|
Arizona Interfaith Movement
|
HOT OFF THE PRESS, "Voices of Faith" |
 |
 |
 |
|
Written by Anne Taylor
|
|
Monday, 12 May 2008 04:14 |
 The Arizona Interfaith Movement is honored to announce our new interfaith book under the title of VOICES OF FAITH, now available. The book includes an introduction and a time-line of the various faiths followed by 12 faith chapters, each written by a local practitioner of that faith. According to one of the endorsers of the new book, Dr. Diana L. Eck, Harvard Professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies, "It is often said that 'all politics is local.' Similarly, I would also insist that 'all interfaith is local.' The face to face encounter of people of different religious and cultural traditions at the local level is transforming American society. The value of hearing one another, and listening to our neighbors of many faiths speak in their own voice about what matters most to them, is at the foundation of interfaith relations, whether in Arizona or India!! Voices of Faith of the Arizona Interfaith Movement exemplifies the engagement of local voices that will give new direction and vision to a pluralistic America." Voices of Faith is a resource book for all people, class rooms, study groups. It holds true to our mission statement to tear down walls of ignorance and misunderstandings and to "build bridges of understanding, respect and support" for all people. A special commemorative edition is available for a limited time, and this edition will include a unique CD of music representative of the various faith groups included in the book. The book with CD will be available for a $25.00 donation. To reserve a book(s), or more information: Please notice on the left side of this website page a "DONATIONS" button for an easy "Pay Pal" donation, which alerts our office immediately to mail a copy of the book to you. Or contact Anne Taylor at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or 602-261-6703
View the Press Release [PDF] |
|
Last Updated ( Monday, 12 May 2008 19:41 )
|
|
|
Welcome to the new Arizona InterFaith Movement Website |
|
|
|
|
Written by Administrator
|
|
Monday, 01 October 2007 10:50 |
Our mission is to build bridges of understanding, respect, and support among diverse people of faith through education, dialogue, service, and the implementation of the Golden Rule. It is our fervent wish that this site become a place where people of all faiths can gather online to discover more about those things that we all have in common. Coming up next: the Monthly Faith Forum on May 20th. We hope you check our Events Tab for complete information about these incredible events as well as other latest calendar events from AIFM -- and please note new location for our Monthly Faith Forums. We welcome you and hope you visit our website often. Read on to discover more about what this site has to offer. |
|
Last Updated ( Monday, 05 May 2008 01:18 )
|
|
Read more...
|
|
Golden Rule Awards Banquet was Success! |
|
|
|
|
Written by Anne Taylor
|
|
Wednesday, 30 April 2008 23:14 |
|
In case you missed the Golden Rule Awards Banquet... Just imagine a room in Phoenix, Arizona filled with over 900 people of diverse faiths but with something quite powerful and profound in common – the Golden Rule. April 24th was the 4th Annual Golden Rule Awards Banquet and representatives from the faith groups of: Baha’i, Roman Catholic, Christian Science, Community of Christ, Hare Krishna, Hindu, Jain, Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Jewish, Muslim, New Thought, Protestant, Religious Science, Scientology, SGI Buddhist, Sikh, Sufi, Tibetan Buddhist, Unification, Unity,-- and Agnostic, or no religion at all -- were all there. They joined in the common purpose of cherishing, honoring and celebrating the Golden Rule together. The Arizona Interfaith Movement (AIFM), consisting of 24 different faith groups hosted the event, because the Golden Rule is central to all the major faith groups, and as Executive Director, Dr. Paul Eppinger always says, they have a “passion for unity.” AIFM members are unified in the conviction that the Golden Rule, if lived, can transform our hurting world into a more peaceful and happy place. Ten local citizens received a special Golden Rule Award that evening for living the Golden Rule in some incredible ways. Pat McMahon, who hosts “The God Show” on radio station KTAR was the Master of Ceremonies. The awardees included:
Business – Sundt Corporation, Doug Pruitt, CEO & President
Character in Sports – Kurt & Brenda Warner
Darl Andersen Award – Dennis Barney
Education – AZ Community Foundation
Governmental – Representative Mark Anderson
Humanitarian – George Roundy
Media – Lawn Griffiths, Spiritual Life Editor, East Valley Tribune
Non-Profit – Metropolitan Phoenix Boys & Girls Club, Amy Gibbons
Religious – Rabbi Albert Plotkin
Youth – Paradise Valley United Methodist Church Youth in Mission with the Homeless through the Open Table The members of the Arizona Interfaith Movement would like to extend their sincere thanks to all the attendees, and everyone who worked so hard to make it such a profoundly meaningful and successful event. It was clear by the overwhelming responses we have had by phone and email since the event that this celebration touched hearts and we are especially thankful for that. It is AIFM’s prayer and deepest desire that the Golden Rule exemplified by the unified good we shared that evening, ripple out and permeate around the world and bring peace among our universal family. This is an example of why AIFM hails the mission of “building bridges of respect, understanding and support among people of faith through dialogue, service and the implementation of the Golden Rule.” Written by
Anne Taylor, Business Manager of the AIFM
2630 South 20th Place
Phoenix, AZ 85034
602-264-6703
www.interfaitharizona.com |
|
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 30 April 2008 23:46 )
|
|
|
Eavesdropping on a Arizona Interfaith Youth Meeting |
|
|
|
|
Written by Anne Taylor
|
|
Tuesday, 04 March 2008 18:35 |
‘Eavesdropping on a Arizona Interfaith Youth Meeting’
By Dilara Hafiz
Co-Author of ‘The American Muslim Teenager’s Handbook’
Eighteen teenagers jot down on colorful Post-It notes their one-word impressions of the eight religions listed on the poster boards in front of them. Some show no reservations as they work their way quickly down the list, while others hesitate to put down their thoughts for fear of appearing intolerant or ignorant. Is this a Bible study class? No, it’s just another monthly meeting of the Arizona Interfaith Youth Movement – a safe, inclusive gathering to which youths of all faiths are encouraged to come together in dialogue, games, and of course, food!
“What if I’ve never heard of this religion?” asks one of the teens? “That’s ok – just write down the first thing that comes to your mind,” I reply. As the Youth Director, I’m pleased to see the seriousness which has settled over this group – they’re sincerely giving this activity their full attention since it’s partly a challenge to their general knowledge as well as an opportunity to share the ‘truth’ of their religious beliefs. The eight religions I randomly chose contain some familiar to all, but I’ve also thrown in some lesser known beliefs as well: Catholicism, Islam, Atheism, Sikhism, Christian Science, Buddhism, Judaism, and Church of Scientology. The teens stick up their impressions on the poster boards, grab a water bottle or cookie, and then return to their seats. I survey the range of words listed by each religion and ask for a volunteer to come up and read aloud the results…somewhat surprised by the religion which has elicited the most negative comments from this diverse group…
According to the Pew Forum's 2008 U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, 83% of Americans identify themselves as belonging to an organized religion, however, “people not affiliated with any particular religion stand out for their relative youth compared with other religious traditions. Among the unaffiliated, 31% are under age 30 and 71% are under age 50. More than one-quarter of American adults (28%) have left the faith in which they were raised in favor of another religion - or no religion at all. If change in affiliation from one type of Protestantism to another is included, 44% of adults have either switched religious affiliation, moved from being unaffiliated with any religion to being affiliated with a particular faith, or dropped any connection to a specific religious tradition altogether.” What accounts for this conflict within those of faith – one of the one hand, they identify themselves as being religious even if it means they’ve left the religion of their childhood, while on the other hand, as Americans age, they seem to leave organized religion behind them?
Is this search for spiritual fulfillment a trend which begins in their youth? As a Sunday School teacher at the Scottdale Mosque for the past seven years – I’ve observed the diversity in faith from the Kindergarteners all the way up to the seniors in high school. Depending upon their home environment, these kids either skip cheerfully into Sunday School or drag themselves reluctantly into their seats – testing the limits of the dress code which stresses modesty by tugging their T-shirts down to cover their bare midriffs or yanking the required head-scarf into place. How much of their lessons will these teens remember when faced with the overwhelming secularism of their public school environment in which the age-old tensions of peer pressure and cliques rule the day? Religion remains a personal issue – rightly so – but is there a safe space for teens who are interested in exploring their faith beliefs? A brief glance at the teen non-fiction aisle in any Borders or Barnes & Noble reveals the abundance of faith-based books aimed at teens. From Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism – even a Wiccan guidebook – the variety is astounding! So teens are seeking answers through the privacy and safety of books, but is this education encouraging them to leave their parents’ beliefs behind as they discover other traditions?
As our inter-faith meeting continues, my son volunteers to read aloud the comments posted on the board under Islam – his own faith group. “Violent, weird clothes, brain-washed…,” his voice is subdued as he slowly goes through the impressions. “Tourist? Hey Mom, look, they think Muslims are tourists – that’s pretty neat!” I walk over and read the note for myself – turns out he misread the word ‘tourist’ – the correct reading is ‘terrorist’. We briefly review the major tenets of each religion in order to correct misperceptions and reduce stereotypes. Buddhism received the most positive comments by a landslide – even though only one of the kids knew a Buddhist personally. And which religion received the most negative comments? No, not Islam…it was Atheism. Turns out that even if kids switch allegiance from one faith group to another – the thought of not living a life of faith scared them most of all. |
|
Calendar Events from AIFM Members |
|
|
|
|
Written by Anne Taylor
|
|
Monday, 19 November 2007 21:51 |
|
The Arizona Interfaith Movement is pleased to present a list of upcoming calendar events from our members and friends. Please continue to check this section for updated information from our member sites. Click the "Read More" link to see the events. |
|
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 13 May 2008 00:56 )
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Newsflash
The Arizona Embrace event has caught the attention of the National media. Event coverage includes items in the Arizona Republic, the East Valley Tribune, and even MSNBC. Links to the news items follow |
Read more...
Who's Online
We have 58 guests online
|
