All Faiths United

  “No justice, no peace” we hear from demonstrators in street marches.   They are voicing a fundamental truth.   Without justice, there may appear to be a form of peace, but it is fake, superficial.   Underneath the smiles, there is a simmering anger fed by smashed dreams and barriers to equality. Somewhat like the times when Jesus was born into a Palestine under the heel of Roman oppression.   Some historians have called that a time of peace, but this fake “Pax Romano” was giving birth to freedom fighters such as Barabbas, whose path would cross that of Jesus 33 years later. In his latest encyclical, Pope Francis sheds light on similar current situations by reminding us that we are all brothers and sisters. He challenges us to ponder how we will behave when we finally emerge from COVID-governed restrictions. Will some countries continue to grab instead of sharing? Will we continue to destroy our natural world? Will some people continue to put “I” before “we?”...

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...