Inter-Religious Dialogue Can Quell Conflicts by Mary Stamp University
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STORIES INSIDE eMinistry offers phone classes - p. 12 Spokane has urban missionary - p. 7 Project counters gangs’ appeal - p. 9 Hillyard churches September 2007 [email protected] Volume 24, Number 7 www.thefigtree.org collaborate - p. 8 (509) 535-1813 • 323-4037 Monthly newspaper covering faith in action throughout the Inland Northwest Inter-religious dialogue can quell conflicts By Mary Stamp University. While here, he helps With part of his life in each support his diocese and family. tradition, Father Patrick Baraza, Most of his family became a Kenyan priest serving in the Christian, he said, not because he Diocese of Spokane, sees African “converted” them, but because of traditional religions strengthening what they saw in him. community, Christianity bringing He had preached at a Mass hope and Islam being practical. before an interview with The Fig He believes each faith has Tree. His sermon was about Na- positive contributions to make in thanael asking Philip if anything the African context, but he sees good could come out of Nazareth. that often the imported faiths— Philip said, “Come and see how Christianity and Islam—have he prays, come and see how he not respected African traditional loves.” (John 1:45-51) religions. They have brought “To African traditional reli- Arabization, Americanization and gions, which worship one God Europeanization that deny respect and have no concept of future, to African traditional religions. Christianity brings a sense of Because those faiths also have future and hope, hope for life brought to Africa their internal today,” he said. “Africans who divisions and their hostilities to have nothing to eat go to a Chris- each other, Father Patrick consid- tian crusade where they dance ers inter-religious dialogue crucial and praise. They come home fed for resolving conflicts in Africa. with hope from worshipping God He came to Spokane in 2005 with all their heart, soul, mind and to teach in Gonzaga University’s Father Patrick Baraza advocates inter-religious respect and understanding. strength. Religious Studies Department and “I said Mass for 35 minutes this help offer Masses at Our Lady of Islam when he fought with the “If I had lived in Southern ies in Islam at the University of noon. That’s unheard of in Africa! Lourdes Cathedral. British in World War I in Burma. Kenya, I would be Seventh Day California-Berkeley, the Graduate I would have been reported to For him, inter-religious dia- Although the community hated Adventist, or in Central Kenya, I Theological Union and the Jesuit my bishop for underfeeding the logue in Africa must include him for not renouncing Islam, would be Presbyterian, Methodist School of Theology in Berkeley, people,” he said. Christianity, Islam and traditional Father Patrick loved him, and of- or Anglican,” he said. Calif. “Islam’s gift is that it is practi- religions—each integral to his ten went with him to the mosque Ordained in 1982, he served a After completing the degree in cal. The five pillars are five things heritage and who he is. because he was curious to learn parish, taught philosophy at his di- 2002, Father Patrick returned to to do. In contrast, my faith is dog- His village, Bungoma, prac- more about Islam. ocese in Kenya and served among work another three years with the matic and theological,” he said. ticed traditional African worship Because he lived near Kitare the Pokot, nomadic people who Pokot in Kenya. In 2005, he came “African traditional religions of one God through honoring the 300 miles West of Nairobi, Father hold traditional beliefs, before he to Spokane to teach Catholicism hold their communities and their spirits of their ancestors. Patrick attended Catholic schools came to the United States in 1993 in the context of African culture culture together as people honor His grandfather converted to and became Catholic. to do master’s and doctoral stud- and to teach Islam at Gonzaga Continued on page 5 Directory distributed in summer For Fig Tree Dialogue in October: Resource connects faith and nonprofit communities in region Julia Esquivel will bring Malcolm Haworth brings skills Tree circulation area, which also through AmeriCorps as commu- in research and a commitment to includes Central Washington zips nity outreach coordinator. voices of Guatemalans student volunteerism to producing of 988-, 993- and 989- and some Editor Mary Stamp said the the Directory of Congregations of North Idaho’s 835- zips. directory builds on The Fig Tree’s Through poetry, theology and action, Guatemalan Julia and Community Resources, a new Information on national faith commitment to foster aware- Esquivel has advocated for human rights, economic justice publication of The Fig Tree. groups and churches is included ness, interaction and cooperation and political power for indigenous people. Although it’s the 35th edition in print and expanded online with among the faith and nonprofit She will share through her poetry and presentations with of the directory, he had to enter links to their websites. communities of the Inland North- several groups when she visits Spokane from Saturday, Oct. many data files to update content To gather data, he sent out forms west. She said it creates a sense 13 to Monday, Oct. 22 related to The Fig Tree’s Faith in Ac- in the 2006 edition produced by to congregations and agencies of the “infrastructure of caring in tion Dialogue. the Interfaith Council and in The requesting information; called re- the region.” The Fig Tree is organizing events in collaboration with Fig Tree database. gional offices, congregations and The directory provides an an- Women Walking Together, Gonzaga University, Whitworth The directory includes informa- agencies; cross-referenced with nual print version of the resources, University, Bioneers and the Kalispel Tribe. tion on more than 1,100 congre- other directories and online, and updated regularly online, expand- Plans include a talks and poetry reading at 7 p.m., Tuesday, gations and 1,700 agencies—in made personal connections. ing The Fig Tree’s online “Con- Oct. 16, at Gonzaga University’s Cataldo Hall; at 7 p.m., contrast to 850 congregations and Malcolm, a 2001 history gradu- nections” pages. Wednesday, Oct. 17, at Weyerhaeuser Center at Whitworth 900 agencies last year—in the zip ate from Washington State Univer- Malcolm said that “after events University, and talks during the Bioneers Conference on codes beginning 838-, 990-, 991- sity, earned a master’s in history like Sept. 11 and Hurricane Ka- Friday, Oct. 19 and Sunday, Oct. 21. and 992 in Eastern Washington at Eastern Washington University trina, we know we cannot expect She will also read poetry at 3 p.m., Monday, Oct. 15, at the and North Idaho. An online ver- in 2005, and began in February government to provide all the Women’s Hearth, 920 W. Second. She will spend Thursday, sion will be expanded to the Fig 2007 working with The Fig Tree services people need.” Oct. 18, visiting the Kalispel Tribe. So he believes it is essential For Fig Tree editor Mary Stamp, it will be a reunion with a to know about local community friend she spent six months with at the Ecumenical Institute of The Fig Tree Non-Profit Bossey, Switzerland, in 1969-70 and again at the 6th Assembly Organization services responding to needs, such 1323 S. Perry St. as networking on justice issues of the World Council of Churches in 1983 in Vancouver, B.C., U.S. POSTAGE while Julia was living in exile. Spokane, WA 99202-3571 PAID and dealing with medical and SPOKANE WA housing needs. “We promised each other at our parting: ‘Je suis avec toi,’ DATED MATERIALS Permit No. 1044 He knows that awareness of French for, ‘I am with you,’” Mary said. “Sharing interest in those resources is essential for writing, poetry, ecumenism, justice, peace, human rights and service-learning opportunities care for the environment, I keep her in my prayers, hearing of for students. Having taught some Continued on page 3 Continued on page 4 Page 2 - The Fig Tree - September 2007 Religion News Briefs REGIONAL ECUMENICAL & INTERFAITH NEWS Around the World Ecumenical News International, PO Box 2100 Series begins with ‘Eating Is a Moral Act’ CH - 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland Tel: +41-22 791 6111 Fax: Advocating changing the world Moot Court Room at the Gonzaga ing in the Ecozoic Era, a period of +41-22 788 7244 email: [email protected] http://www.eni.ch with forks and knives, Brother University Law School. “Quantum Agriculture,” that links David Andrews of the Catholic He will discuss life in the post- ecology and economy.” Faith leaders use worship places in AIDS fight Rural Life Conference will give industrial era, the time of peak He encourages a way of eating Colombo, Sri Lanka (ENI). An international interfaith con- the first lecture, “Eating Is a Moral oil and climate change when that links farmers and consumers, ference on HIV/AIDS in August called religious leaders to use Act,” for the 2007-2008 season lifestyles and practices require environmentalists and econo- their facilities to help fight against HIV and AIDS. Organizers of Catholicism and the New Mil- change by individuals and institu- mists, the global and the local, said this would enable faith organizations to be voices to raise lennium. tions, said organizer Tim Clancy, Catholic social teaching and awareness and reduce discrimination. The lecture will be at 7:30 p.m., SJ. world religions. “We acknowledge that we have not done enough in this area, Thursday, Sept. 6, in the Barbiari Brother David will discuss liv- For information, call 358-4273. and have at times contributed to a sense of exclusion and stig- matization for those living with HIV and AIDS,” participants said in a statement during the International Interfaith Conference in Colombo.