Attacks on Muslims
According to a report in the New York Times, the rate of attacks in the United States against Muslims has tripled since the Paris bombings on November 13. Although this is nowhere near the levels that were seen after 9/11, it’s still shocking t…
House of One
You’ve heard the old joke, “A rabbi, a priest, and an imam walk into a bar…” Well, this will soon be a reality, except it won’t be a bar, it will be a place of worship, called the House of One. Amazing as it sounds, this religious building in…
Transgendered
Sweden has long been regarded as one of the most progressive countries in the world when it comes to LGBT rights. In 1944, the Swedes legalized same-sex sexual activity, but homosexuality was still classified as a mental illness until 1979. The countr…
Misconceptions About Judaism
With the FBI’s Hate Crime report from 2014 identifying the Jewish community as the biggest target of hate crimes, it’s time to consider why people target Jews. Jews are often stereotyped because of generalizations of their religion….
Isis
In November, after the Paris bombing, a bookstore in Colorado was vandalized. Sadly, it wasn’t the first time this year that the store, Isis Books & Gifts was damaged by the uniformed. Unfortunately, it’s not the only casualty of current events. One wo…
Winter Solstice
There are any number of holidays to celebrate in December. The Jews have Hanukkah. Christians remember the birth of Jesus on Christmas. Kwanzaa is a reminder of African traditions. Many non-religious individuals celebrate Saturnalia. All of these ce…
Openly Secular
Penn and Teller, the famous comedy and illusionist duo, are standing up to create a positive image of atheists, humanists, and secularists in America. As part of an initiative by Openly Secular, Penn and Teller released a video which affirmed their a…
Jedi
In 1977, George Lucas introduced a movie that has permeated many different cultural traditions. “Star Wars” didn’t just transform science fiction movies, it also worked its way into religious beliefs. Jediism was inspired by the first movie, but it wasn…
Kwanzaa
Understanding the traditions of another culture is a great way to gain insight into what is important to its members. Through this knowledge, people can come together in meaningful ways. Consider Christmas, Hanukkah, Saturnalia, and Kwanzaa. One of the unde…
Bodhi Day
Buddhists may not recognize one of the traditional Western celebrations of winter such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, or Saturnalia, but that doesn’t mean the religion doesn’t have its own seasonal festival. December 8 recognizes the day when Siddhar…