I got this email

[Mr. Ed]

THE RELIGIOUS NATIONALISMS SUMMIT Countering Religious Nationalisms Multi-Faith Public Witness in Today’s Political Climate​

Please join us for a day of education and conversation! Date: Thursday, February 6, 2025 Time: 9 AM–5 PM; lunch will be provided Location: The United Methodist Building, 100 Maryland Avenue, NE, Washington, DC Conference cost: $30.00 (Scholarships Available)

‍This one-day conference, features noted presenters from Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Jewish and Buddhist traditions. Presenters and participants will identify how religious nationalisms operate within all faith traditions and identify inclusive approaches to counter religious nationalisms and our multi-faith public witness in today's political climate. We will promote strategies to protect democracy and religious freedom, human dignity, and human rights regardless of faith and identity in the United States and worldwide. Speakers will include: Keith Swartzendruber, National Council of Churches ‍The Reverend Dr. Chakravarty Zadda, Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church of Waukesha, WI; Member, Hindu-Christian Dialogue, Commission on Interfaith Relations for National Council of Churches, USA ‍Hena Zuberi, Director, Justice for All Shelly Cohen Fudge, Jewish Voices for Peace, Washington DC ‍Dr. Gary Dorrian, Reinhold Niebuhr Professor of Social Ethics, Union Theological Seminary Dr. Rajesh Sampath, Associate Professor of the Philosophy of Justice, Rights, and Social Change Center for Global Development and Sustainability the Heller School for Social Policy and Management Brandeis University ‍Ria Chakravarty, Hindus for Human Rights Dr. Evangeline Anderson-Rajkumar, Pastor, Gethsemane Evangelical Lutheran Church and Saint Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church Corydon, Indiana, Professor, Serampore College, India See the working schedule for the day here. ‍Sponsors welcome to offset the costs of the conference and to support The Religious Nationalism Project (TRNP). Your logos and links to websites on-screen and electronic program). $500 (includes admission for 4 people) $1000 (includes admission for 6 people) $2,500 (includes admission for 12 people) Who should come? All Are Welcome - regardless of ability to pay! *Faith leaders and advocates from all Religious Traditions *Regional and Denominational executives and advocacy staff *Participants in the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit *Legislators and Legislative Staff *Anyone concerned about human rights the free exercise of religion *Those who desire to counter a religious nationalist agenda in the current political landscape *The Press and Communicators *People committed to multifaith peacebuilding *Advocates working with the new congress on anti-nationalist and anti-racist laws and policy There will be a zoom option available. Please register to receive the link information! This event is brought to by The Religious Nationalism Project and co-sponsored

 

[CallMeKate]

If you mean you find it strange that they chose the word "nationalism" knowing what we know about history, I have to agree. Or maybe it just threw me because it's early and my thinking cap is crooked. What are *your* thoughts, Ed?

 

[Mr. Ed]

Yes it is early, however given the changes that happening in the US and the world around us I feel helpless in that there is nothing I can do to prevent the ultimate annihilation of life as I know it today. I do not see this as a positive change in the US or abroad. Religion has no place in the direction it seems to headed.

 

[Della]

This is what happens when too many smart people get together and write sentences: "identify how religious nationalisms operate within all faith traditions and identify inclusive approaches to counter religious nationalisms" left me going, "Huh?" I first read this as though there was a dash between counter and religious and we were supposed to include counter-religious nationalism, whatever that was.

However. "We will promote strategies to protect democracy and religious freedom, human dignity, and human rights regardless of faith and identity in the United States and worldwide," sounds like a good thing, but again the sentence is too loaded.

If I lived close and I was invited and I had $500 to spare and it wasn't so cold, I would go.

 

[Paco Dennis]

​

​ THE RELIGIOUS NATIONALISMS SUMMIT Countering Religious Nationalisms Multi-Faith Public Witness in Today’s Political Climate​

​

​ Please join us for a day of education and conversation! Date: Thursday, February 6, 2025 Time: 9 AM–5 PM; lunch will be provided Location: The United Methodist Building, 100 Maryland Avenue, NE, Washington, DC Conference cost: $30.00 (Scholarships Available)

​

​ ‍This one-day conference, features noted presenters from Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Jewish and Buddhist traditions. Presenters and participants will identify how religious nationalisms operate within all faith traditions and identify inclusive approaches to counter religious nationalisms and our multi-faith public witness in today's political climate. We will promote strategies to protect democracy and religious freedom, human dignity, and human rights regardless of faith and identity in the United States and worldwide. Speakers will include: Keith Swartzendruber, National Council of Churches ‍The Reverend Dr. Chakravarty Zadda, Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church of Waukesha, WI; Member, Hindu-Christian Dialogue, Commission on Interfaith Relations for National Council of Churches, USA ‍Hena Zuberi, Director, Justice for All Shelly Cohen Fudge, Jewish Voices for Peace, Washington DC ‍Dr. Gary Dorrian, Reinhold Niebuhr Professor of Social Ethics, Union Theological Seminary Dr. Rajesh Sampath, Associate Professor of the Philosophy of Justice, Rights, and Social Change Center for Global Development and Sustainability the Heller School for Social Policy and Management Brandeis University ‍Ria Chakravarty, Hindus for Human Rights Dr. Evangeline Anderson-Rajkumar, Pastor, Gethsemane Evangelical Lutheran Church and Saint Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church Corydon, Indiana, Professor, Serampore College, India See the working schedule for the day here. ‍Sponsors welcome to offset the costs of the conference and to support The Religious Nationalism Project (TRNP). Your logos and links to websites on-screen and electronic program). $500 (includes admission for 4 people) $1000 (includes admission for 6 people) $2,500 (includes admission for 12 people) Who should come? All Are Welcome - regardless of ability to pay! *Faith leaders and advocates from all Religious Traditions *Regional and Denominational executives and advocacy staff *Participants in the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit *Legislators and Legislative Staff *Anyone concerned about human rights the free exercise of religion *Those who desire to counter a religious nationalist agenda in the current political landscape *The Press and Communicators *People committed to multifaith peacebuilding *Advocates working with the new congress on anti-nationalist and anti-racist laws and policy There will be a zoom option available. Please register to receive the link information! This event is brought to by The Religious Nationalism Project and co-sponsored

That sounds like a conference I would like. It is so important to counter religious nationalism, and then promote inclusive governance, protecting human rights, and encouraging interfaith dialogue and understanding. What the world needs now