http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/ 15 Other views on religion in the news. en Copyright 2011 Sun, 13 Mar 2011 20:18:30 -0500 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=4.2-en http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Washington Post blogs have moved. If you are subscribing to the RSS feed for this blog, you may need to re-subscribe with the new feed URL. If you stop receiving updates from this feed, please visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/rss where you can see all of our feeds and re-subscribe to this feed or sign up for new ones. http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/the_rss_feed_for_this_blog_has_moved.html?wprss=onfaithguestvoices http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/the_rss_feed_for_this_blog_has_moved.html Sun, 13 Mar 2011 20:18:30 -0500 By David Batstone I write this column from the very north of Thailand, near the border of both Laos and Myanmar. Here Not For Sale underwrites a children's center to provide sanctuary for hundreds of kids freed from slavery and exploitation. A Thai police officer delivered this week to our center three 15-year-old girls that had escaped their trafficker. They reported that twelve more teenage girls, with whom they had been transported from China, remained in the clutches of the trafficker.  The trafficker had promised the girls safe restaurant jobs in Thailand. In truth, he aims to put them up for sale in Thailand's prolific commercial sex industry. Deeply engrained in the American psyche is the notion that slavery ended in the 19th century. The brutal truth is that girls and boys, men and women of all ages are forced to toil in the rug loom sheds of Nepal, sell http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/freedom_sunday_sets_captives_free.html?wprss=onfaithguestvoices http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/freedom_sunday_sets_captives_free.html Sat, 12 Mar 2011 12:18:59 -0500 By H.A. Hellyer Learning lessons is always hard - especially when you're in a higher position of power than everyone else. Paradoxically, its usually those in power that are in need of learning from the lessons of the past, more than anyone else - because if they repeat those mistakes, it creates far more impact than if anyone else does. You can learn lessons from your friends, or from those you perceive as your enemies. But its abject stupidity if you just refuse to learn them. That's why I see stupidity reigning with some of our American cousins that support these hearings being held by Congressman King (R-N.Y.), investigating the Muslim community of the United States. http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/a_british_lesson_in_combatting_extremism.html?wprss=onfaithguestvoices http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/a_british_lesson_in_combatting_extremism.html Sat, 12 Mar 2011 11:34:04 -0500 By Ali Gomaa Grand Mufti of Egypt A Christian cleric clasps hands with a Muslim sheikh during a rally to demonstrate the unity between Muslims and Christians at Tahrir Square in Cairo March 11, 2011. The rally is taking place after recent sectarian clashes that killed thirteen people. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany All Egyptians - Christian and Muslim - have a fundamental right to live in safety. Acts of sectarian violence are an affront to the entire nation and must be met with a unified front. The future of Egypt depends on the cooperation and goodwill of all its citizens, and now is the time to work towards good; now is the time to banish sectarianism from our vocabularies once and for all. As Egypt turns a chapter in its history, it is important to remember that as we cast away injustices of the past, we must never cast away what http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/christian-muslim_clash_we_must_built_a_sectaraian-free_egypt.html?wprss=onfaithguestvoices http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/christian-muslim_clash_we_must_built_a_sectaraian-free_egypt.html Sat, 12 Mar 2011 11:12:54 -0500 By Hussein Rashid Approximately half-way through the King hearings today, I am struck by how nebulous the purpose of the hearings are. I am unclear as to why Rep. King has called them, and what goals they will serve. The congressional panel spoke to the confused nature, with Rep. Keith Ellison pointing out that the very name of the hearings, "The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and That Community's Response," which presupposes guilt, not just of individuals, but of the entire community. Other witnesses also seem unclear. Some witnesses are focusing on non-cooperation of Muslim American organizations with law enforcement. Zuhdi Jasser even suggests that speaking to law enforcement with an attorney is non-cooperation, not an exercise of one's rights. So this particular line of reasoning, non-cooperation, is also ill-defined. I think most Americans would be aghast if they were told that exercising their rights is an http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/peter_kings_muslim_hearings_more_questions_than_answers.html?wprss=onfaithguestvoices http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/peter_kings_muslim_hearings_more_questions_than_answers.html Thu, 10 Mar 2011 12:22:36 -0500 LEE BACA SHERIFF - LOS ANGELES COUNTY MARCH 10, 2011 HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY These are the prepared remarks of Lee Baca. This page will be updated once a live transcript becomes available. I appreciate the opportunity to add to a discussion on an important topic that affects all of our communities. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has long been a leader in the development of relationships with the various ethnic, cultural and religious communities that thrive in the Los Angeles area. Nowhere is that relationship more positive than that which exists between my agency and the American Muslim Community. We have established strong bonds through continuing outreach and physical presence at events important to the community and law enforcement. http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/lee_baca_testimony_at_peter_kings_muslim_hearings.html?wprss=onfaithguestvoices http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/lee_baca_testimony_at_peter_kings_muslim_hearings.html Thu, 10 Mar 2011 11:15:30 -0500 By Rep. Michael Honda A photo of five year old Michael Honda immediately following his family's release from internment. Image via the office of Rep. Honda. Who would have thought that my early childhood experience in a Japanese-American internment camp during World War II would offer such useful insight, sixty-five years later, in determining the direction America is headed? In reflecting on Thursday's hearings on Muslim Americans, planned by Congressman Peter King (R-N.Y.), I feel like a mirror is being held up to my life, giving value to lessons learned as a child. Make no mistake. Growing up in internment camp Amache in Colorado was no joy ride --just look at the pictures. We were treated like cattle in those camps. Never mind the fact that we were born in America. Never mind the fact that we were patriotic Americans and law-abiding citizens. Never mind the fact that we were http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/congressman_king_creating_a_religious_enemy.html?wprss=onfaithguestvoices http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/congressman_king_creating_a_religious_enemy.html Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:13:19 -0500 People attend the "Today, I Am A Muslim, Too" rally in New York City March 6, 2011. The rally was held in response to the upcoming Congressional hearings led by Peter King (R-LI) to protest the targeting of American Muslims and Arabs. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi By Ingrid Mattson I am in no position to determine Rep. Peter King's motives for his hearings on "the extent of the radicalization of American Muslims." Is Rep. King approaching this issue sincerely and with integrity, or is he indulging in bigotry? I can't answer this question and, in any case, my concerns are larger. My first concern is that the Republican Party is coming to be associated with Islamophobia, and King's hearings seem to be contributing to this trend. My greater concern is that, while individuals are attracted to radical ideas for many different reasons, perceptions of marginalization and persecution for one's beliefs or http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/peter_kings_muslim_hearings_trust_is_the_key_to_our_shared_security.html?wprss=onfaithguestvoices http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/peter_kings_muslim_hearings_trust_is_the_key_to_our_shared_security.html Tue, 08 Mar 2011 16:38:35 -0500 By Asra Nomani Credit: Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post When I heard that Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) was going to hold hearings on the issue of radicalization inside our American Muslim community, I thought: It's about time. As those hearings begin on Thursday, all of us need to grab a front row seat. This is a discussion we desperately need to have as a nation because for far too long we have lived in a culture of denial, fueled in part by Muslim community leadership that--like just about any community tends to do until prodded--denies our problems rather than admits them. I arrived in this country in 1969 as a four year old from India and, after 42 years as an American-Muslim, I can say without a doubt: an ideology of extremism has crossed across our borders, and radicalization is a real threat inside our communities in the U.S., often times http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/in_defense_of_peter_kings_muslim_hearings.html?wprss=onfaithguestvoices http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/in_defense_of_peter_kings_muslim_hearings.html Tue, 08 Mar 2011 11:43:55 -0500 By Martha Woodroof Why can't we just let Jesus be Jesus? I'm not close to being a Christian, but I am a person of faith who is quite the Jesus fan. Why? Because this guy, more than anyone I've ever known or heard of, fearlessly lived his relationship with God, the great Whatever. That relationship was his joy and satisfaction; wherever it took him was where he went. He didn't prevaricate or rationalize or temporize when it came to living his faith; he suited up and showed up. I cannot imagine a better role model for a person of faith; for anyone who also tries to live a relationship with God, rather than just talk about it. http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/why_cant_we_just_let_jesus_be_jesus.html?wprss=onfaithguestvoices http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/why_cant_we_just_let_jesus_be_jesus.html Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:48:45 -0500 By Kathy Orton I'm rooting for BYU, and not just because I think Jimmer Fredette is one of the most exciting players to watch in college basketball today. The reason I'm throwing my support behind the Cougars is because the school recently did something few colleges and universities are willing to do these days: It stood by its beliefs. BYU dismissed Brandon Davies from the men's basketball team, even though the sophomore center leads the team in rebounding and is a double-digit scorer, because he violated the school's honor code. The Salt Lake City Tribune reported that Davies admitted to having premarital sex. http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/why_im_rooting_for_byu.html?wprss=onfaithguestvoices http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/why_im_rooting_for_byu.html Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:31:21 -0500 Levi Johnston and Bristol Palin (then pregnant with their son Tripp) at the 2008 Republican National Convention. (Rick Wilking/Reuters) In a country that is supposedly deeply concerned about jobs and the economy, to say nothing about the Middle East and Afghanistan, note that last week was devoted to the abortion wars.  Although the argument had a somewhat new twist --  major sums of money involved -- little new ground was broken.    Which raises the questions: Is there any way to make progress in this area?  And can faith leaders help point the way?   A true child of the 60s, I remember the great excitement that surrounded the early days of modern contraception in America.  We all saw that being able to plan, space and limit pregnancies would be a game changer for women, allowing more to complete college, hold down  full time jobs, and excel in countless areas http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/why_arent_faith_leaders_top_advocates_for_birth_control.html?wprss=onfaithguestvoices http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/why_arent_faith_leaders_top_advocates_for_birth_control.html Fri, 04 Mar 2011 12:24:01 -0500 By Rev. Richard Cizik and Rev. Debra W. Haffner They say that politics makes strange bedfellows, and perhaps they are right. Today, we are together in speaking out against the suffering that will be caused to low-income families if the House of Representatives' proposed cuts to basic health services are allowed to stand. Richard is the co-founder and president of the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good , a partnership of progressive evangelical organizations. He is an ordained Evangelical Presbyterian minister. Debra is the co-founder and executive director of the Religious Institute, a multifaith network of more than 5,000 religious leaders who are committed to sexual justice in America's faith communities and in society, including sexuality education, reproductive justice and full inclusion of women and LGBT people in the life of each faith community. She is an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister and a certified sexuality educator. In our previous http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/by_rev_richard_cizik_and.html?wprss=onfaithguestvoices http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/by_rev_richard_cizik_and.html abortion and family planning Thu, 03 Mar 2011 10:10:15 -0500 By Francis DeBernardo Faithful Catholics who follow the debate on same-sex marriage have grown accustomed to our bishops making embarrassing and insensitive statements, and Monday's missive from the three bishops who exercise jurisdiction in the state of Maryland was no exception. The trio advance hoary and discredited arguments steeped in ignorance. http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/activist_many_maryland_catholics_support_same-sex_marriage_extending_legal_protections_to_all_famili.html?wprss=onfaithguestvoices http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/activist_many_maryland_catholics_support_same-sex_marriage_extending_legal_protections_to_all_famili.html Tue, 01 Mar 2011 16:24:24 -0500 By Rachel Held Evans Rob Bell didn't win an Oscar on Sunday, but his name trended alongside the likes of James Franco, Colin Firth, Natalie Portman and Christian Bale after rumors about the evangelical pastor's new book on heaven and hell spread across the blogosphere. The book entitled "Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived" won't hit shelves until March 29, but that didn't stop a group of conservative bloggers from speculating about its contents. http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/evangelicals_take_to_twitter_to_debate_the_doctrine_of_hell.html?wprss=onfaithguestvoices http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2011/03/evangelicals_take_to_twitter_to_debate_the_doctrine_of_hell.html Tue, 01 Mar 2011 16:00:00 -0500