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Religious Literacy
RELIGIOUS LITERACY
Each one of them has a different set of religious beliefs but they are all working together toward a common goal of healing a society that seems to be splitting apart. They all admire each other. They all respect each other. And they are all in communication.
RELIGIOUS LITERACY
Because of their common ancestry, the three Abrahamic religions share a deeper bond than many acknowledge. Islam’s earliest conflicts were with the idolaters. On this issue, the other monotheistic religions of the day—Judaism and Christianity—were its allies.
RELIGIOUS LITERACY
Today we think of apartheid’s end in 1994 as inevitable. But it took the concerted efforts and sacrifice of many for 50 years, both inside and outside South Africa.
RELIGIOUS LITERACY
It was Ramadan and they instinctively wanted to share their good food with neighbors, just like they were used to doing back home.
RELIGIOUS LITERACY
What I saw was a recognition of the best kind of inclusion: a collection of movies, TV shows, and press coverage where Muslims are not necessarily the story (although in two of the films, they are) but who, in their portions of the stories, are depicted as they are: human beings—not necessarily perfect human beings, but real ones.
RELIGIOUS LITERACY
The Muslim Public Affairs Council Hollywood Bureau held its media awards ceremony on March 20. It was a straightforward affair, shot on a simple stage intercut with livestreams from the homes of the awardees—a far cry from the Golden Globes held a few weeks earlier, but more meaningful to me.
RELIGIOUS LITERACY
In a recent post on Patheos.com, Richard Ostling, who goes by “the religion guy,” starts by speaking sympathetically of IRS employees for being tasked with investigating Scientology, which he refers to as “godless.”
RELIGIOUS LITERACY
The big question is: how did the filmmakers navigate the minefield of religious dogma when it comes to the representation of what a soul is, and what happens before and after life in the “meat suit,” as one of the characters puts it?
RELIGIOUS LITERACY
Truth be told, the intolerance and hate that come from otherness are as old as the human race, and without diminishing the devastating effects of the pandemic, constitute a far more deadly and lasting virus for all humanity.
RELIGIOUS LITERACY
In addition to practical knowledge, the monasteries were also the last refuge for scholarly knowledge. One of the principal occupations of monks was copying ancient manuscripts. The practice started in the sixth century at the Vivarium monastery in Italy, whose library was endowed by the Roman Senator Cassiodorus. Thereafter, a primary role of that monastery was to copy manuscripts, ensuring the continuation of Western knowledge, while preserving literacy amongst its initiates. The practice spread to other monasteries until most had established “scriptoria”—rooms where ancient literature was transcribed by monks.
