'Tis the season to spend money we don't have on things we don't need.

The twelve days of debt are upon us and the annual festival of fights has begun. Apparently pepper spray will be this year's most popular gift. Peace on earth, good will toward men, only $19.95 if you call right now (plus shipping and handling). It's an excellent time, especially as you circle endlessly around a…

I was on a chartered bus with about 40 other people—Christians, Jews, Muslims, Unitarian Universalists, one Buddhist, and one Wiccan priest. We were united in being people of faith, in being mostly white and middle class, and in touring part of Newark, New Jersey as part of the Environmental Justice retreat of GreenFaith’s Fellowship Program.

I already knew that low-income communities and communities of color are…

This article was originally posted at http://judaism.bellaonline.com.

Torah study is an integral part of Judaism and living a full and vibrant Jewish life. We are all commanded to dedicate some part of our day to Torah study, be it a few hours or even just a few moments. Torah study is a practice which can profoundly enrich your life and open up avenues of…

State of Formation, an international network for young religious leaders, is collaborating with Claremont Lincoln University to develop a pilot program for informal interreligious education. The program’s inaugural events will be a monthly series of coffeehouse-style conversations on interreligious topics, beginning with a Dec. 1 evening event on the Claremont campus (see below for details)

State of Formation is an international program of the…

“Niscintya yoga ucyate”- The thought-free state is yoga.

When does the mind attain freedom from thoughts? When Prana ceases, in other words on the cessation of Prana-dynamism when confluence with the still Prana is effected, this state is designated to be yoga. In this state—mind, thoughts etc. are all absent.

 …

Robin Hood is an archetypal hero; “steal from the rich and

give to the poor”, in today’s age it has become steal from the poor and keep

it. George Washington is one as well, “I can't tell a lie” was his answer when he cut down the cheery tree;

today officials seem to think lying is just part of what you have to do. “Do

unto others as you would have them do unto you” has become do unto others

before they do unto you. I went to a recent Occupy Wall street meeting…

The history of Chanukah squeezes us between two competing narratives: one of idealization and one of consternation.

The former encourages us to view Chanukah as a holiday of liberation, when the Maccabees overthrew their Hellenistic occupiers in pursuit of faith and freedom. The Jews wanted a homeland free of outside ruler and were willing to pick up arms in self-defense.

The latter emphasizes the un-miraculous nature of the conflict and the fact that, when 'free' during the…

http://news.okezone.com/read/2011/11/22/339/532614/anand-krishna-divonis-bebas

In the last weeks, the inseparability of the power of police, federal agencies and private security – the militarization of daily life - with our current economic system was brought home to hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S.

Occupy activists from Oakland to Portland to…

Thanksgiving for many is getting there and then getting

home, but where we are all going?

Wait, smile….It’s all good. One aspect of thanks giving is

being present to the moment, awareness of where we have been and where we are going. Who is watching and are we watching ourselves?  Oneness…

Hi, I'm Marty, and I'm an Orthodox Christian.

I know, I know. Orthodox Christians don't generally associate themselves with interfaith dialogues. Perhaps that makes me not a very good Orthodox Christian. I'm not at all sure. Especially as ordained clergy (I'm a Deacon) which means I have sworn support and obedience to my bishop in my duties for the Church.

I attend a small Orthodox Christian seminary, attached to a monastery, in the heart of the Pocono Mountains in Northeastern…

original cartoon by the author

The [Great Assembly] originated three maxims: "Be not hasty in judgment; Bring up many disciples; and, build a hedge for the Torah."

-Pirkei Avot 1:1

End-of-year report, first grade:

“Rebecca has the ability to be an outstanding student. She has a tremendous amount of knowledge and is eager to learn. Although she…

I am working in downtown Boston again. My workplace is great and I really love that I walk through the oldest park in America every morning. What I don't love seeing are the homeless men and women who make Boston Common their home. I find it difficult to understand why there are homeless people in the first place in America, but that is another topic for another time.

A few weekends ago I helped out at one of the many homeless shelters here in Boston, which I try to do occasionally.…

Inclusion of individuals with disabilities into the very fabric of our religious communities and congregations has been a passion of mine for many years. This stems in large part from the fact that I just happen to be someone who is blind, but it also stems from my deeply held belief that all of us, regardless of ability, have much to learn and much to contribute and that it is our sacred duty to allow ourselves to grow and be enriched by those around us.

Although my interest in the…

When Connie Johnstone saw relatives of Muslim patients praying in a hospital parking lot, or laying out a plastic bag to create a clean spot on the lobby floor, her visions of a meditation room suddenly got a lot broader.

Read more...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/20/hospitals-revamp-chapels_n_653414.html

Article first published as Education Under Fire on Blogcritics.

Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:

"Everyone has the right to education...Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit...It shall promote understanding, tolerance…

I stand in the cereal aisle of the grocery store, dazed by the overwhelming number of choices. I like the pecans in one, the wheat flakes in another, the dried strawberries in that one—and oh, let’s not forget about raisins and nut clusters! There are so many different kinds of cereal, all with something good to offer… how can I choose just one?

Growing up, I was taught that all religions are different manifestations of a singular Truth. My religious upbringing included stories of…

Weight.

The very word is heavy, overweighted. Weight on my plate. Weight in my gut. Weight in my heart. Weight of the world. Heavy, heavy, heavy...it’s such a bad word. It’s something none of us want to be. We are all eager to divest ourselves of heaviness. We want to defy gravity and float up to heaven. We don't want to be chained to this earth and its weighty, worrisome ways.

In my twenties I was a big girl. I loved my big, lush, firm body, even as I hated it. I liked being…

What do Martin Luther and Mary Daly have in common?

They both realized that they could not reform the Roman Catholic Church from “the inside-out.”  They came to believe that some institutions, even those dear to the heart, are not worth saving.  One of the most significant differences between Luther and Daly—aside from the obvious differences in time, culture, race, class, and sex—is that Luther’s faith in God remained intact whereas Daly’s did not.  Mary Daly, due to her positions on…

This article was co-authored by Matthew L. Skinner.

Picture this: an Iraqi reporter becomes interested in the work of a Jewish student in Israel after reading an article about Jewish-Muslim relations in medieval Spain that the student published online. The reporter contacts the student and interviews him about future prospects for Jewish-Muslim coexistence.

As the student in this story and co-author of this…