Ep. #16: Religion series wrap-up

In this episode I’ve invited the producer/editor of SPITR Megan Tietz to join me in a wrap up of the RELIGION series. We talk download statistics, listener reaction, and the most surprising thing for each of us while making these shows. 

In the six episodes of the RELIGION series, we talked to people about their conversion, identity, and the life-shaping path around their religion. 

We started with a show outlining the deep divide between American Evangelicals and Mormons, we talked with a Jewish woman about her cultural identity, a man who converted from Catholicism to Islam during the political turmoil of the 1960’s, a Washington Post religion reporter, Indian Hindus living in the United States, and a man who became an atheist when he realized science didn’t match up with the Bible. 

One edited down conversation with each of these guests doesn’t begin to cover the expanse of these topics. Still, our hope is that we learn a little something and broaden our perspective with each episode. This episode is best if you’re all caught up on the religion series. 

If you enjoyed this series, please go give us a rating in iTunes! It helps grow our audience which means we get to keep making more shows. You can also spread the word about the show by liking or sharing any of our social media posts. You can follow SPITR on Facebook or on Instagram. 

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EP. #14 RELIGION SERIES: The Mystery of Hinduism

Hinduism is the world’s third largest religion, with over 1 billion followers, about 15% of the global population. The word “Hindu” derives from the term “Hindustan,” which refers to the northern part of India. So “Hindu” was originally a geographic term and not a religious one. It is often called the world’s oldest religion, but without a savior, governing body, or binding holy book, it is sometimes difficult to get a grasp on exactly what Hindus believe. Many of the traditions and rituals passed down through the generations are family-specific or regional, but all fall under the umbrella of what Hindus call “the way of life.”   

Indian guests Vijay and Divya are patient in their explanations to me of the four Purusarthas - or four tenets - of Hinduism: Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha. I really enjoyed learning from them.

We also discussed their arranged marriage, the daily rituals they incorporate into their practice, and the many things rooted in Hinduism that have become popular in the West, including Buddhism, yoga, and meditation.

Because they had welcomed me into their home, after our conversation I was honored to visit their prayer room and enjoy a traditional Indian lunch, where we were joined by their new baby.

This was unlike any experience I've had since recording the show and I came away inspired by the way this Hindu family was living out their faith.

Two books that have made an impact on Vijay and Divya:

The Bhagavad Gita 

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

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Ep. #12 Religion series: the political door to Islam

Salah Abdul-Wahid was born Daniel Hewlitt. He converted to Islam as a young adult in the 1960's, after growing up Catholic in a large Creole family living in Los Angeles. 

In the 1960's when Salah was in his early twenties, he found himself caught up in the political unrest within the black communities of Los Angeles. At the time, many people were seeking new answers to old questions about the history of white dominance in the United States and the various systems of oppression that affected people of color in this country. In seeking answers to these questions, Salah opened himself to a radical conversion, leaving behind the Catholic faith of his family and his youth and converting to Islam.

Salah talks about his intrigue with the Muslim intellectuals he observed as a student at the University of Southern California, while at the same time he was drawn to the writings of Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam. 

I was fascinated with Salah’s conversion story and why he changed his name and faith at such an important time in his personal life and in American history. I knew only vaguely about famous men who had taken a similar path - Muhammad Ali and Kareem Abdul-Jabar come to mind - but I was unsure of the meaning behind it. This was my chance to ask someone, and our conversation had my head spinning for weeks.

(It should be noted, based on several of the cultural references in this episode, that we recorded our conversation this summer, several months before the 2016 election results.)

Later in his life, Salah would travel the world and glean powerful wisdom about the role of religion in culture, and, as you’ll hear in my conversation with him, his comfort with asking hard questions and having tough conversations has been a consistent way in which he experiences the world.

Salah rattled off many books that had greatly influenced his life, including those by Mark Twain and Dashiell Hammett. But the two that caught my attention were the Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon and Freedom: Volume 1 by Orlando Patterson.

For a number of reasons, this was one of the most important conversations I had the entire year, and certainly in the making of this podcast. Thanks for listening.

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Ep. #10 of the Religion series: Mormons vs. Evangelicals: Can women bridge the divide?

Welcome to the Religion series!

This episode is about the divide between modern day American Evangelical Christianity and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, otherwise known as LDS or Mormons. For purposes of clarity, in this conversation I refer to my guest Nish Weiseth as a “mainstream” Christian and to guest Emily Belle Freeman as a Mormon. Both living in Utah, Nish and Emily have partnered together to bridge the gaping divide between these two faiths that both follow Jesus.

With their combined influence in both the Evangelical and Latter-day Saint traditions, Emily & Nish have decided to take on the difficult task of getting Mormons and Christians to listen to one another and learn from each other. They work as a pair, speaking to both Mormon and Christian congregations, but they also spend a lot of time in their own camps, trying to dismantle some of the misinformation and stereotypes that each side has of the other. Their hope is that Mormons and Christians will eventually be able to put aside their differences in order to impact the world for good, together. Their online hub is called Multiply Goodness, which includes a blog, resources and more, on how people can start doing this inter-faith work in their own communities. 

Emily Belle Freeman is a bestselling author, nationally-known prolific speaker, and religious educator in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her upcoming book, "Even This", is due for release in the Fall of 2017 from Deseret Book. Emily served on the board of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Utah Chapter and also the Board of Trustees at Lincoln Academy Charter School.  Emily and her husband, Greg, are the parents of five children and live in Lehi, Utah. Follow her on twitter, Facebook, or instagram.

Nish Weiseth is an author, speaker, preacher and activist. She was the creator and editor of the popular site Deeper Story, which let writers share their Christian cultural experiences, whether entrenched or outlier. Nish’s first book “Speak: How Your Story Can Change the World” was released in 2014, and she is a sought-after voice in media and politics on the cultural influence of Christians. She has written pieces for and been quoted in publications including The Washington Post, The Daily Beast, The BBC, and Christianity Today. She lives with her husband and kids in Salt Lake City. Follow Nish on twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

Other links mentioned in this episode:

IF Gathering

As the Crow Flies by Jeffrey Archer

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

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