Notice During the Covid-19 Outbreak

In solidarity, we at the Interfaith Peace Project stand together in these times of heart break and upset. Some of you may have lost friends or family members. Some of you may have lost your job and your income; some may be working overtime to help with the crisis. Some of you may be home and alone and some may be trying to figure out a new way to live. Please let us know how we can help. If you would like a phone appointment with any of us, give us a call.You may call or email Tom at:

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May 21, 2021 

DESTRUCTION
Continuing to Celebrate the
International Day of Peace 

The tragic events unfolding in Israel/Palestine demand the attention of the World Community.  We must be concerned by the overwhelming force destroying the lives and well-being of so many people. 

The Religious and Interfaith Communities of the World must speak out and demand justice in light of their spiritual beliefs and practices.  If our faith traditions cannot bring us to a higher consciousness in the pursuit of justice, what will?

We must not let this issue fade into unconsciousness.  Now is the time to work together for a just and equitable solution before more innocent people are injured or slaughtered.

We must become aware of the historical circumstances behind this never-ending conflict.  Realizing the highly charged nature of this issue, we encourage you to consider the facts of history and the killing and destruction defining this moment in history. 

What is happening in the Middle East is indicative of what happens when governments are controlled by authoritarian politicians bent on preserving their power.  They claim to be preserving democracy as they slaughter children.  They claim to be motivated by religious values as they disrespect the beliefs of those they disdain.

Does not the Quran invite us to know one another?   Quran (49: 13) reminds us of God who created us differently so we might meet and know one another.  To “know” someone is to meet them in the circumstances of their lives.  Instead of invading neighborhoods with force, brutality, and displacement, should we not meet those we have been trained to fear and hate?  Has not the time come for powerful Nations to invest in peace?

Exodus 23: 9 teaches, “do not suppress the stranger within you for you were once strangers.”  One can only be a stranger if no one meets them.  We can reach out to one another for what human person does not know what it feels like to be feared, rejected, or scorned.  We must take our Scriptures seriously before we kill one another in the Name of God.

None of us possess anything simply and solely for the sake of ourselves.  The Earth belongs to God.  If we build our Nations to despise one another, we will eventually destroy all life as we know it.  Think of the American genocide of the Indigenous Peoples of Land some believe God gave to us.  We must learn to live on Earth as members of a family with serious responsibilities one to another before there is no life, no hope, no chance for peace.

The Religious Institutions cannot continue to indulge themselves as if nothing is going on in the World.  The plight of the Palestinian people must be addressed with more than sympathy and statements of support.  The future of Israel is now uncertain.  We must root out all forms of anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism.  The refusal to seriously consider the injustices people suffer must end.  The building up of arms must cease.  The silence of the World is intolerable.  The indifference of many religious people is outrageous.       

If our religions were formed in circumstances different from our own, it is now time to reform our sacred traditions according to what is needed now.  We can no longer afford to use Sacred Texts, cherished beliefs, and traditional ways to preserve ourselves against one another.  Each and every Tradition and person must find within themselves the courage to self-transcend for the sake of others. 

Thank you for striving for peace and the justice that makes peace possible.  Thank you for challenging yourself to think deeply about these serious issues.  Thank you for reaching out to others to help all peoples everywhere to live in peace.