religious literacy
BLOG
Remembering Kissir and Tsemik at Hazeem’s House, This Ramadan
I put these religious labels on Boon, Kofi, and Avi now, but back then, the subject never came up. They were just my friends.
BLOG
Reflecting on a Decade Writing About My Religion
Ten years ago, I was a new daddy. With a year-old daughter and my wife and I expecting our second, I was simultaneously in love with this new job of “dad” and utterly fascinated by how this parenting experience was shifting my own understanding of my religion. See, Scientology as a subject is all about helping people improve conditions they face in life, and who’s got more problems than a new parent? I had first shared own my faith online back in 1996 when I made my first webpage, so sharing my family experience seemed a natural extension.
BLOG
Sikhism: A Phoenix Rises From the Ashes of Suppression
It was the late 1400s in India. Religious fanaticism combined with the caste system to create a culture where the ruling Mughals could and did round up commoners and slaughter them solely to slake their royal hounds’ thirst for blood.
BLOG
That Joke Ain’t Funny
There are times I feel like complaining and this is one of those times. I was looking through Facebook the other day and saw a mention of some comedian and his “hilarious” joke about Scientology. Of course, being the vocal person that I am, I had to pipe up that it wasn’t funny.
BLOG
Understanding My Religion: The Scientology Symbol
A friend of mine who is not a Scientologist recently asked me to explain the Scientology symbol. It reminded me of my childhood growing up as a Christian in the Methodist church and everything the Christian cross represented to me and so many others—a symbol of God’s love and the personal sacrifice of Jesus for all mankind, the suffering that is a part of the human experience, but also the redemption that is possible for every individual.
BLOG
Why We Fight For Religious Literacy
It is hard to be suspicious of something that has no mystery about it. It is difficult to hate from close-up.
NEWS
New Study Shows Bias in Faith-Related Journalism
A new study reveals that 63% of faith-related media has a negative bias.
NEWS
Study Shows U.S. College Students Learn Little About Religion
A study released Monday which surveyed 3,486 college students from 122 campuses across the U.S. found students devoted significant time to learning about those of other races, political affiliations and sexual orientations, but very little about people from other faiths.
