Previous “Thoughts from the Commons” Newsletters:
Related News
Why a Muslim imam showed up at the Colleyville synagogue to offer spiritual help
Why a Muslim imam showed up at the Colleyville synagogue to offer spiritual help My friend Omar Suleiman resisted the habit of fearful thinking engrained in so many of us. By Nancy Kasten in the Dallas Morning News. Originally preached as a sermon at Northway Christian Church. Wendy Wood teaches psychology at the University of Southern California. Her research focuses on habit formation. She has discovered that people
Religious groups stand together after Texas synagogue standoff
Imam Dr. Omar Suleiman appeared on MSNBC's Morning Joe to talk about his experience at Congregation Beth-Israel in Colleyville, TX during the hostage crisis on January 15, 2022. Watch the interview segment on MSNBC.com.
Texas Rabbi: Despite False Media Narratives, Synagogue Attack Brought Jewish & Muslim Communities Together
From Democracy NOW! On Saturday, an armed British man named Malik Faisal Akram took a rabbi and three congregants hostage at a synagogue outside of Fort Worth, Texas, resulting in an 11-hour standoff that ended once the rabbi threw a chair at Akram, who was later shot dead by the police. The standoff — which left all four hostages unharmed — has been identified by President Biden and
Faith groups should not get to opt out of the law
By Nancy Kasten Heads up, Texans. There is an election on Nov. 2, and Proposition 3 will put worshippers in harm’s way. In April, 45 ultra-Orthodox men and boys were trampled to death at a religious festival in Israel. This tragedy happened in a particular community of citizens of Israel who ignore or break secular law when they feel that God or their rabbis demand it. In this
Speech by Rabbi Kasten at a rally at the Texas Capitol on reproductive rights
Speech by Rabbi Kasten at a rally at the Texas Capitol on reproductive rights My name is Rabbi Nancy Kasten and I am the Chief Relationship Officer for Faith Commons, a multi-faith organization devoted to bringing the voices of people of faith into the public square for the common good. Thank you to Just Texas: Faith Voices for Justice for providing this opportunity to speak out against
Words of Challenge from a White Pastor
By George Mason Speech to the Texas Legislative Black Caucus March 29, 2021 Introductory Words Many thanks for the invitation to speak to you. I imagine this is an unusual thing for a white Baptist pastor to offer words of challenge to Black legislators. I want to thank my friend and fellow minister, Rep. Carl Sherman, for the trust this invitation represents. And it’s a double honor