Religion at the Airport
- play show:
Date: 3 February 2010
When Faith is Mistaken for Terrorism
From packing liquids correctly to making it to the gate on time, the average air traveller has plenty to worry about. Many people of faith, however, have an even more pressing concern when they fly. As security tightens and tensions mount, expressions of religion in the airport and on airplanes are often mistaken for terrorist threats. We're joined by a Sikh, a Muslim, and a Jew who say that profiling religion instead of behavior in the airport is ineffective...and dangerous.
Manjit Singh, Chairperson of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund
Nihad Awad, Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Council on American-Islamic Relations
Rabbi Ken Cohen, American University Hillel Director and Campus Rabbi
Ralph Benson, Dulles Airport Chaplain
Begins at 22 min 40 sec
His counseling centers are Starbucks, Five Guys, and Chipotle, and his base is located near Gate A31 at Dulles International Airport. He's Ralph Benson, senior chaplain at Washington Dulles International Airport Chapel, an interfaith chapel that serves more than 300 travelers and airport employees every day. Chaplain Benson talks about his "beat" at the airport, his favorite stories, and why he refuses to prosyletize.
Chaplain Ralph Benson, Senior Chaplain at Washington Dulles International Airport Chapel
A Unificationist Response
Begins at 36 min 29 sec
Last week we covered the Unification Church, but many of you asked: where were the church members? Larry Moffitt, a Unificationist and vice president of the Washington Times Foundation, joins us to give his side of the story, and explain why the church isn't as "monolithic" as it is often portrayed.
Photo: The Unification Church of Washington in Northwest DC
Larry Moffitt, Vice President of The Washington Times Foundation
Religion Journalism's Past and Future
Begins at 42 min 27 sec
One of the nation's top religion journalists, Peter Steinfels, is leaving his post as a regular columnist for the the New York Times. His column, "Beliefs," appeared for the first time in 1990. Steinfels weighs in on the future of religion reporting.
Peter Steinfels, former columnist at the New York Times
Women and Spirit: 'An Image of the Sister As She Is'
Begins at 47 min 34 sec
Our own Maureen Fiedler goes to the opening of a new Smithsonian exhibit called "Women & Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America". Sponsored by the Leadership Council of Women Religious, it highlights the contributions of American sisters since the 18th century, and the often untold stories of women religious in their own words.
“Women & Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America” will be on view at the S. Dillon Ripley Center, Jan. 15 - April 25
