All Faiths United

“Keep your flame lit, and you will never feel darkness.”   - J. Parker On Sunday, Jews around the world will begin the eight-day celebration of Hanukkah. H anukkah , the Festival of Lights, a minor holiday which is not commanded by scripture, celebrates the victory, in 164 BCE of armed Jewish rebels led by Judah Maccabe who were victorious over the army of the Syrian Antiochus IV . Against all odds, the badly outnumbered Jewish freedom fighters slew the Syrians and recaptured the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Hanukkah, which means “dedication,” commemorates the rededication of the Temple after the revolt, when the ner tamid, or eternal flame was relit. During the eight nights of Hanukkah, a candle of the menorah is lit each evening until the entire menorah is lit on the final evening.   Contrary to what many people believe, Hanukkah is not Jewish Christmas; it is a mere coincidence that the two holidays occur around the same time. Giving Hanukkah presents is a uniq...

In his Daily Meditation of November 30, 2019, Episcopal priest Matthew Fox says, “To be a spiritual adult is to be both mystic (lover) and prophet (one who speaks out about injustice).” 1 Being both mystic and prophet is something I have been reflecting on in the past few months. To be both mystic and prophet can be a challenge.   I must admit that most of my life I have concentrated more on being a lover than speaking out.   But, in our current world situation, I feel that no matter what religion we profess, we must speak out against injustice. As people of various faith traditions, what can we speak out against?   Below are four areas where I believe we can make our voices heard. Gun Control:   Speak out against the senseless killing of human beings by guns.   Semi-automatic assault weapons are a class of firearms designed for war.   Could we at least ban this type of rifle? Human Trafficking:   Speak out against this slavery...

When I was asked by my All Faiths United group to submit a post for the group’s blog, I was nervous because I have never been a great writer. I felt that others could do a better job. Yet interfaith is something very important to me and it’s something very important in today’s society so here I am. BASIS FOR MY RELIGIOUS BELIEFS I am an adopted child reared in a Catholic household. At 18, I met my biological mother, a devout Pentecostal Christian woman whom I have joined in a few church services. In college, I met and befriended some young Muslim men whom I still call friends. I learned a little about their beliefs.   Having met and interacted over time with many different cultures and religious beliefs, I’ve found my beliefs to be based on faith in a loving God and that everyone is equal in His eyes. HATRED AND PERSECUTION IN HISTORY AND THE PRESENT I always thought of hate associated with faith as a concept that was part of our past world history. Events such...