The Life and Times of Ambassador Akbar Ahmed
- play show:
Date: 12 February 2009
From Waziristan to Washington
Akbar Ahmed’s life’s mission began when he was four years old, with a train ride from India to the new nation of Pakistan. Hatred and violence raged among Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims. He crouched in fear, praying his parents would not be killed. From that unlikely starting point he would become the world’s foremost Islamic scholar and a global leader in interfaith dialogue. In his new one-man play, Dr. Ahmed takes us back to his birthplace to trace the story of Pakistan and the rise of Islamic extremism.
Dr. Akbar Ahmed, Chair of Islamic Studies at American University and author of From Waziristan to Washington: A Muslim at the Crossroads
Sex Ed in the Seminary
Begins at 22 min 30 sec
New pastors may not know much about the birds and the bees. Or at least, they don’t learn much about them in seminary. That’s the conclusion of a new study that profiled the course offerings at 36 of the nation’s top theology schools. Dr. Kate Ott, who led the study, says the paltry selection of sexuality classes can leave graduates ill-equipped to deal with everything from relationships and pregnancies to their own feelings of attraction.
We also hear from the Dr. Albert Mohler, who says Dr. Ott's prescription for a "sexually healthy" seminary is at odds with scripture.
Dr. Kate Ott, Associate Director of the Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice and Healing
Dr. R. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Commentary: Love Is Hard Enough
Begins at 38 min 23 sec
Pastor Rob Hardies says that, for his gay congregants, finding true love is hard enough as it is. Why make it harder by banning gay marriage?
Rev. Rob Hardies, Senior minister of All Souls Church, Unitarian in Washington, D.C.
How to Eat Like a Buddhist
Begins at 42 min 46 sec
Savor that cookie... slowly! Dr. Jan Chozen Bays, a Zen Buddhist and a pediatrician, explains how we can become more aware of what we put into our mouths.
Dr. Jan Chozen Bays, author of Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food
This Week's Interfaith Calendar
Feb. 15- Nirvana Day (Buddhist)
Commemorates the day Buddha passed away at age 80 under a grove of trees in Northern India. Because he had attained enlightenment 40 years earlier, Buddhists believe his death allowed him to reach Parinirvana, the final release from suffering and the ultimate goal of Buddhist practice.
