By Martin Surridge – While the state of some feet and certain odors might not be too pleasant, some are downright ugly; the ritual itself is incredibly beautiful. I am reminded of both Christ washing our sins away and the spiritual importance of serving the elderly and helping others. It makes me sad when I see how many people skip out on this opportunity because of feelings of embarrassment. I won’t argue that the process isn’t uncomfortable; however, there is incredible value in such discomfort. Following the words of Christ—turning the other cheek, loving our enemies, rejecting the ways of the world—are not supposed to be easy instructions.
Month: April 2012
Sikh Group Develops App to Report Airport Profiling (CNN)
EXCERPT: Airline travelers who feel they’ve been harassed at airport check-ins by screeners now have a speedier outlet on which to complain right at their fingertips. The Sikh Coalition, a civil rights advocacy group, on Monday released a mobile application on iPhones and Android phones giving passengers who feel they’ve been racially or religiously profiled…
Pepperdine Conference Addresses The Claims of Law and Religion
EXCERPT: “The problem is that there isn’t an understanding among the general public of the heart of the issue,”said Michael Peabody (JD ’01), an employment attorney with Bradford & Barthel, LLP in Tarzana, California. “These issues become heated conflicts. When they hit the news, people become angry. They feel that their way of life is…
Key California Committee Passes Workplace Religious Freedom Act
Photo Credit www.istockphoto.com/ Amelia Johnson n August 2010, Noor Abdallah, a Muslim woman who worked as a hostess at Disneyland’s Grand Californian hotel complained that Disney had refused to allow her to wear her hijab, or headscarf, which she wore as a sign of modesty in front of her customers. Disney, which had been working…
June is National Torture Awareness Month
Join the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) and congregations across the country in marking Torture Awareness Month this June. Under the theme “2012 – Confronting the Culture of Torture,” NRCAT has provided a variety of resources and suggested activities that congregations can use throughout the month. Worship resources; DVDs with discussion guides; banners, posters and bumper…
Taking Alarm: The Importance of the International Religious Liberty Association
“It is proper to take alarm at the first experiment on our liberties. We hold this prudent jealousy to be the first duty of citizens and the noblest characteristic of the American Revolution. The freemen of America did not wait till usurped power had strengthened itself by exercise and entangled the question in precedents. They saw all the consequences in the principle, and avoided the consequences by denying the principles.”
Interfaith Moral Action on Climate to Meet April 24 in Washington, DC
After God created the world and all that is in it, He gave it to mankind to cultivate and guard (Genesis 2:15). God gave us power over all that He made and put us in control of His creation (Genesis 1:26, 28). Unfortunately, unlike God, we are selfish and tend to misuse both power and…
Proposed Missouri gun law expanding concealed carry to churches violates religious liberty, say clergy
Clergy in Missouri are objecting to legislationthat would remove the requirement that individual Concealed Carry Weapon permits first obtain the permission from their pastor before carrying concealed weapons in church and require signage if churches do not permit concealed carry.
Why Do Gingrich and Obama Agree on the Supreme Court?
Last week, after three days of tough argument before the Supreme Court, the President created a stir when he said that it would be “unprecedented” for the Supreme Court to overturn his national healthcare plan. Obama further questioned the legitimacy of “unelected” and “activist” judges. Conservatives went crazy! How could the President criticize the authority…