When church and state collide Conference to examine how faith and law connect in a multicultural society

By Kim McGrath
Office of Communications and External Relations
Published March 20, 2010

Window on Wake Forest

Home to more than 30 Islamic centers and the longest-serving Muslim elected official in the U.S. (state Senator Larry Shaw), North Carolina is a microcosm of the challenges faced by the 300 million Muslims worldwide who live in countries where Islam is not the majority religion.

Although those challenges have become even greater in the wake of the September 11 attacks and the Iraq War, Muslims are not the only religious group coping with the complicated relationship between law and religion. To some extent, all Western societies are struggling to find ways to accommodate non-Christian cultural practices.

Religious and legal scholars, along with a policy advisor from the Department of Homeland Security, will address the conflicts that can sometimes arise between religion and law during a conference on campus on March 23. "The Rule of Law and the Rule of God: A Symposium on Ethics, Religion & Law" will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Benson University Center's Pugh Auditorium. The conference is free and open to the public, although advance registration is suggested through the conference Web site.

"It is important for people to understand that religion and state are not disconnected and to fruitfully engage in discussions about how law and religion can make distinct contributions to the welfare of humanity," says Simeon Ilesanmi, Washington M. Wingate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in Religion, who organized the conference.

"That the United States is immune to issues of religious fanaticism is untrue," Ilesanmi added. "We need to cultivate an attitude of tolerance and speak honestly about how religious texts can be exploited by extremists of all faiths for political gain."

The conference also will explore how other countries are grappling with issues of church and state. For example, in France and Germany, head coverings have brought Islamic gender issues and terrorism fears to the forefront. Meanwhile, Britain is struggling with allowing traditional Islamic Shari's law to coexist with secular law.

Quarters for Compassion

The Greensboro Interfaith Learning and Dialogue Partnership is planning a Stop Hunger Now meal packaging event on Sunday, March 7, at Beth David Synagogue, 804 Winview Terrace,Greensboro NC 27410. Members of various congregations and religious organizations will be gathering from 3-5 pm to work together to feed the hungry:

Al-Ummil Ummat Islamic Center
Beth David Synagogue
First Friends Meeting
Greensboro Jewish Federation
Hindu Society of North Carolina - Greensboro
The Islamic Center of the Triad
St. Francis Episcopal Church
Piedmont Interfaith Council

The partnership is committing to packaging 20,000 meals to be sent around the world to people suffering from severe hunger. Each meal costs only 25 cents, and the group has pledged $2,500 towards the first 10,000 meals. An appeal will go to the member's congregations, organizations, and schools to contribute to Quarters for Compassion to raise money for the additional meals.

Donations will be accepted at the door.

Registration is limited! So please register now by clicking on this link.