|
The Sunday Forum, October 7, 2007 Religious America: What Do We Believe? |
||||
Sunday Forums
Sunday Forum On-Demand:
|
Sunday, October 7, 2007, 10–10:50 am Religious America: What Do We Believe? with Newsweek editor Jon Meacham and Washington Post reporter Sally Quinn
One day Quinn divulged her atheism to her old friend Jon Meacham, a lifelong Christian, who simply refused to believe that she truly did not believe in God. At Meacham’s encouragement, Quinn began to read about faith. As she learned about the world’s religions, her views began to change. They continue to evolve today; she currently defines her beliefs as “gratitude.”
Meacham and Quinn co-edit “OnFaith,” a web-based series of discussions about religion today. This lively discussion was the inaugural session of “The Sunday Forum: Critical Issues in the Light of Faith.” 
About the Guests:Jon Meacham is editor of Newsweek magazine, co-editor of “OnFaith,” an online, interactive conversation about religion produced by Newsweek and washingtonpost.com, and author of the bestselling book American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation. Sally Quinn is a long-time writer for the Washington Post, co-editor of “OnFaith,” an online, interactive conversation about religion produced by Newsweek and washingtonpost.com, and the author of several books of fiction and non-fiction.
Resources:Academic Info: Religion in America Links to online resources about religion and religious practice in America Adherents.com Statistics and demographics for religions and religious practices worldwide Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly National television newsmagazine covering religion. Speaking of Faith National radio program covering religion from American Public Media Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) Comprehensive data on religion, religion practices, and opinions in the U.S. and around the world
and in Cathedral worship service leaflets For more information, please contact Deryl Davis at (202) 537-6382 or e-mail ddavis@cathedral.org. |
|||
Two years ago, Sally Quinn considered herself an atheist. Although
she had spent most of her life believing that a good God would not have
permitted such evils as the Holocaust, she kept her views quiet. Atheism
is unacceptable in America today, she was told.
Meacham, raised and educated in Episcopal institutions, articulates
his beliefs with passion and dry wit. He outlines 17th-century English
struggles between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, mentioning the
effect of that remembered bloodshed on the role of religion in America
as the thirteen colonies gained independence from Britain.
The two guests exchange views about the nature of atheism, and the
place of religion in the public square today, touching on questions
about prayer in the schools and displays of manger scenes on government
property.