Finding the 'Middle Way' Between China and Tibet
- play show:
Date: 31 July 2008
Why the Dalai Lama Matters
He's the Mahatma Gandhi of today, and the most visible and eloquent
advocate of a nonviolent approach to world affairs. That's how
Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman defines the importance of the
Dalai Lama on the world stage today, where he is the advocate of a
"middle way" in the tense struggle between his native Tibet and the
People's Republic of China.
Robert Thurman, author of Why the Dalai Lama Matters: His Act of Truth as the Solution for China, Tibet, and the World, professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University
China's Gods and Ghosts
Begins at 22:55
The popular worship of ancestors, spirits, ghosts and gods (like Zao Jun, the kitchen god, pictured) comprises a kind of cultural undercurrent of Chinese society. It's easy to refer to this set of practices as religion, but with no creed or central figures, "religion" may be too simplistic of a term.
Robert P. Weller, Chair of the Anthropology Department at Boston University
Commentary: Does God Answer Prayers?
Begins at 37:40
That question is beside the point for commentator Cathleen Falsani. She says that we'll never know how prayer impacts God or the world – and in that mystery lies prayer's inexplicable power.
Cathleen Falsani, Chicago Sun-Times columnist, author of Sin Boldly: A Field Guide for Grace (forthcoming)
This commentary originally appeared in Religion News Service
Saudi Arabia: Steps Toward Tolerance
Begins at 43:37
Saudi Arabia is not known for its religious tolerance or respect of religious freedoms. So when the Saudi king Abdullah invited religious leaders from every major faith tradition to the World Conference on Dialogue two weeks ago, people were wary. But nearly 300 guests showed up, from over 50 countries. And as conference participant Rabbi Phyllis Berman (pictured, with King Abdullah) tells us, the conference was much more than a PR stunt.
Rabbi Phyllis Berman, conference participant and facilitator of The Tent of Abraham, Hagar and Sarah
This Week's Interfaith Calendar
August 1 – Lammas (Pagan)
This pagan festival celebrates the beginning of the harvest season. It falls half-way between the summer solstice and the fall equinox.
August 6 – Transfiguration of Jesus (Christian)
On this day, Christians commemorate the moment when Jesus was transfigured into a radiant, brightly glowing being. Much to his followers' surprise, the Jewish prophets Moses and Elijah appeared beside him, and God's voice boomed from a cloud: "This is my beloved Son.''
