The Body of Christ is made of many parts, and people experience their understanding of God in many different ways. On this blog, we'll consider the beliefs and activities of congregations, denominations and different religions.
Wednesday, July 17, 2024
RNS Weekly Digest: At RNC, an uneven, awkward embrace of religious pluralism
Connecticut businesswoman and former U.S. Senate candidate Leora Levy’s prayer before this year’s Republican National Convention was filled with distinctive Jewish references. After thanking God on Monday night (July 15) for former President Donald Trump, Levy, who is on the national leadership of the Republican Jewish Coalition, prayed for Corey Comperatore, who was killed during the assassination attempt on Trump’s life over the weekend, saying, “May his memory always be a blessing.” She referenced the Hebrew Bible, citing Deuteronomy 31:6, which begins, “Be strong and courageous.” She prayed for Jerusalem and for “all the children of Abraham.”
On a Friday afternoon at a woodsy retreat in the middle of North Carolina, Hunt Priest, an Episcopal clergyman from Savannah, Georgia, is talking to a small group under a white tent about “trying to bring together two communities that don’t talk to each other. We are here to stand in the gap and bring the gap closer.”
Priest wasn’t referring to America’s political divides or even sectarian splits. Priest was urging Christians to come together with the growing community of researchers that is exploring the spiritual uses of psychedelic drugs.
While those researchers say that psilocybin and other hallucinogenic plants can assist with meditation and experiencing the divine, Priest touts these substances for their reputed power to connect the mind and body with the soul as a means of healing. “If the church isn’t about healing, we should close our doors,” he said.
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