100 Questions & Answers about Veterans
COVER STORY—Students from the prestigious Michigan State University School of Journalism have just finished a major reporting project, talking with veterans nationwide and assembling a new guidebook that’s guaranteed to help you build better relationships with the veterans in your life. So many words and experiences can easily be misunderstood. This week, we tell the story behind this new guide, prepared by MSU students with help from veterans and from Detroit Public Television.
- IT’S SO TIMELY! As Holidays columnist Stephanie Fenton reports, May is a special month of appreciation for our millions of American veterans and their families, culminating in the Memorial Day holiday. … ..
OUR VALUES
ARE AMERICAN CHRISTIANS DOOMED?—University of Michigan sociologist Wayne Baker reports on a new Pew study of religion that shows a drop in Americans calling themselves “Christian.” This is great material you can share with friends to spark a lively discussion, which is the goal of the OurValues project.
- PART 1—Is this a seismic shift—or headline hyperbole?
- PART 2—Are any Christian groups growing?
- PART 3—Is “nothing in particular” your religion?
- PART 4—Are the unaffiliated really unreligious?
- PART 5—Are non-Christian faiths declining or growing?
HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS
DON’T MISS A DATE! Tell friends about www.InterfaithHolidays.com
- SHAVUOT—Little known outside of Jewish communities, this holiday is an important remembrance of God’s gift of the Torah. And it’s also a time for enjoying rich cheese-based dishes. Stephanie Fenton and Joe Lewis begin the story of Shavuot—along with links to online resources. Then, in FeedTheSpirit, Bobbie Lewis tells more of the story and shares a recipe for a vegetable tart with goat cheese. (Delicious!)
- PENTECOST—Related to the ancient tradition of Shavuot is the Christian festival of Pentecost. As Stephanie Fenton reports, the story of Pentecost is even showing up on prime-time TV this year.
- DECLARATION OF THE BAB—Baha’is recall a historic milestone in their faith and also, this spring, they are opening the new visitor’s center in Wilmette. Stephanie Fenton has the story.
INTERFAITH PEACEMAKERS
THE HEROES—More than 100 inspiring stories at www.InterfaithPeacemakers.com
- TURNING TO EUROPE—International peace activist Daniel Buttry looks toward Europe in May. Dan already has introduced abolitionist Thomas Clarkson, scholar Moses Mendelssohn, courageous Holocaust-era life-saver Irena Sendler and philanthropist Moses Montefiore.
- NEW—This week, you’ll meet the religious mystic and political activist Simone Weil, the prophetic leader of the Velvet Revolution in the former Czechoslovakia Václav Havel, and the world-famous interfaith peace activist Hans Küng.
FILM, FAITH
AND POPULAR CULTURE
1,200 MOVIES—www.VisualParables.org is a treasure trove of faith-and-film reviews by Edward McNulty.
- ‘LE CHAMBON’—Ed McNulty follows up on last week’s inspiring profile of Interfaith Peacemaker André Trocmé, the courageous French pastor who inspired his village to save thousands of Jewish lives during the Holocaust. Ed reviews the 1997 movie version of the Le Chambon story and he recommends both a book and a second film about the heroism of the villagers. Within Ed’s review, he includes a 3-minute film clip you can watch right now.
- FILM CAPSULES—Every month, Ed provides “Film Capsules,” mini-reviews of current films, that many of our readers enjoy sharing with friends. You’re free to repost these capsules or use them in your own newsletter.
FAITH GOES POP—(Calling Star Wars fans …)—The creative mind of www.FaithGoesPop.com columnist Ken Chitwood has done it again under the headline “Special SPORTS Extra Edition.” Ken is both a religious-studies scholar and journalist and serves up news items including: Rubgy’s “Honey Badger,” How Jesus Is Saving Prime Time—and Star Wars icons. Yes, it’s true: If you’re blinking at the photo with this item—that is a Greek Orthodox-style icon depicting Admiral Ackbar as St. Gail Ackbar. Go on! Read the whole story.
STORIES THAT SHAPE OUR LIVES
“STORIES that shape your life” is a core theme at ReadTheSpirit. We’re inviting you to take part!
- CHANGING 1 CHILD AT A TIME—Suzy Farbman tells the inspiring story of Pam Good, a suburban Mom who discovered that helping children to enjoy reading could transform their lives.
- CARDINAL—Kurt Kolka’s life is shaped by his comic hero The Cardinal. In BullyingIsNoLaughingMatter, we showed you Part 1 of Kurt’s comic, then Part 2. We also offer help for parents and teachers.
- EARLIER STORIES—Benjamin Pratt started this series with Bambi and The Wizard of Oz. Debra Darvick added A Hole Is to Dig. Tarcher-Penguin Editor Mitch Horowitz told about Stevie, which he discovered at age 7. Sociologist Wayne Baker focused on the power of stories to inspire kids about the natural world.
- WHAT’S YOUR STORY? Come on! It’s your turn. Readers already are emailing us at [email protected] so, please: What’s your story?
DOING GOOD IN THE WORLD
Good media builds healthy communities …
GO ON! GO OUTDOORS! Read our online magazine or any of our books outside, this week. Our writers are encouraging you to throw open your doors. Wayne Baker started it with his “Our Kids’ Earth” series. Then, Benjamin Pratt added his “bathed in purple.” This week, Rodney Curtis offers this delightful piece on … well, it’s all about appreciating the birds, the dogs and the people in our lives this spring.
BOB ALPER—The author of Life Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This continues to criss-cross the nation and will perform next in Johnson City, TN, for the Jewish Federation Tri-Cities Annual Campaign on May 29. Then, on May 31, he’ll be in Somerset, NJ, at Temple Beth El.
THIRD-WAY NEWSLETTER
‘END THE SUFFERING’—The new video by Ken Wilson and the Third Way Newsletter team drew more than 1,000 viewers in its first 48 hours online—just by online word of mouth. Today we’re recommending: If you care about LGBT inclusion in churches—please watch this video, too, and share it with friends. The www.ThirdWayNewsletter.com is part of the changing Christian landscape that is welcoming diverse men and women.
DR. DAVID GUSHEE—The author of Changing Our Mind continues writing, including this helpful column about “Civility and Tolerance” in the Baptist Global News website.
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