On Faith Panelists Blog: Archives by Date - On Faith at washingtonpost.com

Revitalizing Jewish Activism: Nov 23, Jews Uniting to End the War & Heal America

On Sunday, November 23, The Shalom Center and the Workmen's Circle will hold an action gathering in New York City: Jews Uniting to End the War and Heal America.

By Arthur Waskow | November 15, 2008; 10:54 PM ET | Comments (0)

Saudi Hypocrisy or Saudi Tolerance?

Maybe King Abdullah, by articulating the central Muslim value of religious pluralism on the world stage, will find the citizens of his Kingdom demanding that he implement it at home.

By Eboo Patel | November 14, 2008; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (77)

Divine Impulses: Maria Shriver

California's first lady, Maria Shriver, considers herself "a Catholic in good standing," but in an interview with On Faith, said that she disagrees with the church's teachings on divorce, homosexuality and abortion rights. On abortion, she said "I often talk...

By Elizabeth Tenety | November 14, 2008; 9:05 AM ET | Comments (8)

Compassion Does Not Demonize 'Fundamentalism'

Opposing a call to compassion feels like kicking a puppy with a broken paw, but it isn't. A call to compassion is not actually compassion.

By John Mark Reynolds | November 14, 2008; 7:32 AM ET | Comments (29)

Atheism/Agnosticism Plus Compassion Equals Humanism

The golden rule is achingly important because it hurts to think how often our neighbors brush us aside, violence in their words if not their fists. It hurts us to be merely a pink and brown object in their way, rather than a human being who will feel the same way about their behavior as they would if they had to endure it.

By Greg M. Epstein | November 14, 2008; 6:39 AM ET | Comments (19)

Compassion Begins with Mother Earth

Compassion includes compassion for the earth, for all the interrelated and interacting life forms, for the plants, animals, birds, trees, even the microorganisms that sustain life. For if we don't include that broader community in the scope of our compassion, if we continue to destroy the very systems that support our lives, we cannot survive.

By Starhawk | November 13, 2008; 7:53 AM ET | Comments (250)

A Post-Evangelical America?

Lisa Miller | Yes, evangelicals giving way to diversity.
Richard Mouw | No, evangelicals a vital part of diversity.

By Lisa Miller | November 12, 2008; 4:16 PM ET | Comments (48)

Ultimate Truth & Interfaith Work

Today's guest blogger is Amber Hacker, a graduate of University of North Carolina Wilmington and a Leadership Associate at the Interfaith Youth Core. Amber manages the bridge-builders network, an online community for leaders of the interfaith youth movement. I believe...

By Eboo Patel | November 12, 2008; 4:11 PM ET | Comments (0)

Evangelicals are Celebrating Obama, Too

In my part of the evangelical world, folks have been celebrating the election of Barack Obama. This is true even for those who voted for his opponent--there are many Republican evangelicals who see his leadership as a symbol that America is taking great steps forward from our too-often racist past.

By Richard Mouw | November 12, 2008; 4:03 PM ET | Comments (66)

Forget Compassion. Celebrate Modesty as Expression of Genuine Faith

In a world filled with faith-driven hate and violence, simply appealing to something as amorphous as compassion will not do the job. What we need is an agreement about how to practice the kind of modesty which assures that we not seek the destruction of those with whom we have genuine difference.

By Brad Hirschfield | November 12, 2008; 8:46 AM ET | Comments (32)

On The Unreliability of Compassion Without Enforceable Law

Let me say first that I am unequivocally in favor of compassion. But Karen Armstrong's proposal that the world should write a "Charter for Compassion" is typical of the mushy thinking displayed by those who promote the dubious notion that all religions have a similar core.

By Susan Jacoby | November 12, 2008; 7:50 AM ET | Comments (63)

Thinking religion is hard work

In her great scholarship on the history of fundamentalism, Armstrong has made the case for thoughtful, honest, steady, non-reactive and, yes, thoughtful religion. I believe in a God who calls me to live compassionately and to think compassionately.

By William Tully | November 12, 2008; 7:09 AM ET | Comments (0)

The Mystery of the Compassionate Brain

Compassion is universally revered and universally ignored.

By Deepak Chopra | November 12, 2008; 6:43 AM ET | Comments (1)

Compassion a Value All Faiths Share

We shouldn't minimize the differences between religions. But when it comes to ethics, there's a lot of truth to Karen Armstrong's premise about compassion. The golden rule or something like it is inherent to the ethical vision of all major faiths.

By Brian D. McLaren | November 12, 2008; 5:19 AM ET | Comments (5)

Compassion Cannot Stand Alone

Love, respect, understanding and compassion must be universal and unconditional. God loves everyone and makes no distinction between Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus or non-believers.

By Arun Gandhi | November 11, 2008; 11:55 AM ET | Comments (1)

Compassionate Faith: Not an Oxymoron

In light of the mixed ethical legacy of all faiths and worldviews I thank Karen Armstrong for appealing to one of the noblest of human virtues embraced by all people of good will, compassion.

By Gabriel Salguero | November 11, 2008; 11:02 AM ET | Comments (1)

My Faith in America's Promise

Even as I write this, I am weeping, because this was a victory of Biblical proportions. Barack Obama was and is tired of divisiveness; God was and is tired of divisiveness. God brought this nation to this day, "for such a time as this." This is a new America which honors the God who created us all, the God who loves all of us, no matter who we are.

By Susan K. Smith | November 11, 2008; 9:04 AM ET | Comments (33)

Choice, Life and Compassion

There is not much compassion, in my opinion, in any religion that I have studied. There is the potential for compassion, but the actual practice is almost absent, at least on a large scale.

By Susan K. Smith | November 11, 2008; 8:59 AM ET | Comments (6)

Realistic Hope and Hopeful Realism

Obama's reading of Niebuhr and his experience and observation of life as it is lived in complex times will show up in his "realistic" activity. Or am I too hopefully naive even to hope that this will be the case? Realistically: no.

By Martin Marty | November 11, 2008; 7:38 AM ET | Comments (8)

God Be Praised - Barack Obama

God be praised, Barack Obama. Let all see the hand of the God of history at his work in this matter.

By Gardner Calvin Taylor | November 11, 2008; 6:45 AM ET | Comments (1)

Obama's Convergence of Hopes

The global celebrations of Obama's victory were an opening of the letter. That is why, in responding to the "On Faith" questions, I did not distinguish between "about America" and "to the world." What Obama's election says about us it says to the world.

By Willis E. Elliott | November 11, 2008; 6:31 AM ET | Comments (0)

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Archive: November 9, 2008 - November 15, 2008