A New Way to Be Nonreligious: The Humanist Community and Interfaith Work 11 November , 2011

Should humanists focus on building nonreligious communities? Should humanists engage in interfaith work with the religious? And if so, what are the best ways to carry out these projects? Come share your opinion!

On Tuesday, November 15th at 7:00 p.m., join the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard, Park51, and the Center for Inquiry-New York City for a discussion, led by Greg Epstein and Chris Stedman, on communities for the nonreligious and the role of atheists in interfaith work.

Hosted by Park51 and Center for Inquiry NYC, in partnership with a wide swath of NYC-based organizations, this event is open to the public.

Co-sponsors: Harvard Humanist Alumni, GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), New York Society for Ethical Culture, HUUmanists, The Humanist Institute, Ethical Humanist Chaplaincy at Columbia University, Reasonable New York, Faith House Manhattan, World Faith, Groundswell, Auburn Seminary, Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue, Bronx Community College Secular Humanist Club.

RSVP HERE. Donations to support the programs are welcome.

Service Opportunity in NYC November 18th and 19th 11 November , 2011

 
Click the picture to view the event flyer at full size.

 

What’s New at NYU? 28 September , 2011

This fall, World Faith at NYU is in a unique position as an NYU club.  Several of our officers have graduated, as have many of our members. Our programming budget has been approved, but we have no traditional programs to serve as a framework for our calendar this semester. The result is a clean slate—and a mixed bag. While our manpower is diminished, we also have the opportunity to redefine our role in the NYU community.

Put simply, most faith-based programs at the university are interfaith in spirit. That is, any student is welcome to attend events sponsored by a religious organization even if they don’t identify with the faith tradition of the organization in question. The problem is that people who might be interested in attending don’t know that! I have been one of those people. Afraid that I wouldn’t be wearing appropriate dress, that I wouldn’t know how to behave respectfully, or that I just plain wouldn’t be welcomed, I chose not to attend. With these folks in mind, I believe that there is a need on campus that we can fill: to highlight and support opportunities for dialogue and service which already exist.

To do that, we hope to co-sponsor the service events of as many faith-based clubs as possible and to make a point of inviting people who might not automatically feel invited. In this way, it is my intention to foster connections between existing organizations instead of creating another of NYU’s stereotypical micro-communities.

If you have questions or suggestions, want to be involved or stay informed about World Faith at NYU, you can contact us by clicking here.

 

Original Post By Grace Patterson, President of World Faith @ NYU

US Muslims, Jews & Christians Launch Campaign to Defend the Poor from Budget Cuts 20 July , 2011

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) – Inspired by a common spiritual conviction that God has called on all Americans to protect the vulnerable and promote the dignity of all individuals living in society, the interfaith coalition is aiming to protect those struggling to overcome poverty in the U.S. and abroad and to exclude programs that protect people in poverty from the budget deficit debates.

 More than 25 heads of communion and national religious organizations are spearheading an 18-month faith-based public policy campaign to urge Congress and the Administration to exempt programs that assist at-risk families and children in the U.S. and abroad from budget cuts. The campaign will consist of high-level meetings with policymakers, a Washington fly-in of religious leaders and daily prayer vigils among other actions.

 The daily prayer vigils are being held in Washington DC on the front lawn of the United Methodist Building (100 Maryland Avenue, NE, Washington, DC).

 Led by a different religious organization each day at 12:30 p.m. EDT, the prayer vigils will continue throughout the White House led budget negotiations. The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) led a prayer vigil on 12 July.

 The campaign was announced via a teleconference featuring a number of the country’s leading religious officials.

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Memphis Interfaith holds 5th annual community dinner 6 July , 2011

Memphis Interfaith will host its 5th annual community dinner Sunday, August 7. The theme of this year’s celebration is Serving Thy Neighbor.

The event is a chance for people of all different faiths to get together and celebrate diversity. It is being held in association with the Muslim Society of Memphis. The dinner is set to be part of Ramadan Celebration though the fasting of Ramadan will be broken during the event to participate in the networking and dining with people from all faith groups.

The event will be held at the Great Hall in Germantown. Guests are being asked to bring canned food and other non-perishables to the event.

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EMU gives interfaith peace an early start 6 July , 2011

HARRISONBURG, Va. — What does a bike-powered ice cream maker have to do with peace and justice?

A lot, for the 47 children attending June’s Interfaith Peace Camp, a collaboration of Eastern Mennonite University’s Center for Interfaith Engagement and local faith communities.

“At the heart of peacebuilding is relationship building,” notes a statement of the camp’s purpose.

With a theme of “Earth Care-People Care,” campers learned about sustainable living on visits to Jewish, Christian and Muslim places of worship, as well as the New Community Project mini-farm in north Harrisonburg.

The morning at New Community Project immersed children in aspects of sustainability that also proved fun: painting the recycling shed (and each others’ faces), shaking sand and clay on a tarp to prepare for making a cob oven, setting out cucumber plants and picking mulberries for ice-cream topping.

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Inter-cultural Leadership Training at YLC 5 July , 2011

Karachi—On the third day of the week-long Young Leaders Conference (YLC) 2011 here on Sunday the participants focused on “Inter-cultural Leadership.” The organisers said that this was aimed at creating an understanding of differences and similarities among the human race.

The chief guest for the day was Raza Haroon, a member of the Sindh Assembly. He spoke about the wealth of diversity we are enriched with in Pakistan and when we look beyond, the many cultures of the world we can respect and learn from these.

 

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Dalai Lama to Host Washington D.C. Peace Festival in July 28 June , 2011

WASHINGTON (RNS) The Dalai Lama will visit Washington next month for an 11-day peace rally that is being billed as
“the largest gathering for world peace in history.”

The July 6-16 “Kalachakra for World Peace” aims to “amplify the profound, unshakable commitment of (the Dalai Lama) to values such as love, compassion, wisdom and interfaith harmony,” according to publicity materials.

The first day of the event will mark the Dalai Lama’s 76th birthday.

Event activities include dancing, chanting of prayers and teachings by the Dalai Lama on Tibetan Buddhist principles. Like other events hosted by the Dalai Lama, Buddhist monks will create a colorful and detailed sand mandala, or mural, that will be swept away to illustrate the impermanence of life.

 

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Religion As A Bridge To Understanding, Not A Bomb Of Destruction: An Interview With Eboo Patel (VIDEO) 27 June , 2011

WATCH VIDEO

Islamophobia Topic of Interfaith Event Saturday 16 June , 2011

Representatives of different religious faiths will discuss misperceptions about Islam in an interfaith forum Saturday.

The discussion, “Truth Over Fear: Countering Islamophobia,” will be from 10 a.m. to noon at the Islamic Center of Tri-Cities, 2900 Bombing Range Road, West Richland.

Organizers said they hope the interfaith dialogue can explain the role and teachings of Islam and show how they align with human rights and democracy.

Speakers include Craig Moro, pastor of the Community Unitarian Universalist Church; Hassan Ziada, former imam of the Islamic Center; Zonia Ziada, a former Catholic nun; and Ala’a Ali, a member of the Islamic Center, who is from Egypt.

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