Food, Faith & Culture

Aired 2012-13. Food travels across our oceans, nations and cultures. Within our world religions food is sometimes a part of family’s religious rituals, celebrations and central to varied cultural events. Food may have meaning within the content of a recipe, or within the presentation. In some settings, food goes beyond being about taste and, and it becomes spiritual and expresses a part of the sacred.

HIV & AIDS: Awareness and Compassion

Aired 2012-13. Since AIDS appeared on the world’s health scene some decades ago various religions have been in the forefront of understanding and assisting those afflicted. We visited a few programs working to help those with AIDS to live life fully and to be respected, revealing some of the challenges this malady imposes on individuals and families. Read more about the program from the United Methodist Church

 

ONE CHRISTMAS STORY: People Rich in Spirit

Aired 2012-13. “One Christmas Story” Celebrates the Power of HopeProduced by Odyssey Networks

Like so many of America’s once bustling industrial centers, Reading, PA, has been on a downward spiral for decades. The city has lost factories, jobs and population. The latest economic recession amplified its burdens. Something that Reading has never lost, however, is hope—hope and an abiding belief in the power of community. ONE CHRISTMAS STORY: People Rich in Spirit, a production from Odyssey Networks, took viewers to the heart of this small American city for a celebration that reflects the true meaning of the holiday season—hope and caring. CBS aired the one-hour program, without commercials, on Christmas Eve.

Trigger: The Ripple Effect of Gun Violence

Aired 2012-13. Presented by the National Council of Churches; Produced by the Presbyterian Church USA In the United States more than 30,000 people are killed every year by gun violence and the disaster caused by gun violence is seen in almost every community. We may hear briefly about the victims and survivors of these shootings, but what happens after the media attention moves on and the wider public becomes numb to "just another shooting"? Drawing upon conversations with lawmakers, emergency room chaplains and surgeons, survivors and victims' families, former ATF officials, police officers, community leaders and others, "Trigger: The Ripple Effect of Gun Violence" shared the story of how Gun Violence impacts individuals and communities and examined the "ripple effect" that one shooting has on a survivor, a family, a community, and a society.

Weaving Life

Aired 2012-13. Presented by the National Council of Churches USA; Produced by Eastern Mennonite University

Weaving Life tells how Dan Terry, a United Methodist who worked with numerous Mennonites through the years, wove relationships, joy, partnership, and understanding into his lifelong work in Afghanistan. Terry, 64, was among 10 humanitarian aid workers assassinated in Afghanistan in August 2010. Going against the grain of almost all conventional wisdom, the documentary shows how Terry set out to build bridges where “everyone else was blowing them up,” says production consultant and storyteller Jonathan Larson. “He spans the chasms of suspicion, religious hatred and outright warfare, with patient bonds of trust and openness.”

A DVD of the program is available at 1-800-245-7894

What They Believe: Hindus, Zoroastrians, Bahais

Aired 2012-13. Our country is a nation of people from every continent and culture on earth. As immigrants, we brought with us both our customs and our religions. This broadcast visited with some of our lesser known faith communities - Hindu, Baha'i and Zoroastrians among them - that make up part of America’s varied cultures and our varied faith traditions.

Working for Religious Freedom

Aired 2012-13. Over the centuries, American citizens, formed by religion, have fought to construct a democracy respecting all religions. The law-makers sought to maintain a respect for religious freedom, allowing the free practice of our varied faiths.  Today, as in the past, groups are formed to rectify perceived infringements of religious freedom. We visited with some groups, and listened to their issues.