Martin Luther King Jr.'s Faith Background Key To His Drive For Justice

Lauren Markoe and Adelle M. Banks

WASHINGTON (RNS) Fifty years to the day after Martin Luther King Jr. knocked on the nation’s conscience with his dream, religious leaders gathered in a historic church to remind the nation that he was fueled by faith.

Later, in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial where King thundered about America’s unmet promises, King’s children joined the likes of President Obama and Oprah Winfrey to rekindle what Obama called a “coalition of conscience.”

Fourth Mass held at Sümela Monastery

The Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew celebrated Mass at Sümela Monastery in the Black Sea province of Trabzon on Aug. 15.

“We are thankful to our government for its sensitiveness on the freedom of faith,” said Bartholomew during the Mass, which was the fourth such Mass held in the historical Sümela Monastery.

Rumi and Emerson: A Bridge Between the West and the Muslim World

Craig Considine

The writings of Jalalud'din Rumi, the 13-century Sufi Muslim philosopher from modern-day Afghanistan, and the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson, the 19-century Christian transcendentalist from Boston, Massachusetts, are filled with lessons that enrich every human soul. Rumi's and Emerson's similar thoughts on religious tolerance, love and care for the soul can help bridge the ever-growing chasm between the West and the Muslim world.

Hinduism's Suggestions for a Peaceful Coexistence

Gadadhara Pandit Dasa

We all want to become free of stress and anxiety and live peaceful and happy lives. We try so hard to avoid anxieties, but somehow they find themselves into our lives. It is very natural for us to hanker for and work towards a perpetually happy existence. Rest assured, this is achievable. All it requires is a shift in consciousness.

Ramadan is ending, but fasting endures

Nadeem Badshah

Eid is finally here. Long hot days made Ramadan tougher for British Muslims this year, but fasting is growing in popularity.

No food or drink for around 18 hours, waking up at 3am each morning – and all during the hottest summer in years. This has been the challenge for British Muslims over the past four weeks of Ramadan, the month of fasting. Over the next couple of days Muslims worldwide will celebrate Eid to mark the end of this period when the body and mind has been tested to its limits.

In redemption days hoping for better

Arzu Kaya Uranli

“If the brain and the belly are burning clean with fasting, every moment a new song comes out of the fire. The fog clears, and a new energy makes you run up the steps in front of you.”
-Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi

Pope Francis' Ramadan Greetings For Eid Al-Fitr Sets Interfaith Example

Yasmine Hafiz

Pope Francis personally reached out to Muslims around the world with Id al-Fitr greetings for the holiday that concludes the holy month of Ramadan. While the message has been traditional since 1967, usually the greetings are sent by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, except for Pope John Paul II's similarly personal good wishes in 1991.

Celebrating the Spirit of Ramadan from Turkey to America

Joshua W. Walker

Growing up the son of a protestant pastor and valuing the role that my Christian faith plays in my own life, it often comes as a surprise to my friends when I tell them that Ramadan is among one of my favorite religious holidays. While Christmas and Easter are seminal to my faith tradition and represent some of my fondest memories growing up, they are one-day celebrations that in the American modern era sometimes lack the communal feel that the holy month of Ramadan offers in the Muslim world.