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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > General > Religious intolerance, persecution & conflict
We live in a world driven by fear. But should we allow fear to play
such a large role in our lives? According to the religions of the
world, the answer is no. In this helpful and illuminating book,
Michael Kinnamon challenges readers to consider why we find
ourselves in this age of fear and what we can do about it. Drawing
on support from a diversity of religious traditions and teachers,
Kinnamon argues that religious faith is the best way to combat a
culture of fear. He explores fear in relation to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the American political scene, and
he shares courageous examples of individuals from different
religions working for peace. Perfect for individuals or group
study, this book helps readers understand the manipulative power of
fear and how religious beliefs call us to reject fear at all costs.
A study guide is included.
This book begins with a description of what it was like to grow up
Catholic in the middle part of the 20th century. It then follows
the author's journey as a teacher in Catholic Education and
describes the different way that modern Catholic children are being
educated. It traces her growth into a personal spirituality, which
leads her to question many of the Catholic Church's teachings,
especially those to do with sexual and reproductive matters.
Finally, it asks Catholic women to take on the responsibility of
changing the Catholic Church themselves. It is a nostalgic,
educational, stimulating and challenging read by a wife, a mother,
a teacher and somebody who has thought deeply about spirituality.
The belief that a supreme power guides and embraces humanity has
existed since primeval times. How that power is seen has been one
of the greatest divisions between peoples and nations. Whether
called God or by any other name, how that power is perceived is the
theme that makes this work memorable.
Two American families in the not-so-distant future decide to flee
their homeland in the wake of new laws that limited their religious
freedoms. It seemed that this religious intolerance as well as the
moral decay of their society had made them apprehensive about the
future of their families and their country and, so, the adventure
started. It led them and a number of others who joined them on a
dangerous journey filled with challenges and danger to a new land
far from their native shores. It is an adventure that you will not
soon forget. This book is in the apocalyptic spirit of Tim LaHaye
and Jerry Jenkin's "Left Behind" series with the edginess of
William P. Young's "The Shack.
This report was compiled by the U.S. Department of State for 2012.
The study found that the government increased its targeting and
surveillance of members of faith groups it deemed a "threat,"
including members of the country's Sunni majority. This occurred
concurrently with the escalation of the civil conflict that
resulted in the regime killing 35,000 civilians between the start
of the uprising in 2011 and year's end. Such targeting included
killing, detention, and harassment. There were credible reports
that the regime targeted citizens based on religious affiliation in
mixed neighborhoods in Homs and rural Aleppo. The government
outlawed groups it claimed were "Muslim extremist groups," as well
as Jehovah's Witnesses. It continued to monitor the activities of
all religious groups and to discourage proselytizing, which it
deemed a threat to relations among and within different faiths.
This report was compiled by the U.S. Department of State for 2012.
The study found that the government increased its targeting and
surveillance of members of faith groups it deemed a "threat,"
including members of the country's Sunni majority. This occurred
concurrently with the escalation of the civil conflict that
resulted in the regime killing 35,000 civilians between the start
of the uprising in 2011 and year's end. Such targeting included
killing, detention, and harassment. There were credible reports
that the regime targeted citizens based on religious affiliation in
mixed neighborhoods in Homs and rural Aleppo. The government
outlawed groups it claimed were "Muslim extremist groups," as well
as Jehovah's Witnesses. It continued to monitor the activities of
all religious groups and to discourage proselytizing, which it
deemed a threat to relations among and within different faiths.
Large Print Edition 18pt]
On the surface it may appear that I am quite negative about many
things in my church and that I am pessimistic about the church's
future. That would, however, be a wrong conclusion. I am not about
to give up on my church but I try to take the long view. I believe
current clouds can blow away and eventually new winds can begin to
blow. The last thing I would want to do is discourage any readers
by my analysis of the crisis in Christianity in general, and in
Adventism in particular. I would be devastated if my book drove
people away from faith and away from their church. On the contrary,
I hope with all my heart that it will help at least some readers to
take a new 'leap of faith' and then (re)-connect with their church.
I have written this book because I deeply care for all those who
have ended up 'on the margins.' I do not have the illusion that
reading it will make all doubts disappear. I do hope and pray,
however, that it will help those who read it to establish
priorities in their faith experience and in their ties with the
church, and dare to live creatively with their uncertainties and
doubts.
Rutilio Grande, SJ, was the first Jesuit to be assassinated in El
Salvador. He was killed on March 12, 1977, for having done the
works that Jesus commands with regard to one's neighbor as a priest
in the Roman Catholic Church. This volume of his writings and
homilies illustrates how he applied the social and ecclesial
teachings of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) in his ministry
with the poor and marginalized of El Salvador. His use of the
social sciences to understand the problems in his context, his
prophetic denunciation of power and wealth, and his ministry to
empower laypeople to lead their faith communities all speak to the
Holy Spirit working through the courage of a true servant leader.
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