Fostering Interfaith Relationships on the Eastside – Building Trust and Understanding Among People of All Faiths

What Should be the Relationship between Religion and State? – Interfaith Dialogue on April 23, 2023

Fostering Interfaith Relationships on the Eastside (FIRE) invites you to our 21st Interfaith Dialogue on Sunday, April 23, 6:30-8:00PM. This will be a hybrid meeting in person at Northlake Unitarian Universalist Church (308 4th Ave. S, Kirkland) and online using Zoom. Please register at https://FIRE-April-2023.eventbrite.com and select whether you plan to attend in person or online; the Zoom link will be emailed to all registrants.

The Dialogue is entitled “What Should be the Relationship between Religion and State?”. The moderator will be Michael Reid Trice, Ph.D., founding Director of the Center for Ecumenical and Interreligious Engagement at Seattle University. Dr. Trice also serves as Secretary of the Parliament of the World’s Religions, and is a former Associate Executive for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Office of Ecumenical and Inter-religious Relations.

Panelists from a variety of world religions (biographies will be posted later) will discuss topics including:

The history of the relationship between the state and their faith tradition;
Factors that contributed to those dynamics;
How issues between their tradition and the state were resolved or left unresolved;
How members or leaders of their faith tradition would like to see the relationship changed in the future; and,
What, in their view, would be an ideal relationship between religion and state.

The panel discussion will be followed by small group discussions and open Q&A in the room and on Zoom.

The Dialogue will be recorded and shared on the FIRE web site after the event. Attendees who do not wish to be on the video may sit in an off-camera area or leave their video off on Zoom.

Light refreshments will be available for in-person attendees.

Parking is available at Northlake UUC in the lot to the east (uphill) of the building, as well as on surrounding streets.

If you have questions about the Dialogue, please email rsvp@fire-wa.org.

Panelists

Dr. Michael Trice – Director, Center for Ecumenical and Interreligious Engagement, Seattle University; Trustee, Parliament of World’s Religions.

Kathy Sharp – Former Board Member, The Church Council of greater Seattle; Advisory Council Member, Center for Ecumenical and Interreligious Engagement, Seattle University.

Bruce Knotts – Co-chair, UN NGO Committee on Human Rights; Chair; NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace,and Security; Trustee, Parliament of World’s Religions.

Panelist Biographies

Dr. Michael Trice

Rev. Dr. Michael Reid Trice is Spehar-Halligan Professor and Founding Director of the Center for Ecumenical and Interreligious Engagement (CEIE) at Seattle University. Trice is also the founder of Religica, a popular virtual and multimedia platform. Trice also adopted into the CEIE platform, The Interfaith Observer, an online popular journal and substantial archive of first-hand accounts that promote cultural, religious, Indigenous, and values-based fluencies around the world.

Trice’s first book, Encountering Cruelty won the humanities award at Loyola University, Chicago. He is currently co-editing a forthcoming an interdisciplinary volume (Georgetown University Press) titled: Injury, Repair and Gratitude in a Pandemic Age. He participates on a Vatican dicastery Ecology Interreligious advisory committee through the Parliament of the World’s Religions and served as a fellow at the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Seminaries program as well as at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem.

Trice served as the Executive Associate for Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; on the Board of Directors for Church World Service; as liaison to the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships during the Obama Administration and is currently serving his third term as a trustee on the Board for the Parliament of the World’s Religions. He has served since 2004 on the National Council of Churches Faith and Order Commission in the United States.

Trice is an Associate Editor for the Journal in Interreligious Studies and Intercultural Theology, and holds degrees from Duke University, Loyola University, the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, Bethany Lutheran College, a certificate of study from Ludwig Maximilian Universität in Munch, Germany, and is currently pursuing a Leadership Executive MBA at the Seattle University School of Business and Economics.

In the early 90’s, Trice clerked on the legal team of Judge Robinson O. Everett, in which Judge Everett successfully argued a case against race as a deciding factor (i.e. racial gerrymandering) in redrawing voting districts (Shaw v. Reno, 1993) at the US Supreme Court. Today at CEIE, Trice is also introducing an Ignatian method of scholarship that responds to critical societal challenges, through convening scholars across disciplines within the Jesuit university network. Trice presents widely in both national and international venues.

Kathy Sharp

Kathy Sharp is an ordained lay minister for Community of Christ, a global denomination founded in the United States in the 19^th century. Before retirement, she served as mission president for the Greater Pacific Northwest (Alaska, Washington and Oregon). Prior to working full time in ministry, she was a business consultant, specializing in public relations, change management and human resources. Kathy is a former board member for The Church Council of Greater Seattle and currently serves on the advisory council for The Center for Ecumenical and Interreligious Engagement at Seattle University. She also is a member of her denomination’s global Ecumenical and Interfaith Ministries Team. As a private citizen, Kathy is active in her local Democratic Party as a precinct committee officer and chair of the Issues Committee for the 1^st Legislative District. She and her husband, Lynn, live in Bothell, WA. They have three married adult children and six grandchildren living nearby.

Bruce Knotts

Bruce Knotts was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ethiopia, worked for Raytheon in Saudi Arabia (1976-80) and on a World Bank contract in Somalia (1982-4), before he joined the Department of State as a U.S. diplomat in 1984. Bruce had diplomatic assignments in Greece, Zambia, India, Pakistan, Kenya, Sudan, Cote d’Ivoire and The Gambia, where he served as Deputy Chief of Mission. While in Cote d’Ivoire, Bruce served as the Regional Refugee Coordinator for West Africa. Bruce worked closely with several UN Special Representatives and observed UN peacekeeping operations in Sierra Leone from 2000-2003. Bruce retired from the Foreign Service in 2007 and began directing the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office (UU-UNO) in 2008. Bruce founded faith-based advocacy for sexual orientation/gender identity human rights at the United Nations and continues to advocate for the rights of women, indigenous peoples and for sustainable development in moral terms of faith and values. Bruce is co-chair of the UN NGO Committee on Human Rights, the chair of the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace and Security, a member of the steering committee of the NGO UN Security Council Working Group. Bruce retired from the UUA September 30, 2022. Bruce is currently the Director of International Engagement at Community Church NY. In 2006, Bruce and Isaac Humphrie were wed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Isaac works internationally as an event environmentalist for Apple, Google, Horatio Alger Awards, and others. He’s a professional photographer, and social media consultant, he works in Fashion Show production in New York, London, Tokyo, and Kampala.

Reminder: Register for Interfaith Dialogue on the Bahá’í Faith – November 6, 2022 – Panelists Announced

REMINDER: If you plan to attend the FIRE Interfaith Dialogue this Sunday evening and have not yet registered on EventBrite, please use the link below to do so. Also, the names and biographies of the panel members have been added at the end of this post for your information. Thanks!

Fostering Interfaith Relationships on the Eastside (FIRE) invites you to our 20th Interfaith Dialogue on Sunday, November 6, 6:30-8:00PM. This Dialogue will be conducted as a hybrid meeting which you can attend either in person at the Eastside Bahá’í Center (16007 NE 8th Street, Bellevue (near Crossroads Mall)) or online using Zoom conferencing. Please register for the Dialogue on EventBrite at https://firedialogueonbahaifaith.eventbrite.com and select whether you intend to attend in person or online; the Zoom link will be emailed before the event to everyone who has registered.

The topic for this Dialogue is “the Bahá’í faith”. Several panelists from the Bahá’í faith will share with us on a variety of topics such as the following:

What is the history of the Bahá’í faith? How did it originate, and how has it evolved over time?
How is the Bahá’í faith organized on both a local and worldwide basis? How are leaders selected?
What would the world miss if the Bahá’í faith never existed? What are its unique teachings?
How does the Bahá’í faith spread the faith to new adherents at this time?
What are common misconceptions about the Bahá’í faith and how do you explain them?
How did you first learn of the Bahá’í faith? What prompted you to follow that faith?
How does the practice of the Bahá’í faith affect your life day-to-day in modern America?
If one wanted to learn more about the Bahá’í faith, what are some introductory resources?

The presentation will be followed by open Q&A with the audience, both in the room and on Zoom. For those in the room, participants will be able to raise their hand to be recognized and then come to a microphone. For those on Zoom, the moderator will use the Zoom “Raise Hand” feature to identify who would like to ask a question, and enable audio and video for each person in turn to ask their question live; you will need to unmute to be heard, and may enable video if you choose.

The Dialogue will be recorded and shared on the FIRE web site after the event. If you are participating via Zoom and do not want to appear on the video, please don’t turn on your video or ask to be recognized for a question. If you are in the meeting room and do not want to be on the video, an area will be designated that will not be visible on camera; please choose a seat in that area.

Following the dialogue, we will have open discussion among all attendees for those who would like to participate.

Note that this Dialogue will not include a dinner for those attending in person; please eat before coming if you wish. Light refreshments will be served after the dialogue.

Parking is available at Eastside Bahá’í Center. Overflow parking is available at Bellevue Crossroads Park just a tenth of a mile east of EBC across NE 8th St. We recommend that you not park at Crossroads Mall; they can be strict about not allowing parking there unless you’re patronizing businesses in the mall.

If you have any questions about the Dialogue, please email rsvp@fire-wa.org.

Panelist Information

Betty Chong-Gerbracht has been a Bahai for 29 years. She was raised in Honolulu, Hawaii and is a graduate of the University of Washington. She is a retired IT Systems Analyst currently residing in Bothell where she is “living, learning, and serving the Baha’i Faith”.

Dale W. Eng is Seattle-born, Hawaii-raised, and now a Kirkland resident. He has a M.Ed. in Administration from U.W., joined the Baha’i Faith at 16, and leads a very diverse life. He is of mixed race, married a Persian he met in the Philippines and their children were born in Taiwan. For more than three decades they lived in various Asian countries, Australia, and Canada. He has, “enjoyed wonderful opportunities to personally realize the Oneness of the human family around the world.”

Setsuko Hosoda is a family physician who has lived in the Seattle area for many years. She has also lived in Japan, China, and Italy. She was raised in a Baha’i family and comes from a long line of Buddhist monks on her maternal grandfather’s side.

Scott Tyler is a physician, a life-long member of the Baha’i Faith, and a member of the Makah Indian Tribe of Neah Bay, Washington. He is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Medicine and an American Indian Studies undergraduate, also at the University of Washington. His interests include tribal art, culture, language, and the preservation of tribal spiritual values of prayer and fasting combined with modern scientific knowledge.

Benjamin Bhuyan Young was born in Oregon to a Baha’i family and he lived in Germany as a child where his family were Baha’i pioneers. He has been part of several local Baha’i Institutions and has helped teach Children’s Classes and Junior Youth Programs. He now lives in Kirkland and works in software development. He and Sudipta Bhuyan Young are married.

Sudipta Bhuyan Young was born and raised in India and immigrated to the United States 24 years ago. She has been a Baha’i for 13 years and lives in Kirkland with her spouse Benjamin Bhuyan Young. She graduated from the University of Delhi with a Master’s Degree in Psychology and works in the Lake Washington School District. She is involved in the Baha’i core activities, engaging with others to build spiritual communities.

Interfaith Dialogue on the Bahá’í Faith – November 6, 2022

The topic for this Dialogue is “the Bahá’í faith”. Several panelists from the Bahá’í faith will share with us on a variety of topics such as the following:

What is the history of the Bahá’í faith? How did it originate, and how has it evolved over time?
How is the Bahá’í faith organized on both a local and worldwide basis? How are leaders selected?
What would the world miss if the Bahá’í faith never existed? What are its unique teachings?
How does the Bahá’í faith spread the faith to new adherents at this time?
What are common misconceptions about the Bahá’í faith and how do you explain them?
How did you first learn of the Bahá’í faith? What prompted you to follow that faith?
How does the practice of the Bahá’í faith affect your life day-to-day in modern America?
If one wanted to learn more about the Bahá’í faith, what are some introductory resources?

Following the dialogue, we will have open discussion among all attendees for those who would like to participate.

Note that this Dialogue will not include a dinner for those attending in person; please eat before coming if you wish. Light refreshments will be served after the dialogue.

If you have any questions about the Dialogue, please email rsvp@fire-wa.org.

Save the NEW Date! Interfaith Dialogue on the Bahá’í Faith on November 6

The next FIRE interfaith dialogue has now been rescheduled and will be on Sunday, November 6, 2022, at 6:30PM. If you have it on your calendar on October 23, please update it to the new date and time. The topic will be the Bahá’í Faith. The dialogue will once again be available both in-person and online. More details will be provided as the event approaches including online registration, but for now please put this on your calendar! Please email info@fire-wa.org if you have any questions or comments.

Save the Date! Interfaith Dialogue on the Bahá’í Faith on October 23

The next FIRE interfaith dialogue is scheduled for Sunday, October 23, 2022, at 7PM. The topic will be the Bahá’í Faith. The dialogue will once again be available both in-person and online. More details will be provided as the event approaches including online registration, but for now please put this on your calendar! Please email info@fire-wa.org if you have any questions or comments.

Parade Lineup Information to Walk with FIRE in the Kirkland 4th of July Parade

The organizers of the Celebrate Kirkland 4th of July Parade have sent out the parade sequence and lineup locations! FIRE will be entry #51 in the parade (out of 70 entries). Our lineup position is approximately 400 feet west of Market Street on 5th Avenue W. That is just to the east of 2nd Street W, roughly in front of the home at 135 5th Ave W. The map below shows the approximate location. There will be small signs along the edge of the roadway showing the position numbers – just look for #51.

FIRE Parade Position for 2022 Celebrate Kirkland

The closest place with a significant amount of parking is Kirkland City Hall including the Wester Lot just to its south, but there’s also a lot of parking along Market Street and on surrounding neighborhood streets. You can find information on parking in downtown Kirkland at https://www.kirklandwa.gov/Government/Departments/Public-Works-Department/Transportation/Downtown-Parking-Information. You can also take King County Metro, although note that the 255 route will be modified because of the parade road closures (see the service advisory at https://kingcounty.gov/~/media/depts/metro/data/service-advisories/pdf/22-spe-136-rts234-255-celebrate-kirkland-4th-of-july-jul4.pdf).

As mentioned previously, the parade starts at Noon. However, being in position #51, there will be some waiting time before our group will start moving. Feel free to come whenever it works for you, to mingle and chat with folks in our group and others around. The earlier you come, the easier it is to find parking.

Participants in the parade are encouraged to wear clothing typical for their faith to help show the diversity of faiths participating in the FIRE group, t-shirts promoting peace and understanding, or other clothing of their choice. Those walking should wear sensible shoes; hats and sunscreen are advised (at least, let us hope they’re necessary!). Participants are welcome to carry signs and banners promoting peace, love, unity, and understanding.

You may also want to bring some water to stay hydrated. Earlier predictions of rain have given way to clouds in the morning and sun in the afternoon – the parade time forecast is 63 and cloudy, with rain ending by midnight on Sunday. But of course you never really know what’s going to happen in the Pacific Northwest!

If you have any questions, please email info@fire-wa.org or contact Toby at 206-790-6377. Hope to see you on Monday!

Walk with FIRE in the Kirkland 4th of July Parade!

Fostering Interfaith Relationships on the Eastside (FIRE) invites members of all faith traditions and communities to walk with them in the 2022 Kirkland 4th of July Parade. The theme for this year is “Celebrate Kirkland, Together Again”.

The parade starts at Noon. It follows a route through Marina Park and around the downtown core, a total walking distance of about one mile; see the map below. Participants are asked to line up at the designated point in the Market neighborhood north of Heritage Park by 11AM. The position in the parade and the exact location at which the FIRE group will assemble will be assigned around July 1, posted on the FIRE web site, and emailed to FIRE email lists and all who RSVP.

Those interested in participating in the parade should email rsvp@fire-wa.org. Information on the group’s position in the parade and assembly point will be sent as soon as they are known. We will also send recommended parking locations along with the line-up information; you can also consider taking King County Metro to the Kirkland Transit Center which is downtown near the parade route.

For more information on the parade, visit https://kirklanddowntown.org/events/celebrate-kirkland/. For further information on FIRE or our group in the parade, email info@fire-wa.org or contact Toby at 206-790-6377.

Interfaith Dialogue on Judaism – June 12, 2022

Fostering Interfaith Relationships on the Eastside (FIRE) invites you to our 19th Interfaith Dialogue on Sunday, June 12, 7:00-8:30PM. This Dialogue will be conducted as a “hybrid” meeting which you can attend in person at Northlake Unitarian Universalist Church (308 4th Avenue South, Kirkland) or online using Zoom conferencing. Please register for the Dialogue on EventBrite at https://fire-interfaith-dialogue-on-judaism.eventbrite.com; the Zoom link will be emailed before the event to everyone who has registered.

The topic for this Dialogue is “Judaism”. Rabbi Yohanna Kinberg of Congregation Kol Ami in Kirkland will share with us on a variety of topics such as the following:

What is the history of Judaism? How did it originate, and how has it evolved over time?
How is Judaism organized on both a local and worldwide basis? How are leaders selected?
What would the world miss if Judaism never existed? What are its unique teachings?
How does Judaism spread the faith to new adherents at this time?
What are common misconceptions about Judaism and how do you explain them?
How did you first learn of Judaism? What prompted you to follow that faith?
How does the practice of Judaism affect your life day-to-day in modern America?
If one wanted to learn more about Judaism, what are some introductory resources?

Following the dialogue, we will have open discussion among all attendees for those who would like to participate.

Note that this Dialogue will not include a dinner for those attending in person; please eat before coming if you wish.

If you have any questions about the Dialogue, please email rsvp@fire-wa.org.

Recording and Presentations for Interfaith Dialogue on Islam

Thanks to all of you who joined us for our 18th Interfaith Dialogue on the topic of Islam. Thanks again to all the presenters!

As we promised, here are links to the presentations (combined into a single PDF) and to the recording of the Zoom conference. We hope you find them useful!

PDF 6.3MB: https://fire-wa.org/files/Islam_FIRE_Presentation_23Jan2022.pdf
Video 2:25:07: https://youtu.be/n3A0vxFAnCo

If you have any feedback on this Dialogue or suggestions for future Dialogues, please email us at info@fire-wa.org.

Interfaith Dialogue on Islam – January 23, 2022

Fostering Interfaith Relationships on the Eastside (FIRE) invites you to our 18th Interfaith Dialogue on Sunday, January 23, 7:00-8:30PM. This Dialogue will be conducted online using Zoom conferencing. Please register for the Dialogue on EventBrite at https://fire-interfaith-dialogue-on-islam.eventbrite.com; the Zoom link will be emailed before the event to everyone who has registered.

The topic for this Dialogue is “Islam”. Muslims from several branches of Islam will share with us on a variety of topics such as the following:

What is the history of Islam? How did it originate, and how has it evolved over time?
How is Islam organized on both a local and worldwide basis? How are leaders selected?
What would the world miss if Islam never existed? What are its unique teachings?
How does Islam spread the faith to new adherents at this time?
What are common misconceptions about Islam and how do you explain them?
How did you first learn of Islam? What prompted you to follow that faith?
How does the practice of Islam affect your life day-to-day in modern America?
If one wanted to learn more about Islam, what are some introductory resources?

Their presentation will be followed by open Q&A with the audience. The moderator will use the Zoom “Raise Hand” feature to identify who would like to ask a question, and enable audio and video for each person in turn to ask their question live. You will need to unmute to be heard; enabling video is your choice.

Following the dialogue, we will have open discussion among all attendees for those who would like to participate.