Crossing Faiths

More Information: Unification Church in Atlanta https://www.facebook.com/Atlantafamily English YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@lukehiguchi6044/videos YouTube Channel in Japanese https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBlyDjFRpM49u2L0JeY1icQ Special Guest: Luke Higuchi.

In this interview, Peter Henne discusses his academic work on religion and conflict. He talks about his early involvement with the Pew Research Center's groundbreaking work on quantifying religious persecution globally. Henne reflects on the challenges of engaging with religion from a policy perspective, emphasizing the need for religious literacy and humble, small-scale initiatives rather than grand efforts. He shares insights from his book on how states often fail when trying to use religion as a foreign policy tool. Additionally, Henne explores the role of interfaith dialogue, track-two diplomacy, and countering extremism through addressing underlying economic and social issues. Henne advocates for a realistic yet optimistic approach that recognizes the complexities of religious conflict while seeking practical solutions. Peter S. Henne is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the Middle East Studies program in the College of Arts and Sciences in the University of Vermont. His research focuses on religion and politics, with an emphasis on conflict and foreign policy. He is currently exploring how religion can be used as a tool in peacebuilding. He is the author of Religious Appeals in Power Politics (Cornell University Press, 2023) and Islamic Politics, Muslim States and Counterterrorism Tensions (Cambridge University Press, 2017), as well as numerous scholarly and popular articles. He received his PhD in Government from Georgetown University and BA in Political Science from Vassar College. He is a native of Philadelphia, PA. Special Guest: Peter Henne.

In this conversation, Congressman Frank Wolf discusses the current state of international religious freedom advocacy with John Pinna. Wolf expresses concern that religious leaders and faith communities are not speaking out and advocating for religious freedom as they did in the past, citing examples like Chuck Colson and Rabbi Saperstein. He calls for a resurgence of religious leadership motivating their constituencies to take specific action, such as banning lobbying for countries designated as religious freedom violators. Wolf also suggests having members of Congress travel to witness religious persecution firsthand, adopting prisoners of conscience, and holding a summit to unify faith groups around issues like the persecution of religious minorities in China. The conversation explores innovative ways to reignite activism and advocacy on international religious freedom. https://www.uscirf.gov/frank-wolf Special Guest: Frank Wolf.

This conversation between John Pinna and Dr. Daisy Khan explores the rise of Islamophobia in the United States, particularly in the wake of the October 9th attack. Khan explains how Islamophobia has manifested at both the individual and institutional levels, with Muslims facing discrimination, harassment, and even job loss for expressing their faith. She emphasizes the importance of building relationships between Muslims and non-Muslims through initiatives like sharing meals and attending community events. Khan also discusses her advocacy work, including efforts to provide Islamophobia training for corporations and input on the White House's strategy to combat anti-Muslim bigotry. Dr. Daisy Khan is an award winning speaker, author and Founder and Executive Director of the Women’s Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality (WISE), a women-led organization committed to peacebuilding, equality, and justice for Muslims around the globe. Dr. Khan launched the most ambitious peacebuilding tool, WISE Up, a book and campaign aimed at fighting extremism and Islamophobia. http://www.wisemuslimwomen.org/ Special Guest: Daisy Khan.

A Christian and a Muslim talk religion & politics. In this episode, Elliot and John engage in a lively Easter-themed discussion when Elliot starts by posing the question: What to Muslims believe about the Resurrection? The conversation becomes tense at times as John wrestles with the validity of a God who would be willing to die, and Elliot struggles to understand the attraction of a faith that could consider the Crucifixion to be meaningless. But since John isn't a very good Muslim, and Elliot isn't a very good Christian, there's a lot of laughter too. Happy Easter and enjoy!

In this interview, John Pinna and Lou Ann Sabatier discuss the importance of effective storytelling, particularly in the context of advocating for international religious freedom and persecuted communities. They explore the challenges facing journalists and content creators in an evolving media landscape, emphasizing the need for strategic, intentional storytelling that resonates with audiences and drives change. Sabatier shares her "F.R.A.M.E.S." framework for crafting compelling narratives, highlighting the importance of framing issues, reframing for common ground, understanding the audience, crafting a clear message, and evoking emotion respectfully. They also delve into the role of data, verification, and trust in storytelling, as well as the need for collaboration among advocates to amplify marginalized voices effectively. https://sabatierconsulting.com https://forbwomen.org/ Special Guest: Lou Ann Sabatier.

Minhdao Le is a third-generation practitioner of Cao Dai, a religious belief system from Vietnam. In this interview, Minhdao provides some insight into the beliefs of Cao Dai, and brings attention to what he describes as a communist government-led usurping of the religion that took place when the government officially "recognized" Cao Dai in 1997. "THE CAO DAI RELIGION VS. ITS IMPOSTOR" https://vnforb.org/the-real-cao-dai-1/ Special Guest: Minhdao Le.

In this episode, John Pinna interviews Dr. John Andrew Morrow, a Muslim academic and author. Dr. Morrow shares his spiritual journey starting from a young age, studying various religious scriptures and ultimately embracing Islam after being deeply moved by the Quran. He highlights the pivotal role of the Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the monks of Mount Sinai in shaping his understanding of Islam. The conversation delves into Dr. Morrow's research on the covenants of the Prophet, which involved tracking down manuscripts from various sources and collaborating with other scholars. These covenants, recognized by various Islamic dynasties throughout history, emphasize the protection and rights granted to Christian communities under Muslim rule. The discussion also touches upon the historical context of early Islamic conquests, the coexistence of Muslim and Christian communities, and the importance of archeological evidence in understanding the spread of Islam. The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World: https://a.co/d/7FOKyXI John Andrew Morrow's Website: https://johnandrewmorrow.com/ Special Guest: John Andrew Morrow.

Salvador Litvak is a Hollywood film director who became the Accidental Talmudist after a little miracle launched him into seven years of daily Talmud study. Sal’s Accidental Talmudist platform reaches over a million followers in 70 countries and includes Talmud classes, Torah teachings, live shows, podcast, holiday programming, Israel education, and the Greatest Jewish Jokes of All Time. https://www.accidentaltalmudist.org/ Special Guest: Sal Litvak.

Dr. James Tabor taught Christian origins and ancient Judaism at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte for 33 years until retiring in 2022, serving as department chair for a decade and holding a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago (1981). Tabor has published 9 academic books and over 50 articles combining his textual research with archaeology fieldwork in Israel and Jordan, including as co-director of the Mt. Zion excavation in Jerusalem since 2008. Tabor testified before Congress in the 1995 Waco Hearings, drawing on his expertise in ancient Biblical apocalyptic ideas to understand the 1993 tragedy. Over the past 30 years, Tabor has consulted extensively with media outlets like the New York Times and London Times while regularly writing posts for the Huffington Post and Biblical Archaeology Society. Tabor's work has been featured in dozens of TV documentaries on channels like PBS, the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, and the BBC. Tabor has just completed a new book on the historical Mary and is at work on another entitled "Jesus Betrayed: How Christianity Lost its Way" (2024). About Dr. James D. Tabor: https://jamestabor.com/about-dr-tabor/ Tabor Books: https://jamestabor.com/books Academic Blog: https://jamestabor.com Personal Blog: https://genesia.org Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/jamestaborvideos Dr. Tabor offers two on-line courses, students work at their own pace: "Jesus & Dead Sea Scrolls” https://jamestabor.com/JesusandDSS Creating Jesus: Gospel of Mark https://jamestabor.com/MarkCourse Special Guest: Dr. James Tabor.

Leray Heyne is the Founder and lead overseer of Windows of Heaven Jesus’ Storehouse and its three ministries: Jesus Christ’s CEOs, Jesus Christ’s CEOs Bible Institute, and Jesus Christ’s CEOs TV. (Source (https://jcceos.com/leray-heyne)) Website: https://jcceos.com/

The Rev. Dr. Andrew Bennett is the Director of Cardus Faith Communities at Cardus, Canada’s faith-based think-tank. He also serves as Senior Fellow at the Washington, DC-based Religious Freedom Institute. He is an ordained deacon in the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church in the Eparchy (Diocese) of Toronto and Eastern Canada. Fr. Deacon Andrew served as Canada’s first Ambassador for Religious Freedom and Head of the Office of Religious Freedom from 2013 to 2016 in the department of Global Affairs Canada. He is a leading commentator on religious freedom and conscience rights in Canada. He holds a Ph.D. in Politics from the University of Edinburgh in the U.K. as well as degrees in history from McGill and Dalhousie universities in Canada. Cardus Faith Communities: https://www.cardus.ca/research-library/faith-communities/ Special Guest: Andrew Bennet.

Knox Thames is an international human rights lawyer, advocate, and author who has dedicated his career to promoting human rights, defending religious minorities, and combatting persecution. Known for his nonpartisan approach to advocacy, both the Obama and Trump administrations appointed Knox as the Special Advisor for Religious Minorities in the Near East and South / Central Asia at the State Department. The first to serve in this special envoy role, he received a civil service appointment to lead State Department efforts to support religious minorities in these regions. In April 2023, Knox joined Pepperdine University as a Senior Fellow, directing the new Program on Global Faith and Inclusive Societies from the Washington DC campus. In addition, since 2020, he has worked with the United States Institute of Peace as a non-resident Senior Visiting Expert. Knox Thames website: https://www.knoxthames.com/ Christians Against All Persecution: https://www.caapnetwork.org/ Special Guest: Knox Thames.

An interview from the IRF Summit with Sam Nagasaka, Secretary General of the Public Relations Committee for the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. Sam shares his poignent personal story of the efforts his family in Japan made to deprogram him from association with the Unification Church and how this ultimately reinforced his connection to the organization. Afterward, John examines Sam's story through the lense of his experience with the highly traditional Shinto traditions of Japan. The FFWPU Website: https://familyfed.org/about-us Crossing Faiths #22 with Shino Yokotsuka: https://www.crossingfaiths.com/22

John Pinna interviews David Curry, head of Global Christian Relief and commissioner for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, about the state of international religious freedom. Curry asserts that conditions for religious liberty globally have never been worse, with more authoritarian regimes restricting access to religious texts and practice. He discusses the failures of governments to properly address extremist violence against religious minorities and the need to focus on the right to freedom of belief as a core human right. Curry highlights emerging threats like increased surveillance and censorship facilitated by technology in countries like China that could enable mass persecution. He also touches on areas of concern like the Sahel region in Africa, India, and Nigeria where religious minorities face violence and displacement. Curry emphasizes the need for accurate data on violence targeting religious groups to drive policy and funding to address this worldwide crisis for freedom of belief. Learn more: https://globalchristianrelief.org/ Special Guest: David Curry.

Aysha discusses her journey leaving Islam and becoming an atheist. She introducts the Ex-Muslims of North America (EXMNA) organization, where she began as a volunteer and now serves as Director of Operations. Aysha explains the restrictions she faced as a Muslim woman growing up in a traditional Pakistani household, including limited rights in marriage, inheritance, testimony in court, and the sanctioning of husbands beating disobedient wives. She examines the contradictions between Islam and her rights as a US citizen. She highlights EXMNA's work normalizing dissent through campus tours and building community for ex-Muslims. Please visit exmuslims.org (https://exmuslims.org/) to learn more about Ex-Muslims of North America.

IRF Month begins with an interview with Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, President of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice. Afterward, John and Elliot discuss youth involvement in the IRF movement. Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett serves as President of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice, established in 2008 to continue the legacy of her father, the late Congressman Tom Lantos. Under her leadership, The Lantos Foundation has rapidly become a distinguished and respected voice on key human rights concerns. Dr. Lantos Swett is the former Chair and Vice-Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and teaches Human Rights and American Foreign Policy at Tufts University. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the Board of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK) and the Budapest based Tom Lantos Institute. Dr. Lantos Swett also serves on the Advisory Board of UN Watch, the annual Anne Frank Award and Lecture, and The Warren B. Rudman Center for Justice, Leadership, and Public Policy. Lantos Swett earned a Political Science degree from Yale University at the age of 18, a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, and a PhD in History from The University of Southern Denmark. Special Guest: Katrina Lantos Swett.

John Pinna interviews Sayyid M.B. Kashmiri, who represents the Grand Ayatollah Sistani in America. They discuss Sayyid's family lineage tracing back to Prophet Muhammad; his experience migrating from Iraq to Iran, Lebanon, and finally the U.S.; and his role leading the Imam Mahdi Association, which serves as Sistani's representative entity in North America. Sayyid explains key aspects of Shi'a Islamic law and practice such as the concept of jurists who interpret religious rulings. He highlights projects the Association is currently implementing to meet the needs of Shi'a Muslim Americans across different domains. Sayyid also shares perspectives on the dignity and value of human life in Islam, grounded in Qur'anic principles about honoring the children of Adam and bearing the attributes of God through one's character and conduct in the world.

In this discussion, Pinna continues sharing his perspective on issues with the international religious freedom (IRF) movement. He argues that IRF advocacy has become an "industry" dominated by a small group of organizations and leaders who control narratives and funding. Pinna questions the impact of high-profile IRF events like the annual Ministerial and Summit, critiquing them as superficial with little measurable outcomes. He calls for greater accountability, prioritizing evidence-based persecution data over anecdotal stories, developing contextualized metrics, and directing more funding towards field operations. Pinna expresses concerns over IRF being co-opted for political agendas and domestic religious issues rather than its legally-intended focus on international issues. He emphasizes the need to strengthen government IRF institutions mandated by legislation versus relying on private groups and citizens. Overall, Pinna argues the IRF movement risks becoming an echo chamber disconnected from effectively addressing rising global religious persecution.

In conversation with Fr. John Anderson, John Pinna discusses his extensive experience in the field of international religious freedom (IRF), beginning with the origins and impact of the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act. He details his past advocacy work with the American Islamic Congress, including engaging in interfaith dialogue, advocating for prisoners of conscience, and helping to organize early IRF conferences. Pinna explains his more recent work founding an initiative to engage Muslim communities globally and participating in early planning efforts to establish the annual IRF Ministerial at the State Department. He expresses concerns over global trends showing increases in religious persecution and restrictions on religious freedom, questioning the efficacy of policies meant to combat these issues. Special Guest: Father John Anderson.