June 2023 Interfaith News Roundup

by Paul Chaffee

The Interfaith News Roundup is a monthly publication of The Interfaith Observer. Paragraph by paragraph the Roundup summarizes major religion/interfaith stories that are underreported. Each paragraph is linked to the full story it introduces.

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Institutional Stories

Before Charles, Prince of Wales became King Charles III, he was well-known for his interfaith sympathies. Now comes a story from Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin about the new king’s historic relationship with Jewish leaders, which was considerable. For ten years the interfaith world has been promoted by Pope Francis. Now the movement has another powerful advocate in Charles.

Good news is emerging about one of America’s mysteries: why a majority of people believe in better gun-safety policies in a nation that steadfastly refuses to take on the issue. In Allen, Texas, 70 miles north of Dallas, faith communities are joining forces to act on their upset over gun violence, and people are paying attention. Rev. Barry Hughes, a Methodist, has organized an interfaith group, driven by the conviction that “a sense of helplessness in the wake of mass shootings is unacceptable.” Also, in Tennessee, Southern Baptist and United Methodist leaders are bringing pressure on the Tennessee legislature to take up gun violence. If it can happen in Tennessee, considered one of the most conservative states in the Union …

The schism that has driven the Methodist church over gay ordination and marriage for decades is reaching its natural conclusion. More than 2400 congregations in the US (from more than 30,000 nation-wide) have withdrawn from the United Methodist communion, with most of them affiliating with the new, more conservative Global Methodist Church. One hundred continuing UMC bishops met recently to deal with the renewal of their denomination.

Similarly bleak news comes from the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant body in the US. The SBC lost nearly half a million members last year, leaving it with 13.2 million. The denomination had a high of 16.3 million members in 2006. Demographer Ryan Burge observes, “The decline the SBC is experiencing is at a scope and scale that has not been seen in any other Protestant denomination in American history.”

Ironically, even as major denominations suffer diminishing participation, non-theist communities and individuals as well as humanistic nonprofits are petitioning to join ecumenical and interfaith religious communities. Arizona is the latest site for the well-worn debate over whether minority traditions, non-theists, and humanists should be welcomed and have a place in interfaith activities. Over the decades, those who favor openness to all have consistently prevailed.

Where have all the ‘spiritual but not religious’ folk gone? One answer is joining The Nearness, a non-religious community that is “grounded in connecting more deeply with yourself, the world around you, and the people you love.” It is not anti-religious, and many who are involved retain their religious affiliation while participating in Nearness activities. It’s an obvious haven for spiritually hungry individuals who are unwilling to put up with the theology and/or institutional realities of ‘church.’

Two dearly beloved religious leaders recently died. Rabbi Harold Kushner, who has been called America’s rabbi, has passed at the age of 88. One of his many books, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, sold more than four million copies and was translated into 12 languages. Jews and many others have been nurtured by his wisdom.

Rev. Timothy Keller, also well-loved within and beyond his own community, was a conservative Evangelical without the evangelical baggage that has tainted the tradition in recent years. In more than 20 books, Pastor Keller was able to inform and comfort those from various traditions along with his own Evangelicals. The Washington Post suggested that “Keller brought a gentleness to a brand of Christianity known for its emphasis on sin and the depravity of humanity.”

Between Church & State

Sadly, stories of ‘church & state’ are too often messy affairs, abusive and violent, and so prevalent historically that they don’t even make the ‘news’ on most days. A particularly egregious story was covered by the Guardian, about six Libyans who have been condemned to death for converting from Islam to Christianity. In Uganda similarly draconian measures, including capital punishment, are being leveled at gay people.

**Cologne Cathedral – Photo:** **Wikipedia**

Such circumstances would never arise in modern Germany, but even here government can lean oppressively on its citizens in the name of religion. Most Germans must pay a church tax whether they are believers or not. Conservative Catholics, for instance, who object to liberal measures proposed by leading German Catholics, have no way to stop contributing financially, in protest, to the institution. Their only recourse is to legally divorce themselves from the church, which includes giving up access to sacraments.

The two largest democracies in the world, India and the US, are similarly involved in struggles between religious nationalists and those who champion the inclusive, pluralistic elements of their respective traditions. Christian Nationalism in the US, as noted in “Roundup,” has grown strong in recent years and inspired a movement to end the separation of church and state. India today is rife with Hindu Nationalism, often called Hindutva, which seeks to transform India’s secular governance into a Hindu government. Right-wing Hindus are raining down grief on Christians, Muslims, and other non-Hindus, including destroying their sanctuaries. Christian nationalism in the US is being opposed by various groups; and in India, an organization called Pilgrimage of Love has begun the work to reclaim the rich inclusivity of Hinduism.

The Knights of Malta are a one-of-a-kind Catholic entity dedicated to humanitarian causes, especially hospitals and clinics. Members consider the organization to be a country and have ambassadors in countries around the world. The Vatican, however, is clearly asserting its authority over the Knights. In recent years Pope Francis has forced reforms on the order. John Dunlap, a Canadian lawyer dedicated to caring for those with AIDS, not the traditional ‘aristocrat,’ has been elected as Grand Master of the Knights, sending political ripples lapping around the world.

For Our Kids’ Sake

In New Jersey and at numerouos other public school systems across the US, Muslims are being given a holiday to celebrate Eid al fitr, a sacred day for practicing Muslims. It is one more example of the country living up to its inclusive practices.

Texas has a long history of censoring science (evolution for instance) and favoring a conservative kind of Christianity. Now its Legislature is considering three new laws. “One will allow students and teachers to engage in Bible reading during the school day; a second will require the posting of the 10 Commandments in public school classrooms; the third will authorize “chaplains” in public schools.” One wonders how, even with a conservative US Supreme Court, these new laws can survive judicial scrutiny. But the attempt speaks volumes about religious power in Texas.

After school Satan Clubs organized for primary school students were first initiated in 2020 as an alternative to other religious clubs. Sponsored by the Satan Temple, they do not promote the worship of Satan, who is not seen as a deity but someone who opposes tyranny. Their goal is to encourage benevolence and empathy, and reject tyrannical authority. Their presence has been affirmed in courts of law, and the clubs are increasingly popular.

Gifts of the Spirit

Spiritual practice, so often the best of a religious tradition, can also be an excuse for evil. Paul Mackenzie, a ‘pastor’ in Kenya, told his flock to starve themselves to death in order to meet Jesus. Two hundred bodies have been found of 600 who are missing. Mackenzie has been arrested and is in custody along with his wife and a small group of leaders.

On the other hand, recent research suggests that religion, that faith in God, leads people to be more generous, not only within their own communities, but to those outside it. The study called “Thinking About God Encourages Prosociality Toward Religious Outgroups,” involved more than 4,700 people in the United States, the Middle East, and Fiji. They asked participants if were willing to share money with people from a different religious group. Participants included Christians, Hindus, Jews, and Muslims. Researchers were surprised by the generosity they discovered, thinking that the impulse to give ended within your own group and not to others.

Psychologist Everett Worthington had been a student of forgiveness for ten years when his mother was brutally murdered, evoking rage in him. Eventually he forgave his mother’s murder through his own five-step forgiveness process – “ Recall the hurt, Empathize with the offender, give an Altruistic offer of forgiveness, Commit to forgiveness, Hold onto forgiveness.” Today the world is paying attention. A workbook assists in the process and had been translated into five languages.

**Mai Nguyen – Photo:** **Slow Food Russian River**

Mai Nguyen, a Buddhist farmer in Northern California, is bringing a spiritually inspired approach to growing grain. Her approach is based on Buddhist principles of interconnectedness.” It is designed to minimize negative impacts on the larger community of animals, people, plants, and air. It involves crops that don’t need more than rain water, food grown from composted soil, and sustainable use of the land.

The Religious Freedom and Business Foundation has awarded Intel as the most faith-friendly company in the country. The Foundation’s founder, Brian Grim, defines such freedom as “you’re free to have a faith, change your faith or have no faith at all.”

Research suggests that the most popular religious figure in the world is the Virgin Mary. Her veneration reaches out from Catholic and Orthodox Christian traditions to include Buddhists, Taoists, Muslims, Hindus and more. Of course, many millions also venerate Kwan Yin (also spelled Quan Yin or Guanyin), a Chinese feminine Bodhisattva representing mercy and compassion.

If you are fortunate enough to have a digital subscription to the New York Times, be sure to catch “Rome, Sacred Ground for Nearly 3,000 Years and Counting” by David Laskin. It is accompanied with remarkable photos by Martin Pauer. Turns out that Rome has a thoroughly interfaith history.

Header Photo: Pixabay