More often than not, when IU share an article involving religion, it’s about Republican Supply side pseudo-Christians demonstrating through their intolerance, hatred and greed, the exact opposite of authentic faith. A friend emailed me an article citing positive examples of faith, so I’m passing it on.
It has been a difficult year around the world with wars, conflicts and disease afflicting far too many people. Religion has too often played an unhelpful or even harmful role.
However, throughout the year there have been people of all different religions standing up for what is right, increasing understanding and peace between peoples, helping to serve humanity, and offeingr a prophetic witness for justice.
Here are 14 religious moments during 2014 that give us inspiration and hope for 2015.
Clergy took a major stand for racial equality.
As soon as protests broke out in Ferguson over the shooting of Michael Brown, clergy were on their feet and in the street with messages of equality, justice and nonviolent action. Pastor Renita Lamkin took a rubber bullet for the cause. Others sacrificed sleep and countless hours, opening the doors of their worship houses. When protests erupted in New York for Eric Garner’s death, clergy continued working tirelessly for racial equality, providing the moral backbone of a movement that will continue growing as we move into 2015…
Inserted from <Huffington Post>
Hat-Tip: Pat A.
How refreshing, and I’ve shared only one example. Click through for the other thirteen.
13 Responses to “Reasons for Hope”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Thanks for this TC – I never thought this would reach the halcyon heights of PP!
There is even (I don't quite know what to call it) a sort of slide show (with explanations) and a few videos at the bottom of the article, called Religious Good News, where you click on the chevrons to see another 24 astonishingly inspiring religious moments – they are all amazing – but number 16 had me laughing with hope and crying with sadness – and then laughing at the same time as the tears as the two young women spoke their poetry so fast and so meaningfully and my emotions couldn't keep up – God bless them both – God bless all these utterly amazing people and all the unsung heroes amongst us who give us hope by their good deeds – and often by their brave and selfless deeds.
Some examples in the 'Religous Good News' – a man gave his shoes and socks to another man without any and walked home barefoot – he just happened to be photographed by someone else on the bus; a group of Muslims surrounded a church under threat of violent attack and peacefully put their own lives on the line by linking hands to let their Christian brethren pray in safety – there are many more….
Thank YOU Pat!
In a time when the US media shows and worships those who call themselves Christian but act more like demons, and demonizes everyone who doesn't call him or herself Christian – as well as those of us who do call ourselves Christians and actually try to follow Christ – we all really need reasons for hope.
In fact, we also need to be able to hope without reason. To quote Jim Wallis of Sojourners – "Hope is something you decide and not something you feel. And that decision to hope is what always has changed the world. What we might see in the new year of 2015 is unclear now. What is clear is that acting on hope, more than anything else, is what will make changing the world most possible."
I agree with Pat A, clicking through the slideshow is a good idea, though many of the moments in the slideshow are older than 2014, they are still great moments. I also agree with number 16 being special. Number 18 is kind of cute too.
Not all Religious people are bad. We have a tendency to label and that is just as wrong as being a supply-side Christian.
The reason for hope — I grew up going to chruch every Sunday(morining and night and once in mid week) Not becauase I choose to but because I had to. When I moved to Califorina I I had the chocie so I did not go. But up until the 70's I thought that people who went because that were the kind of people who excepted others for who they were. I was so shocked when I learned that was just the opposite. Most people who lived and breath religon were the haters of themselves and chose to in flik pain and jugement on others. So for me hope is that not all people are like this. And I know this because of the people I choose to surround my life with and the growing family that Tom has given us. Thank-You all
"All religions are flawed as are men."
Thanks, TC, it is good to see that some do practice their religion instead of pushing one particular belief on others. We can all do some good in this life, the people in this article show that they are.
On Care 2, if you don't list your birthdate, they show it as Jan. 1.
I have been away from home for a week, had Christmas with our son and his family in Mississippi, so I didn't participate as much as I wanted on here. I hope all of you had a good holiday with famly and friends.
Too often, humans confuse faith and religion.
Faith is a belief or conviction. Nowhere in the list of synonyms is the word religion. One might have faith in God or faith in a religious doctrine, or for that matter faith in someone to do good for example. Faith is not tangible, but it is very personal.
Religions on the other hand are the constructs of humans, attempts to organise groups of acceptable beliefs. By writing down doctrines for Christianity for example, groups of people who agree with these doctrines differentiate themselves from Jews or Muslims or Buddhists etc. To me, being a construct, religion is not personal but rather corporate.
I have always liked a line near the end of the movie "Angels and Demons" said by Cardinal Strauss:
To me, it is faith that compels humans to do good. It is faith that allows people of different religions to come together, to work together for the greater good. IMO, all the examples in the article are faith in action, not religion.
Another thing that confuses people is when the faith of some people do not line up with the religion they follow. For example, the right wing evangelical Christians in general, pay little attention to the teachings of the Christ, the centre of the Christian religion. That's why some of us call them pseudo Christians. ISIL is an extreme form of Sunni Islam. Clerics and people in mainstream Islam are now starting to denounce ISIL members as not being practicing Muslims.
People coming together in faith certainly gives me hope, but the journey will be long and I'm afraid arduous.
Thanks all. My intent was to show the superioirity of authentic faith to hypocritical religiosity, not to demean those who believe there is no god..
Some of the best Christians I know are atheists. In fact, I trust that God, in her infinite wisdom. has a special part of heaven set aside for atheists. It's a part, where she never goes, because she respects their beliefs. 😉
The most Christ like person I know of was Mahatma Gandhi, and he was Hindu, not Christian.
Amen!
Inspiring to me a born into to the Irish Catholic Religion.