promoting tolerance

I wrote a blog yesterday about my friend who died in a car crash when two gangmembers running from cops ran a red light and T-boned his car. We're all in shock and pain. We're all reacting in different ways. Some pray, some cry, some scream, some yell, and some... seek blame.  Read More »

Now that the contest is over, and I have crossed the line from "scholarly" blogging to "confessional" blogging, I feel that the pressure is off. I spent the last 8 weeks blogging about religion. I said at the beginning of that project that I believe that religion and sexuality are *the* two most driving forces of human behavior.  Read More »

I went to my first shabbat service this morning. This was my site visit for my final paper for my Religious Studies class. I was invited to my friend's home for Hannukah, and my professor said I could use that for my project, but that isn't until next Saturday, and the final paper is due next Sunday. One of the psychiatrists I work with is Jewish, and he suggested a reform temple.  Read More »

Secularism comes from the Latin world saeculum, which means “world.” It implies a focus on this world, without reference to values or entities beyond this world. It seeks to create political institutions that are independent of any established religion.  Read More »

The Sabbath is recognized as important by both Judaism and Christianity. Speculation as to why the Christians hold their Sabbath on Sunday, the first day of the week, rather than on Saturday, the seventh day of the week as it is laid forth in the Ten Commandments is blurred and varied. However I found a very interesting article that addresses this question.  Read More »

The scripture, or holy writings for Judaism are the collectively most commonly referred to today as the Hebrew Bible. Another term is the Tanakh. It is also accepted as part of the Christian Bible, which Christians refer to as the Old Testament, and it is also the foundation of Islamic scriptures. The first 5 books, known as Torah, were at one time thought to be have written directly by Moses.  Read More »

This blog is inspired by my blog: http://progressiveu.org/blog/50436-religious-intolerance-everywhere  Read More »

Just three years after Muhammad’s death, in 635 C.E., Islamic armies took over Syria. In 636 C.E. they took over Persia, then Egypt in 640 C.E. Islam spread across northern Africa, to the Red Sea and Indian Ocean from Arabia to East Africa. Islamic forces entered Spain in 711 C.E.  Read More »