Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Religious Holidays 2014: An Interfaith Calendar (Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim And More)


We live in a beautiful, diverse world, and almost each day of the year is a sacred time for someone, somewhere. We are proud to present an interfaith, inclusive religious calendar for nine major world religions: Baha'i, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Jainism, Judaism, Islam, Paganism, Shinto and Sikhism. We hope you will come to this page regularly to learn about the festivals of your religious tradition as well as your neighbors'.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

A Christian's journey through Islam

Jonas Yunus*

Brussels - All over the globe, the Muslim community finds itself caught in the middle of strenuous societal debates. With Islamophobia on the rise in the West and extremism in the name of Islam growing in the East -evidenced by sectarian violence in countries like Egypt, Syria and Pakistan - the debate is often presented as a clash between Western values and Islamic fundamentalism. Few people are aware however, how much internal debate is going on within the Muslim community itself. Old ideas are challenged, new groups are forming and all sorts of evolutions take place that do not fit the crude dichotomies of "secular versus religious" or "democracy versus Islam" that politics and the media so often adhere to when discussing current events.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Please Don't Blame My Friends For Boston

Matt Dulka*

As the tragedy unfolded in Boston, many prayers welled up in me but one kept surfacing. I hoped and prayed that the terrorists would not be Muslim. I'm not sure that would have been my prayer a year ago or even entered my consciousness as a concern. But as the news broke that the suspects were Muslim, my heart sank and I became worried for my Muslim friends in San Jose and others around the country that they would be become the targets by association of people's rage and distrust. Why would that be my concern now when it wasn't much of a concern before?

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

President Obama's Easter Message

Statement by the President on Easter Weekend:

For millions of Americans, this is a special and sacred time of year.

This week, Jewish families gathered around the Seder table, commemorating the Exodus from Egypt and the triumph of faith over oppression. And this weekend, Michelle, Malia, Sasha and I will join Christians around the world to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the hopeful promise of Easter.

Monday, April 1, 2013

Official Vatican text of the Pope's Easter Sunday speech

Pope Francis
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Following is the official English language translation provided by the Vatican of Pope Francis' Easter Sunday message, delivered in Italian from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica.Dear brothers and sisters in Rome and throughout the world, Happy Easter! Happy Easter!

How Easter and Passover Can Make Your Family Happier

Bruce Feiler*

Over the next week, tens of millions of people will do something so familiar it's easy to forget how radical it is: They will commemorate the worst moments of their past. For Jews, the occasion is Passover, in which they relive their four centuries of slavery in Egypt. For Christians, the occasion is Easter, in which they painstakingly mark the trial and crucifixion of Jesus.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Interfaith Christmas: Making God Boundless

Mike Ghouse

No matter what faith you belong, the Interfaith Christmas can offer everything you had always wanted and more: To live in peace with fellow beings without feeling apprehension, discomfort or the fear of the other.

Friday, December 14, 2012

How Christians Have Almost Destroyed the Season of Advent

The Rt. Rev. Greg Rickel*

Advent is one of my favorite times of the church year. It is the beginning of the year for us, different from the “new year” in our secular calendar. Advent is a time of quiet preparation and expectation. I think it is less penitential as it has been, and still is, practiced in some churches.

Friday, August 31, 2012

The Contribution of Fethullah Gulen on Christian-Muslim relations

Mustafa Erol *

Dialogue has been the buzz word for around a century especially during the last 3-4 decades to improve the relationship between individuals and communities especially members of different faiths. Dialogue is still the work of people who are overwhelmingly either member of a religious faith or work of a religious institution. One important individual from an Islamic background who has contributed on this issue positively has been Fethullah Gulen. His followers who subscribe themselves to his approach have established many dialogue institutions, over 130 different countries to implement his philosophy.