Palin Calls Planned Islamic Center Near Ground Zero a 'Provocation'

For those who aren't yet aware, a new Islamic community center is being built and facilitated near Ground Zero where the Twin Towers used to be. The Cordoba Project, framed and named through inspiration from the YMCA and JCC (Jewish Community Center) formats in these respective traditions and called Cordoba after the Spanish city in the middle ages that fostered fruitful relations between all the Abrahamic faiths, is to be a community center designed to serve the local community and reach out to neighboring religions and cultures in the spirit of dialogue and collaboration toward equality, justice, and peace. It's really about improving Muslim-West relations.

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf is the chair of the Cordoba initiative and founded the American Society for Muslim Advancement, which was the first U.S. program focusing on bring together Muslims and non-Muslim through the avenues of academia, policy, current affairs, and culture.

However, though the Cordoba Project is actually a force for good, truth, and justice dedicated to fostering greater understanding across communities, cultures, and religions, Sarah Palin has denounced these efforts as "provocation" and against the "interests of healing" (The Hill, 7/18/10).

I believe Palin has grossly misunderstood the intentions and possibilities of the Cordoba initiative. Rather than spreading rumors and distorted tropes, perhaps she could gain a bit more insight through seeking to better understand and learn from the principles and actions of this very important and peace-making project.

For more, read the whole article by Ben Geman at The Hill.

Serene Jones' Open Letter to Glenn Beck

Feminist theologian and president of Union Theological Seminary, Serene Jones, has written an open letter to Glenn Beck as a response to Beck's advocacy to his audience to steer clear of churches and synagogues that use the term "social justice" in their communications.

The main gist of the letter is an announcement that Bibles are being sent to Beck with the many references to social justice highlighted in the text and an explanation as to why these Bibles are being sent - to inform him and his audience that human rights and social action are part and parcel of the biblical tradition.

Read Jones' open letter at the Huffington Post.

Conservative Christian Case for Separation of Church-State

Jimi Jobin, an alumnus of the evangelical Liberty University and pastor of Terra Nova Faith Community in Las Vegas, has written an article giving a very convincing argument as to why conservative Christians should uphold and celebrate our forefathers' constitutional inclusion of religion-government separation.

Jobin makes the overarching point that the American colonists and our founders experienced time after time church-sponsored or run states (e.g. The Holy Commonwealth of Massachussetts - Puritans/Congregationalists, southern states - Anglican, Pennsylvania - Quakers) and the oppression and persecution that this most often elicited. So, they made sure that this wasn't going to occur when they were outlining and formulating the Constitution for the Union and thus included the first clause (no establishment clause) of the 1st Amendment.

It's a very compelling and informed open letter, and shows that there are some conservative Christian brothers and sisters who do recognize the importance of the separation between church and state. We should never keep religion out of public life, but it has no place in our governing structures, for sure.

Read the article at Religion Dispatches.

John Dominic Crossan Speaking in Australia

For those interested in New Testament studies and historical Jesus scholarship, bible scholar and member of the Jesus Seminar, John Dominic Crossan will be speaking in Carlton, Victoria, Australia from Tuesday August 31 - Friday September 3, 2010. This event is sponsored by the Progressive Christian Network of Victoria.

Dr. Crossan's lectures will address three fundamental questions:

1) What does it mean that, before Jesus ever existed, there was already a human being in that Mediterranean world whose titles were Divine, Son of God, God Incarnate, and God from God?

2) What is the difference in content when Caesar and Christ are both proclaimed as "Savior of the World"--if we have only one world, why two Saviors?

3) Finally, is the God of the Christian Bible violent or non-violent? And, if both, do we conflate those twin visions or--and how--do we decide between them?

Though I won't be able to go, simply the content of these questions to be addressed leads me to believe that these lectures and discussions will be very intriguing and informative concerning early Christian thought, ancient near-eastern culture, and the personalities of Jesus and Paul.

Click here to read more about event details.

Power of Understanding -- Both Intuitive and Intellectual

On Unity.org's main website, a short article on Spiritual Understanding was recently published by Gail Dobert who is director of Silent Unity's Telephone Ministries. This article is very appropriate and timely since Unity Worldwide Ministries (formerly the Association of Unity Churches Int'l) has declared the month of July as having the theme of understanding -- one of Charles Fillmore's twelve spiritual powers found in each human individual.

In this brief overview of spiritual understanding, Dobert makes the claim that there are essentially two different kinds of understanding -- spiritual/intuitive understanding and intellectual understanding -- and the spiritual/intuitive kind is actually that which reveals true insight into the Divine and is the true source of inspiration and spiritual growth. She sees intellectual understanding as limited and quite inferior to the intuitive type of understanding. She states, "Spiritual Understanding wells up from within through intuition and inspiration. Spiritual Understanding is different from intellectual understanding. While intellectual understanding is important in life, there are things we simply cannot intellectually understand. We must seek to find greater understanding and meaning by seeking Spiritual Understanding."

Though I agree with her when she says that there "is a bittersweet mystery about life" and that we as humans aren't meant to understand everything, this principle must apply to both our intuitive and intellectual natures. Indeed, even our intuition or "gut-feeling" faculty of our being is limited in ways and has certain boundaries. Neither our intuitive nor our intellectual sides are limitless, unbounded, and completely free from mistake or misunderstanding.

With this in mind, through my own personal experience, I believe our intellectual nature is just as insightful and conducive toward spiritual growth and experience of truth as our intuition. In fact, dichotomizing intuition and intellect is failing to take into account the interrelatedness, interdependency of all faculties of human existence. I view our human nature as holistic -- faith and reason, heart and mind, intuition and intellect are cooperatively and harmoniously integrated such that they play off of one another in mutual support. Neither is superior or inferior to the other. They are reciprocally up-building in efficacy and activity.

I've found that some of the most insightful and inspired moments in my spiritual experience about God, Truth, Christ, my Self, etc. have been through intellectual reflection and study. Now, this has most definitely been corroborated and resonated by times of contemplation in the Silence. My point is simply that neither intution nor intellect is necessarily greater than the other and both fall short of fully and totally grasping the eternal, infinite, and ultimate Reality we name God or Truth. We may experience flashes or moments of spiritual insight into the Absolute Nature of Reality or God, but in the end we are individual creations within the Mind of God, part and parcel of God's Mind. In the end, words, concepts, language, categories and understand of any kind falls short of fully experiencing the eternal and infinite Mystery of the Divine in which we live, move, and have our being.

IL State Police Revoke 1st Muslim Chaplain

This story actually hits very close to home for me, since I live in central Illinois and know quite a few state troopers.

Here's a snippet from Faith in Public Life:

"The Illinois State Police has revoked the appointment of the agency's first Muslim chaplain, citing only information revealed during a background check. A national Muslim advocacy group Wednesday blamed the move on Islamophobia.

Kifah Mustapha, a Chicago-area imam, was appointed the agency's first Muslim chaplain in December. Community groups had praised Mustapha's appointment as a nod to the growing diversity among the agency's nearly 2,000 officers." (FPL, 6/24/10)

I'm certainly glad to see that the IL State Police are interested and seeking a greater diversity in their chaplaincy positions, since, no doubt, the religious diversity of state troopers and IL citizens is ever-increasing. However, I'm a bit disturbed that there are groups like the Washington-based think-tank, the Investigative Project on Terrorism, that seem to be dead-set on suppressing this burgeoning plurality and diversity, couching it in the guise of "terrorist threat."

Now, the details of Mustapha's background haven't been discussed because they're considered confidential by the IL State Police Department. Nonetheless, a thorough background check should be administered, but this shouldn't deter the Department from seeking other imams to serve if Mustapha's turns out to be detrimental. We need to encourage our police departments, fire squads, educational facilities, community centers, and other public services to celebrate and affirm religious diversity and see the positivity in it.

Read more of the story by the Associated Press's Sophia Tareen.

Beyond the God Gap

A new study by Public Religion Research and Third Way have produced a paper this week entitled "Beyond the God Gap: A New Roadmap for Reaching Religious Americans on Public Policy Issues." It deals with four major Christan religious groupings that dominate U.S. life and how a new but increasing array of diverse progressive religious voices is burgeoning, and how there is a broadening of political agendas among many people of faith.

With this kind of research and the amount of media attention dedicated to this issue, maybe it's time to rethink our assumptions about religious Americans and public policy.

Jim Kessler and Robert P. Jones of the Huffington Post have published a great article that reviews the "Beyond the God Gap" paper and the prominent issues concerning the growing chorus of progressive and liberal religious perspectives in the U.S. and how this affects public policy. Read it here.

Silent Unity Celebrates 120 Years

This year marks the 120th anniversary of Silent Unity. Literally millions of people have contacted Silent Unity for affirmative prayer, and there are countless extraordinary stories of people's faith being uplifted, health renewed, relationships restored and prosperity realized.

Visit Silent Unity's webpage to learn more.

Watch the celebration video:

Unity World Day of Prayer 2010

This year's annual Unity World Day of Prayer will be on Thursday, September 9, 2010. With the theme "Living in the Flow," the event will also mark the completion of the Unity Village central fountain restoration, which has been an ongoing project for a couple years now.

The opening ceremony will be live-streamed on the Web from Unity Village on Wednesday evening, September 8, with keynote speaker Rev. Paul Tenaglia from Unity of New York. Spiritus, a vocal ensemble from New York, along with Broadway singer Rosena M. Hill, will perform at the opening. Events on Thursday will include a fountain dedication ceremony, a seminar based on Rev. Eric Butterworth's book In the Flow of Life, and a closing celebration and ceremony.

Visit the World Day of Prayer website for details and information on other events that will be live-streamed.

Unity Seminary Sunday: Funding Our Future

For those involved in the Unity movement, help pave the way for the next generation of Unity leaders by participating in a new campaign to benefit current and future ministerial students (like myself) -- Unity Seminary Sunday.

Unity churches are invited to choose a Sunday in October 2010 or March 2011 to let congregants know about Unity Institute and up-and-coming Unity ministers, and take a second offering to support them. If you feel so inclined, you may arrange for a ministerial student or faculty member to speak at your church or center on the designated Sunday.

According to Unity and Unity Worldwide Ministries (formerly the Association of Unity Churches, Intl.), this campaign is designed to give congregations an opportunity to join with Unity School and Unity Worldwide Ministries to create a stronger, more vibrant learning community to serve congregants, churches, and the wider Unity movement.

Here's a video about Unity Seminary Sunday:

Evangelical Pastor Tests 1st Amendment

Evangelical pastor, Rev. H. Wayne Williams, is endorsing from the pulpit conservative Republican gubernatorial candidate Gordon Howie (South Dakota), likely hoping to take this issue all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Now, I don't often make posts concerning issues explicitly related to politics and government, but this activity is a blatant disregard of the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which guarantees the freedom of practicing any (or no) religion that we choose and freedom from any religion being established as a state religion or being favored over others, and I'm a huge advocate in support of this very important Amendment (in line with the advocacy of the Interfaith Alliance).

The issue is this: the Johnson Amendment of 1954 enacted by Congress states that no 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization can make political endorsements. This is because tax-exemption status amounts to a public subsidy since the rest of the tax-payers shoulder more tax burden of this exemption. Congress determined (appropriately and fairly) that such organizations that benefit from tax-payer subsidies shouldn't be able to endorse political candidates.

So, along with Episcopal priest and U.S. religious historian Randall Balmer, I say to these folks who want to have tax-exemption AND the benefit of political endorsement -- if you want to endorse political candidates, fine, but to make it balanced and fair, give up your tax-exempt status and thus your subsidies from the people, the tax-payers.

The no establishment clause of the 1st Amendment is the very reason why religion flourishes in great and rich diversity in the U.S. When freedom of religion and freedom from religion being tied to the government functions as a legislative principle, then religious plurality and variety and fervor burgeons, which is a wonderful thing and which is a great asset to our nation.

Those of us who are religious leaders certainly, as American citizens, have the right to walk our religious path any way we choose (granted it doesn't infringe on the rights of others) and endorse privately as a citizen any candidate we want. But the Johnson Amendment rightly disallows us from endorsing these candidates on behalf of a non-profit tax-exempt organization. And this has been upheld by the Supreme Court for years.

This is definitely a 1st Amendment separation of religion and government issue. To learn more about this issue, read Randall Balmers post on Religion Dispatches, or visit the Interfaith Alliance website. It's and excellent and informed read.

'UN' of Faith Groups Set Roles in Disaster Relief

For every disaster - be it natural or otherwise - there always comes help from religious groups, setting aside their denominational, doctrinal, and worldview differences to come together and offer physical, emotional, and financial support: food, water, money, and crews of volunteers to come and help out in practical ways.

Tom Breen of the Associated Press writes an article about this often largely unknown hodgepodge of religious communities and their dedication of social action. Read the story here.

New Book on Scripture to Comfort the Sick

With so much focus in America on health care and health care reform, a new book by Beth Bosserman, Medicine from God: Scripture Verses to Encourage and Comfort the Sick (Pleasant Word, 2010), takes a pastoral care angle by offering a treasury of Bible verses offering strength, encouragement, comfort, and inspiration for those who are ill and for those who minister to the ill.

In the midst of debate, contention, and controversy over the legislation and implementation of new health care models, this book is a rather different and important Christian spiritual angle to address the needs of the sick. This is a side not covered very much in the media and so I'm glad to see it's being addressed in this way.

For more, read the entire story here at RNS.

Christian Science Names New President

For those New Thought folks out there, Christian Science (the New Thought movement grounded in prayer-healing and founded by Mary Baker Eddy) has just named a new president. Fujiko Signs, a Japanese-born practitioner, will take the annual position as president.

According to the Religion News Service, Ms. Signs says, "...my passion is to communicate the universality of Christian Science."

Since Signs is a woman from Tokyo, this appointment certainly speaks to the global reach of the Christian Science movement, the oldest of the New Thought churches. I wish Ms. Signs well and hope she shines in her role as president, leader and advocate for the power of prayer and of the mind to influence our experiences for the better.

The RNS has the whole story.

Unity Lecture - "2012: Birthing a World of Unity and Compassion"

On Thursday June 24, 2010 from 7-9pm, Christine Page, M.D. will be giving a lecture at Unity Village about the upcoming and much talked about 2012 prophecies.

Join Christine for what ought to be an exciting lecture, where she'll explore 1) The Mayan prophecy that speaks of a future world of peace and unity; 2) Why it is so important to stay present during these times of change; 3) Why this life, more than any other for the past 26,000 years, is so important for the manifestation our unique soul's destiny; and 4) How to safely surf the waves of change that accompany any birth.

Though I'm not a huge proponent of making too big of a deal of the Mayan calendar and what it might mean, I'm certainly interested in what Dr. Page has to say concerning the hype and oftentimes fear surrounding these "prophecies" and the implications it has for our individual and collective spiritual growth into the future.

Should be interesting. For more info on Dr. Page, the event, and tickets, go to Unity.org's webpage.

New, Intriguing Topics on Interfaith Voices

For those interested in interfaith issues and aren't aware of the Interfaith Voices radio program, there are some intriguing and stimulating topics recently covered on the show.

1) Last week, host Maureen Fiedler interviewed Stephen Prothero, professor of religion at Boston University, who has just come out with a book called God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World - and Why Their Differences Matter.

This is a very important book and interview. For one, Prothero is a wonderfully clear and interesting speaker and writer. But also, his points are extremely crucial for students, practitioners and leaders of religions and interfaith groups. He argues that there are very significant, very real differences among the world's religions and that we need to start recognizing this.

Indeed, he's right - many of us, especially in the liberal-progressive wings of religions and those involved in interfaith efforts have often been overly focused on the similarities or convergences between faiths. But, we can't ever ignore the beliefs, practices, rituals, myths, and textual traditions that set our religions apart in divergence. Acknowledging and lifting up the similarities is quite necessary for building trust and rapport between religious peoples, but solely focusing on these without recourse to the real distinctions actually does a disservice to the uniqueness and special quality of each religion. This is not to mention the notion that it's the differences that makes each religion so interesting to study, for me. If Confucius was the same as Jesus, if Buddhism was no different than Judaism, if the beliefs of Advaita Vedanta were identical to that of Islam, then studying and engaging the world's religions would be quite boring!

What we need is a good dose of an analogical imagination (to use a term coined by Fr. Dr. David Tracy of University of Chicago Divinity School). That is, rather than the relation between religious perspectives being seen as either totally the same or completely disparate, he suggest the category similarity-in-difference, which is essentially the mode of analogy. Neither a watered-down, lowest-common-denominator kind of sameness, nor an irreconcilable, unrelated disparity, what is needed is a creative, imaginative ability to perceive and understand both simultaneously -- similarity-in-difference.

2) Also, the latest episode is a very controversial topic - don't ask, don't tell and gays in the military. Very provocative stuff. Maureen mediates two opposite positions on the repeal bill in the House currently -- Daniel Blomberg of the Litigation Council of the Alliance Defense Fund (anti-repeal) and Rev. Dr. Welton Gaddy, president of the Interfaith Alliance (pro-repeal). Listen to this show for an excellent crash-course on the topic and to experience religious perspectives on both sides of the issue.

3) And lastly, later in the latest episode there is a brief segment concerned with the 2010 World Religions Summit in Canada, an effort to push the UN to follow through on its commitment to fight poverty, AIDS, and other global difficulties. Maureen interviews Karen Hamilton of the Canadian Council of Churches. She answers tough questions on how to move beyond religious finger-wagging and inspire the UN to get the ball rolling.

All these shows can be streamed and listened to at Interfaith Voices. Check them out!

Forthcoming Unity Book on Christology

Rev. Dr. Thomas Shepherd, a Unity minister and chair of the Historical and Theological Studies department at Unity Institute, is coming out with a new book this summer that is centered on Christology - the theological term for the study of who Jesus Christ is and his importance for Christians. It is going to be entitled: And He Walks with Me: Jesus 2.1 - Interactive Edition.

This should be a very intriguing and instructive Unity Christological perspective. Here is an excerpt from the beginning of Dr. Tom's book, explaining the rationale for writing such a text:

"Why add to the towering pile of books about Jesus of Nazareth? One might reasonably argue that too much has already been written about him. What possible good can another volume of Jesus-talk do in today’s postmodern, post-911, post-Christian world? Surely, all the great ideas about the man from Galilee have already fought their way into print. What fair wind of change could another discourse on Christology—by yet another self-appointed theologian—add to the hurricane of words blowing through Christendom for the past 2,000 years? People have continued to eat, drink, marry and give in marriage, and they have muddled through quite nicely without the current volume to guide them. Isn’t it obvious that, while making their lives and raising their families, people have successfully managed to make and re-make Jesus Christ based on the needs of each successive era?

"Yet, it is just that observation—the successive re-making of Jesus, vertically through history and horizontally through contemporary cultures—which distinguishes this book from other works of Christology. And He Walks With Me: Jesus 2.1 – Interactive Edition differs takes seriously the creative process by which people have shaped their Jesuses. In fact, I will argue that creative interaction with inherited images and ideas about Jesus constitutes a healthy, positive course of intellectual and spiritual growth, an essential component in any understanding of Jesus Christ and the faith bearing his name."

This excerpt (as well as my familiarity with his past work) leads me to believe that Dr. Tom's treatise will likely be engagingly written, relevant to our present contextual concerns in 21st century America, and well-informed in terms of the primary and secondary sources used in treating biblical and theological problems. It also is a much needed academically sound and intellectually stimulating treatment of Christology to be read in Unity circles, especially for ministerial students like myself.

Check out Dr. Tom's blogsite here for more info.

Social Justice is a Virtue

Here's a very good article by Cathleen Falsani of Sojourners magazine about the practice of social justice as a rather forgotten but re-surging Christian religious value.

It's an excellent appraisal of how actively working for equality and justice in our societies and communities is part and parcel of ethical uprightness and spiritual growth, grounded in the example and identity of Jesus the Christ.

Check it out!

Building an Interfaith Community in Switzerland

This July, a seminar at the World Council of Churches' Ecumenical Institute in Bossey, Switzerland will bring together over 30 young adults from the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian traditions to address the question: "How can we affirm our identity as Muslims, Jews and Christians not in separation or against each other but in relation to one another?"

Activities will include spiritual and educational exercises as well as sports, recreational activities, and everyday tasks, done in the spirit of togetherness in diversity.

For more info visit the WCC website.

(Image from WCC website.)

Religious Roots of Liberal - Progressive Values

John A Buehrens has just written an excellent op-ed article in the Washington Post concerning the comeback of a recognition of the religious roots of liberal and progressive values.

Check it out and celebrate being simultaneously and inextricably religious and progressive!

Tom Shepherd on Unity and Doctrine

For those interested and aren't aware of Rev. Dr. Tom Shepherd's blog, he has recently written a post about Unity as a way of life rather than a set of prescribed doctrines. I find most everything Dr. Tom writes to be insightful, engaging, and forwarding a lively attitude of progressing Unity principles in new directions while also incorporating important ideas and language from traditional Christianity.

Tom writes about an increasing tendency in Unity to become dogmatic about Unity metaphysical teachings and language, even though we claim to be a movement grounded in openness and inclusivity that isn't bound to any particular set of doctrines or beliefs. This is why he points to Unity being better characterized as more of a way of life or manner of being rather than prescribed beliefs or teachings to follow.

In the end, my thoughts are simply that religion (including Unity) has always been more about experience and doing things founded upon experience rather than believing or adhering to dogma.

Read Dr. Tom's post here.

More on the Texas BOE Curricula Rulings

"While the impact on the actual writing of textbooks may not be that dire the Texas Board of Education is clearly rewriting history to fit a conservative agenda and a Christian dominant worldview." (Religion Dispatches, 4/27/10)

For those who are following this story about the Texas BOE rulings on reconfiguring curricula that cater to a conservative-evangelical Christian perspective, there is a new article written by Lauri Lebo of Religion Dispatches that comments on the issues at stake here. The Texas BOE has went through with major rewriting and editing of critieria for Texas educational textbooks without even a hint of understanding of the 1st Amendment and the fact of prominent religious plurality and diversity in the U.S.

Check out Lebo's essay here.

New Ex-Offender Program Puts Religion Before State

"With budgets slashed, corrections officials are struggling to reduce the recidivism rate among ex-offenders. Chuck Colson’s new program steps into the breach, and hopes to bring down the wall separating church and state to help ex-offenders stay out of prison." (Religion Dispatches, 4/25/10)

Religion Dispatches writer, Mark Bergen, covers a story about a new program called Out4Life (part of Prison Fellowship Ministries, an evangelical prison ministry) to assist in getting recidivism rates down, to help offenders stay out of prison through helping them secure a job, go through rehab, and find a church community for support.

There is a bit of controversy about Out4Life because state-run and financially-burdened prisons are increasingly relying upon these religious ex-offender programs, which raises the question about the 1st Amendment issues of the separation of church and state.

Read the whole article at Religion Dispatches to get a fuller idea of the nature and practice of this prison ministry and the surrounding controversial issues.

(Image from Religion Dispatches website courtesy of Prison Fellowship Int'l.)

Sarah Palin and the National Day of Prayer

Rev. Welton Gaddy, host of the nationally syndicated radio program State of Belief and president of the Interfaith Alliance, has written a very inspiring and instructive essay about Sarah Palin and the National Day of Prayer that he read on last weekend's show and which appears in Religion Dispatches e-magazine.

Rev. Gaddy essentially denounces Palin's empassioned comments concerning a federal judge's ruling on the National Day of Prayer and that the U.S. is a Christian nation that "needs to get back to its Christian roots." He critiques her recent statements as uninformed and a-historical, since the fact that America is not nor has it ever been an officially Christian nation is quite well documented through sources such as statements or treatises formed by presidents Washington and J. Adams, not to mention the 1st Amendment's no establishment clause. Palin's statements were flippant, ignorant of the history of American culture and law, and simply pandering to a significant conservative (and largely evangelical-fundamentalist Christian) audience.

Here's a brief excerpt from Rev. Gaddy's commentary:

"Palin has thrown what we used to call in West Tennessee “a conniption fit” over the federal judge’s decision that the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional. While many of us applauded a judge who seems to understand the First Amendment’s religion clauses, some political pontificators and bandwagon religionists rushed to microphones to decry the further moral ruination of the nation. . .

"Palin did get one thing right in her Louisville speech. She said the Founding Fathers were believers. That is a true statement. Many of them were deists, but few of them were Christians by Palin’s narrow evangelical definition. However, the larger truth is that these were people, regardless of their religious identity, who had witnessed the abuse and violence that emerge when institutions of religion and government became entangled. . .

"The American people do not need the President of the United States to tell them when to pray or what to pray for. By definition prayer is personal and volitional. But neither do the American people need Sarah Palin stirring a revolt to get rid of the very principles that have assured efforts to guarantee civil rights to everybody and made our nation great." (Religion Dispatches, 4/22/10)

Read Rev. Gaddy's entire essay here.

Listen to State of Belief where Rev. Gaddy read this on air.

My Blog Article on TCPC eBulletin

The most recent eBulletin for The Center for Progressive Christianity (TCPC) has published a blog article I wrote about recent findings in evolutionary biology and how these resonate well with religious faith and ethics.

Check out my blog article on my blog page or at TCPC.

Buddha Doc on PBS

Yesterday a new PBS documentary about the Buddha was shown. Filmmaker David Grubin conveys the story of the life of Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) which is narrated by Richard Gere (a Buddhist and advocate of Tibet), which I feel is not only relevant for people interested in learning more about this monumentally influential figure in world history but also provides instructive insights addressing our times frought with turbulence, confusion, cultural diversity, and religious ambiguity.

The documentary features interviews with religious scholars on the Buddha and Buddhism as well as with practitioners and adherents of Buddhism (including a few monastic renunciants). Though a bit watered down for time's sake (and I do admit my prejudice as an extra-scrupulous perspective as a religious studies scholar), it's a great historical-cultural overview of the life of the Buddha and the origins of the great Eastern (and increasingly Western) spiritual tradition.

Watch the whole documentary online here.

Jesus in 3-D...

A new History Channel documentary claims to reveal the "real face of Jesus" by using the same computer technology that produced the big blue aliens in Avatar. Using the Shroud of Turin, a tattered piece of cloth that has the outline of a facial image that many people over the past century have suggested is that of Jesus of Nazareth, the documentarians have produced a three-dimensional moving image of a man based on the structure of the image on the Shroud.

Though I haven't yet watched the documentary, I plan to. Even though I'm doubtful about the Shroud of Turin actually being the burial-wrappings of Jesus, I'm actually interested in the subject matter mainly because of what I'll likely learn about the technology used to create a 3-D image of the man behind the Shroud. If nothing else, this documentary is sure to stimulate our imaginations.

Check out a Religion Dispatches article about the documentary.

Independent Documentary on Military Chaplains

In recent years there has been an ongoing debate depicted in many media outlets about religion in the military. The question has become: Are U.S. laws preventing soldiers from praying according to their own religious convictions? Or are military officials abusing their power and authority and violating the Constitution by trying to convert soldiers?

This debate indelibly involves millitary chaplains who are providing spiritual service and pastoral care to other soldiers. The question for chaplains is basically are laws preventing them from praying with soldiers according to their own faith tradition, or are chaplains misusing their authority by proselytizing and subverting the Constitution?

These issues and more are addressed in the new independent documentary called "Chaplains Under Fire," which gets behind the media headlines right to the quick of what military chaplains do and the intense church-state/religion-government tensions they actually face on a day-to-day basis.

Check out a review and get more info about the documentary here.

Read more at RNS.

Military Chaplain Influenced By Unity Teachings

Lysa Allman-Baldwin on Unity.org has recently published a blurb about an Army Chaplain by the name of Michael Beach who, as a Baptist minister, discovered Unity teachings online and became an advocate of Unity principles. He reports that, as a military chaplain, he's called to uphold religious freedom and support those who are in need of spiritual and emotional help. He says that, after reading about Unity and listening regularly to Unity.FM, he's even more able to stay spiritually centered and actually perform his chaplaincy duties even better.

Check out Baldwin's profile of Chaplain Beach at Unity.org.

The Hutaree Militia

Until the recent news stories broke covering the arrest of the nine members of the Hutaree Militia charged with "seditious conspiracy" (which has a maximum of life in prison, if convicted), I'd totally forgotten about this ultra-conservative, fundamentalist and militant form of Christianity. It seems that I've so surrounded myself in a progressive Christian bubble that, with the exception of the few news stories covered in the media wires I follow, I've been rather blind to these Christian-centric, extra-fervent militia groups.

For those who haven't been able to follow the media coverage, The Christian Soldiers of the Apocalypse (another name for the Hutaree) is an organization that believes that the end of history spoken of in Revelation and elsewhere in the Bible is imminently approaching, along with the appearance of the Anti-Christ who will be the inlet for Satan and the downfall of humanity. Thus, they, as well as all Christians, are obliged to know this and prepare by forming armies for Christ. This is part and parcel of a fear of all government and especially of what has been termed the New World Order, where all nations and peoples are united (and controlled) by a central command (which will eventually be the seat of the aforementioned Anti-Christ). Apparently, their rhetoric and preparation has caught the attention of the U.S. government, which is prepared to crack down this seditious conspiracy to overthrow the current government and establish a purely Christian system of governance, one which harkens back what they call the Colonial Christian Republic before the establishment of the U.S.A. (Source: www.hutaree.com)

This dangerously intolerant and divisive movement is not only an affront and radical distortion and misunderstanding of the teachings of Jesus Christ and the doctrines and values of the Church since the 1st century, but it's also a manifestation of the changing times we're living in. There have always been radicals (sometimes violent and hateful) on both sides of the spectrum, but it seems to have intensified lately due to the turbulent socio-political and economic situation. To me, this militant Christian movement is in the same categorical camp as militant fundamentalists in Islam or Hinduism or any other religion. Fundamentalism, as a reaction against the cultural changes and progression toward greater tolerance, diversity, pluralism, and equality, is grounded psychologically in fear and theologically in a misappropriation and misinterpretation of the inclusive and forbearing messages of the founders/leaders of the various religious traditions.

It's sad to see these violent and hateful movements develop and influence people toward intolerance of differing others, but the most we can do is to become more informed about the groups and issues, promote dialogue with religious and cultural others, and stand up to injustices, inequalities, and hatred wherever we experience them.

For an informative and thought-provoking essay on the Hutaree, apocalypticism, and fundamentalism see Chip Berlet's article at Religion Dispatches.

Above image from Religion Dispatches website.

1st Amendment Rights and Texas SBOE

As many know by now, this month the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) has voted on a variety of amendments to the state social studies educational curriculum. These amendments will severely mitigate the information Texas students will receive concerning the 1st Amendment rights and and the boundary between religion and government in the U.S.

Furthermore, since Texas is the one of the largest consumers of textbooks in the country, most publishers tend to shape the content in textbooks based on the curriculum standards set by Texas government. Thus, this misguided change in curriculum could potentially affect our children across the nation, not just in Texas. Urgent action is very much needed on this front.

Among the proposed changes to be made in the Texas curriculum, the SBOE voted to: 1) Remove Thomas Jefferson from the world history curriculum of Enlightenment thinkers and replace him with Christian thinkers such as Thomas Aquinas and John Calvin; 2) Require that students explore the right to bear arms as part of the 1st Amendment rights of free expression (but which is already covered in the 2nd Amendment); and 3) Eliminate an amendment that would require students to "examine the reasons the Founding Fathers protected religious freedom in America by barring government from promoting or disfavoring any particulary religion over all others. The amendment didn't pass because many on the SBOE thought it "historically inaccurate." (Source: Interfaith Alliance)

If you are concerned about 1st Amendment rights for the freedom of religion and the separation of religion and government, please take action by sending a letter to 3 major textbook publishers urging them to reject the Texas SBOE's curriculum changes. Let's act to make sure our children's educational curricula are based on historically backed evidence and not on any ideology.

Evolution Favoring Religion?

A recent post by Mark Vernon of Religion Dispatches traces some findings of David Sloan Wilson who is a biologist researching and suggesting that the so-called "selfish gene" proposed by evolutionary biologists of the past is a fallacy. Instead, Wilson's research has lead him to posit the idea that we haven't, as humans, evolved toward the ends and purposes only of the self but rather more toward the aims and benefit of the groups in which individuals live.

Although I haven't delved very deeply into the findings of Wilson, what he's suggesting is quite exciting to me. The notion that we are genetically geared toward doing what's best for the communities in which we work, play, love, live, etc. just makes sense to me from my own personal experience of the world but also from the perspective of evolutionary theory. That is, the maximum potential for survival and sustainability for individual organisms seems best when the larger group of relationships is taken care of primarily. This is because we are, as most if not all life-forms, social beings and thus need the safety, security, and social identity of the community in order for us to survive and prosper as individuals. In other words, the well-being of the group maximizes the well-being of the individual, and not necessarily the other way around.

This lines up quite nicely with the beliefs and practices of most world religions which emphasize the spiritual importance of the community. In Christianity, the Church as the Body of Christ is the community that mystically participates in the love of Christ, carries the good message of liberation from sin, suffering, and death into the world, and supports each other in spiritual growth and transformation through the Spirit of God dwelling in and among its members. Though some Christian denominations emphasize this aspect of community more than others, it was certainly part and parcel of Jesus' message of the Kingdom of God and has historically always been of central significance in the life of the Christian individual. Without the Church, the individual Christian is somehow unfulfilled in the sense that the community of Christ in the Spirit is an essential aspect of the identity and well-being of the Christian. Through the support, loving relationship, and teaching of truth of the Church, the individual Christian finds a home, a family, an identity that shapes their spiritual life. As Thomas Merton has stated in quoting John Donne, "No [hu]man is an island." Amen to that.

To read the whole article, check it out at Religion Dispatches here.

Chaplains at the 2010 Winter Olympics

The Salt Lake Tribune has published an article that speaks of the presence of chaplains serving at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The article chronicles the work and feelings of the chaplains for the '10 Games who represent five major religious traditions: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism.

Many people, religious or otherwise, don't realize that there actually are chaplains for the Olympics and wouldn't think of such a need. However, in the wake of the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, it's quite apparent that chaplaincy at the Games is quite important. The head of the interfaith team of Olympic chaplains, Rev. David Wells, relates what happened after the accident when he had to confirm that Nodar was Eastern Orthodox and then arrange for an Orthodox priest who was accompanying the Russian luge team to compassionately fill in as the spiritual support.

All of this simply goes to show how important the spiritual and emotional support of chaplains is for many arenas of life, even the Olympics. Just being a listening, receptive presence can be the most encouraging, nourishing, and supportive activity that chaplains do. And the response of the Olympic chaplaincy team at Vancouver simply confirms the significance of the work of chaplains.

Read the entire story at Faith in Public Life.

Buddhism and the Dalai Lama on Unity.FM

Rev. Dr. Tom Shepherd's online radio program "Let's Talk About It" is featuring discussion on the topic of the Dalai Lama and his Buddhist teachings in relation to the Christian season of Lent (which we're currently in).

Here's a short description of the upcoming show:
"His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the great spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, is known worldwide simply as the Dalai Lama. He has written a grand summation of the most important things in life, which includes these words: 'Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.' Buddhism generally understands love as compassion for all sentient beings and, paradoxically, detachment from desire itself. Christian love is about forgiveness and altruism; there is a self-sacrificial tone to the love of God in Jesus Christ. Yet there is much that Buddhists and Christians share in common. Compassion, kindness, and selflessness. This week Dr. Shepherd looks at what Christians can learn from their Buddhist counterparts as his panel of distinguished guests discusses 'Lenten Lessons From the Dalai Lama.'" (Unity.FM)

As a scholar of Buddhist-Christian dialogue and a participant in interreligious interface, I'm curious to see who Dr. Tom's guests are and where the discussion leads, especially in terms of relating Tibetan Buddhist principles to Christian practice of Lent. Since Lent is normally understood as that time in the Christian liturgical year when we recognize our mistakes and shortcomings and reflect on how we might improve ourselves through anticipating and then sharing in Christ's death and resurrection, which are essentially archetypal symbols for the process of overcoming unsatisfactoriness and distorted relationships and living a new existence characterized by life in Christ. This world-renouncing activity of self-emptying and self-discipline in the Christian practice of Lent resonates quite well with the Buddhist ideas and practices of anatta/anatman (no self/soul) and paticcasamuppada (dependent origination) that tend to emphasize the importance of the interdependency of all phenomena and the resulting ethical implications of compassion and altruism that follow.

Tune in on Friday February 26, 2010 at 4pm CST for what ought to be an exciting and stimulating show on "Let's Talk About It."

Sin and Repentance in Progressive Christianity

The latest e-bulletin published by the Center for Progressive Christianity is concerned with the concepts/realities of sin and repentance in progressive, liberal Christian circles. Those of us Christians who adhere to a more open and inclusive theological understanding of Christian scripture and tradition have tended to either downplay or outrightly ignore sin and repentance. Sin is often denounced as an outdated, negative notion that is a product of tribal thinking and those in power attempting to control the religious masses through fear and divinely sanctioned legalistic judgment. However, is it possible for progressive Christians to retain sin by re-conceptualizing its function and presence in Christian theology? I'd like to think so.

In my progressive Christian denomination, Unity, we generally begin this reinterpretation through an etymological examination of "sin." "Hamartia" in Greek is the New Testament and Septuagint rendering of "sin," which is an archery term meaning "to miss the mark." As a metaphysically oriented tradition where consciousness is primary, Unity tends to understand sin as not so much an ontological condition in which we exist as humans, but rather actions in thought, word, and deed where we aren't in line or harmonious with the Christ presence within ourselves. That is, we sin when we aren't in conscious awareness of the imago dei of our being. in which we were originally created. The Fall happens in our consciousness, when we start believing in our separation from God, each other, and all creation. And repentance is the process by which we re-align our consciousness with God within and further express Christ's work through our actions of love, equality, and justice.

However, there are a few important aspects to the notions of sin and repentance that I think Unity has missed or at least that haven't been prominent in Unity writings and conversation. Sin not only is actions we do through our thinking, speaking, and acting but can also be thought of in the more traditional Christian idea of the limitations (a bad word in Unity circles, by the way) or boundaries of our existence as human, finite creatures living in a relative, dualistic physical realm. That is, the fact of the matter is that we, as humans, tend to make mistakes, do things to others or ourselves that we regret, and generally fail to always be in harmony with the Christ within. This isn't to say that we can't be, we simply tend to not be. The tendency to "miss the mark" could be said to be a tendency that can be cured through prayer, meditation, and spiritual social action in the process of redemption or being re-born into a new existence in Christ (living out our Christ nature in the world), but it nonetheless is a reality present in our individual and social lives as part of the problems of the human condition.

My favorite statement about sin comes from Dr. Rosemary Radford Reuther, a contemporary Roman Catholic feminist theologian and one of the professors I studied under at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. She states, "What is appropriately called sin belongs to a more specific sphere of human freedom where we have the possibility of either enhancing life or stifling it. It is the realm where competitive hate abounds, and also passive acquiescence to needless victimization . . . the misuse of freedom to exploit other humans and the earth and thus to violate the basic relations that sustain life. Sin lies in the distortion of relationship, the absolutizing of the rights of life and power on one side of a relation against the other parts with which it is, in fact, interdependent." (TCPC) What I love about this description of sin is that relationship is at the center of attention. Sin is, at its core, the distortion of healthy, mutual, loving relationship among humans, with nature, and with God. Unity has the metaphysical understanding down pat, but we could certainly inject the relational component to our conception of sin. Sin is about the misuse of our free will to promote greed, hatred, enmity, ignorance, falsehood, victimization, etc. in the context of being the relational beings that we are as humans.

So, as Lent begins, let's remember the essential, basic meaning of sin and repentence, which is about healing ourselves, mending brokenness in our relationships, and cultivating the love Christ so it abounds in our lives.

To read more about sin and repentance in progressive Christianity visit the Center for Progressive Christianity and Unity.org this Lenten season.

Portrait of Dalai Lama on Interfaith Voices

Interfaith Voices radio program will be rerunning a conversation with Pico Iyer, a long-time friend of the Dalai Lama, about the life, teachings, and spirituality of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

If you haven't heard this interview with Iyer by host Maureen Fiedler check it out at Interfaith Voices online. It's an excellent portrait of the Dalai Lama's biography (from how and when he was chosen to his issues with the Chinese government as the leader of Tibet) and Lamaism in Tibetan Buddhism.

Sacred Awakening Series

From Feb. 17 through April 3, 2010 Unity, Gaia Community, Intention Media, Integrative Spirituality, among many others will be sponsoring a teleseminar series called "Sacred Awakening Series: 40 Days with 40 Spiritual Leaders." This teleseminar is free for registration and features such spiritual teachers and leaders as the Association of Unity Churches' own president Rev. James Trapp, Buddhist social activist A.T. Ariyaratne, Hindu gurus Swami Chidanand Saraswati and Dattatreya Siva Baba, Buddhist scholar and teacher Tenzin Robert Thurman, progressive Christians Bishop John Shelby Spong and Matthew Fox, Buddhist monk Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, Rabbis Lynn Gottlieb and Yehuda Berg, Muslim scholar Abdul Aziz Said, and many more.

I've already signed up for this teleseminar, which should prove to be quite spiritually stimulating. With such a diverse array of spiritual leaders specifically tackling the issue of "how we can live a truly sacred life" participating in this seminar will foster interfaith interaction and learning concerning a central religious issue - spiritual transformation (which is really what living the sacred life is all about). And, for those of us who are part of the Christian heritage, this seminar comes just in time for Lent. Sharing in this interreligious encounter will certainly help engender the spirit of resurrection, rebirth, and renewal of being that the Lenten season is truly, at its core, is all about. I, for one, will be participating in this seminar as a Lenten practice of personal and communal spiritual growth.

Join me in registering for this teleseminar at the online website.

This week on Unity.FM (2.15-19.10)

This week on Unity.FM radio programming there is going to be a wonderful discussion on Rev. Dr. Tom Shepherd's show "Let's Talk About It." The topic of discussion will be religion and humor. Here is Unity.FM's own description of the upcoming show this Friday:

"What’s your favorite religious joke? (Hopefully, it’s something you could repeat from the pulpit on a Sunday morning!) What is the nature of humor, and what places in the Bible is it found? Does God have a sense of humor, or is there too much tragedy in the world for that question not to be offensive? Can we laugh in the face of disaster without seeming airy-faerie or disconnected with reality? This week Dr. Shepherd’s panel will tell some good ones and discuss the nature of humor as a spiritual discipline."

It should be a thoroughly interesting and comical conversation about theology, God, humor, and the human experience.

Tune in this Friday Feb. 19, 2010 at 4pm CST to listen to "Let's Talk About It" on Unity.FM.

U.S. Military Weapons Inscribed With Secret 'Jesus' Bible Codes

An ABC news investigation has discovered that some US military high-powered rifles have New Testament Bible verses cited on their sights. Trijicon, a Michigan-based company, has sold the US military these sights that essentially make the shooter see a verse like "2 Cor 4:6" as they're aiming to fire the gun.

This is an enormous breach of the US military's policy of remaining religiously neutral and un-biased. Whether or not the military knew about the verses being on the sights, they are still responsible and need to correct the problem and re-state their very explicit rules about religion equality and freedom.

What makes me shudder the most is that when soldiers are preparing to shoot a gun at other humans in battle, they are ironically doing so through a lens that is obviously promoting Christ and Christianity, which are, on my view, about love, equality, justice, compassion, and healing -- not hate, killing, violence, etc.

I would love to hear other people's reactions to this issue. Please feel free to comment on New Testament verses being put on US soldiers' gun sights.

Joseph Rhee, Tahman Bradley and Brian Ross of ABC news have the story at Faith in Public Life.

Bishop Spong Offers New E-Course

Bishop John Shelby Spong, a retired bishop in the Episcopal Church and outspoken advocate of progressive interpretations of Christian beliefs and practices, is leading an E-course online through Christ Community Church.

The course will be for three weeks Mon.-Fri. January through February 12, 2010 and will focus on outlining and discussing his newest book Is There an Afterlife: A New Vision Beyond Religion, Beyond Theism, Beyond Heaven and Hell. Here is what the Center for Progressive Christianity has to say about the book and related E-course: "His latest and last book goes beyond religion, beyond heaven and hell, and explores a very different interpretation of what the Christian story and history can mean to a modern mind. It is a refreshingly honest pursuit of truth in the face of life's toughest questions. Combining science and theology, Bishop Spong examines the 3.7 billion year long human journey from a single cell life into the complexities of modern self-consciousness; as well as drawing from his own personal journey."

To learn more about the E-course, book, and Christ Community Church visit the community's website here.

Or sign up directly for the course here.

(Photo from Center for Progressive Christianity website)

Buddhist Violence?

There is a new book out by Michael Jerryson and Mark Juergensmeyer called Buddhist Warfare (Oxford, 2009).

This book chronicles the history and significance of violence caused by Buddhist practitioners and their reasonings and rationale for engaging in such actions. The notion of violence by Buddhists flies in the face of most Westerners' stereotypes of Buddhism as a thoroughly peaceful and non-violent religion. Indeed, while the principles of Buddhism and the Buddha himself largely advocated for peace and non-violence, nonetheless, in the harsh reality of daily life in the world of samsara violence and aggression have been argued for and engaged in by devout Buddhist practitioners.

I believe this simply goes to show how ambiguous religion (any religion) can be. Religious principles and faith can be used to develop some of the most loving, compassionate, and selfless acts the world has ever seen but can also be used to justify the most heinous of actions causing hatred, suffering, and destruction. Yes, even Buddhism:)

For more info on the new book visit OUPs website.

To read a commentary on the book see Religion Dispatches.

Interfaith Vigil of Prayer, Hope & Action

"Beginning now and until health-care legislation is signed by President Obama, Christians, Muslims and Jews, across the country will be conducting a Vigil of Prayer, Hope and Action organized by Faithful Reform in Health Care (FRHC), a Cleveland, Ohio-based interfaith coalition." (Faith in Action, 1/13/10)

Read more of the story at Faith in Public Life.

This Week on Unity.FM

There is going to be some intriguing and important discussion on Unity.FM this week:

On the program "The Universe Responding" there will be conversation about the misunderstanding of the simplicity of the "Law of Attraction." It's not just "think it, then get it"; it's more about thinking being the source and starting place that then influences and impacts actions from the inside out into the world of relationships and society.

On the program "A World That Works" guest Theresa Tolan will speak about her peacework organization called Children's Global Peace Project which uses songs, games, dance, and play to help children understand what prejudice is and to realize their own potential to create equal and compassionate relationships with each other and in larger communities. This is good stuff.

Also, on the new program "Inside Out," guest Kelly Sullivan Walden discusses her foundation called The Dream Project U.N., which is an organization established on the 2015 United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Listen to how this forward-thinking woman and her project are helping to change the situations of many inner city schools.

Go to Unity.FM to listen to these Unity-based programs and more.

Online Teleseminar Series from Integral Enlightenment

Integral Enlightenment, EnlightenNext, among other sponsors, are hosting a free online teleseminar series called Awakening the Impulse to Evolve. The purpose of these online speakers and interactions will be to explore what it means to consciously participate in the process of evolving and developing ourselves, relationships, the culture, and the world.

Visit the teleconference website to register for free.

It should prove to be a compelling inspiration for spiritual growth, no matter what faith path you might be on.

Peacebuilding Conference @ Notre Dame This Spring

The Peace and Collaborative Development Network, which specializes in "building bridges, networks and expertise across sectors," has forwarded a call for papers for a student peace conference at Notre Dame.

This Notre Dame Peace Conference is being called "Investing in Peace: Uncovering the Practicality of Peacebuilding" and will be held March 26-28, 2010. The deadline for paper submissions/proposals is February 12.

Though I probably won't have any time to prepare a proposal for presentation at the conference, I will be supporting these efforts through encouraging others invovled in peace movements to participate as much as possible in this much-needed collaboration among thinkers, writers, artists, and practitioners of peacebuilding from a variety of sectors.

For more info on the conference this spring visit the call for papers site at Peace and Collaborative Development Network.

New Thought Orgs Join Together at Parliament of World Religions

The Parliament of World Religions, which just met Dec. 3-9 this past year in Melbourne, is the largest interfaith gathering in the world. During the Parliament's proceedings, various New Thought organizations (including Unity School of Christianity) came together as a larger movement of spiritual traditions to convey New Thought perspectives on many of the critical social and environmental issues and to present a unified and cohesive identity on the international stage.

Also, as it turned out, there was held a Pre-Parliament Conference where The Association for Global New Thought, The Association of Unity Churches Intl, Unity School of Christianity, Agape International Spiritual Center, Affiliated New Thought Network, The International New Thought, Alliance, and others assembled to exchange ideas and learn from each other.

This shows an incredible move to interact and dialogue within the larger New Thought outlook on the world. It's an effort that shows great interest in developing mutual support and further understanding in the process of spiritual transformation. However, as a caveat, while dialogue among New Thought groups is wonderful we must be sure, as with any dialogue, that each distinct group doesn't get watered down into a generalized lowest-common denominator, doesn't loose its specialness and uniqueness. In other words, lets not emphasize unity at the expense of diversity, but rather promote a unity-in-diversity which recognizes common ground and connectedness while also affirming the differences and plurality of our situation. The Agape Center's beliefs, ideas, practices, and governance are not the same as Unity School of Christianity which is, in turn, not identical to the Association of Global New Thought. While their worldviews maintain many commonalities they are nontheless discrete traditions with differences in belief and practice. (In fact, these principles may also apply to the unity-in-diversity among individual people. More on this at a later time.)

For more information about the pre-Parliament New Thought Delegate Conference, visit www.agnt.org/powr.

Find information on the Parliament of the World's Religions at www.parliamentofreligions.org.

Watch this AGNT video for the 2009 Parliament of the World's Religions.