Category Archives: Religion

Jewish nurse who treated Pittsburgh synagogue shooting suspect has a powerful message in the face of evil: Love

Posted on December 2, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Marilyn W for sending along this CNN report. People greet each other in the sanctuary at Temple Sinai in Pittsburgh before Friday evening Shabbat services. (CNN)A Jewish nurse who took care of the man charged with killing 11 people at … Continue reading →

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Do we die?

Posted on December 2, 2018 by Jim deMaine

“When the body is no longer able to continue to function in the natural world, a person is said to die. Yet they do not die, but are only separated from the body which was of use to them in … Continue reading →

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Freedom of Religion

Posted on November 18, 2018 by Jim deMaine

In 2017, Maggie Meiners met an American-born Muslim man who spoke at her Christian church. She asked him and his friends to pose for a photograph based on Norman Rockwell’s “Freedom of Religion.”Credit Maggie Meiners/Anne Loucks Gallery

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What happens after we die?

Posted on September 23, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Ed note: It’s a bit unusual to have a spiritual/religious post on this blog, but it’s Sunday and my mind at the moment is there, so please persevere. Though I’d suggest skipping this one if you’re pretty sure that it’s … Continue reading →

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Tweeting the golden rule

Posted on August 17, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Gordon Gray for this timely message!

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A place for hope

Posted on August 5, 2018 by Jim deMaine

It’s been a while since Barbara Bush, former First Lady of the United States, passed away in the spring, but a lot of people still are living on the hope she bequeathed to them. Throughout their long lives in the … Continue reading →

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As Seattle grows, a storied Black church searches for its place

Posted on June 10, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Ed Note: Mt. Zion Baptist Church is finding it needs to change. As the neighborhood gentrifies, who is to be included in their potential congregation? Membership has fallen from a peak of 3000 down to about 800. Should the church … Continue reading →

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What Islamophobic Politicians Can Learn From Mormons

Posted on May 22, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Ed Note: It’s interesting that at times Mormons have been labeled the “white Muslims.” There are some similarities: a history of polygamy, a special prophet, a special book of revelation and a tendency to congregate with their own. But there’s also … Continue reading →

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Who is the “Unmoved Mover”

Posted on April 7, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Ed Note: After taking courses in philosophy and religion in college, I found Aristotle and his logic appealingly difficult. Of course, none of us can get our heads around infinite space and time; a beginning to everything; or where does … Continue reading →

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Passover and Easter – side by side

Posted on March 31, 2018 by Jim deMaine

BY RABBI ISMAR SCHORSCH The frequent overlapping of Easter and Passover — of the Christian Holy Week with our eight-day celebration of Passover — merits attention. Unlike the yoking of Christmas and Hanukkah, Easter and Passover are festivals of equal gravity. Side by side … Continue reading →

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Everything I need to know I learned in Sunday School

Posted on January 25, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Post sent along by Basil Filonowich:  Noah’s Ark : Everything I need to know, I learned from Noah’s Ark. ONE: Don’t miss the boat. TWO: Remember that we are all in the same boat! THREE: Plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when … Continue reading →

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A Three‐Part Series on Islam

Posted on January 7, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Tuesdays, January 16, 23, and 30 at 6:30 – 8:30 pm Cathedral Hall, 803 Terry Avenue (enter on Columbia Street) Join us as we explore the history of Islam, how it has been and continues to be part of the … Continue reading →

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What is your Holiday tradition?

Posted on December 1, 2017 by Jim deMaine

The Holidays are here. Please send pictures of your special decorations for the blog – Christmas, Hanuka, Kwanzaa, etc. The Holy days vary for many of us in our pluralistic society. Of note today December 1st is a Muslim special day. … Continue reading →

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Can its own “Arab Spring” save Saudi Arabia and temper Islam?

Posted on November 24, 2017 by Jim deMaine

Tom Friedman recently made another of many visits to Saudi Arabia – the heart of Islam with two of its holiest sites. Much to his delight he’s found changes for the better he never thought he’d see in his lifetime. … Continue reading →

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“The Five Invitations”

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Jim deMaine

From The Lion’s Roar: Buddhist teacher Frank Ostaseski has been one of the leading voices in contemplative end-of-life care since the 1980s. In this video, he talks with Lion’s Roar’s Lindsay Kyte about the lessons he’s learned at the bedsides of … Continue reading →

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“Grief, when it comes, is nothing like we expect it to be.”

Posted on June 9, 2017 by Jim deMaine

Maria Popov has a thoughtful literary web site called Brainpickings. She recently  published an essay by Joan Didion on the subject of grief. She notes, “Grief turns out to be a place none of us know until we reach it. … Continue reading →

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Prospects for Peace in Israel-Palestine

Posted on April 29, 2017 by Jim deMaine

From Cabby Tennis 7:00PM, Monday, May 22, 2017 Great Hall  “Internationally known historian and author Dr. Ilan Pappé is a native son of Israel and a former senior lecturer of history and political science at Haifa University. Since 2008 he … Continue reading →

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“After great pain, where is God?”

Posted on March 27, 2017 by Jim deMaine

When we suffer a great loss, like C.S. Lewis did when his beloved wife died, we may experience a vast array of feelings toward God. Anger. Confusion. Questioning. All this and much more in our grief. I found an excellent … Continue reading →

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RIP Huston Smith, The Man Of Religions

Posted on January 7, 2017 by Jim deMaine

The recent passing of a “religious rock star” leaves us still searching for what comes next. In this delightful video below learn what Huston Smith has to say about aging and the afterlife, or as he says “when my body … Continue reading →

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