Spiritual Caregivers: In Those Moments of Tragedy

Aired 2005-06. When a tragedy strikes, whether a Sept. 11 event, a plane crash, or a singular death, each leaves one or many families without a mother, father, spouse or friend- and clergy are among the first responders. This broadcast gave witness to the clergy, and other members of the faith communities, who comfort the afflicted and seeks to understand what sustains them during such emotionally draining work.

Ethics in Sports

Aired 2004-05. Many problems seem to confront high school, college and professional sports programs. From steroid use, cheating, or improper conduct on and off the field, parents and others are worried. The program explored the stated concerns and the various attempts made to instill ethical and moral values in youngsters, as they face a competitive world.

Extraordinary Possibilities: The Civil Rights Movement Then and Now

Aired 2004-05. It's been half a century since the Supreme Court ruled against racial segregation in the public schools, 40 years since the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Civil Rights Movement, which had its most productive years in the 1950s and 1960s, involved the active participation of hundreds of thousands of people, black and white, northern and southern, from varied religious backgrounds and mostly young. Their efforts advanced the cause of human rights for African Americans, opening the education and economic doors for many. Extraordinary Possibilities: The Civil Rights Movement Then And Now presented some of the people and their stories already collected.  

Help Them Learn, Help Them Grow

Aired 2004-05. Inner-city public school children are an educational challenge. Many may just be learning English, many from one-caregiver homes where individual attention is in short supply. These students can be at a real disadvantage. Some, a lucky few, are able to attend private religious schools where teacher-student ratios are more conducive to learning. Others take advantage of tutoring, computer training, immersion in the arts and other after-school activities provided by people of faith who volunteer their time. Help them learn, Help Them Grow showed what members of various faith communities are doing to offer help to students and schools in need. Help Them Learn, Help Them Grow aired on CBS stations and affiliates, June 27 through July 18, 2004.

Voices of Peace

Aired 2004-05. In our time, especially since the decline and fall of Communism, religious violence has become a growth industry. Long suppressed religious rivalries and hatreds have coupled with political turmoil to create an evil stew of murder, torture and even genocide. In Afghanistan, Sudan, Bosnia, Punjab, West Africa, Indonesia and many other places the developed world has been forced to take note of desperate people reacting to their harsh life conditions with violence. In the United States, the 9/11/01 terrorist suicide bombings brought the new reality home to Americans. A growing number of people, both in the developed world and elsewhere, count themselves as “peace-builders” with a lifelong mission of learning what causes people to kill, even in the name of God, and, through formal learning, understanding and patient dialogue to help opposing sides resolve their disputes without war.

A World to Share: Religious Perspectives on Saving the Environment

Aired 2003-04. We share this universe with a wide variety of animals, plants and other forms of life, and if we are not careful, we may cause harm to the world by degrading the environment. Today we are faced with learning anew to respect nature and to see the spiritual kinship we have with the entire universe. A World to Share presented voices that are now being raised about our natural world and man's role in protecting it. The Bible suggests we subdue the earth and have dominion over all living things, while our Constitution gives rights to the human animal but is silent about all other forms of life. A World to Share visited scholars and activists who understood the effect of the Bible and our Constitution upon our thinking about nature. Featured were: Thomas Berry, noted ecologist and theologian, who called for a spiritual awareness of the interrelatedness of humans with all other forms of life; Dan Misleh with the US Conference of Catholic Bishops who believed we will awaken when a new virus makes us aware of the dangers of disrespecting nature; Mary Evelyn Tucker, Professor of Religion, at Bucknell, who saw our love of conveniences damaging our natural world; Former Congressman, Bob Edgar, now General Secretary of the National Council of Churches, who saw the population explosion and the suffering of the poor as warning signs we must not ignore. Other insights are presented by Arianna Silverman, of the Sierra Club; the Rev. Dr. Jim Ball (a Southern Baptist) of the Evangelical Environmental Network; and Dr. John Grim, Professor of Religion and Co-director with Dr. Tucker, of the Forum on Religion and Ecology; Catherine Duck and Juli Van Wyck, who worked with the Indiana faith-based climate and energy campaign; Larry Stammer of the LA Times.

Faith and Creative Aging

Aired 2003-04. When Social Security was created the average life expectancy in the United States was in the 60s. Nowadays more people live into their 80s and 90s. The question becomes - what do we do with perhaps decades of "leftover life?" The Gift of Years: Aging Creatively in America explored this idea with a variety of vital elders: Robbins and Meg Barstow, in their 80s, lived in the same house in Wethersfield, Connecticut for half a century. Robbins belongs to a men's discussion group called, the Royal Order of Old Fogies in which the members, retired managers in their 70s and 80s, present papers they've written and invite comment. Meg belongs to a book club and to a senior women's exercise group. We heard from Nancy Spears, the executive director of Pennswood Village, a Quaker-run retirement community in Newtown, and several residents, not all Quakers. Residents were encouraged to do volunteer work and participate in decision-making at the community. They interacted with young people at nearby Quaker schools. Lydia Wein, 88, a widow in Linden, New Jersey, was studying for her Bat Mitzvah. She lived alone, drove at night, and was very active with friends and acquaintances at her synagogue. At a public library branch in the south Bronx, we watched as storytellers (Pearls of Wisdom) mesmerized youngsters with true tales of city life in days gone by. Joyce C Duncan, Amatullah Saleem and Thelma Thomas talk about the role of elders. Rabbi Zaiman Schacter-Shalmi, 78, founder of the Spiritual Eldering Institute in Boulder, Colorado, taught that elders embody wisdom, and enduring values and they can live joyfully and fearlessly until the end. CBS network air date: Sunday, April 13, 2003.

Peacemakers

Aired 2003-04. “Peacemakers" was a well-illustrated broadcast which presented insights and hope about an urgent human issue. There has been much discussion about war and peace in many places around the world. As of late, a debate has developed about whether the war in Iraq is a just war. For some people, however, the central issue is how to prevent wars and how to work to bring peace, and forgiveness where there has been war. The broadcast presented some of the world's peacemakers and their programs. John Paul Lederach, professor of peacebuilding at the University of Notre Dame, is a Mennonite, and has worked in West Africa, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Northern Ireland and elsewhere. He works to bring people together and he finds courageous people working in difficult circumstances for peace. Rev. Patricia Ackerman, an Episcopal priest, is part of the Fellowship of Reconciliation's Iraq working group. Through this group, Ackerman worked to empower and protect the women of Iraq. Dr. William Vendley, Secretary General, World Conference of Religions for Peace, assisted religious communities around the world to work together to bring an end to violence. He also worked to promote the role of women within various religious organizations. Lastly, we heard from Masanko Banda, Vice President, Pathways To Peace, who worked for peace around the world using drums, music and dance. He has taken his drums to Sierra Leone and to Croatia's refugee camps to rehabilitate young people traumatized by violence. Whether it be tribes, clans, nations, or religions fighting each other, there are people at war and people hurting. The peacemakers showed up to prevent conflicts and to help heal the wounds of conflicts. The program presented just a few of the world's peacemakers, their organizations, programs and insights. CBS network air date: Sunday, October 12, 2003.  

Youth Making a Difference

Aired 2003-04. Every generation worries about their teenagers and young people. However, today's teens are signing up in record numbers to feed the poor, help the elderly, build homes for the needy and assist youngsters both here and in foreign lands. Youth Making A Difference visited Muslim teenagers helping at Elijah's Promise-Soup Kitchen. These youngsters belonged to the Islamic Society of Central New Jersey, led by Imam Hamad Ahmad Chebli, the religious director. The Rev. Lisanne Finston, a Presbyterian, was executive director of Elijah's Promise. At Iona, a small Catholic college in the New York City suburb of New Rochelle, there were more than 300 volunteers coordinated in their efforts by Katie Byrnes. Students worked side-by-side with alumni, faculty families and community members to help improve the lives of those in substandard housing or with other local needs. High school and college students at the Bedford Presbyterian Church, directed by Rev. Paul Acorn, went to Hurley, VA, to relieve some of Appalachia's poverty and also work with Bridges to Community, led by Rev. Carter Via, the executive director, to bring volunteers to bear on poverty in many towns in Nicaragua. Jewish high school students in New Jersey spent six weeks one summer working with emotionally, physically and mentally challenged children at a day camp. They also worked with inner-city children and adults in a soup kitchen and went to Washington to lobby congressman about their concerns. In addition to profiling the students, Youth Making A Difference also highlighted the efforts of Rabbi Randi Musnitsky, regional director, and Amy Nissim, director of youth activities for Urban Mitzvah Corps, part of the Garden Empire Region of the North American Federation of Temple Youth (UAHC). The broadcast showed how these and many of our youngsters learn and grow in service to others and return as college students and young adults to continue their service and giving back to others. No gesture is too small, as was shown by Blake Bartko, a 10-year-old Mt. Kisco boy who decided to throw birthday parties and give gifts to poor children who are often deprived of such common important celebrations of life. CBS network air date: Sunday, December 14, 2003.

Crisis in the Holy Land: Finding Religion's Voice

Aired 2002-03. Islam, Judaism and Christianity each have deep and historic roots in the Holy Land. The current crisis in the region leads many people to ask what role the theology and spirituality, of each of these three faiths, plays as the world seeks harmony in this ancient land. Do the scriptures and traditions of the three Abrahamic religions in any way inform the thinking of their members as they confront the painful issues and seek justice and peace? To shed light on the matter, the broadcast gathered representatives from these three faiths. They met together at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, to share experiences and explore religion's voice. Several representatives have spent time in the Middle East, with extensive exposure to the current crisis. Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf of Al-Farah Mosque in New York, and peace-activist, Mr. Azam Saeed, a businessman from Connecticut, shared their views from a Muslim perspective. Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Kiener of Mid-East Citizen Diplomacy, a peace activist group and Rabbi Jack Bemporad, Director of the Center for Interreligious Understanding, spoke from a Jewish experience, A Christian dimension was brought to the dialogue by Rev. James Forbes, Senior Minister of The Riverside Church, New York and John L. Esposito, Professor of Religion and of Islamic Studies at Georgetown University. Their discussion's centered on what each religion teaches about seeking peace, and the obligation it places on followers to show respect and compassion to an enemy. The broadcast was illustrated with footage from varied sources, including two recent trips to the disputed areas by a delegation from Church World Service and the National Council of Churches and a group of journalists exploring how the tensions are addressed in the U.S. media.

On Holy Ground: Pilgrims in a Sacred Place

Aired 2002-03. Six months after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, much of the debris had been cleared away and the barren acreage had begun to resemble a construction site. But for those still searching for human remains and for the thousands of visitors who came to bear witness, this place was already a shrine, a place of pilgrimage. On Holy Ground: Pilgrims in a Sacred Place sampled the great variety of people from many ethnic and religious backgrounds who were drawn to the site out of curiosity or practical need and became transformed by the experience. For some, the visit was profoundly personal. Others came to offer food and drink to workers. A Jewish group on the viewing platform prayed together with a group of Unitarians. A mother brought her daughter to the site and planed to return with her husband and son for whom the visit would be "cathartic." And we saw Muslims who came to pray and bear witness to the aftermath of unspeakable events. Finally, the broadcast followed a Methodist youth group who came to New York to learn about mission work. But we witnessed that when they reported back to their congregation, their most profound thoughts were about Ground Zero.

Open Hearts, Open Minds

Aired 2002-03. After the attack on September 11, 2001, most religious leaders realized they had to increase their efforts at educating people of any particular faith about the respect required toward people of other faiths. In Kansas City, Missouri, the religious community decided that one antidote to the hatred and intolerance, clearly one cause of terrorism, would be an active outreach program to promote interfaith understanding. One such tangible program is the Greater Kansas Interfaith Passport, a document created to provide a resource for people seeking to learn more about other faith traditions. A participant attending another's faith service received a "Visa" – a stamp showing their outreach effort. The local interfaith council, representing 13 faiths, developed this program. Vern Barnet, a Unitarian minister, advanced it and local columnist and Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes, a supporter, received the first Passport document. The broadcast featured programs in Georgia, in Washington, and spent time at a reunion, in Kansas, of an interfaith youth summer camp program. Others who appeared on the special included: The Chancellor of the Kansas City Catholic Diocese, George Noonan; and Dr. Syed Hasan, the Director of Applied Environmental Research, University of Missouri; Rabbi Joshua Taub, of the city's Diversity Task Force; Mahnaz Shabbir; Lama Chuck Stamford; Juan Rangel; as well as Diane Hershberger, Executive Director of Kansas City Harmony.

Reaching Out

Aired 2002-03. All the major faith communities in the United States seek to reach those who are not reached by the usual church, temple, or mosque services or programs. This program showed how various faith communities have developed lively new approaches. Among the groups visited are Holy Grounds Café and Solid Foundation Skate Park in New Jersey, where teens and college students skateboard, listen to music and learn about Touch The World ministries which trains people for worldwide mission work. The program ventured to Pennsylvania, where truckers were being served by a travelers ministry led by Rev. Bruce Maxwell and his truck stop prayer and Bible sessions. Methodists reached out through staged NASCAR races in North Carolina, races mixed with ministry and power. The broadcast finally went to a synagogue in Hoboken, New Jersey, where Rabbi Robert Scheinberg and Marc Borish, a teacher of Hebrew, used Learn Hebrew In Five Easy Lessons to introduce this ancient language, using a mix of humor and fellowship to draw people closer to their religious roots. John P. Blessington was the executive producer of the special, Ted Holmes was the producer. It was presented with the cooperation of the National Council of Churches, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Jewish Theological Seminary and the Southern Baptist Broadcast Communications Group.

A Chance to Grow

Aired 2001-02. This program visited the world of campus ministries today. Several colleges and universities in the Washington, DC area were visited to explore the range and depth of spirituality available to today's diverse student bodies. The roles of campus ministers and chaplains of many faiths were presented along with the religious lives and thoughts of the students.

Answering Micah's Call

Aired 2001-02. In the Bible, Micah 6:8 reads, ". . . and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God." At the core of this special was a group of Micah 6 churches in Atlanta, Georgia, part of 35 such across the country who focus on community-based ministries of justice and service. Andrew Young, President of the National Council of Churches, a supporter of the Micah 6 Churches, was interviewed.

Are We Playing God?

Aired 2001-02. Life, death and the many decisions they evoke often prove to be points of deliberation among us when our values are put to the test. Coming to terms with the outcomes of our actions is part of the human experience, particularly as they relate to our health and the quality of life we enjoy. With that in view, this program focused on biomedical issues and medical technology. Physicians, patients, families, and religious leaders all faced new questions brought on by advances in medical technology. Premature births, organ transplants, stem cell research - these and many other issues confront us all with ethical, spiritual and moral dilemmas that were presented in the broadcast.

Responding to Tragedy

Aired 2001-02. Since September 11, 2001, it has been pointed out countless times that America has lost its innocence and that our illusion of invulnerability, so ingrained in our attitudes at home and abroad, has been shattered. As we pursue and punish those who attacked us in New York and at the Pentagon, a distinguished panel discussed what religion brings to the debate and the actions of nations at a time of tragedy. The Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar, a former congressman and now the General Secretary of the National Council of Churches, and Rabbi James Rudin, Senior Interreligious Advisor of the American Jewish Committee and a former military chaplain, are joined on the panel by The Reverend Thomas Reese, editor-in-chief of America, the Jesuit Catholic weekly; Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf of Al Farah Mosque in New York City, founder of the American Sufi Muslim Association, and Elaine Pagels, the Harrington Spear Paine Professor of Religion at Princeton University, along with Nicholas Vreeland, a Buddhist monk who is the director of The Tibet Center in New York City and editor of An Open Heart, the teachings of the Dalai Lama. The group, meeting at the headquarters of the American Bible Society in New York, explored the various moral and ethical issues surrounding the attack, the national and international response and the varied views of a just war.

Cambodia: To Live Is To Hope

Aired 2000-01. Many church groups in our country attempt to relieve the suffering of people from various troubled nations. When they flee to the United States, the churches help them as emigrants and also as people seeking to bring peace and justice to their homelands. This program presented some vivid pictures of the challenges of these groups. Refugees and individuals helped them tell their stories and relate their needs and hopes.

Food and Faith: A Spiritual Bond

Aired 2000-01. Food is often the center of many religious celebrations; fasting gives way to feast; disciplined self control gives way to a joyous celebration of the gifts of God. Feasts bond both communities and families and in this program we met people who have found the connection between our appetite for food and our spiritual appetite. They lead us to experience the joys of the harvest, and our festivals as one of the great human connections to the Divine.