in a public space. According to BBC News, “the court ruled that the ban ‘was not expressly based on the religious connotation of the clothing in question but solely on the fact that it concealed the face.’ The BBC also reports that the court’s decision is final and appeals are not allowed. The decision might make for an interesting class debate. Does the decision... Read more

McLuhan and the World as a Global Village

Last updated on: August 22, 2014 at 4:07 pm By George G. Coe

When did the so-called “global village” begin? Marshall McLuhan, the great communications theorist, suggested that it began with the invention of the television and telephone. The host of the short clip above notes that before the invention of these gadgets, books were our only link to the greater world. Below, Black Adder reminds us how daunting the first book must have been. Read more

Religious Freedom and the Bald Eagle

Last updated on: August 22, 2014 at 4:07 pm By George G. Coe

What happens when native American spirituality collides with an American national symbol? In 2012, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gave the northern Arapaho in Wyoming a permit to kill two bald eagles. According to this story in the Associated Press, the permit was “issued after the Northern Arapaho Tribe filed a federal lawsuit last year contending the refusal to issue such permits violates tribal members’ religious freedom.” Many native American tribes use eagle parts, especially feathers, as part of... Read more

Ramadan 2014: Resources

Last updated on: August 22, 2014 at 4:08 pm By George G. Coe

Ramadan begins today, June 28, and continues through Monday, July 28th. It is the Muslim month of fasting, one of the Five Pillars of Islam. It occurs on the ninth month of of the Islamic/Hijarh calendar which is lunar based, which makes predicting the start of Ramadan a bit tricky. Muslims should not eat or drink between sunrise and sunset each day of the month and they are encouraged to give charity to the poor. Here are some resources that... Read more