Our first freedom guarantees that every American, regardless of belief, has a right to worship free from fear and violence. Unfortunately, as we saw in Colleyville last Saturday and as we’ve seen time and again in recent years, this civil liberty remains out of reach for so many. This week on State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s weekly radio show and podcast, we will explore how interfaith solidarity can be the antidote to bigotry.
As news broke of the attack on Congregation Beth Israel, interfaith support poured in not just online, but in-person, in the Colleyville community. Pastor Bob Roberts, Jr., senior global pastor at Northwood Church in Eastern Texas, was on the scene Saturday and will join Rev. Welton Gaddy, host of State of Belief, to discuss his relationship with Congregation Beth Israel and the power of interfaith connections.
The world paused to mourn the passing of Bishop Desmond Tutu on the day after Christmas, at the age of 90. Often lost among his many achievements is the fact that he maintained incredibly strong relationships with civil rights activists in the United States, in addition to his anti-apartheid activism. Rev. Gaddy will sit down with The Rev. Douglas Tanner, who led the Faith and Politics Institute during its partnership with the bishop, to discuss his remarkable legacy.
Our nation has had a complicated relationship with statues in recent years, especially as certain parts of the country refuse to let go of racist vestiges from the past. The Freethought Society, however, is launching a campaign to highlight the positive contributions of an influential thinker, Thomas Paine. Margaret Downey, founder and director of the group, will join Welton to discuss this effort. Register for the event on January 29th here.
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