Interfaith Cincinnati

Faith Communities Go Green

Post author By Geneva Blackmer
Post date March 29, 2021

by James P Buchanan, PhD

At the core of every faith tradition is a reverence for creation. This is a belief that creation is sacred and thus should be both honored within the tradition. Care for creation should is foundational to the moral vision of every religious tradition. In recent years more and more attention has been paid by all of the world’s faith traditions to what that the moral responsibility entails and how faith traditions can play an important role in- confronting the growing climate crisis. This is not only based in the recognition that the climate crisis is an existential threat, it is also a theological imperative.

To help our faith communities better realize this imperative and the resources available to them, Green Umbrella (https://greenumbrella.org/) the regional sustainability alliance of Greater Cincinnati, is providing a new platform for collective, interfaith action.

Green Umbrella, has over 200 member organizations and over 200 individual members who are passionate about enhancing the environmental health and vitality of our region. Their mission is to lead collaboration, incubate ideas and catalyze solutions that create a resilient sustainable region for all. Working together they envision a vibrant community where sustainability is woven into our ways of life. Green Umbrella serves a 10-county region in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

Response from Midwest USA Chinese Chamber of Commerce regarding recent Anti-Asian Hate Incidents

Post author By Geneva Blackmer
Post date March 25, 2021

Thank you members and friends of InterfaithCincy for pouring your support to our open letter issued by our board chair Lee Wong, US Army (retired), with over 20 years of active-duty service (24/7) to the nation.

With nearly 90 advocacy groups and individuals from the region co-signing this letter, we stand in solidarity and with the resolve that together we say NO, loud and clear, to hate, to violence, and to racial discrimination and biases.

But that’s not enough. We must take actions to prevent the next tragedy from happening. While we can go through the routines and let ourselves be buried in the entanglement of processes and bureaucracies, we can take these actions to move forward:

1. Endorse this letter and condemn publicly the violence and microaggressions on Asian people.
2. Call for legislation to establish clear definitions of hate crimes towards Asian people. Current federal laws make it extremely difficult to define and prosecute a hate crime aimed towards Asian people in this country.
3. Call for tougher penalties on first-time violations of hate crimes. Many offenders walk free without any penalty.
4. Increase the visibility of Asian Americans in senior and top leadership in both the government and the private sectors.
5. Promote diversity, inclusion and awareness of Asian culture and history, especially the history of Asian immigrants and their contribution to this country. We offer webinars that talk specifically about the history of East Asian countries and business etiquettes. Please encourage your colleagues to join us.

Patriot Front posts propaganda on Xavier’s premises

Post author By Geneva Blackmer
Post date February 16, 2021

White supremacist group vandalizes banner, leaves stickers
BY HUNTER ELLIS AND CHLOE SALVESON, MANAGING MULTIMEDIA EDITOR AND STAFF WRITER

Xavier Police (XUPD) and the Bias Action Response Team (BART) are investigating the vandalism of a “Black Lives Matter” banner displayed in front of Bellarmine Chapel, and stickers promoting the White nationalist group Patriot Front were found posted across campus earlier today. The vandalism on campus happened concurrently with an admissions event at which many prospective students toured Xavier.

An XU Alert Me message sent this evening alerted students of the vandalism and stickers, specifying that there is no evidence at this time to indicate that the stickers were placed by a member of the Xavier community. Part of the message read: “Xavier is aware that material from a group that advocates extremist ideologies (were found on campus)… and that a Black Lives Matter sign was vandalized… XUPD has removed the material and is investigating the situation. Hate has no home in the Xavier community.”

The banner, which read “Racism is a Sin: Black Lives Matter” has allegedly been sliced twice with an unspecified object, before it was taken down by XUPD on Saturday afternoon.

Front Page

God of the Oppressed

Post author By Geneva Blackmer
Post date February 9, 2021

by Rev. Dr. Jack Sullivan, Jr. Texts: Proverbs 22.1-2, 8-9, 22-23 and Psalm 146

After several days of sheltering in place with my immediate family, I returned to my Ohio home. At once, I I was greeted by two old friends who were waiting for me at my place. They were not human beings. Instead, they were piles of dust, behind two doors.

So, as I looked at the piles of dust, trying to decide which one I would attend to first, I imagined one of them saying to the other in an enthusiastic tone, “I have decided that I am better than you. This means , I am worth more than you, and I am more important than you.” So then, I imagined the other pile of dust being startled and issuing a rather stern rebuke: “Say what? Aren’t we both just piles of dust? How are you any better than me?”

God of the Oppressed

Post author By Judie Kuhlman
Post date February 6, 2021

by Rev. Dr. Jack Sullivan, Jr. Texts: Proverbs 22.1-2, 8-9, 22-23 and Psalm 146

Tags black history, Faith, Racism

Uncategorized

13th Republic, An Interactive Operatic Radical Dance Film

Post author By Judie Kuhlman
Post date January 4, 2021

13th & Republic is produced by the award-winning Cincinnati-based arts organization “Walterhoope” http://www.walterhoope.com/, currently in its fourth season and recently featured in Cincinnati magazine.

“13th & Republic” is a locally-produced “interactive operatic radical dance film,” innovatively produced through creative-collaboration-in-the-era-of-covid, featuring the original music of Kaleel Skeirik, the inspiring poetry of Tyrone Williams, gospel choir director/pianist Rev. Dan Larkin, director/choreographer Darnell Pierre Benjamin, and local dancers, singers, and film professionals. Skeirik’s original piece was motivated by the shooting of Timothy Thomas in 2001 at 13th & Republic in Cincinnati.

About 13th & Republic
Walterhoope presents 13th & Republic, an Interactive, Operatic, Radical Dance Film directed by Darnell Pierre Benjamin that addresses excessive police force against Black communities and the mental health of the country.

13th & Republic features an original score by composer Kaleel Skeirik that weaves together contemporary symphonic, jazz, renaissance, and Appalachian folk music with original poetry and lyrics by Tyrone Williams.

This project is made possible in part by state tax dollars allocated by the Ohio Legislature to the Ohio Arts Council (OAC)

Grant support from Xavier University, Ohio Arts Council, Christ Church Cathedral.

Tags Dance, Racism

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Resources for Faith Communities- Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign

Post author By Judie Kuhlman
Post date January 1, 2021

Shoulder to Shoulder is a national coalition-based campaign of religious denominations and faith-based organizations and communities that are committed to ending discrimination and violence against Muslims in the United States by equipping, connecting, and mobilizing faith leaders to effectively take action.

Shoulder to Shoulder has gathered extensive resources from many demonizations to for use. Click here for a list.

Resources include resources for Ramadan Series.

Guide to Understanding and Confronting the Anti-Sharia Movement: 1-2021 ShouldertoShoulder Sharia+Guide+(reduced+size)

Tags Interfaith Resources

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May 14th – World Day of Prayer, Fasting and Giving Alms

Post author By Judie Kuhlman
Post date May 14, 2020

May 14th, 2020 – Faith Leaders call upon their believers of all religions from across the world for a day of prayer, fasting and alms giving. Unite together spiritually to ask for God’s help in overcoming the coronavirus pandemic. They ask for cooperation with one another, respect and love for our neighbor, friends and family.

Tags interfaith, prayer

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Shoulder-to-Shoulder: Welcome to my table

Post author By Judie Kuhlman
Post date April 13, 2020

Dear Friends,

For the past several years, Shoulder to Shoulder has helped facilitate and uplift multi-faith connections during Ramadan through our United States of Love Over Hate campaign. Usually this has happened around real dinner tables sharing real food, face to face. For many of our Muslim neighbors, Ramadan is a time when they are often gathering, with their families, friends, and the wider community, to break the fast each evening and to connect with one another.

This year looks quite different. While concern for public health will prevent us from gathering in person this year, we are still here to help you find ways to connect meaningfully during this time. We strongly believe physical distancing should not mean social isolation or an end to interfaith engagement. However, it does take extra intention, effort, and creativity to connect with one another in these times, and connection remains vitally important for our own well being and the well being of our communities. We will get through these times together.

For Ramadan 2020, we’re launching an initiative we’re calling Welcome to My Table.

This initiative connects households to households, one-on-one or in small groupings to virtually share an Iftar meal (what’s an iftar?).

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Cincinnati’s Homeless Coalition – #1800Lives at Risk

Post author By Judie Kuhlman
Post date April 13, 2020

#1800Lives are at risk due to the COVID-19 Virus

From March 25, 2020

There are 1800 people in congregate housing at this time in Cincinnati.
We are all being ordered to maintain social distance from one another and to stay in our homes, but this is simply not possible for people experiencing homelessness or living in congregant transitional housing. For hundreds of people in Cincinnati and Hamilton County, social distancing is not even possible when sleeping. For more than a week, dozens of service provider organizations have been tele-conferencing daily to plan and take action to get people in our shelters and congregant facilities out of direct danger. It has become clear that while COVID-19 is a threat to everyone, its threat is greater to people experiencing homelessness. We are attempting to prevent disaster within our shelters and congregant housing programs and reduce greater risk to our community as whole.

Tags Covid-12, homeless