Culture

Pagans at the Parliament (1)

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In 1993 representatives of the Greek Orthodox Church publicly pulled out of the Parliament of World Religions (PWR) to protest the inclusion of “godless” Pagans. They haven’t come back. But that may change if Angie Buchanan has her way. Angie, as well as two other Pagans — Andras Corban Arthen and Phyllis Curott — are on the 35-member Board of Trustees of the Council of the Parliament of World Religions. They’ve worked diligently to build bridges to other faith traditions since they were elected to the Board — Angie in 2002, Andras in 2006, and Phyllis just this year.

Christianity

The Sacred Feminine at the Parliament of World Religions

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I’m surprised that almost none of us blogged about the Parliament of World Religions (PWR) in Melbourne, Australia (12/3 – 12/9). I realize that the US Congress was still discussing the health care bill, Obama had just given his Nobel Prize acceptance speech, and the Copenhagen Climate conference was underway. So we all have good excuses. Here at Tikkun Daily, we heard from Dave Belden, who wrote about Rabbi Michael Lerner’s workshop on the spiritual progressive movement. And Rabbi Lerner also wrote about the great disappointment world spiritual leaders at the PWR felt at Obama’s speech in Oslo.

Culture

Fears of a Future Rabbi

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Many religious leaders like to feel in control and give others advice. Though I am still a very much a rabbi-in-progress, with three-and-a-half years of study to go before ordination, I think it would show a great deal more strength for clergy to admit their shortcomings and be honest about how often they (and fairly soon soon we) don’t know what to do or how to do it. In the spirit of seeking, rather than giving, advice, I wanted to share some of the fears that I have about my future career – and lifestyle – as a rabbi. I was recently asked to record these as part of a professional development course at Hebrew Union College but thought they might be of interest here and foment conversation about the difficult life’s choices that many religious leaders face. As I look forward to life as a rabbi, I have a number of aspirations, tinged by concerns about achieving them – or missing the mark.

Inter-Culturalism

Beginning with witness

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At The Immanent Frame, Nathan Schneider interviews Mark Johnson, Executive Director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation:
NS: How is the FOR’s religious identity evolving today? MJ: We’re forced to ask ourselves what it means to do peacemaking in an interreligious—or even a secular—world. There’s quite a bit of anxiety among many people, who are asking, if the community consciously opens itself more broadly to humanists and avowed atheists, what confidence do we have that we will share basic values in common? But you can argue, I think, that atheism or agnosticism or humanism are as much religions as any denomination or sect in terms of having an identifiable set of values and, eventually, sets of rituals that shape how people think about and act in the world. A lot of what we struggle with is simply a matter of words.

Inter-Culturalism

Swiss Muslims thought they had integrated enough…

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I asked an old friend of mine, Andrew Stallybrass, who is an Anglo-Swiss working for an NGO in Geneva, and is Vice-President of the Geneva Inter-Faith Platform, for his take on the minaret ban. Stallybrass’s previous piece of writing for Tikkun was “For a True Islam,” a review of Caroline Fourest’s Brother Tariq: The Doublespeak of Tariq Ramadan. He concluded that review by writing of Ramadan, whom he knows, in stark contrast to Fourest, “I’m not alone in trusting the man and his motives.” He added, “democrats should have faith that European Muslims will recognize and embrace the best of Europe while also making valuable contributions to repairing the worst.” [Addition 12/7/09: In an email Stallybrass just told me this information, which I had not seen in the press here: “P.S. There are four minarets in Switzerland today.

Inter-Culturalism

The true meaning of Jihad

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I like this post from last summer that just came to my attention. The Israeli author, Ralph Dobrin, says of himself that “nationalistically I have views that place me more Right Wing than Avigdor Lieberman.” Still, he got into conversation with the Arab workmen whom he hired to renovate his bathroom. Having done a few of those myself I know how nicely the tea and lunch breaks can develop into deep talk with the client. So Dobrin objects to the Arab workmen about Muslim jihadists attacking Israel, and the workmen explain the true spiritual meaning of jihad.

Inter-Culturalism

Swiss Minaret Ban Reinvigorates Xenophobes Across Europe, by Noah Sudarsky

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Our friend Noah Marcel Sudarsky, former New York correspondent for the largest circulation French newspaper, has written us his thoughts about the Swiss minaret ban. Sudarsky grew up in France, Switzerland, and New York. He is a freelance writer and correspondent now living in the Bay Area. His articles and reviews have appeared in The NY Press, The Village Voice, The Onion, New York magazine, Salon.com, Citimag, Publisher’s Weekly, The New York Times, and other publications. While interpretations concerning the Swiss referendum banning the construction of minarets will occupy pundits for a while, the recent vote has already given an undeniable boost to the European far right.

Inter-Culturalism

Member of the Swiss Political Party that Pushed for Minaret Ban Converts to Islam

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Daniel Streich was a member of the Swiss People’s party (SVP), the political party that pushed the minaret ban initiave. Streich is a military instructior in the Swiss Army and a local politician in the commune of Bulle. Formerly a devout Christian, he converted to Islam–and kept it a secret for two years. Streich has left the SVP, made his conversion to Islam public, and has denounced the SVP’s anti-Muslim campaign as a witch hunt.