FāVS Religion News Roundup: Feb. 1
This Roundup reports a new process in place to replace offensive landmarks in Spokane, Whitworth University’s latest preaching program grant, FāVS’ partnership with Spokane Jewish Film Festival and what FāVS’ leadership is doing in honor of World Interfaith Harmony Week.
News Story by Tracy Simmons | FāVS News
Process to Remove Offensive Landmarks in Spokane
Spokane now has a process to review potentially offensive landmarks and street names on city property. According to the The Spokesman-Review, the new ordinance allows residents to request reconsideration of imagery or names deemed offensive. The Spokane Human Rights Commission will receive requests and determine if a landmark or name would likely cause pain. If so, the Office of Civil Rights, Equity and Inclusion will review further and make a recommendation. The City Council, Park Board or Library Board will have final say on any action.
This follows a request by Pacific Islanders to remove the John Monaghan statue, which some see as honoring colonization. The ordinance passed this week despite concerns about the process.
Supporters say it allows removal of monuments representing oppression.
Whitworth University Wins New Grant
Whitworth University announced this week that it received a $1.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment for a new preaching program. It will create learning cohorts, resources and retreats to strengthen skills and support innovative proclamation models. The goal is to promote participatory preaching and support preachers’ spiritual health. Research will examine engaging college-aged adults.
The program launches this spring with the first cohort for preachers. Additional cohorts will follow over the five-year grant period. Lilly Endowment awarded grants to organizations through its initiative to nurture religious lives and adapt preaching to engage new generations.
FāVS Partners with Spokane Jewish Film Festival
The Spokane Jewish Film Festival is underway, and on Thursday evening FāVS is partnering with the festival to moderate a virtual panel discussion about the movie, “Stay with Us.”
Released in 2022, the movie portrays the life of a Jewish man who decides to return to France after being well-established in the United States in order to convert to Catholicism. His Jewish parents are far from supportive of this idea. His goal is to explain that his love for his parents has not been dampened by his newfound intrigue with Catholicism, specifically with the Virgin Mary.
On the panel will be film buff and FāVS columnist Matthew Kincanon, Ask A Catholic columnist Mitch Finley and his wife Kathy Finley, Spokane Area Jewish Family Services Director Neal Schindler, and it will be moderated by FāVS Executive Director Tracy Simmons.
The panel will be on Thursday at 7 p.m., via Zoom, and will allow opportunities both for discussion and Q&A.
Now, a note from the FāVS leadership.
In recognition of World Interfaith Harmony Week, FāVS News is asking readers to become sustaining donors. For over a decade, this independent publication has served as a bridge across divisions, amplifying marginalized perspectives in the Inland Northwest. As communities worldwide celebrate unity in diversity this week, FāVS continues informing and connecting diverse faith and non-faith groups through respectful dialogue, and empowers the community to seek mutual understanding and build a shared future. Readers can help ensure this platform for interfaith harmony endures by becoming recurring donors.
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