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Many Beliefs, One Blog

Author: Wendy

Equality For All But Atheists

Posted on October 7, 2014 Leave a Comment

A couple days before the historic People’s Climate March in New York City, I was approached on the street by a woman who was putting up fliers about the march and who asked me if I was planning on … [Read more...]

Posted in: Atheism, Christianity, Community, Humanism, Interbelief, Interfaith, Islam, Judaism, Sikh, State of Formation

Humans Are Weird & Other Lessons From Animal Behavior: Interview with Dr. Laurie Santos

Posted on September 30, 2014 Leave a Comment

Two weeks ago was the Yale Humanist Community’s first ever Humanist Haven, a monthly nonreligious community gathering. The first speaker at the first meeting was Dr. Laurie Santos, a professor … [Read more...]

Posted in: Applied Sentience, Community, Happiness, Humanism, Interview, Science

Let’s Talk About Volunteering Abroad

Posted on September 8, 2014 Leave a Comment

Before I left for my yearlong Humanist service trip with Pathfinders Project, I gave the impression that I was most looking forward to traveling—visiting other countries, seeing cultural sites, and … [Read more...]

Posted in: Cambodia, Community, Ghana, Humanism, Interbelief, NonProphet Status, Pathfinders Project

Survival Achieved–Now What?

Posted on September 5, 2014 Leave a Comment

Humans, as a species, no longer struggle to survive. We survive. Arguably too well. We inhabit almost every corner of the globe and have figured out how to survive in climates that should kill us. We … [Read more...]

Posted in: Applied Sentience, Guatemala, Happiness, Human Rights, Humanism, Uganda

Moving Past the First Date: Three Contributing Scholars Reflect on Honesty, Offense, and Interbelief Dialogue

Posted on August 27, 2014 Leave a Comment

I recently participated in a conversation with two other State of Formation Contributing Scholars in the wake of our attendance of the NAIN Connect annual conference. What follows is part of the … [Read more...]

Posted in: Humanism, Interbelief, Interfaith, State of Formation

Why I Love Being Uncertain

Posted on August 5, 2014 Leave a Comment

We, humans, seem to be afraid of uncertainty. Or to put it another way, we yearn for complete certainty. But why? Oddly, science and religion, using their broadest notions, have been pitted against … [Read more...]

Posted in: Applied Sentience, Atheism, Human, Humanism, Science

#monthofmeaning

Posted on July 16, 2014 Leave a Comment

Pathfinders is over. It's was a life changing year. I fear I cannot begin to relate the hundreds of encounters, experiences, and moments that contributed to that change. But I can relate the lessons I … [Read more...]

Posted in: Happiness, Humanism, Interbelief, Pathfinders Project

Why Are There So Many Secret Atheists?

Posted on July 9, 2014 Leave a Comment
Why Are There So Many Secret Atheists?

Recently I attended a meeting for atheists and agnostics. The primary purpose of the group, as I understand it, is to function as a community of support. To start the meeting everyone was asked to … [Read more...]

Posted in: Atheism, Community, Human, Humanism, Interbelief, Interfaith, State of Formation

Questioning the Standard Life Cycle of an Atheist

Posted on July 2, 2014 Leave a Comment

I’ve been an atheist all my life, but I didn’t notice until I was in high school. I didn’t notice because it never felt like a big deal. I didn’t feel discriminated against. I didn’t feel excluded or … [Read more...]

Posted in: Applied Sentience, Community, Human, Humanism, Interbelief, Interfaith

The Pathfinders in Uganda: Humanism, Science, and Colonialism

Posted on May 30, 2014 Leave a Comment
The Pathfinders in Uganda: Humanism, Science, and Colonialism

At Kasese Humanist Primary School (KHPS) in Uganda the students have a formal debate once a week. One debate I witnessed as a teacher there had the proposition: “Science has done more harm than good … [Read more...]

Posted in: Applied Sentience, Humanism, Interbelief, Pathfinders Project, Uganda

Getting Out of the Dumps: Ana’s Story

Posted on May 24, 2014 Leave a Comment
Getting Out of the Dumps: Ana’s Story

Ana moved to Guatemala City from a rural village when she was twelve-years-old. Ana came alone and did not speak Spanish. She could not read the language she did speak, the Mayan K’iche’. At markets … [Read more...]

Posted in: Community, Guatemala, Pathfinders Project

Genocide and Others

Posted on May 16, 2014 1 Comment
Genocide and Others

After visiting the Holocaust museum in Jerusalem I must have been visibly upset.  An Israeli woman who was part of our tour group, knowing my Jewish heritage, approached me to ask who in my family was … [Read more...]

Posted in: Cambodia, Genocide, Holocaust, Human, Humanism, State of Formation

Interbeliefs Under One Roof

Posted on May 1, 2014 1 Comment
Interbeliefs Under One Roof

Rarely am I hesitant to answer the question, “what is your denomination?” (or some variation of the question). I realize I am quite lucky in this regard. (Not to mention how lucky I am that this a … [Read more...]

Posted in: Guatemala, Interbelief, Interfaith, Pathfinders Project, State of Formation

Colombia Through My Lens

Posted on April 10, 2014 Leave a Comment
Colombia Through My Lens

Posted in: Colombia, Pathfinders Project, Through My Lens

Ecuador Through My Lens

Posted on April 3, 2014 Leave a Comment
Ecuador Through My Lens

Posted in: Ecuador, Pathfinders Project, Through My Lens

República Dominicana Through My Lens

Posted on March 30, 2014 Leave a Comment
República Dominicana Through My Lens

Posted in: Pathfinders Project, Through My Lens

Unreconcilable Beliefs: Humanism, Witches, and Human Rights

Posted on March 19, 2014 Leave a Comment

Before I went to Ghana I had no idea there were witches there. For me witchcraft accusations were of historical interest, not a contemporary concern. How wrong I was. Witchcraft accusations are … [Read more...]

Posted in: Community, Drinkable Water, Ghana, Human, Humanism, Interbelief, Interfaith, Islam, Pathfinders Project, State of Formation

Serving Water

Posted on February 17, 2014 Leave a Comment
Serving Water

Today I spent two hours washing all my clothes by hand.  All my clothes except the ones I was wearing.  That’s five shirts, two pairs of pants, one pair of shorts, four socks, five pairs of underwear, … [Read more...]

Posted in: Community, Drinkable Water, Ecuador, Human, Humanism, Interbelief, Pathfinders Project

From Just Us To All Of Us

Posted on February 13, 2014 Leave a Comment
From Just Us To All Of Us

I am not sure if awe inspiring authentic communities can be defined, but recent travels lead me to believe that I might know them when I see them.  To truly witness such community is to become a part … [Read more...]

Posted in: Community, Ghana, Haiti, Human, Humanism, Interbelief, Interfaith, Pathfinders Project, Uganda

How to Build a Latrine in Haiti

Posted on February 10, 2014 Leave a Comment
How to Build a Latrine in Haiti

Want to know how to build a latrine in the rural mountains of Haiti without roads or electricity?  Let me help with my step-by-step guide.  Follow it carefully and you will have a latrine (or 20) in … [Read more...]

Posted in: Haiti, Pathfinders Project

A Tale of Two Communities

Posted on February 6, 2014 1 Comment
A Tale of Two Communities

How can we refuse those who come? A constant refrain as we visited Kukuo, a camp for alleged witches in northern Ghana, was that the accused women are part of the larger community not merely … [Read more...]

Posted in: Community, Ghana, Human, Pathfinders Project

Building Community

Posted on February 3, 2014 2 Comments
Building Community

In La Fond-Jeanette, the village in Haiti where we spent a month building latrines with Children of the Border, there are no roads.  There is no plumbing.  There is no electricity except from a few … [Read more...]

Posted in: Haiti, Human, Pathfinders Project

The Ups and Downs of Getting to Haiti

Posted on January 25, 2014 Leave a Comment
The Ups and Downs of Getting to Haiti

We crossed an international border illegally in the bed of a truck with supplies to build twenty latrines in the mountains of Haiti.  We knew our destination, but not the route.  We knew we would get … [Read more...]

Posted in: Haiti

Interfaith Lessons Learned from a Witch Camp

Posted on January 2, 2014 Leave a Comment
Kukuo's fetish priest

Kukuo, in northern Ghana, is home to a camp for alleged witches.  There women who have been accused of witchcraft come looking for safety.  They come looking because if they stay home they are in … [Read more...]

Posted in: Ghana, Pathfinders Project

Ghana Through My Lens

Posted on December 30, 2013 Leave a Comment
Skenka Kwame

Posted in: Ghana, Pathfinders Project, Through My Lens

Surprising Smiles with Accused Witches in Ghana

Posted on December 28, 2013 Leave a Comment
Senetu Kojo's only possessions.

In Ghana, like much of Africa, belief in witchcraft is quite common.  So are witchcraft accusations.  The vast majority of accusations are levied at old women.  Who can no longer produce children.  … [Read more...]

Posted in: Ghana, Human, Pathfinders Project

Confessions of a Female Traveler Part II

Posted on December 9, 2013 Leave a Comment
Confessions of a Female Traveler Part II

Our first night in Ghana we stayed at a hostel just across the street from the beach—not too shabby. Naturally, almost immediately after dropping our bags, we were at the beach. We split up and the … [Read more...]

Posted in: Ghana, Pathfinders Project

Toppled White Castles in Africa and America

Posted on December 2, 2013 Leave a Comment
Cape Coast Castle. The archway leads to the male dungeons. The stairs lead to the castle church.

I visited two slave castles recently—Cape Coast and Elmina in Ghana.  I am rarely so aware of my skin color.  I’m conscious that white privilege is why I am even able to say that.  It is absolutely … [Read more...]

Posted in: Ghana, Human, Pathfinders Project

Gye Nyame Blog Post

Posted on November 21, 2013 Leave a Comment
Gye Nyame Blog Post

I have never been so enveloped by religion as I have been in Ghana (and Uganda).  I say this having spent time in Lhasa; Varanasi, India; Jerusalem; and Colorado Springs, Colorado.  (Before you ask, … [Read more...]

Posted in: Ghana, Pathfinders Project

Silly Obruni

Posted on November 18, 2013 Leave a Comment
Woman carrying a plastic box of eggs on her head through a market.

Ghana is blue.  I don’t mean it is sad, I mean it is tinted blue.  So many light bulbs here are blue.  I’m not talking in bars and clubs other places that are trying to achieve a certain atmosphere.  … [Read more...]

Posted in: Ghana, Pathfinders Project
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Recent Posts

  • Equality For All But Atheists
  • Humans Are Weird & Other Lessons From Animal Behavior: Interview with Dr. Laurie Santos
  • Let’s Talk About Volunteering Abroad
  • Survival Achieved–Now What?
  • Moving Past the First Date: Three Contributing Scholars Reflect on Honesty, Offense, and Interbelief Dialogue

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