God Unites

Special Episode: "Peacemakers Needed" -- Landmark address by Russell M. Nelson, former world-renowned heart surgeon, now serving as President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Josh Sabo: An unexpected spiritual journey led him to becoming a pastor, followed by a spiritual restlessness leading to an equally unexpected path to serve a broader community as the executive director of Heartland HOUSED, devoted to achieving functional zero homelessness in Springfield, Illinois, through a housing first strategy of collective impact.

In this continuation of a conversation begun in Episode 12, host David Risley and University of Illinois Professor Robin Fretwell Wison are joined by University of Illinois Student Toby George to discuss "Tolerance Means Dialogues" in both principle and practice.Tolerance Means Dialogues website: https://www.tolerancemeans.com/Robin Fretwell Wilson website: https://robinfretwellwilson.com/God Unites website: https://GodUnites.com#peacemakers #tolerance #lgbt #lgbtq

Professor Robin Fretwell Wilson of the University of Illinois discusses reconciling freedom of religion and sometimes competing civil liberties, including nondiscrimination. Professor Wilson discusses how the "Utah Compromise" is an example of how lawmakers can work together across political and social divides to find ways to both protect and harmonize the basic civil liberties of freedom of religion, nondiscrimination, child welfare, and other interests. Professor Wilson asserts that younger people, including her own students, can lead the way forward in finding peace and harmony in the midst of diversity. She notes that many older people see and therefore fuel contention where there it need not exist, while many younger people find ways to allow others with differing perspectives and values to be accepted while still remaining true to their authentic selves. She emphasizes the importance of young adults who are already leading in their communities and highlights the inspiring essays on the "Tolerance Means Dialogue" website to showcase their leadership.That thread is continued in Episode 13, in which University of Illinois student Toby George joins the discussion.Robin Fretwell Wilson website: https://robinfretwellwilson.com/Tolerance Means Dialogues website: https://www.tolerancemeans.com/News article about Utah Compromise: https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/4/22417652/meeting-in-the-middle-religious-freedom-lgbtq-rights-fairness-for-all-equality-actGod Unites website: https://GodUnites.com#GodUnites #robinfretwellwilson #freedomofreligion #religiousliberty #utahcompromise #nondiscrimination #lbgt #lgbtq

Lisa Daniels found healing when she forgave her son's killer. She now leads the Darren B. Easterling Center for Restorative Practices. Through her work, Lisa lives out Jesus's teachings on forgiveness from the Sermon on the Mount. Her story shows restorative justice principles in action.Confronting System FailuresLisa shares her direct experience with the criminal justice system. She found that officials often ignore or minimize victims' interests and views. This happens even when they claim to seek justice for victims. Her insights come from personal loss, not theoretical understanding.Informed by ExperienceLisa brings a realistic perspective to her work. Her clarity comes from both her personal journey and professional experience. Until recently, she served on the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. There, she reviewed applications from people serving long sentences for serious crimes.Restorative Justice PrinciplesIn the latter part of this episode, Lisa moves beyond her personal story. She explains the basic principles of restorative justice that now drive her life's work. These principles focus on healing for all involved parties rather than punishment alone.

Scott Reeder, journalist and man of faith, shares four stories of his faith journey and the power of prayer: (1) beginnings; (2) forgiveness and praying for years for an enemy, with unexpected results for both men; (3) prayers to find and marry a wife that were answered 18 years later in a surprising and yet unmistakable manner; and (4) his ministry to people incarcerated in prison who are united by God and with God.Podcast website: https://GodUnites.comCompanion podcast: https://JusticeVoices.org

Arthur Stern had no thought of becoming Rabbi Stern while pursuing a successful career in business, certainly not while living in a homeless shelter during a period when his life came apart due to addiction to alcohol and other drugs. Even when the voice unexpectedly came to him to become a rabbi – a message that seemed to be from God – he struggled with accepting it as actually a message from God. But, after a series of events confirming that was the direction God wanted him to go, and even though he was again working full time as a business executive, Arthur Stern went to rabbinical school and became Rabbi Stern.

President Dallin H. Oaks of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints speaks on religious freedom and nondiscrimination in giving the 2021 Joseph Smith Lecture on Religious Liberty at the University of Virginia. (Republished with permission.) (Link to transcript below.)As host David Risley says in the introduction to this episode, "I worry that freedom of religion is getting a bad name, coming to be regarded by many as little more than a claimed justification for discrimination against disfavored groups, sometimes even those with differing religious beliefs and beliefs about religion."This episode is different than most because it features a prerecorded lecture, rather than a live guest. The lecture is far more dense with substance and value than could be packed into a conversation. It is foundational to discourse on this topic and will be a point of reference in future discussions on religious freedom.The speaker, Dallin H. Oaks, is formerly a law professor at the University of Chicago Law School, former President of Brigham Young University and Utah Supreme Court Justice, now President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. President Oaks has become a widely recognized voice of reason on the subject of freedom of religion.Link to transcript: https://mormonst.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/2021-JSL-Transcript.pdfUniversity of Virginia 2021 Joseph Smith Lecture on Religious Freedom: https://mormonstudies.as.virginia.edu/event/dallin-h-oaks-going-forward-with-religious-freedom-nondiscrimination/ God Unites website: https://GodUnites.com

Professor Mohammad Khalil discusses Muslim thought regarding the salvation of others and how Muslims in general, and he personally, experience God and God's love and mercy.Dr. Khalil is a Professor of Religious Studies, Director of the Muslim Studies Program, and Adjunct Professor in the College of Law at Michigan State University. (https://khalil.cal.msu.edu/) His specialty is Islamic thought, and much of his research revolves around Muslim conceptions of and interactions with non-Muslims.He is the author of several books, of most interest to us in this episode being Islam and the Fate of Others: The Salvation Question (Oxford University Press, 2012). (Also of interest to some will be his book, Jihad, Radicalism and the New Atheism (Cambridge University Press, 2018.)In this episode, he debunks several common myths about Islam – including some promulgated by militant radicals such as Usama bin Laden who cite respected Muslim scholars for propositions directly the opposite of what those scholars in fact taught.He then discusses the teachings of four towering Muslim scholars of both classical and more modern time periods regarding the salvation of non-Muslims – teachings that will come as a surprise to many, including many Muslims.The discussion then turns to what all of this says about the nature of God, the hereafter, and how God expects us – all of us – as His children to relate to and interact with each other.He concludes with his own spiritual witness of the spirit and awe-inspiring greatness and goodness of God.Episode available in both audio and video formats, accessible through the podcast website at https://GodUnites.com

"If we don't understand what we have here in religious freedom, we risk losing it." So says Steven Collis, legal expert on freedom of religion, law professor, and author of two books on the subject, "Deep Conviction" and "The Immortals."In this episode, Professor Collis explains why freedom of religion is important for everyone, including those who do not usually think of themselves as religious. He describes the dangers of making what he calls "the Puritan Mistake" of seeking religious freedom for like-minded people while seeking to curtail the religious freedom of others.He summarizes what he views as the most significant recent legal developments regarding religious liberty and the most important issues on the current legal and social horizon.To access the audio version of this episode, as well as past episodes, visit our website at https://GodUnites.comIf you like this and other episodes, please click on the "Like" button and subscribe so you don't miss future episodes.

From University of Illinois student studying biology to Catholic priest. father Rob Johnson tells the story of his faith journey.God Unites website: https://godunites.com

“I love you. I forgive you. Come follow me.”When those words came clearly into the mind of then university student Mark Tracy in answer to prayer, his life changed. Today, he is Father Mark, a Catholic priest and National Guard chaplain. This is his story.

Dogmas divide. The Spirit of God unites.Spiritual unity in religious diversity is a win-win for all.

Freedom of religion is essential not only to people of faith, but also to the health and stability of civil society and governments.In this episode, host David Risley discusses both the religious and secular reasons for religious freedom, in remarks drawn from an address originally given at an interfaith conference in Lucknow, India. The text is available on the blog page of the program's website at https://GodUnites.com.

Welcome to this introductory episode of God Unites, an audio and video podcast program about finding spiritual unity in religious diversity through interfaith conversations and commentary about topics of common interest and finding spiritual kinship through sharing stories of faith journeys.Special topics in future episodes with a variety of guests with a variety of perspectives include freedom of religion, strengthening families, worship practices, justice and forgiveness, and the reality of God and God’s workings in our lives and in the world today.Regardless of our church or religion, as we tune into the spirit of God, God unites us in our diversity into a heavenly harmony, like an orchestra.For more information about this program and host David Risley, visit our website at GodUnites.com