Segments
This weekend, tune in to State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s weekly radio show and podcast, to learn about the shifting opinion on guns; to find out just how many Americans think God will be picking who wins the Super Bowl; to hear why one writer thinks that the President’s second inaugural marks the birth of a new American religion; and to find out what members of the faith community are doing about immigration.
God, Guns and the Gridiron
With his finger on the pulse of the nation, Dr. Robert P. Jones, CEO of Public Religion Research Institute, joins Welton this week to talk about three topics that are trending in the national discourse: God, guns and the Gridiron. First, they’ll take a look at how opinions of gun control have changed over the course of the last five months – a timespan that includes the tragic massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School and an increasingly divisive fight over new policies. Then Dr. Jones and Welton will look ahead to this weekend’s big game. Who is God rooting for in the Super Bowl? A surprising number of Americans believe that not only is God a sports fan, he’s ready to take sides.
The Birth of a New American Religion
President Obama’s second inaugural address was heard as a rallying cry on progressive issues, including climate change, immigration reform and LGBT rights. Many also believe that religious themes were embedded in the speech, and that it was an expression of a pluralistic America. Dr. Diana Butler Bass is on State of Belief this week to explain why she believes the President’s second inaugural address to be “a masterwork of progressive theology,” and why it could serve as a watershed moment in the birth of a new American religion. Dr. Butler Bass is the writer of the recent Washington Post article, “In Obama’s inauguration speech, a new American religion,” and the author of eight books, including Christianity After Religion: The End of Church and the Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening.
The Religions Community and the Immigration Debate
This past week, President Obama was in Las Vegas to unveil his plan for comprehensive immigration reform. We’ll dig into the proposals this week on State of Belief, and the role the religious community has in addressing the issue of immigration with a faith leader who was there — Father Jon Pedigo. Father Pedico is pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in San Jose, California, and works with PICO National Network as a part of their Campaign for Citizenship.
