Tag: violence and faith

This week Faith & Values news — our five sites nationwide — will unveil a series on congregational violence, burnings and shooting of synagogues, mosques, churches and other houses of worship and how congregations are coping with and preparing for violence where they pray.

Terrorism is an act of despair on the part of a person or group who has lost hope in the ability to affect change through non-violent engagement whether it is political, economic or religious. By my definition much of the violence in the world is that of terrorists.

I really enjoyed Saturday morning’s Coffee Talk with the panel and the comments of everyone there. The one thing I did leave bothered by was what seemed to me to be a defeatist idea of humankind. I deeply believe that if one person is able to transform their behavior and beliefs then it is an example that the possibility is there for everyone.

Can religion and violence be separated, even in a theoretical sense? Let me first say that I’m afraid I can’t add anything to the discussion that will comfort those whose lives have been tragically affected by violence perpetrated in the name of faith. This is an extremely difficult and painful question: for individuals, for ethnic groups, for nations and for our world.