InterFaith Leaders Fellowship

A Taste of Faith - Comment

2009-12-11T08:55:00.000-08:00

Greetings Ben and Bill--

Thank you so much for hosting the AILF "Taste of Faith " this past Sunday. I had a very enriching and positive experience, as I believe the others I encountered did.

The people who attended the event really had interest to grow the Atlanta interfaith community and to accomplish the AILF goal to have Atlanta become a model for an interfaith community. I have attended other events where each person/group had an individual agenda and where the intention of the person/group was not necessarily about cultivating interfaith relationships. It was so refreshing to meet others who really understand the interfaith concept, to have constructive and informative discussions (even with disagreements) and to find a base of people with which to build strong bridges.

I am very excited about the programs list you have created. AIF likes to not only host interfaith events, but also to promote interfaith events in the community. I know there are lots of events going on in the Atlanta area, but I believe it has been somewhat difficult for organizations to share such events with interested communities.

I look forward to future programs hosted by AILF and look forward to strengthening our interfaith community!

Much peace,

Kelly Wentworth
American Islamic Fellowship, Executive Director

2010 Programs - Atlanta Interfaith Leaders Fellowship

2009-12-09T13:17:00.000-08:00

The preliminary program schedule for Atlanta InterFaith Leaders Fellowship events is now complete. Four regular meetings of the Fellowship are planned throughout the year. One or more special events will likely be added as the year progresses.
The presently scheduled events will be on March 21, June 6, September 19 and December 5, 2009.
Two events are scheduled to help members share and understand better lifetime transition events which are common to all. The purpose is to help members become better equipped to relate to those of other faiths during these important life milestones.

On March 21 the Fellowship will meet at the Atlanta Hospice to address issues related to terminal health care and preparation for death as known in this world. Gillian Renault from the Hindu tradition is planning this event. The Hospice will be hosting this event as the Hospice represents one of the oldest institutions in Atlanta which has dealt with the fact that differences in faith traditions lead members to approach this life transition with different expectations and different traditional practices.

In September on the 19th the fellowship will meet to discuss the institution of marriage as it is experienced in differing traditions. The faiths have much in common but also some significant differences in practice. Saeed Raees from the Muslim tradition will be putting together a panel discussion on this topic.

The third event, actually second on the calendar as it is scheduled on the calendar for June 6, is being organized by Bassem Fakhoury. Many in attendance at prior meetings have asked for guidance in identifying opportunities to participate more fully in interfaith work. Bassem, one of the Fellowship’s Muslim members, will be selecting a number of ongoing interfaith efforts in the Atlanta community which need assistance and support. Representatives from these programs will tell their stories. Members with a program which they would like to have featured should contact Bassem, Ben Johnson, or Bill Voss at their convenience.

Bill Voss, a Christian member of the fellowship, will be organizing the fourth event which is planned for December 5. He is preparing for this event a workshop on how to conduct and lead interfaith dialogues. Attendees will focus by hearing and doing on how to better listen to others and talk with them in a non-judgmental fashion about their faiths and practices. All Fellowship members have significant skills in these areas. The Fellowship leadership believes that all can benefit from honing their skills.

Posted By: Bill Voss

A Taste of Faith

2009-12-09T13:16:00.000-08:00

Approximately 75 members of the Atlanta InterFaith Leaders Fellowship gathered in Atlanta on Sunday, December 6, 2009 at the Petite Auberge Restaurant to celebrate A Taste of Faith.

Attendees Celebrated:

As Christians: Christmas Day – December 25 - honoring the birth of Jesus
As Hindus: The Holy Mother - Sri Sarada Devi – December 22 - honoring the December 22, 1853 birth of the wife of Ramakrishna
As Jews: Chanukah – December 11-19 – the Eight Day Festival of Lights
As Muslims: Eid al-Adha – November 27 – the Feast of Sacrifice marking the end of Hajj
As Brothers and Sisters – members of a shared humanity: Respect and love for those of all religious faiths and traditions.

Each of the faiths was represented by a table of foods and delicacies for sharing appropriate to the respective traditions. Each of the tables was staffed with persons of the corresponding faith to share in dialogue regarding the basis for their celebration. All in attendance experienced joy-filled dialogue with brothers and sisters of multiple faiths.

Ben Johnson together with Anchor Shepherd and numerous helpers were responsible for planning and implementing this celebratory event marking the first anniversary of the Fellowship’s formation. Ben’s inspirational message emphasizing the recently held Immersion Week interfaith dialogue program was a highlight of the day.

Bill Voss announced plans for Fellowship meetings in the year ahead.

Thanks go out to all who attended and all who participated in making this an immensely successful conclusion to our Fellowship programs for 2009!

Posted by: Bill Voss

Examples of Peace Tyyibah Taylor

2009-01-23T19:25:00.000-08:00

Examples of Peace
Tayyibah Taylor

When thinking about the future of interfaith leadership, I realize we, as people of faith, have a wonderful opportunity to be powerful examples of love, understanding and peace. We can listen to the stories of others and share our own, and we can also acknowledge the highest goals of all our rituals and faith traditions.

While we all want to see a better world and a peaceful world, we may also want to hold on to our prejudices and to our narrow definitions. We may be more committed to our judgments about others than we are to creating peace.

Perhaps when we learn to see each person as a spiritual being on their path back to the Almighty, we can exemplify compassion. Seeing each other as a human soul is quite easy when we are around people who look like us, speak like us and worship like us. It takes some effort when a person is markedly different, because we often get trapped by the exterior and become unable to transcend the physical. With practice, we may realize that our differences are positives, for it is through them we learn more about each other, more about our own selves, more about humanity and more about the Creator.

The more we practice and cultivate the ability to see others as spiritual beings journeying back to God, the more we will be examples of peace. It won’t be just at special interfaith events or at peace conferences that we demonstrate our understanding, but in every interaction, every day. If this example doesn’t come from us, the people who profess to worship the Source of Peace, then from whom?

Principles of InterFaith Leaders' Fellowship from Bob Smithers

2009-01-13T06:17:00.000-08:00

Principles of Interfaith Leaders Fellowship

1. The only requirement for membership is the desire and intent to work at developing interfaith understanding in Atlanta.

2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority – a loving God as He may express himself to our group conscience.

3. The fellowship has but one primary purpose – to provide a gathering place where members can share ideas and experiences.

4. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.

Guiding Principles

2008-12-23T11:13:00.000-08:00

Principles of the Interfaith Leaders Fellowship
1. The sole purpose of the Fellowship is to provide a gathering place where persons engaged in interfaith work can share ideas and experiences for the purposes of support and inspiration.
2. Members will exchange their experiences of what has worked for them.
3. Members will listen respectfully to the experiences and beliefs of others. Members will refrain from efforts to persuade others to accept their religious beliefs.
4. Non-members will attend meetings by invitation for the purpose of advancing the purpose of the Fellowship. Guests will be expected to conform to our principles.
5. Membership will grow primarily by invitation as members share one-on-one or in small groups how the Fellowship helps them do their interfaith work.
6. Qualification for membership is simply the desire and intent to work at developing interfaith understanding in Atlanta.
7. Leaders in the fellowship lead but do not govern; leadership rotates; and those serving seek feed back from the group.
8. The Fellowship is self-supporting through voluntary contributions. However, some events may require sharing expenses.

(Developed after the meeting on December 7, 2008)

Bill Voss Response to Hakim Yamini

2008-11-26T14:09:00.000-08:00

In thinking about the Revised Vision for Atlanta, I feel prompted to ask myself about the purpose of creating a Vision Statement. Hakim Yamini's statement as an idealized vision of the direction towards which we are endeavoring to move over time is very powerful. I wonder if something that better reflects what we see as feasible to accomplish in the near term might be more appropriate. Or perhaps both are needed: 1. a generalized statement which inspires and 2. a statement of goals for the next 10 years against which progress might be measured and which focuses the near term actions. There is no right answer to which is preferable. As an inspirational statement Yamini's vision statement works provided the date references are removed. As a working vision statement to guide near term action something specific might be more helpful.

If your preference in a vision statement is to make it something that primarily inspires as opposed to providing any detailed guidance, I would try for something as brief as possible.... perhaps something along the following lines:
"We envision Atlanta becoming a community in which the historic barriers between persons and communities of differing religious faiths have been destroyed. Differences in faith traditions will be respected rather than being criticized. Knowledge and understanding will have replaced ignorance and fear. Cooperation will have replaced conflict and competition. Care and justice for minorities and the less fortunate will have replaced marginalization and oppression.
We believe the new Atlanta is possible, if people of every faith truly live out the principles of love and acceptance of others which are shared among all major religious traditions."

Regarding the meeting closing card which we discussed, I would offer the following as a possible suggestion:

"Interfaith Leaders Fellowship Meeting
December 7, 2008

Would you be interested in attending future meetings to share regarding interfaith work in the Greater Atlanta area? Yes No (circle one)

How frequently do you think such meetings would be desirable? (check one)
______Once a year.
______Twice a year.
______Three times a year
______More than three times a year.

___________________________ ___________________________
Name Preferred contact (Phone # or e-mail address)

Comments or suggestions, if any, please write on back of card."

Regards,
Bill Voss

Home Work for December Seven

2008-11-24T11:12:00.000-08:00

The Revised Vision for Atlanta
by
Hakim Yamini

A 2020 Vision for the City of Atlanta

By the year 2020, we envision that the major Faith Communities in the Atlanta area will have come together, under the power of G-d’s love, to help create a better social, cultural and economic environment for progressive and sustainable human life. As a consequence of this collaborative work, the citizens that live, work and recreate within our City will demonstrate an enhanced state of love, tolerance, acceptance, mutual caring, and respect for each other. On going efforts will help to further deepen our understanding of each other’s faith practices and traditions. It will be commonplace to see citizens of different faith traditions praying and worshiping separate and together within our communities.

By the year 2020, The Children of Abraham – Jews, Christians and Muslims, who believe in the unity of Almighty G-d, working collaboratively will have helped to create a human movement to overcome poverty, exclusion, and oppression. The common citizens in our community will have opportunities to access quality education, training, job skills, quality living spaces that will establish the basis to be full participants in society with “Liberty and Justice for all.”

People in the community that seek to practice oppression, dominance, lawlessness and crime will be exposed, disciplined and resisted. Special emphasis will placed on those that deal in the sale and distribution of drugs.

Those citizens that have successfully lived and prevailed over life experiences that included injustice, oppression, and powerlessness will become our examples and teachers. This work will also create a centripetal force that will help to re-enroll those members who live on the margins of our society.

This vision will be successfully achieved when the Children of Abraham pro-actively claim, understand and live out their faiths. And, work together as brothers, sisters and family to create, maintain and establish the human community life (The New Jerusalaam) that G_d has designed for the righteous descendents of our father Adam.

Can this day be the a part of the fulfillment of this vision?

RESPONSE TO VISIONING SESSION OF August 3, 2008Groups for Action
At the visioning session following lunch at Shallowford Church more than 200 persons listed eight pages of actions they could take to move toward the vision of a new city. One way to respond to these matters is through a series of small groups. The issues which were listed focus on: Prejudice, Involvement, Prayer, Youth, Fellowship, Learning and Study, Sensitivity in Vocation, Learning to Love, Interfaith Activities, Awareness, Solve Problems, Engage in Service

Group One. Overcoming Prejudice. Two actions will assist in achieving this outlook – Gaining knowledge about the faith and lifestyle of those who are different; first hand exposure in person-to-person groups.

Group Two. Involvement Persons who wish to be involved can do so at many levels. First get to know a person who is different from you in culture, race, or religion. Volunteer to help at feeding places or with older people. If you form a group that wishes to be involved, you can give each other support.

Group Three. Groups That Pray Together Some have shown an interest in prayer as a means of drawing close to others. I am part of such a group that has been meeting once a month. We sit together in silence for ½ hour and each month one person tells how she or he became interested in the Journey Inward. A group like this is simple to convene. Invite persons from different faiths, meet monthly, sit together for 30 minutes, and begin by having one person each month to tell about their life experiences that make them want to be part of the group.

Group Four. Young Men’s and Women’s Group. Quite a number of young adults joined in this time of visioning. They see new roles for themselves. We need a group of young men and women to begin meeting together regularly to talk about how they can build bridges, create relationships, and adopt new modes of service to human needs.

Group Five. References to understanding Islam and understanding other religious cultures were numerous. This need can be easily met. Form an InterFaith Discussion Group. In this group let each person relate what his/her faith means in daily life. After one person shares these personal values, other members of the group can ask questions about the practice of the faith or the beliefs that underlie it. Someone who feels a call from God to engage in this form of instruction could invite friends to become part of the venture.

Group Six. There was a strong call for the Practice of Love in the World. All seemed to believe that we affect others most by the way we live. Deliberately adopting a life of understanding, tolerance, forgiveness and kindness toward others models what the world needs most. It is possible to practice love without the encouragement and insight of others, but being part of a fellowship of caring people increases the chance of success.

Group Seven. The issue of working together for changes came up often. What one person cannot do, five can. When we take others into our confidence, when we learn from them, and when we work on worthy projects with them, we get closer together. Some persons learn by doing and others learn by talking, but talk without doing is a sham. Are you a Doer? Are you a Talker? Or, are you a Doer and a Talker? Habitat for Humanity offers a grand setting for doing and talking. The work of the Islamic Speaker’s Bureau offers help in doing and talking.
All the suggestions giving rise to these groups can be seen on the blog www.atlantainterfaithtalk.blogspot.com

Why Should Christians Learn About Islam

Twelve Reasons Why Christians Should Study Islam.

1. Their ignorance of Islam – most don’t know anything about Islam.

2. To rid themselves of misconceptions about Islam – what they do know is flawed.

3. To overcome their fear of Muslims.

4. To overcome the fear of speaking with someone of another faith.

5. To discover the similarity and differences of beliefs.

6. To learn that “difference” does not necessarily mean “wrong.”

7. To learn how to appreciate the dedication, disciple and determination of Muslims.

8. Because the world is rapidly becoming a “global village” and Muslims and people of other faiths are not only “over there” but “right here.”

9. Because of the sheer numbers – 1.5 billion Muslims in the world and the number is growing rapidly.

10. To find freedom from their feelings of elitism and superiority in religion.

11. To assist in helping Christians see all peoples as creations of God and loved by God.

12. To claim and affirm common roots – Christianity, Islam, and Judaism all come from the Abraham’s faith in One God.