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haT Do The Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, the Buddhist shrine in Chang Mai, Thailand, the Blue Mosque in Istanbul and St. Peters Basilica in Vatican City have in common? They are four different expressions of religion, a common denominator that has developed within four distinct cultures. Religion and culture share many things in common, e.g., a history, tradition, customs, etc. So a visit to the Blue Mosque in Istanbul reveals the intersection of an Arab culture deeply influenced by Islam, whereas the intersection in St. Peters Basilica exhibits a European culture deeply influenced by Christianity. Though all four of these cultures have a record of the presence of other faith traditions in their history, each reveals one influence predominating over the others. In the United States, that prevalence is Christianity. Just think of the numerous hot button issues that have occupied much public debate in both past and present political discourse. One would be hard put not to find a foundational Christian touchstone in any of them. Prohibition, civil rights, public education, the theory of
Pro f iles in D iversi t y J ourna l M Ay / j u n e 2 0 11
evolution vs. intelligent design, and public educational curriculum easily come to mind. Every one of these issues touches upon one or more underlying Christian principles that make the rhetoric of their discourse more passionate and their resolution more complex. At the United States Air Force Academy, the Chaplain Corps has launched a new religious respect program that seeks to broaden the awareness of our nations religious diversity. Beyond the traditional faith groups of Catholic, Jewish, Orthodox and Protestant traditions are the minority Buddhist and Islamic traditions plus the secularist, atheist, Earth-Centered and freethinker constituencies. A quarterly newsletter is emailed to cadets, faculty and administration identifying the high holy days of each constituency, plus reference websites and staff points of contact for further information. The purpose is to facilitate a greater awareness of the religious diversity within the community and to advance the discussion of that diversity in respectful dialogue. As America continues its forward
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