Newsweek and The Washington Post this week launched a new Web-based conversation on religion called On Faith. A number of prominent panelists have agreed to respond weekly (more or less) to a question posed by hosts Jon Meachem and Sally Quinn.
This week’s question: If some religious people believe they have a monopoly on truth, then are conversation and common ground possible? If so, what would be the difficulties and benefits of such a conversation?
I like this new feature already because so many Episcopalians, local and otherwise are included on the panel.
Panelists include: Bishop John Bryson Chane, Bishop Jane Holmes Dixon, the Rev. Luis Leon of St. John’s, Lafayette Square, the Very Rev. Samuel T. Lloyd, III, dean of Washington National Cathedral and the Rev. William Tully, rector of St. Bartholomew’s in New York, who is still remembered fondly by his former parishioners at St. Columba’s in DC.
Mohammed Khatami is also on the panel. Someone had better alert Bishops John Lipscomb, Edward Little and Geralyn Wolf. After raising such a ruckus about Khatami’s invitation to speak at Washington National Cathedral back in September, they were silent when Khatami met with the Archbishop of Canterbury two weeks ago, and I’d hate for them to miss another opportunity to express their concerns. People might begin to think that they were grandstanding back in September, and that would be deeply unfortunate.