We’re afraid, and we haven’t yet learned to handle our fears in wholesome and creative ways.

What is your favorite verse of holy scripture and why? I am inspired by these words from the  Anguttara Nikaya III.65 because they provide compelling guidelines for navigating through the competing opinions and truth-claims that human beings incessantly churn out.  The Buddha said: Do not accept anything simply because it is said to be…[Read more]

What is your reaction to the Freedom from Religion Foundation suing the Memphis City Council? Public prayer at occasions like the opening of City Council meetings may not technically violate the spirit of the Constitution, which seeks only to avert the establishment of a state religion or the favoring of one religion over another.  But the [...]

Religion has been a major and hot topic among Republican presidential contenders. It also was a major topic in the 2008 campaign. What do YOU want to know about a presidential candidate’s faith? What do you NOT want to know? What interests me least as a voter is the label a candidate puts on his or [...]

In 50 words or less send a holiday greeting to the Memphis community. What is your holiday wish your fellow Memphis area residents?

May all beings, everywhere and without exception, be well and happy.

Tell us a funny faith-related story. Make us laugh.

What’s the funniest prayer request you’ve ever heard?

Dear Lord, please make me into the kind of person my dog thinks I am.

In 140 characters or less (Twitter’s limit per Tweet), can you sum up your personal faith? In other words, Tweet your faith to Memphis. Or Tweet your faith message to Memphis.

Refrain from evil, cultivate good, purify the mind.

Refrain from evil, cultivate good, purify the mind.

President Obama came to Memphis this week and spoke to the 2011 Class of Booker T. Washington High School about the value of education and dedication. What message do you have for this year’s graduates at BTW and other schools across the community? In a Zen Buddhist temple in Japan, there is scroll that seems to [...]

How should people of faith respond to the death of Osama bin Laden? For most persons throughout the world, there will be great jubilation over the death of Osama bin Laden.  To the degree that his demise is celebrated as symbolic of our love for justice and yearning to be free from fear, the celebration will [...]

Should religious objections to fundamental principles of biology be discussed in public school science classes? Which religious creation stories should be taught in public schools? Can one believe in God and accept evolution? I share the Tennessee Science Teachers Association’s (TSTA) view that the bill passed by the Tennessee House last week is…[Read more]

How can we live responsibly as devout and faithful adherents of one religion in a world (and community) of many religions? Satan and one of his demons were strolling on the earth one day when they saw a man stop suddenly, bend down, and pick up a piece of Truth. “Did you see that?” the assistant [...]

Should the Bible be taught in our public schools? Should our schools also teach students about the Quran, the Book of Mormon, the Vedas and other sacred texts? When it comes to teaching public school students about religion, what is appropriate and what is not? I am of two minds about teaching sacred texts in public [...]

Natural disasters create intractable problems for theists.  Despite centuries of theological reflection, no one has yet come up with a satisfying way to explain how an all-powerful and benevolent god can allow events like the recent tsunami in Japan to happen, destroying the lives of thousands at a time. Unlike tragedies such as the Holocaust [...]

What concerns you about Islam in America? What concerns you about legislative efforts to question or restrict Islamic practices? What are the dangers of politicizing a particular faith or demonizing adherents of a particular faith? I am not a Muslim, but I have great respect for Islam.  Even more: I have a deep admiration and appreciation [...]