interfaith alliance | Not in Our Town

interfaith alliance

NIOT-Bowling Green convened its fourth annual interfaith breakfast affirming values of diversity and religious inclusion. (Pictured: Speakers at the event via Twitter)
In light of the recent attack in Charleston, SC, there has been a great deal of conversation about the cultivation of racial hatred that led to the massacre where nine people lost their lives. In his article "No One Is Exempt From the Responsibility to Combat Hate," excerpted below, Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, the former Executive Director of the Interfaith Alliance, explains his understanding of hate cultivation as seen through the lens of religion. Read the full article here. By Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy You and I have a role to play if we are serious about stopping hate crimes. In our respective communities, we can do what neither Congress nor the President can do for us. Ours is the responsibility of commending others and modeling in our own lives respect for those who are different from us, focusing on similarities that bind us together, and denouncing hate as neither a democratic nor a religious value. 
  This guide from our partners at Interfaith Alliance raises and addresses important questions about the Muslim community in America. An excerpt from the guide: This publication provides answers to some of the frequently asked questions about religious freedom and American Muslims. From the beginning of our history, religious liberty has been at the heart of the American vision of democratic freedom. Within the civic framework provided by the U.S. Constitution, religion has long played an important role in American public life, without being enforced or controlled by government. Today, however, as a growing number of religions call America home, new questions are being raised about the place of religion and specific religious groups in American life. For the health of the nation and the good of religion, those questions require answers.
  Our growing list of national and regional partners in the Not In Our Town: Class Actions National Community Engagement Campaign includes: