Tag: tolerance
Gay Marriage vs. “Shariazation” of American Civic Life
For Buddhist Americans, the spectacle of public outcry and legislation prescribing particular genders to secular, state-ratified marriage on the basis of religion must surely be received as completely... Read More
Who Is A Jew? – Letter to a Potential Convert
My understanding of Jewish identity has changed over time, and has included ideas that touch on many of the views articulated in our texts: Jews are people who go to synagogue, Jews care about social ... Read More
From Redemption to Revelation: how do we get there, together?
The period of Counting the Omer (we count 49 days from the second day of Passover to Shavuot) in which we currently find ourselves is a reminder of the road between redemption and revelation. It seems... Read More
What I Learned From Elie Wiesel
Every once in a while, maybe even once in a lifetime, someone comes into your life, unexpectedly, and changes it forever. That happened to me in the Fall of 2001. By this time, I had already gone back... Read More
Racism in America as Noted by a Light-Skinned, Mexican-American
Ever been followed in TJ Maxx because you are not white? I have. Ever been told, “You aren’t Mexican, you are too light. You must be Spanish?” I have. Ever have your former in-laws complain abou... Read More
Muslim Women Have Love Lives As Well!
Ever since I heard about the book project of Love, Inshallah last Fall through the Facebook grapevine, I have been eagerly awaiting its publication. The co-editors of the anthology, Nura Maznavi and A... Read More
I Am So Much More Than a Statistic
People think that a high school drop out, drops out because they get pregnant, or they use drugs, or they lack intelligence, or they are lazy. The fact is, that kids drop out of high school for variou... Read More
Crime & Punishment: Are There Evil People?
Why does our current prison system exist? Why do we continue to support a punitive approach that blames the individual rather than putting the bulk of our resources into rehabilitation and reform? Per... Read More