Segments
This weekend, tune in to State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s weekly radio show and podcast, to get an unblinking look at the latest facts and figures regarding Muslims and terrorism; to learn from the experience of one man who lived 12 faiths in one year; and to hear a redemptive story of shared humanity amidst the bloody anti-gay atmosphere in Uganda.
The Continuing Decline of Muslim-American Terrorism
A significant percentage of our population resolutely fears Muslims and Islam. Stoked by well-organized and well-funded efforts, acts of hate and violence rooted in that fear have actually increased in recent years. But University of North Carolina Sociology Professor Dr. Charles Kurzman, the author of a new report titled “Muslim-American Terrorism Declining Further,” says the facts stand in stark contrast to the continued fear-mongering that swirls around us. The report was published by the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security, a consortium of Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and RTI International.
One Man, 12 Faiths, One Year
Most people have one faith or religion that they follow. Or if life circumstances lead them to lose their faith, it likely stays gone. But in response to what he saw as his own growing hostility to religion, Andrew Bowen completed a year living the tenets of 12 different faiths, and he is on State of Belief this week to talk about that experience. Bowen’s new book, Project Conversion: One Man, 12 Faiths, One Year, has just been published, and it offers an in-depth look at this very personal process. Bowen shares with Welton what he learned, and how some of those lessons could help heal a world so often divided along religious lines.
“God Loves Uganda”
You’ve heard repeatedly on this show about the horrendously anti-gay legislation in Uganda that respected journalists contend was born in American Evangelical Christian activism. Hatred in Uganda may seem far removed from our daily reality, but we are in fact connected to it. Academy Award-winning director Roger Ross Williams joins Welton this week on State of Belief to discuss his new documentary, “God Loves Uganda,” which is getting a lot of attention on the festival circuit. The tragic reality is all here, but so are some surprising stories of shared humanity that offer up some hope, even in the bleakest of circumstances.