Interfaith

As I stepped through the door into the foyer of the Islamic Foundation, I was struck first by how incredibly out of place I felt. I had arrived in time for the afternoon prayer, the Asr, and found myself surrounded by the hustle of those finding a place to sit and wait for the service to begin. Unsure of where I needed to be, I inquired and was directed to the back of the prayer room to sit and observe the proceedings. As both members of the community and fellow classmates began to take their…

- The process of reconciliation between Aboriginal Spirituality and religious traditions has been a long and slow one. This is especially so as various Christian denominations such as the Uniting Church, Catholics and Anglicans have only in the last twenty five years tried to pursue justice as Aboriginal culture was disregarded and silenced over the years. Consequently several Christian churches have played a major role in closing the gap that had prevented indigenous Australians from having an…

Short Stories Quiz The woman in The Yellow Wall Paper find enlightenment in a few ways, the story concerns not only a certain class but also a certain type of society in which women play very limited roles. Women are finally set free at the end of the short story, through the story the narrator is confined to a single room in a large house. She attempts to cope with isolation, and finally sets herself free at the stories conclusion. For the narrartor this was an enlightening experience. The…

You know what makes those grade school “get to know you!” games ulcer-inducing? Being the only kid in class without an easy answer. At the beginning of each school year, without fail, our teachers would herd us into sharing circles and we were forced to choose an easy self-identifier to share with the class. In order for you to truly understand how I feel about sharing circles, here is what I imagine hell to be like: Everyone is forced to stand in an eternal, godawful sharing circle and watch,…

Tolerance is the ability to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with. Intolerance, on the other hand, is the unwillingness to accept views, beliefs, or behavior that differ from one’s own. Robert Green Ingersoll once said, “Give to every human being every right that you claim for yourself.” But is that possible? Can we humans reach a point where we respect everybody? Will we ever reach complete tolerance or will we be stuck…

I entered high school with the motivation of involving myself in everything I possibly could. I wanted to make meaningful contributions to society, and I wanted to inspire others. So that is what I did. I am the founder and president of the Culture Club. I have been the president of Chinese Club for the past two years, and after successfully executing the role of the Public Relations Officer my sophomore year, I am the first female president of Spanish National Honors Society. Along with my…

In Joshua Harmon’s scathingly funny play “Bad Jews,” opening at the Geffen Playhouse on June 17 (previews begin June 9), two cousins clash ferociously over who has the right to inherit the chai necklace that belonged to their beloved grandfather “Poppy,” which Poppy had preserved during the Holocaust by hiding the chai under his tongue. As the 20-somethings quarrel while sitting shivah for their late grandfather, they represent opposite poles of the modern Jewish experience: Daphna Feygenbaum…

Four walls surround you, no windows just a large metal door locked from the outside. For entertainment you have a cot, a metal toilet and yourself. Your only social interactions are from the prison guard that drops off your food, even they are not supposed to speak to you. Maybe at first it is easy you can sleep, but for how long can you sleep. Then possibly you decide to entertain yourself; by talking to yourself, fantasizing and imagining a new reality. Of course before you know it you lose…

religious groups. Celsus’ inclusive interpretation of religious practice, meant that deities and spirits could cohabit among religions. A religious practice which viewed itself as monotheistic and the sole source of truth reduced the potential of interfaith communication and dialogue, and thereby increased the potential for violence. Celsus also believed that Kings were divinely appointed. More importantly he conjoined religious practice and civil responsibility. Like the writer Homer, he held…

Throughout history, Judaism existed as a small group of people, constantly under pressure and influence of larger cultures. We learned how massive empires and nations including Babylonia, Rome, and Greece influenced the Jewish religion and culture until it evolved into current day Judism. As time progressed, a massive shift from Judaism being influenced by other nations to Judaism being altered by popular monotheistic religions. Ironically, these monotheistic religions were rooted in Judaism.…