Segments
As the temperatures in Monroe climb into the 90s, our host Rev. Welton Gaddy can hardly be blamed for taking a little trip up to New York City (where he landed in the first heat wave of the year…) This week on State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s Radio show and podcast, Welton talks with the Rev. Dr. James Forbes of Riverside Church about his role in the “Moral Revolution.” A scholar of secularity will share her perspective on the the strange politics of 2016. And Political Research Associates’ Cole Parke will give us the lowdown on the recent anti-LGBT conference hosted at the United Nations under the misleading title of “Uniting Nations for a Family Friendly World.”
A More Moral Revolution
Ever since Jerry Falwell launched the alleged “Moral Majority,” it’s hard not to be skeptical toward activists who throw around words like “values,” “morality” and “faithfulness”. But one group of religious leaders is trying to change that. Rev. Dr. James Forbes Jr., Senior Minister Emeritus at Riverside Church in Manhattan, joins Welton this week to discuss the Moral Revolution, a 15 state tour spearheaded by the leader behind Moral Mondays featuring some of the leading faith voices for social justice. Rev. Forbes has an almost unparalleled history of religious leadership in civil rights and social justice movements, and he’ll help explain to Welton – and all of us – just why he thinks this moment and this movement are so important.
Strange Gods – Clinton, Trump and the 2016 Election
Strange Gods may be the title of Susan Jacoby’s fascinating book on a secular history of religious conversion, but could there be any more fitting phrase to describe the politics of today. Susan and Welton reconnect this week to discuss the bizarre turn our politics have taken in the last year. Are we witnessing a mass conversion to Trumpism? Have our politics become a religion? What explains this sudden rise is zealotry? Find out what she has to say on these questions and more!
Homophobia Still Going Global
We’ve spoken before about the frightening trend of bigoted religious leaders in the U.S. exporting their hate around the world, with dangerous consequences for vulnerable LGBTQ people. Sometimes it takes the form of yelling and screaming and death penalty laws. Sometimes it takes the form of an innocent-sounding “pro-family” event at the United Nations… Which makes clear that only “traditional” families need apply. Cole Parke is the LGBTQ and Gender Justice Researcher at Political Research Associates and they’ll be on the show this week to discuss what happened at the UN – and the broader fight that America’s cultural warriors are taking abroad.
