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PACIFIC LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY
HE FEB. 14, 2014
OORING
AST
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VOLUME 90 ISSUE 11
lnterfaith Amigos promote religious pluralism
Symposium focuses on catastrophe By RELAND TUOMI Copy Editor
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PHOTO BY JESSE MAJOR
Imam Jahmal Rahman (left), Pastor Don Mackenzie (middle) and Rabbi Ted Falcon (right) discuss the five stages of interfaith diaolgue.
By ALISON HAYWOOD News Editor A rabbi, an imam and a pastor walk into Pacific Lutheran University. No, this isn't the beginning of a bad joke. It was the beginning of a presentation by the Interfaith Amigos, three friends of different religious backgrounds who now give inspirational talks on what it means to be interfaith Imam Jahmal Rahman, Pastor Don Mackenzie and Rabbi Ted Falcon drew an audience of approximately 70 people to the Karen Hille Phillips Center for the Performing Arts auditorium, including University President Thomas Krise aos:l Bishop Rick Jaech, bishop of the southwestern
Washington synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Senior Lucas Kulhanek, who is a Campus Ministry steward and co-chair of the Interfaith Student Council, got the idea to bring the Interfaith Amigos to PLU after seeing their presentation on a Ted Talk two years ago. When he _ brought up the idea to university Pastor Nancy Connor, he found out that Connor and class of 2013 alum Anna Milliren had previously tried to bring the trio to PLU but were unable to due to the cost. "They gave PLU a really good deal this time," Kulhanek said, saying it cost $1,500. The Amigos made secular references to books such as "The
Road Less Traveled" and "Three Cups of Tea." They also read from their respective religious texts and talked about the five steps of interfaith dialogue, which they based on their own friendship and experiences. Rahman said most people coming together for interfaith dialogue start by comparing their religions and focusing on what they have in common or what is different between them. Prior to even entering that stage, however, he said they need to create context to get to know each other as human beings. Rahman also emphasized the importance of looking at one's own religion from multiple perspectives to get a better understanding of it. "Interfaith is
not about conversion. It's about completion," he said. Kulhanek described interfaith as different religions coming together to fulfill a global mission, and, in the process, developing friendship and a mutual understanding of each other's religions. The imam, the rabbi and the pastor read passages from their holy books, which proclaimed their respective religions to be the "right" or "best" one. But then they read other passages with interfaith connotations, implying that all religions are actually one. They ended their presentation by singing a song in Arabic, Hebrew and English with a simple message: "We are one."
The Wang Center's annual symposium, which has explored subjects relating to water usage and advances in global healthcare by NGOs, will be focusing on genocide and understanding crimes against humanity. The symposium is titled "Shoah," a Yiddish word meaning "catastrophe" or "devastation," because the conference will cover many forms and acts of genocide, including the World War II Holocaust, a term that actually means "sacrifice." The Holocaust, along with the other genocides to be discussed, will be referred to as Shoah to use appropriate terminology and promote understanding. Beginning Thursday, Feb. 20, and concluding Friday, Feb. 21, the symposium will cover many acts of violence against humanity, focusing on case studies in Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, Latin American and the U.S. "We have a wide range of countries and issues to discuss," Tamara Williams, executive director of the Wang Center and a professor of Hispanic studies, said. "But there are still more that we have yet to cover." Cultural anthropologists, peace practitioners and even 1997 Nobel Peace Prize winner Jody Williams will be exploring and analyzing issues of gender, the impact of political organization and the arts, stories of resistance and more. A finalized list of the location of events will be listed online Monday. The event is free and open to the community, but thosewillingtoattend are encouraged to register online at http://wangcentersymposium.org.
Abortion clinic arsonist and child molester is alum Business
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Everett and Bellingham. He served 12 years in a federal prison for these crimes, has a history of involuntary mental health Some Pacific Lutheran University alumni are evaluations and criminal convictions and has been publishing books, appearing on "The Voice" and in and out of jail since his release, The Seattle Times reported. making scientific breakthroughs. Beseda allegedly molested an 11-year-old girl But there are other alumni who will never at a Fred Meyer store in appear on the cover of an Snohomish Jan. 27. Police Admissions magazine. released photos from Fifty - eight -year-old surveillance cameras, and at Curtis Beseda, a PLU alum, Curtis Beseda, a '78 PLU least eight people identified was arrested Monday near alum, was arrested Monday Beseda. the university's former golf A Pierce County sheriff's course for an alleged case for alleged child molestation. deputy saw his van, which of child molestation that looked suspicious because of occurred last month. the way it was parked, and Pierce County sheriff ran the license plate number, deputies arrested the convicted arsonist when they discovered him The Seattle Times reported. The deputy discovered the registered owner of sleeping in his minivan on Park Avenue South, according to a Seattle Times article. The office of the van was wanted on a felony arrest warrant and alumni and constituent relations confirmed Beseda called for backup to arrest the occupant, according to The Seattle Times. is a PLU class of '78 alum. Jail records show Beseda was booked into the Beseda, who is from Snohomish, made headlines Snohomish County Jail Tuesday morning for child in the 1980s for setting fire to abortion clinics in molestation on a $250,000 bail.
By ALISON HAYWOOD News Editor