Listeners' Reflections
This is your place to publicly comment on the topics and issues addressed in Speaking of Faith programs. React in a personal way, and put into words what this program meant to you.
Submit Your Reflection about "Religious Passion, Pluralism, and the Young."
Rich and Unusual Sharing (May 28, 2008)
I just listened to Krista's interview with Eboo Patel. I listen to the podcast while I work at my desk and, so often, hope that my co-workers don't notice that I'm wiping my eyes.
I had an interesting experience a couple weeks ago. I had worked with a committee here in Olympia to put on a conference that we called a dialogue on immigration and the border. We brought a group of (coincidentally) Protestant clergy and friends from the Tucson area to share about their work, which tends toward the interfaith, with migrants crossing the desert, sometimes dying in the attempt. I can't say that our usual bunch of nothing-to-do-with-religion Pacific Northwest bunch was evangelized, but it was a rich and unusual sharing.
Lee Miller
Olympia, WA (Listens to SOF Podcast)
Religious tradition optional (April 8, 2008)
As a 20-year-old who grew up without a strong religious tradition in my family, but who has, perhaps only sort of, found one along the way, I identified with Ms. Tippett's comment on "the stance of struggling with religion and asking big questions, but not embracing the traditions." I would love to sit down with Mr. Patel and ask him what he meant when he responded, "Kind of…We deal mostly with kids who identify with a religious tradition." I love the philosophy behind Mr. Patel's program—putting coexistence and diplomacy into action. But I wonder if there is space for the kids who don't have that rich religious background to cling to. I am now studying religion for my undergraduate degree, and I think I have something to add to the religious dialogue of my generation. I worry that I do lack the command of a specific faith that comes from being raised in it, but would not want to be left out of the conversatio n at Patel's Interfaith Youth Core events.
Nicky Kerr
Lamoni, IA (WOI, 640 AM)
Newfound Hope (April 8, 2008)
After listening to the pod cast, I have received newfound hope. I believe that it is possible for the up and coming generations to bridge the gap that we have between our different religions. We can work together to celebrate our diversity and be a community. I think that what Mr. Patel is an inspiration to me as well as others to try and work with others more effectively, as well as not being so judgmental towards other's religious views.
Holly Iglehart
Lamoni, IA (WOI, 640 AM)
Interfaith Organizations (April 8, 2008)
Bringing youth together to service for the less fortunate and communicate to one another about their religious beliefs in the end will help open their eyes to other religious traditions. The youth are the way to change the future of religion to hopefully stop it from being a constant battle of who is right but bring them to an understanding that just because they are different views does not make one religion correct.
Looking to convert other religious people to come to their side is so wrong because we should rather embrace others views rather than just believe in our own and only our own. Different religious groups have very similar thoughts about situations we just present them differently which is the problem. With these organizations we can allow different religions to come together starting at a young age and help open their eyes to different traditions and viewpoints so that our future is not so closed minded when it comes to religion. Patel has done amazing things. I can not imagine what those youth groups get out of the service he brings to them and the way they have been changed. It must be great still being able to shape the view of religion while others are already closed off to listening to what others have to say about their religion.
Heidi Mayer
Lamoni, IA (WOI, 640 AM)
Responding to Others' Comments (August 22, 2007)
After a good many years of being appalled and disheartened at just about everything, it was great to hear something I could be optimistic and excited about. Mr. Patel's work and his approach to religion need to be spread throughout the world. Equally interesting were the posted responses on the Web site, which prompt me to add my bit. I note that nearly all respondents start by applauding Mr. Patel's work (very encouraging), and about half then find some difficulty or some skepticism about certain aspects of his work or of the interview itself (very human).
Mr. Schenk, in his excellently thought-out response, felt that Atheists were asked to "give up" because religion is here to stay. Perhaps what is being said is that all belief systems, including atheism, need to back away from the trap of Evangelical thinking: The divisiveness and conflict which results from any "we're right and they're wrong so we have to make them see what's right" thought process. People need religion each according to his/her need; some not at all, most in moderate measure, some at an all-consuming level. Religion will always provide emotional support for humans, which is why it is, indeed, here to stay. Mr. Patel is saying that those who need none can live alongside those who need much, so long as evangelism, which is a fear-based behavior, can be avoided.
Several other responses centered around the idea that Islam condones killing of infidels while Christianity does not, hence a real and very dangerous difference does exist. As Mr. Shenk pointed out, a quick perusal of the Bible reveals many passages just as sanguine about killing non-believers as those in the Koran (What did God supposedly tell the Israelites to do upon crossing the Jordan?). Violence comes from denial of basic life needs and a loss of hope for change through gentler means. Many in the Mideast feel this desperation, so the ground is fertile for those who preach violence based on selected passages from their religious texts. I am firmly convinced that religious extremism (from ANY religion) is the great menace of the 21st century, and that Mr. Patel's approach represents our best hope of defusing it. The ground is also fertile for this approach, as more and more good people, on all sides of the globe, become more fed up with "bad religion" and its blood and consequences. May we all learn the universal religious virtue of humility, and shun the absurd arrogance which says that only my group has the answer.
Sam Dack
Aiken, SC (WACG, 90.7 FM)
Peace Begins with Repentance (August 23, 2007)
On Sunday I was listening to your guest talk about interfaith work and trying to bring youth of different religious traditions together. I think he spoke specifically about bringing peace to the world through working together and talking together about the religious traditions. It struck me that you never mentioned reconciliation and I don't recall there being any acknowledgement of sin or repentance of sin to facilitate the peace that is desired. Sin is very much a part of the reality of life on earth and so is the need for repentance by all people.
Dr. George Grant is a writer and theologian, out of Franklin, Tennessee and he has a little piece that says what I want to share much better in our church newsletter. True change and peace begins in the individual who truly repents and desires peace with God.
Ronda Laventure
Nashville, TN (WPLN, 1430 AM)
Shockingly Refreshed (August 22, 2007)
I am writing to thank you for your recent episode. Your guest, Eboo Patel, spoke very well on a number of issues. What struck me most was his clearly unique point of view which threw every issue into very different light. His plane of thought cuts through the sphere of our society at such a different angle that it creates almost a completely different picture of our culture. It was shockingly refreshing to hear someone speak not along any of the partisan lines drawn around us, but with an eye toward common success. Thanks very much.
John Muther
Milwaukee, WI (WUWM, 89.7 FM)
A Diminished Opinion (August 22, 2007)
Your guest remarked (approximately) "Sometimes a Catholic boy can grow up to be a cardinal. A Jewish girl can grow up to be the president of a Jewish federation." Why, even a few years ago when he made this remark, didn't he say that a Jewish girl could grow up to be a rabbi? Does this reveal a facet of his Islam that is very disturbing to many of us (both male and female), or is it just ignorance of the fact that there have been female rabbis for decades? In either case, it diminishes — somewhat — my opinion of the otherwise impressive activist that Mr. Patel would appear to be.
Arlyn Stein
Bryn Mawr, PA (WHYY, 91.0 FM)
A Beacon of Light (August 22, 2007)
Eboo Patel is a beacon of light in a world darkened with fear and distrust. I applaud this young man's efforts. If our world is to survive, we must learn to respect and honor our diversity. Thank you for having the insight to host Eboo Patel and to allow him to share a crucial message to our planet.
Carol Lee Wallis-Shevlin
Wilmot, OH (WKSU, 89.7 FM)
Is Mr. Patel's Faith Just Enlightenment Liberalism? (August 22, 2007)
Midway through the program Mr. Patel articulated his vision of a well functioning society: people of various religions living next door to one another, coaching each other's kids in sports and sharing community responsibilities. It's the great American suburban vision. Everyone in this ideal society understands that the messy details of actual religious practice (including the unfashionable realm of belief) are a private matter. Capitalism and civic duty, narrowly understood as "value neutral", are the common zone.
John Locke would be proud. Kant could live with it just fine. Rousseau might even gush. But would this vision satisfy Muhammad? Christ? Moses? I'm not sure it's exactly the sort of redemption they had in mind. If interfaith cooperation is to succeed — and I agree that it is necessary for our survival on Earth — it must proceed well beyond the ideological terrain of 17th-18th century European philosophy. As a Christian myself, I'd suggest that we'd perhaps be better served by looking Eastward instead for our intellectual inspiration. Taoist, Hindu and Buddhist ways of conceiving of the inherently paradoxical nature of Truth, and of the unity of the one and the many, might just help us more than new multicultural variations on the old theme of rationalist liberal optimism.
John Scheur
Brooklyn, NY (WNYC, 93.9 FM)
No Foxhole Atheists (August 22, 2007)
When you were discussing the notion of no atheists in foxholes, I was reminded of Lisa Simpson's scoff, "Prayer. The last refuge of the scoundrel." How blessed are we to live in a country where we can talk so freely about religious cliches.
Joe Drennan
Rockford, IL (WSIU, 91.9 FM)
Our Town's Story (August 22, 2007)
Our family belongs to a small Jewish community in Putnam Connecticut. Its a lay run synagogue, we have no rabbi and do all the leadership roles from within the community. Putnam was a 90 percent Catholic community but with a very strong interfaith undertone. Much of that interfaith tone is set by Alan Turner who has been the community leader for many years.
In the early 1990s a group formed called Teen Action in Community Service (TACS) which was primarily teenagers (13-19) who would gather in an interfaith setting to perform community service tasks. The synagogue was central and offered for these Monday night meetings. During early meetings the most common request was for "tours" of the synagogue's basement. There were many rumors about the basements of synagogues and these children had never been in a synagogue and wanted to see for themselves. Our basement had stacked chairs, broken benches, an old furnace and the usual effluvia of tag sale, bake sale and synagogue holiday life. The remark from several was "Wow, its just like our church basement", to which the reply was "Same Big Guy up there."
The highlight of tours, however, was a visit to the sanctuary divided by Spanish doors from the meeting place for TACS. Each time some new arrival would come, Mr. Turner would take them into the Sanctuary, give them kippah, explaining that like their church this was a holy place, take out the Torah, open it for them and let them see, close up what the scrolls look like and the cupboards in the sanctuary. Because they were meeting in a synagogue, and as a conservative group we kept a Kosher kitchen, everything that came into the synagogue needed to have a <i>hecksher</i>, a kosher mark. Remember, these were mostly non-Jewish kids. They were so proud of doing the search for marks, keeping the synagogue a clean and Kosher place and guarding it much as they would their own church or sanctuary.
The days of TACS are long gone. Several years later the Ku Klux Klan rallied in Putnam. Because some direct threats were made against the synagogue, we maintained someone there during the Klan presence. People from the town stopped in constantly. A lady stopped in, said she had been a member of TACS and was concerned that something might happen to her synagogue and was there anything we needed. Sometimes I run into, now mid and late 20's adults who are mothers and fathers in the community, raising their own children. Often when they recognize me they will say something about how they remembered their time in the synagogue, finding kosher foods and seeing a Torah.
Yes, Dr. Patel, we are much more alike than we are different. So long as we continue to educate our youth, celebrate our differences and our sameness we can live on this small orb we call earth in peace.
Irving Buchbinder
Willimantic, CT (WNPR, 89.1 FM)
A Response to Patel's Arguments Against Atheism (August 22, 2007)
Patel argued (I'm paraphrasing) that "religion isn't going anywhere, so atheists should give up" and that people who argue, like Lewis Lapham in Harper's, that religious zealotry are essentially bad are "offending wide swaths of the country and the world, except for maybe New York's Upper East Side." I disagree with both arguments. Saying that "religion isn't going anywhere" is an argument for the status quo. Is it moral to say, "Well, we've always had war, so we'd better continue it"? No, that is immoral — it ensures the continued suffering of war, instead of keeping us safe or secure. War and religion are not the same thing, of course. Both continue human suffering, however.
I commend Patel's efforts to turn religious people of differing faiths onto their similarities instead of differences, but must point out that Patel's Islamic beliefs are attractive because he enunciates them with the skill of an Oxford Ph.D. But one must ask: is the status quo of religion good? No, it is not, with religious violence continuing on, as it has for centuries. I must ask: what religion-based genocides lie ahead?
So Patel proposes changing the current mode of religion from the inside out — using each major religion's message of peace to foster cooperation. While this is a good step, from an atheist's point of view, the more zealous one's belief in God or Allah, the more wrong the "other side" is, and the more imperative it is to forcefully change the unbeliever or infidel's belief system. One can imagine an Oxford-educated person studying the different religious traditions, and choosing one's inherited tradition, and tolerating Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, etc. and their different beliefs. But this is not how religion works, nor has it ever worked this way. The end result of the traditional fervid or zealous religious belief is violence and difference. Playing with religion is like playing with fire. Being in one group, saying, "I'm a Christian" or "I'm a Muslim" necessarily creates division. It's like a sport where one team, under one name, plays or fights another team. The "Christians" versus the "Muslims."
As for Patel's second argument, that talking against religion "offends wide swaths of the country," I must tell my "religious conversion" to atheism when I was 14 years old. I'd been raised going to Christian church. I hadn't questioned Christianity in any real manner up to that point. I prayed and prayed for my knee to heal so I could be active in sports again, after tearing my anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). I prayed in church, in fact. Then my new ACL graft broke, and I had to have the same surgery again. I knelt down to pray in church, but I realized the prayers were foolish, that of course God does not intervene on such matters. And that the "God" I was praying to didn't hear my "prayers," and even that my prayers were self-involved and kind of greedy — all I wanted was for me to play sports again.
When I came to these realizations, I felt free, and, yes, thank God there were atheist sentiments and resources out there for me at the time. Instead of atheism being "offensive" to me — and I must note that this was in rural America, directly in the middle of the country in Iowa, not exactly the Upper East Side — atheism gave me hope, helped me see my life much more clearly, and helped me believe in myself, instead of acting like my "strength" came from some imagined Being out there, or even a Being supposedly Everywhere.
Now I believe in secular humanism, a belief system that doesn't offer a "God" or "Allah" to get wild and crazy about. There's really nothing to kill about with secular humanism, while one need look no further than the Bible for scenes of God smiting the non-elect, and one need merely recall that the historical Mohammed was both religious warrior and a warrior that killed other people. Secular humanism infuses nearly all modern-day constitutional democracies, which are based on the idea that one may believe what one wants, as long as that belief does not harm others. This premise is relativistic and secular.
Thomas Jefferson wrote, "But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between church and State.
—Thomas Jefferson, letter to Danbury Baptist Association, CT., Jan. 1, 1802
Traditional religious belief is at odds with the secular humanist tradition exemplified by Thomas Jefferson. And freeing people from the received "wisdom" of all kinds of mystical beliefs — angels, demons, devils, heavens, hells, Gods, Allahs, and Judgments — getting away from these beliefs does more good, helps people see more clearly, than engendering traditional religion. Simple as that.
Adam Schenck
Minneapolis, MN (KNOW, 91.1FM)
Why Is Religion Special? (September 7, 2006)
I very much enjoyed the program with Eboo Patel of the Interfaith Youth Core, especially as an advisor to a group of 14-year-olds in the Coming of Age group at our local Unitarian church, a gathering where the kids spend a year exploring, developing, and articulating their personal beliefs. However, I had to take exception with Mr. Patel's evaluation of his secular friends' outlook (26 minutes into the program).
Why can we not call into question a person's belief system? Why is that considered politically incorrect and socially taboo? As Sam Harris (End of Faith) points out, religion is the only area in which we do not require a person to provide proof of their beliefs. If you want to claim that the Earth is flat and the sun travels up and over it, that is certainly your right; but as a rational person, I'm going to require proof of your claim. On the other hand, if you claim your savior is born of a virgin or your prophet received a recitation from God, it is considered off limits for me to ask for proof of that claim. Why should religion be accorded this special consideration? In every other field of human inquiry, we say that extraordinary claims demand extraordinary proof. But somehow religious faith gets off Scot-free. Indeed, it is the only area in which the burden of proof does not lie with the person making the claim.
I applaud Mr. Patel's efforts to bring people of varying traditions together in learning, especially in the context of social action. But, just as he has the right to believe that the Qur'an is the unerring word of God, I should have the right to publicly question that belief until I have evidence for it.
Ian Dodd
Culver City, CA (Listens to SOF Podcast)
Lost Opportunity (September 7, 2006)
I listen to your show religiously. Your balanced approach to your subjects and guests is refreshing and enlightening. The subject of this show was hopefully promising but was sadly disappointing in the following sense. The hope of different religions tolerating and respecting each other seems to be further away than ever as a direct result of the actions of members of Mr. Patel's religion. The acknowledgement, by your guest, of the "totalitarian aspect" of elements within the Muslin religion doesn't really explain the incontrovertible fact that it is the only major religion, at least for over a 1,000 years, that has followers that willingly murder innocents (within and outside their own religion) in the name of their God.
It is very hard for anyone to understand the daily reports of so many Muslims dying at the hands of other Muslims. Intolerance of other religions seems mainly to be identified with Islam, and it is as a result of its own actions. Mr. Patel stated that Al Qaeda was particularly effective at indoctrinating young people. Most people listening to your show, I imagine, would have expected you to question why his programs didn't also focus on sects of his own religion in majority Muslim countries to counteract this indoctrination.
Further, the intolerable treatment of women within the religion, and by Islamic-dominated governments, is also a major issue. This should be a starting point in any dialogue of why many people of all ages and other religions have little tolerance for the Muslim religion in general, in addition to its militant Islamism.
Steve Siskind
Miami, FL (WLRN, 91.3 FM)
Bringing Youth Together (September 5, 2006)
I was so moved by this program. Growing up without religion, I did not have the opportunity to learn about other faiths until I was an adult. I have learned many things in regard to the Buddhist faith because I was married to a man who is Buddhist. However, I do not know much about Judaism or the Muslim faith.
I am inspired by Eboo Patel's organization and what he is doing in Chicago. I can only hope that more people across the globe embrace his ideas, and this world can learn that we are more alike than what meets the eye. Mr. Patel is correct when he talks about youth and their need to find where they belong in our society. It is a rite of passage to teach your children about the religion you practice in your home. Coming from a home with a Christian mother (myself) and a Buddhist father, my 12-year-old daughter has already learned about two faiths. She doesn't have to choose a specific faith now, but she sees the similarities and the differences in both. I have always believed that religion comes from within, and I believe that when the time is right, she will chose which faith fits her.
The interfaith youth group should be in every city across the world, and I am glad it is expanding. To some, Mr. Patel may seem like an idealist, but he has passion and a true gift to speak out to all young adults. They need to be engaged in conversations regarding faith at a critical time when they are seeking their own identity. He also mentioned that in society, it is felt that we should show respect for another religion by keeping silent about our own religion. That statement moved me because I have seen it first hand as I'm sure many people have. It is important to change that line of thinking. It is also just as important for the elder community (of all faiths) to talk to the younger generation in regards to faith and to share ideas. Mr. Patel referred to different religions as "kindred religions" and I could not agree more. Thank you for broadcasting this program.
Kim Scott
Corcoran, MN (Listens to SOF OnDemand)
Hard Questions (September 5, 2006)
I have only recently begun listening to your program, and when I do listen, I am often doing other things so miss some of the dialogue. I am pleased you make transcripts available online. My observation is that your program is rather "toothless" in that you fail to ask the "hard questions" you say you ask.
For instance, on the program with Eboo Patel and the need to deepen religious passion among the young, you avoided the whole subject of the various religions' subjugation of women: women are not equal in the eyes of God, most religions deny women the right to make healthcare choices (in the case of abortion, especially), etc. I would like to ask Mr. Patel if this is the kind of belief system we wish to perpetuate among newer generations under the guise of "feel-good" interfaith understanding. I wish you would really tackle some of these basic "hard questions" with your guests who use their faiths and belief systems to justify their oppression of others. Force them to speak to this!
Tom Welsh
Portland, OR (KOPB, 91.5 FM)
There Is No Better Path to World Peace (September 4, 2006)
This is the real alternative to war and violence. I would like to share this way of thinking with every peace-seeking organization with which I have any connection. There is no better way for our world to survive, and for the underprivileged of our world to be cared for, than to follow this pluralistic search for what we have in common, rather than constantly trying to force our different or "superior" views on others. I pray that this young man will mentor others to follow and spread his view of what the world could become.
Tom Bryson
Charlotte, NC (WFAE, 90.7 FM)
My Problems with Religious Passion (September 3, 2006)
God bless Eboo Patel and his life's passion — shining light on the path to peace and cooperation. Despite my cynicism, I respectfully and genuinely ask God's blessing for that young man. Living in Los Angeles, I embrace pluralism: good people make all kinds of good music, great food, and on any given weekend, you can find celebrations of their culture and aspirations.
Within ten miles of downtown LA are temples, churches, and mosques representing every sect and creed, as well as the worldwide headquarters of Scientology. The real estate alone is worth several hundreds of millions, but on any given night three blocks from my loft there a 20 or 30 homeless people camped out under the freeway. So with all these religious folk and all those resources, how did this scene get so cross-wired?
Here's what I concluded about forty years ago: By definition, God is Something beyond the laws of nature and physics. That is, all-knowing, with infinite power at all places at all times and in total control of what's going on. God is Eboo Patel and the kids he's bringing together. God works in mysterious ways. He/She/It uses us as the primary tools for most of what we do to each other in this world, and for some reason that I cannot fathom most people can't quite seem to figure that out. If they could, then the homeless people who sleep under the freeway could at least crash in a pew.
Is there anyone in the world of the faithful who can sort out why people sleep on the street while all these churches, temples, and mosques are locked and empty? Or can someone at least articulate some reason to celebrate this paradox. I'm confused.
James Mahaffey
Los Angeles, CA (KPCC, 89.3 FM)
Hope (September 3, 2006)
I was so moved by this program this morning. It gives me hope that someone like Eboo Patel is out in the world trying to bring people together, regardless of religious traditions. I keep praying that someone like him will rise to notoriety in Iraq and the Middle East (and also here in the US) and help teach tolerance of other religious traditions and stop the violence. I hope programs like the one Eboo Patel runs in Chicago will become common place all around the world
Gloria Smith
Glenside, PA (WHYY, 91.0 FM)
Global Religious Perspective (September 3, 2006)
Enjoying your interview with Eboo Patel, I was heartened by the global religious perspective that he and like-minded people must take in order for there to be any kind of lasting peace in the world. Your program this morning gave me hope that the religious divisiveness existing everywhere around us can perhaps become minimized if only we modify our attitudes about other religions while keeping the integrity of our own beliefs intact. Thanks for asking the right questions and eliciting sensible answers.
Tom Kushinka
Hilltown, PA (WHYY, 91.0 FM)
Voting Jesus (September 3, 2006)
Mr. Patel spoke of a phenomenon in our country these days that he labeled "voting Jesus"; I assume this refers to the increasing focus on Christian moral values in political elections. I wonder if Speaking of Faith could explore this phenomenon in more depth on another show, or, if you have already done this, rebroadcast that show.
I am a Christian but I have begun to feel that, as a Christian, I am politically disenfranchised. The Christian right wing is so adept at defining what it means to be a good Christian that those of us who disagree have been labeled lost, heretics, godless, terrorists, unpatriotic — you pick the moniker.
Mr. Patel said that he has great respect for evangelicals and for the work they have done in the world to lift others from misery. I agree with part of that. Christians have done a lot in this world to help others (that was what Jesus said we should do) but the work has not been done only by evangelical Christians. The problem is that evangelicals have been successful at redefining the Christian label to reflect only their extreme views. Even Mr. Patel, who seems politically enlightened, paired voting Jesus with being evangelical.
Jesus spent most of his brief life ministering to the poor and encouraging us to do so also. So how did Christianity come to be so alarmingly paired with a political ideology that favors the wealthy? Because "voting Jesus" has been narrowed to a few hot button issues (homosexuality and abortion) to the detriment of every other Christian issue (poverty, the brotherhood of man, love, concern for others).
Would your show consider opening a dialogue about this issue, what it means to vote Jesus? What Christian values stand for, beyond the knee-jerk abortion and homosexuality issues. How the various political parties address Christian issues, overtly and covertly. You would do me, and this country, a great service to expand this discussion; preferably before the next election.
Angela Cooke
Lowell, NC (WFAE, 90.7 FM)
Where's Your Confidence? (November 21, 2005)
It is interesting to me to hear non-Christians express their dread of being challenged on their faith. No matter what one believes one should be so fulfilled and undeniably led that no one or thing should shake the believers' faith. So what if your religion is being challenged or someone else is trying to convert you. Where is your confidence in your God? Why not walk in total confidence and total trust in your experience of God being the truth? It really is easy. We just need to make the decision to do it.
Amina Royster
Irvington, NJ (WNYC, 820 AM)
Religious Prevalence and Discrimination (November 17, 2005)
Thank you as always for your show. t has done more to help my development of faith than eight years of religious education because you eagerly explore many fascinating perspectives. Dr. Patel is clearly doing great work yet there is a bit of a dichotomy in his thought process. He believes religion is dominant in our society and yet the religious majority is insulted by non-believers and treated as an oddity by the media. One particular statement he made stands out. He said Lewis Lapham's comment that "'The only thing we discussed at Yale in the 1950's was the anatomy of God's death' is among the most insulting things that you could say to 85 percent of your country people."
Lapham's comment is certainly a strong one. However, in the course of my religious education I have heard people of faith say things far worse about atheists and people of other religions. Patel indicates that someone's belief is their own business. Try telling that to Dr. James Dobson who we recently learned speaks regularly with the White House and has a loud voice in decisions of public policy.
We all have a perspective. Patel's statements are entirely consistent with what one might believe after attending Oxford with open-minded scholars interested in learning. If he had attended a fundamentalist religious college in the American South for the purpose of indoctrination in the sanctioned faith he would probably find that some of these people live a screed and won't even consider the possibility of respecting other's faith. Obviously, Patel understands this as it is the foundation of his organization. What I suspect he doesn't appreciate is that of the 20 percent of people who attend church weekly (not the 50 percent who say they attend church weekly) there are far more totalitarians than he realizes and they would refuse to engage with others through his ministry.
Sander Abernathy
Lithonia, GA (WABE, 90.1 FM)
Starting a Like Organization in My Community (November 17, 2005)
I think this is a great endeavor to try to bring to the young people of America a different perspective on religiosity, culture, and our common human background. This latter one is even deeper than religion itself, and we must nurture it for our survival depends on it. We need to be alive in order to be religious. Therefore, our first task is to learn to embrace each other notwithstanding our societal differences in order to promote togetherness, cooperation, tolerance, and unity among us.
Eboo Patel is both idealistic and pragmatic in his endeavor for interfaith cooperation, especially here in America. Muslims in this society, because of the media and the government stance on setting up its own world view on the world will always be denigrated, put on display as terrorists, and misunderstood in their humble search for God. However, no situation is completely desperate when human intellect is involved. Therefore, I applaud him for bringing to the fore
this wonderful task of interfaith unity. I would love to have a talk with him and see in what way we can establish a similar program right here in Atlanta for the youth and the community at large.
Raymond Delva
Lithonia, GA (WABE, 90.1 FM)
Complaint Regarding Eboo Patel (November 13, 2005)
Love the show, however I would like to bring up a concern I had listening to your feature about Eboo Patel. I heard a lot of feel good rhetoric, but what I would like to hear instead is his answers to Dennis Pragers questions: Why do countries governed by religious Muslims persecute other religions? Why are so many atrocities committed and threatened by Muslims in the name of Islam? Why is only one of the 47 Muslim-majority countries a free country?
Secularism is very much part of the fabric of Western society, and I feel that Eboo truly does not understand this but needs to, especially his religion being the most violent and rigid of all. Immigrants that are not willing to acculturate in their host countries in matters of custom, language, and yes, religion, do not belong. I very much agree with the Dutch view that enough is enough. We don't need another 9/11 before we realize that our unreasonable accommodation of fundamentally different ways of life undermines our own.
Nikhil Bassi
Los Angeles, CA (KPCC, 89.3 FM)
May I Never Grow Old (November 13, 2005)
Eboo Patel inspires me to think young even while this body rapidly approaches 73. He turns my thoughts to many of my generation who have stopped accepting the validity of any religious ideas that were not their own. A long time ago I first heard the quote, "We do not have to think alike to love alike." We need Patel clones to bring his message to the older generations. We can never escape interacting with people who differ from us. We must learn to live in harmony.
Howard Bennett
Warminster, PA (WHYY, 91.0 FM)
Conversion Enabled Me to Be More Receptive (November 13, 2005)
Bismillah Ar Rahmanir Rahim. First I must say that I have been a fan of NPR for the last several months. You all present an impartial and unbiased view on worldly and domestic topics and it is very refreshing to hear that; especially with all of the out of control media coverage going on in our world today. I just wanted to comment on Mr. Patel's purpose. I think that what he is doing has been overlooked for an extremely long time and that it is important that those who are aware of what is really going on in our religious society grab the reins and try to make a difference.
I am an African-American male. I converted to Islam in June of 2005 and it was the best life choice I have ever made. I began to study Islam thoroughly as well as other religions more and I began to realize how much we are all "separate but together." People have become so jaded when it comes to their religions and they refuse to be receptive to different views and ideas. And nowadays there are a lot more young people taking an active role in religion. Unchecked, this can cause barriers to be built. A perfect example is the situation going on in the Middle East and how easily these young men are recruited into terrorist organizations. We see it on the news all the time, 12 year olds brandishing assault rifles with no sense of fear, remorse, or compassion in their eyes.
In Islam we believe that every creation of Allah (SWT) has a divine purpose. Some people never realize this but for those that are blessed enough to have it revealed to them they are obligated to fulfill it. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) knew his purpose, accepted it and became the recipient to one of the most crucial documents of our civilization. I believe Mr. Patel has been blessed with his purpose and I know that Allah will be pleased with the results, in sha Llah. As salaam aleikum.
Brandon Ward
Bolingbrook, IL (WBEZ, 91.5 FM)
The Way to Approach Cooperation (November 12, 2005)
Eboo Patel's comment about how we can cooperate together greatly inspired me. I grew up in a religious group where it clearly states not to discriminate people with nationality, race, and religion, and because of this, it is natural for me to be open to other religious beliefs. Since I came to the U.S. to study nine years ago, it has been a struggle when I made friends and they tried to convert my religion. For me, I felt we had a lot more to share in our beliefs than differences. But, then I felt that there was a limit in our friendship because I was not converting. The real problem was that I did not how to approach them. I felt anger of being ignored my identity. I knew I would not able to approach people with this anger, so I have been searching the solutions. After I listened to Eboo Patel, I realized that I was embracing the common ground, but not the differences. Thank you for bringing this topic today. I always enjoy the show.
Yoko Nomura
Woodbury, MN (KNOW, 91.1 FM)
Negotiating My Faith (November 13, 2005)
I moved to DC recently from the South and discovered your program airing on WETA on Sunday mornings at 7 am. I must, shamefully, admit that the first time I immediately changed stations since, based on an impression formed by simply hearing the name of the program, I thought it was an evangelical program! But next week I listened; it was one profiling Thich Nhat Hanh. This was a time when I was considering the role of spirituality and religion in my own life, and wanting to take a serious look at Buddhism. What an interesting coincidence! And oh boy, has my stereotypical first impression been dispelled! I have now become a regular listener. So let me thank you for conceiving and presenting one of most enlightened one hour on life, religion, and spirituality that one can find
on the radio. I enjoy the breadth of topics and people you profile, as well as the thoughtful and balanced approach of the program toward the role of faith and spirituality in life.
This week's program with Mr. Patel prompted me to write this e-mail because it highlighted the unfortunate situation we find in today's society that everyone seems to look at faith and religion in much the same way that the blind men looked at an elephant in a famous Indian fable: one thought the elephant was like a pillar since he felt the legs, another thought it was like a tube because he touched the trunk, and so on. But of course, the truth is more complex and today's program did very well in highlighting the necessity of identifying and accentuating the positives in all religions through interfaith dialogue. I am worried by the schisms due to religious conservatism that we witness in this country, and the maligning of Islam in the world due to the actions of a small minority.
The other issue in today's program that touched close to home was youth and faith. I am a Hindu with an increasing interest in Buddhism, my wife is a Christian, neither of us practice rituals of our religions, and we are struggling with the issue of how to provide appropriate spiritual instruction and exposure, drawn from these multiple religions, for our children. I am sure we are not alone in this since there are large numbers of interfaith and intercultural marriages in this country. So would you consider a program on aspects of faith and spirituality in interfaith marriages with a focus on (1) how the spouses negotiate their separate religious and spiritual beliefs (e.g. for non-practicing couples it may not be an issue; in some cases one spouse converts; but there must be several other ways in which interfaith couples negotiate aspects of religious faith and practice!) and (2) how such couples address the religious or spiritual upbringing of their children. Thanks for listening and keep up the good work!
Hari Narayanan
Washington, DC (WETA, 90.9 FM)
How Inclusive Is Patel's Group? (November 12, 2005)
I am a recent listener, your show being relatively new to WPLN. I am delighted with the show and your selection of important contributions to a rational discussion of faith in our culture. I thought today's show was especially interesting but wonder whether the space defined by the guest was limited to the major faiths only, or extended beyond to other beliefs and, even, non-belief.
Terry Burt
Brentwood, TN (WPLN, 1430 AM)
Multi-Religious and Cultural Traditions and Modalities (November 12, 2005)
My name is Francis Wijeratne from Sri Lanka, a Catholic, father of three daughters, a registered nurse by profession. I, however, have extensive training in philosophy and theology, and earned an MA in biblical studies from the University of Notre Dame, and began and completed one year of Ph.D. work on the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) at Catholic
University in DC. Nevertheless, I did not stop reading and thinking about theology. Every Sunday I listen to your program, and I really like almost all the discussions.
Today's discussion with Mr. Patel is of particular interest because it delved with finding ways to live and work with other religious faiths and traditions but it also reinforced the fact that each and every religious tradition — no matter what its low and high points and history are — has social responsibility to alleviate human suffering and eradicate injustice and help and enhance pursuit of human happiness and comfort here on earth. I tried to teach my kids the enormous responsibility that they have towards society as Christians/Catholics. During our recent visit to Sri Lanka, our children saw how we tried to help especially tsunami victims, as an indelible Christian calling. In that sense I applaud the endeavor of Mr. Patel. Thank you.
Francis Wijeratne
Lutherville, MD (WYPR, 88.1 FM)
Inclusion of Atheists and Humanists (November 12, 2005)
Consider going one step further in the evolution of a cooperative and empathetic humanity. It seems quite apparent that myth and superstition are not easily relegated to the past. Keeping in mind the desire not to impose ones beliefs on
each other but to instead respectfully understand our common humanity, could the Interfaith Youth Core include humanists and atheists? Could the Core consider people who see the same value in common efforts but are not lead to this by a religion nor are bound by religion? My past experience is that the atheist contributions are too often viewed with disdain and suspicion. It is important how all people interact, not just religious people.
Lou Jensen
Sartell, MN (KNOW, 91.1 FM)
Pluralistic Views Outside Christianity (November 12, 2005)
I want to thank you for the program on religious pluralism. I am gearing up to write a senior thesis in religious studies on the subject of pluralism, and this program gave me new light on the subject. I am continually surprised at not
only the number of people engaged in the discussion of religious pluralism, but also at their variety. I've been reading mainly Christian authors and their reactions to pluralism thus far, and it is incredibly refreshing and enlightening to hear from a Muslim perspective, especially when it comes to engaging youth.
Meg Gatza
Baltimore, MD (WYPR, 88.1 FM)
Why Can't Atheists Be Included as Faith Based? (November 12, 2005)
My "god" is myself, my family, and my society. I am responsible for good behavior to myself. If I do not behave respectfully for myself, my family, my society, and for all mankind then I am not a good person. I do not need an established religion to lead me to choose the right [thing]. Organized religion's purpose is to control people and collect money to maintain the leaders power. I don't need their control; I am intelligent enough to know what I must do to be a good person. And I can spend my money on the organizations that I feel best help others.
Hilda Derres
Salt Lake City, UT (KUER, 90.1 FM)
Encouraging Greater Transparency (November 12, 2005)
It was with some amusement that I listened to Mr. Patel describe, accurately in my view, NPR's typical tone regarding religion. To paraphrase Mr. Patel, NPR views religion as "oh, isn't that curious?" I was surprised to hear Ms. Tippett tacitly agree, or at least fail to defend NPR's view of religion as a fading sociological behavior, or passing superstition. My belief is that the tenor and indeed whole point of Ms. Tippett's show is to present religion in just this
light.
Ms. Tippett consistently and carefully in her commentary and interviews presents religion, Christianity most so perhaps, as a "tradition" no different than any other in an anthropological sense. By this I mean, Ms. Tippett is uniformly careful to attach a qualifying remark to words such as "faith" in that she will say "faith tradition" to point out that faith in of itself is nothing, and can only be understood as an ethnic or cultural tradition. For instance, I am of Scottish descent, and a Christian. In an effort to make me accessible as a person to NPR's irreligious audience I would be described on Speaking of Faith as one who embraces the traditions of eating haggis, the music of The Pipes, and Christianity, in addition to the wearing of Highland tartan textiles.
I do not begrudge Ms. Tippett her uneasy view of religion. Sadly those claiming to be "religious" have done much not worthy of respect. However, in the interest of intellectual honesty I would have expected Ms. Tippett to defend NPR's view of religion against Mr. Patel's assertion that it is distorted, or lacking in understanding. In as much as Speaking of Faith airs voices of those I would never otherwise hear, I am grateful and a long-time listener. However, I would urge a greater degree of honesty. While I believe Speaking of Faith seeks to do the impossible in reducing religion to folk belief, the staff should not fear to do so openly.
Jim MacGregor
St. Paul, MN (KNOW, 91.1 FM)
The Freshness of Youth (November 11, 2005)
As we grow away from youth we tend to forget the strength of its freshness. This program was an inspiring reminder. Eboo Patel is certainly doing remarkable work, and he is remarkably well-equipped for it. But I think he could have accepted credit for the generosity of the work his organization is doing. "Practical," he said. I would say it's more than that. Like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, he's discovered that generosity is the only practical way to deal with the world and with others.
Bob Salmon
Cranford, NJ (Listens via Web Audio)
Diversity of Faith (November 10, 2005)
Your reflections on your upcoming show about youth (Patel) reminded me of one of my Sufi teachers, Shahabbudin Less. He has been working on a very different peace process for the Middle East. He and people from the four main religions in Israel meet in Turkey and actually do each other's spiritual practices. He says it makes an amazing difference in one's mindset to do the practices, as opposed to simply hearing about them, or even witnessing them.
Laurel Reinhardt
Asheville, NC (WCQS, 88.1 FM)
