The Interfaith Amigos
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Original Air Date: 12/17/2009
The Interfaith Amigos
Religion is a major-player in the politics of today’s world. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the September 11th attacks, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan all have heavy religious overtones. Misunderstandings, ignorance, and religious intolerance abound. The Three Interfaith Amigos are looking to change that. The Seattle-based trio of a Pastor, a Rabbi, and a Sheik explore the principles of inclusion and acceptance of other religions while still holding on to personal religious tradition and belief. This episode of Northwest Now will explore the common ground between religious faiths that are shaping our world, and will uncover what we can learn from one another in our diverse Northwest community.
Guests
Visit the Amigos' website here.
Rabbi Ted Falcon
Teacher and student of Jewish meditation and Kabbalah for over thirty years, Rabbi Ted Falcon, Ph.D., is an internationally known and loved spiritual guide, author, teacher and therapist. This is Rabbi Ted’s last year as rabbi of Bet Alef Meditative Synagogue, which he founded with his wife, Ruth Neuwald Falcon, when they moved to Seattle in 1993. In addition to doing programs and traveling with his amigos and on his own, he continues to write, teach, and counsel in the Seattle area. He also co-wrote Judaism for Dummies.
Sheikh Jamal Rahman
Jamal Rahman is a Muslim Sufi minister originally from Bangladesh. He is co-minister at Interfaith Community Church in Seattle, Washington and adjunct faculty at Seattle University. Jamal travels often, teaching classes, workshops, and retreats locally, nationally, and internationally. He is the author of “The Fragrance of Faith: The Enlightened Heart of Islam,” and a coauthor of “Out of Darkness, Into Light: Spiritual Guidance in the Quran with Reflections from Jewish and Christian Sources.”
Pastor Don Mackenzie
Don Mackenzie retired in June of 2008 as minister and head of staff at University Congregational United Church of Christ in Seattle, where he had overall responsibility for the ordering and well being of the entire church staff. Don and his wife, Judy, taught at Gerard Institute in Sidon, Lebanon before being evacuated during the Six Day War in June of 1967. He is co-founder of the Seattle Network for Peace and Justice in the Middle East.
Stats and Facts
According to the most recent American Religious Identification Survey (2008), 25% of Washington’s population claims no belief in religion (atheists, agnostics, or people who claimed no religious identity). This percentage is the fourth highest among U.S. states, behind Vermont (34%), New Hampshire (29%), and Wyoming (28%). The national average is 15%.
According to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, Washington state's religious demographics break down as follows:
- Evangelical Protestant – 25%
- Mainline Protestant – 23%
- Historically Black Protestant Tradition – 1%
- Catholic – 16 %
- Mormon – 2%
- Jewish – 1%
- Muslim - 0.5%
- Buddhist – 1%
From interfaithamigos.com:
"Rabbi Ted Falcon, Sheikh Jamal Rahman and Pastor Don Mackenzie have taught together since 2001, speaking and leading workshops in the United States and Israel-Palestine."
"Sheikh Jamal’s personal experience as a Muslim after 9/11 moved him to share more of the substance of Islam. Rabbi Ted stepped more visibly into the larger community, teaching how a healing spirituality emerges within Judaism. Pastor Don concluded his position as minister of University Congregational UCC in order to devote more time focusing on the ways a true spirituality supports us in bringing healing to our world."
From Getting to the Heart of Interfaith by the Three Interfaith Amigos:
"We are living in a pluralistic world society. While we might not talk about it much, we usually interact each day with those of a different cultures and different religions. What we have found is that not talking about tour differences really does not help. Even if we differ, even if we disagree, it is crucial for us to deepen the conversation."
"We believe that an inclusive spirituality holds a key to the healing that needs to take place in our day. By its very nature, inclusive spirituality embraces differences and makes no demand that we all believe the same things. It takes us beyond our particular beliefs into shared values of love, compassion, and peace toward which we all are striving. None of us can get there alone- we absolutely need each other to heal the global problems that we are facing."
