REVOLUTIONARY SPIRITUALITY

December 21, 2012 is rapidly approaching. Does it mark the end of the world as some have claimed? Or has the Mayan calendar been misinterpreted? My guest was Charles Lightwalker and we discussed the 2012 predictions. Charles recently participated in a panel about the Mayan Calendar as a part of the Body, Mind Spirit Expo that was sponsored last month by the Spokane Holistic Chamber of Commerce. This program originally aired on 12/10/12. Charles Lightwalker currently serves as Executive Director at The Family of Light Healing Centre located in Spokane, WA. Before joining The Family of Light Healing Centre, Charles served as Chief Executive Officer at New Age Resources, a Business Consulting and Marketing Firm, and prior to that he served as Executive Director at Community Services of the North Coast. Charles serves on the boards of Washington State Holistic Chamber of Commerce, the Metis Medicine Society, the International Association of Medical Intuitives, the Vibrational Yoga Alliance, the Metaphysical Research Society and is on the Advisory Council for the USA Holistic Chamber of Commerce movement. He earned a PhD in Religous Studies from Newport University in 1980. He also studied and was Certified in Spiritual Healing in 1990 attended through Spiritual Healers and Earth Stewardsand was also ordained as a Minister in through them 1990. Charles also has certification in Sound Healing using Tuning forks, is a Reiki Master in 25 different methods, is a certified Vibrational Yoga Instructor, and Initiation as a Metis Shaman. Contact Information: www.thefamilyoflight.com

Whew... the election is finally over, but what does it all mean? Is God happy? Disappointed? Angry? Indifferent? And how did religion play a role in the 2012 elections, if any? I had a post election wrap up with my guest, Tracy Simmons, the Editor and Community Manager of Spokane FAVS (Spokane Faith and Values), an online source for religion news in the Spokane area. Tracy holds a bachelor’s degree in print journalism, a master’s degrees in communication and has reported on religion for about a decade, writing for newspapers across New Mexico, Texas and Connecticut. Join us for this fascinating conversation. This program originally aired on 11/26/12. Contact Information: 509-240-1830 or tracy.simmons@religionnews.com or visit http://www.spokaneFAVS.com or on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SpokaneFAVS

Is it possible to be an atheist and serve your country in the military? Some would say no. My guest was Jason Torpy the President of the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers (MAAF), a national non-profit building community for atheists and humanists in the military. Mr. Torpy also holds seats on the board of the Secular Coalition for America, the premier lobbying organization for secular issues, and the American Humanist Association, which fosters Humanist community and ethics. Since joining the military in 1994, Mr. Torpy has been active with the nontheist community, addressing issues of separation of church and state and equal opportunity for nontheistic service members in Army basic training, Army parachutist training, military academy programs, and in combat situations. His education includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Management from West Point and a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Ohio State University. After earning top graduate honors from two intelligence training programs, Mr. Torpy was offered direct admission to the U.S. Military Academy and upon graduation was commissioned as an officer, serving for five years in Germany, Kuwait, and Iraq with the Army’s 1st Armored Division. He left the service in 2005 at the rank of Captain to pursue an MBA. Jason Torpy currently lives in Washington, DC. We discussed religion in the military and what is't like to be nontheist service member, as well as the history and the role of the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers. This program originally aired on 11/12/12. Contact Information: Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers (MAAF) - http://militaryatheists.org

Pat Dougherty is a chiropractor in Spokane, and the former vice-president of the Spokane Holistic Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Dougherty has been organizing fairs for the Holistic Chamber for the past 5 years, and in fact, KYRS radio sponsored the first 2 fairs in the Community Building located in downtown Spokane. Dr. Dougherty is also a member of the International Association of Medical Intuitives and has organized fairs for them as well. Dr. Dougherty's latest project is a Body, Mind, Spirit Fair which will be taking place on November 10, 2012 from 10am-4:30pm at Unity Church on Spokane's South Hill (2900 South Bernard Street). The fair, with over 40 exhibits, will be followed by a panel discussion entitled "2012 and Beyond", featuring several best-selling authors and other luminaries, including Eldon Taylor, Mona Delfino, Dr. Meg Blackburn, Charles Lightwalker and Jon Waldrup. This program originally aired on 10/29/12. For additional information visit the website for the Holistic Chamber of Commerce or contact Dr. Pat Dougherty at Spokane Chiropractic.

We experienced technical difficulties with sound both during this program and also at the end when we lost the last few minutes of this interview. I apologize in advance. Reverend Percy Happy Watkins was born in Brooklyn, New York on March 4, 1942. He graduated from Bronx Vocational High School in June of 1961 and entered the United States Air Force in August of that year. After basic training, he was stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base, arriving in Spokane on October 7, 1961. He served active duty at Fairchild Air Force Base and also in Okinawa, from August 1961 until he was discharged on July 25, 1965, and then served two additional years in the reserves. He married his wife Etta in 1963 and raised his four sons in Spokane where he became the pastor of New Hope Baptist in February of 1990, where he still proudly serves. Happy is also widely known for his powerful rendition of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech, which he delivers annually at Spokane's King Day Parade, as well as at other venues throughout the region. He has also recently come into public view and has stirred up controvery as an African American Baptist minister who has come out in support of Washington State's Referendum 74, supporting the freedom for gay and lesbian individuals to marry, as well as the Marijauna Initiative, both on the Nov. ballot. We discussed Pastor Watkins' spiritual journey and there were two young adults, Renika Williams and Dyondre Hicks who joined in on the conversation to talk about their views on religion and spirituality. This program originally aired on 10/22/12. Contat: www.newhopespokane.com

My guest Brian McLaren is a bestselling author, activist, and public theologian. He has been called a “spiritual genius” by his fans, and a “heretic” by his critics, and he proposes an "end to the cosmic death match between religions". We will be discussing his latest book, "Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road? - Christian Identity in a Multi-Faith World", which tackles an issue that he feels is of particular importance in the world today, how Christians should treat members of other religions. This program originally aired on 10/8/12. Contact informaton: www.brianmclaren.net

My guest Rickard Packham says he is descended from a long line of faithful Mormons. All of his ancestors in every branch of his family, for four, five and six generations, were Mormons, and his family, almost all of them, including brothers and sisters, older children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews are still faithful Mormons. Yet Richard left the Mormon church in 1958, when he was 25 years old, and then in 2001 he founded the Ex Mormon Foundation, serving two terms as its president. We discussed Richard's journery from Mormonism to Atheism, why he left the Mormon church and where his life journey has taken him since his departure. This program originally aired on 9/10/12. Contact information: http://packham.n4m.org, http://exmormonfoundation.org, http://www.postmormon.org

Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington, the Assistant Pastor of Unity Fellowship Church of Baltimore, MD, has been in the church all of his life, starting in the United Methodist Church, and serving in Baptist, Church of God In Christ (COGIC), AME, and Non-Denominational Churches. This year marks 39 years of service in Music Ministry. Dr. Washington is also the Founder of the Washington Consulting Group and the Social Justice Training Institute, which has trained over 1000 Social Justice Educators and Change Agents from across the country.  A native Philadelphian, Dr. Washington earned his B.S. degree in Therapeutic Recreation and Music from Slippery Rock State College, and a double Masters' of Science degree from Indiana University/Bloomington in Higher Education Administration and Counseling, with a concentration in Human Sexuality. He holds a Ph.D. in College Student Development, with a concentration in Multicultural Education, from the University of Maryland College Park, and completed his Masters of Divinity program at Howard University School of Divinity with a concentration on Pastoral Care and Christian Social Ethics. We will be discussed reconciliarion and healing for the LGBTQ community and traditional bible Believing Christians, the debate over same sex marriage, and the intersections between Race, Religion and Sexuality. This program originally aired on 8/27/12. Contact information: http://washingtonconsultinggroup.net or http://www.ufcb.org/

Throughout the year of 2011 Andrew Bowen practiced a different religion each month—Hindu in January, Baha’i in February, Zoroastrian in March, and so on. Andrew's year-long immersion into 12 belief systems from around the world is called "Project Conversion." We discussed Project Conversion, Andrew's reason for starting the project, his experiences, how the project changed his life, and his current work with religious pluralism. This program originally aired on 6/11/12. Contact information: www.projectconversion.com, http://www.andrewbowen.info.

My guest was Kevin Decker, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Eastern Washington University. We discussed atheism, Richard Rorty, and whether or not compassion is possible without a belief in God? This program originally aired on 5/28/12. Contact Information: http://www.ewu.edu/CALE/Programs/Philosophy.xml  

In a return visit to Spokane, Venerable Geshe Thupten Phelgye, will be discussing the current situation in Tibet, and the work that he did on the new charter for the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, which no longer includes the Dalai Lama as the political head. Geshe Phelgye by was born in Tibet in 1956 and escaped to India with his family when he was three years old. He became a monk at the age of seventeen, completed the rigorous eighteen year course of traditional studies in Buddhist philosophy that earned him the title "Geshe" (PhD) from the Sera Monastic University in 1991, and followed that with Buddhist Tantryana studies at Gyumeh Tantric Monastry. In 1993 he dedicated five years to a meditation retreat in the mountains of Dharamsala. He was elected as a member of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile in 2001 to represent the Gelug tradition of Buddhism. Geshe Phelgye is currently spending the year teaching at Gonzaga University as its first Global Scholar in Residence. This program originally aired on 5/14/12. contact information: http://www.universalcompassion.org/

Tracy Simmons serves as the editor and community manager of SpokaneFAVS. She holds a bachelor’s degree in print journalism and master’s degrees in communication and has reported on religion for about a decade, writing for newspapers across New Mexico, Texas and Connecticut. Over the years Tracy has won several journalism awards including the 2009 American Academy of Religion’s first place award for best in-depth reporting on religion, and the 2011 Religion Newswriters Association’s Schachern Award for Online Religion Section of the Year. SpokaneFAVS bills itself as the online source for religion news in the Spokane area. It is the inaugural hub site for Religion News LLC's three-year community religion news project, funded through the Lilly Endowment. First debuting as a "construction blog" in August 2011, the site later officially launched in spring 2012 as a gathering place for non-sectarian coverage of faith and values news from the Spokane area. Religion News LLC is a nonprofit affiliated with the Religion Newswriters Foundation. Its mission is to provide in-depth, non-sectarian coverage of religion, spirituality and ideas. The mission is advanced through the online Religion News Service, its partnering regional hubs, and a diverse group of subscribers who distribute our work. Contact Information: 509-240-1830 or tracy.simmons@religionnews.com or visithttp://www.spokaneFAVS.com or on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SpokaneFAVS

**Note: The interview that aired live was edited due to time constraints. This podcast contains the unedited interview. The Shower of Stoles- Listening to the Silence: LGBT People of Faith Twelve years ago Bethany Presbyterian Church and other churches in the Spokane area brought the Shower of Stoles to Spokane. The Shower of Stoles is a collection of over a thousand liturgical stoles and other sacred items from lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons from twenty-six denominations in six countries. Each stole contains the story of an LGBT person who is active in the life and leadership of their faith community in some way: minister, elder, deacon, teacher, missionary, musician, administrator or active layperson. The collection celebrates the gifts of LGBT people of faith who serve God in countless ways, while also lifting up those who have been excluded from service or who have served in secret because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The Spokane exhibit, representing 200 stoles, was intended to show LGBT Christians that they are loved, respected and important to the church, and to show members of the Christian faith community what they were missing by shunning LGBT individuals. The exhibit included seminars, workshops, and opportunities for conversation and worship. This year Bethany, with a new set of partners, is bringing the stoles back to Spokane. The exhibit at Bethany will run from April 28 - May 4, with pre-exhibits at Spokane Falls Community College, Eastern Washington University, Gonzaga University and the Community Building in Downtown Spokane. There will again be workshops, discussions, and opportunities to learn and dialog about creating a welcoming church community, reconciling religion and homosexuality, and how to nurture adolescents in the church who are discovering their sexuality. My guest was Minister Paul Rodkey, pastor of Bethany Presbyterian Church. We discussed the Shower of Stoles Exhibit in Spokane. For more information: www.bethanyspokane.org or http://www.welcomingresources.org/sosp.htm or 509-534-0066  

My guest Leon Sproule is a Shamanic Practitioner and a member of the Foundation for Shamanic Studies (http://shamanism.org). A student of anthropologist Michael Harner, founder of the Foundation for Shamanic Studies, Leon completed the Three Year Program in Advanced Shamanism from the Foundation in 2005. He is now an adjunct instructor at Gonzaga in the Civil Engineering Department and a member of the faculty for the Foundation for Shamanic Studies. We will be discussing his spiritual journey, the program of study that he completed, and the work of the Foundation for Shamanic Studies. This program originally aired on 4/9/12. Contact information: cartersproule@gmail.com or 509-238-6318 or visit http://shamanism.org.

What is the Hijab? Why do some muslim women wear the Hijab and others do not? Is the Hijab oppressive to women? Does it limit a woman's freedom? Can you be a modern woman and wear the Hijab at the same time? Join me for a women's history month conversation with my guest Hanane as we talk about the Hijab from her pespective, what wearing the Hijab means to her, and discuss the ban on wearing the Hijab that was instituted by France last year.

In honor of Black History Month, my guest was Dr. Cocoa Welton, founder of the Los Angeles based Moriah Institute. Dr. Welton is a Global Lecturer, teacher and experienced workshop facilitator who has been speaking locally and internationally for decades on topics as varied as socio-politics, human behavioral motivations, and the intersection of science, philosophy and religion. Dr. Welton was shaped by the Black Nationalist movement of the 1960s and influenced by the teachings of Marxism and Science of Mind, amongst other things. He has studied both Eastern and Western religions, in addition to the works of Dr. Albert Einstein, Dr. Stephen Hawking, Dr. Carl Sagan, and Dr. Michio Kaku, amongst many others. We discussed Dr. Welton's take on Black History Month, the black community and discussed his view that the foundation of the social protest that is currently taking place in the world is really a spiritual impulse moving through humanity and the planet. This program originally aired on 2/27/12. For more information or to contact Dr. Welton, send an e-mail to this program at revolution@kyrs.org.

In honor of Washington Governor Chris Gregoire signing marriage equality into law on Monday, 2/13, making Washington the 7th state in the country to legalize same-sex marriage, Revolutionary Spirituality discussed Marriage Equality with Rev. Dr. Todd Eklof of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane, and discussed his commitment to stop performing weddings until he could legally marry gays and lesbians. This program originally aired on 2/13/12. Contact information: www.uuspokane.org, (509) 325-6383 or minister@uuspokane.org.

My guest was Mary Stamp, the Publisher and Editor of the Fig Tree which was founded in 1984 as a monthly publication covering and connecting the faith and nonprofit communities in the Inland NW (Eastern WA and Northern Idaho). The Fig Tree is currently an independent, non-profit newspaper, directory and online news source. This program originally aired on 1/30/12. Contact information: www.thefigtree.org

In honor of the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday on January 16, I am airing a re-broadcast of Dr. King's speech entitled Beyond Vietnam. Though most of the focus on Dr. King at this time of year is on his "I have a Dream" speech, I feel this is Dr. King's most powerful and provacative speech, yet it is seldom heard. Why is that???? The speech was delivered on April 4, 1967 at Riverside Church in New York city, and ironically was given one year to the day before Dr. King was assasinated. He was 39 years old. The speech is even more important today as the parallel is strikingly similar between Vietnam and our current war on "Terror".

My guest Brenda Miller joined me to celebrate the 4th Anniversary of Revolutionary Spirituality. She turned the tables on me by asking the questions as I became the guest for the day. This is an anniversary tradition and it was in interesting conversation. I hope you enjoy it.

What do Penn State and the Catholic Church Have in Common? With the arrest of Jerry Sandusky, former Penn State Football Defensive Coordinator, on molestation charges, and the subsequent scandal that rocked the renowned college football establishment, many asked how could this have been allowed to happen and why didn't anyone at Penn State stop it. Many have also asked how the years of sexual abuse could have been allowed to go unstopped in the Catholic Church as well. My guest was be Gary Laderman, Chair of the Department of Religion, Co-Director of the Graduate Division of Religion, and Professor of American Religious History and Cultures at Emory University in Atlanta Georgia. We discussed an article that Gary wrote for the online publication Religion Dispatches entitled: "Betraying a Sacred Trust: From Penn State to Dover Air Force Base". We talked about the "religion" of big money sports, particularly football, and the similarities between what was allowed to happen at Penn State and what was allowed to happen inside of the Catholic Church.

Rev. Harriet Walden describes herself as a Spiritual Healer, a Justice worker and an Urban Mystic. She is founder of Mothers for Police Accountability, which has been around for twenty-one years, and The Family Empowerment Institution, which is working to restore Black Families. She joined me by phone from Seattle, WA and we discussed her views on social justice and the role of the Black Church. This program originally aired on 11/14/11. Contact information: 206-329-2033, revharrietwalden@gmail.com,  http://thesilentwar.org, find Mothers for Police Accountability on Facebook.

Protest Chaplains is an organization of clergy, based in Boston, that are committed to social justice and are supporting and participating in the Occupy Wall Street movement. The Spokane Protest Chaplains are the local "chapter" of the national Protest Chaplain movement. They are an interfaith group of local clergy and other relgious leaders that are in solidarity with Occupy Spokane. The fifteen Spokane Protest Chaplains recently marched through downtown Spokane, stopping at banks and Riverpark Square to pray, cleanse and bring attention to what they say are the "financial injustices plaguing America". My guests were Rev. Jim Castrolang, pastor of the 1st Congregational United Church of Christ in Colville and the social media blogger for Religion News Spokane, and Rev. Deb Conklin, pastor of Libery Park United Methodist Church and St. Paul's United Methodist Church, and part of a new cooperative ministry called Oak Tree that is focused in the West Central neighborhood of Spokane. We talked about Occupy Wall Street and the role of the Spokane Protest Chaplains in the Occupy Spokane movement, discussed their views on the role of social justice within organized religion, and the relative absence of visible religious leaders in social justice movements in the past couple of decades. This program originally aired on 11/7/11. Contact information: SpokaneProtestChaplains@gmail.com and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Spokane-Protest-Chaplains/273472582693583

"Oakhurst Presbyterian Church is unremarkable on the outside, but the congregation on the inside is quite remarkable. People from the most divergent backgrounds - middle class professionals, blue-collar and pink-collar workers, welfare recipients, old, young, and very young, black, white, Asian, gay and straight. All seem to feel comfortable there and speak their minds." Ted Clark, All Things Considered Oakhurst Presbyterian Church, in Decatur Georgia, celebrated its 90th birthday in September. The church, led by husband-wife team Nibs Stroupe and Caroline Leach, is famous for its depictions of both a black and a white Jesus, and numerous national publications, including Time magazine, The New York Times and The Christian Science Monitor, have reported on the dedication of the church and its leaders to racial diversity. My guest was Rev. Nibs Stroupe. We discussed the 90th Anniversary of Oakurst Presbyterian Church, the decision that was made in the late 1980s to repaint one of the stained glass images of Jesus from white to black, the committment of the church congregation to diversity and inclusiveness, and the book, "O Lord, Hold Our Hands: How a Church Thrives in a Multicultural World," which Rev. Stroupe co-wrote with his wife. This program origianally aired on 10/24/11. Contact information: www.oakhurstpresbyterian.org or 404-378-6284

The Spokane Coalition of Reason launched a billboard campaign in Spokane that was dubbed the "atheist bus ads" by the press. The question "Are You Good Without God?", and the statement, "Millions Are", was displayed on the sides of eleven STA buses during the month of September. The campaign was considered controversial by some, and offensive by others, but according to the Spokane Coalition of Reason, the goal was simply to reach out to atheists and agnostitcs in the community who may not realize that there are other like-minded people in the area. The Spokane Coalition of Reason is an alliance of three nontheistic groups in the Spokane area. I spoke to the President of one of those groups, the Spokane Secular Society, Thomas Brown. We discussed the billboard campaign, the controversy it inspired, and what the Spokane Coalition of Reason is all about. This program originally aired on 9/26/11. Contact Information: http://unitedcor.org/spokane/page/home, http://spokanesecularsociety.org

This program focused on the 10th Anniversay of 9/11. With all of the conversations that were happening about the anniversary of 9/11, few of them offered a reflection through the eyes of the Muslim community. My guest was Arsalan Bukhari, the Executive Director of the Washington chapter of CAIR (the Council on American-Islamic Relations). Joining Mr. Bukhari was Jennifer Gist, CAIR's Civil Rights Coordinator. CAIR is the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, with a mission to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims,and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding. We discussed 9/11, it's impact on America's Muslim community, how things have changed since 2001 (for the better or worse?), and what it's like to be Muslim in America now, ten years later. We also discussed CAIR and the work that they are doing in Washington State and around the country. Contact Information: http://cairseattle.org. This program originally aired on 9/12/11.

I have invited two of our popular KYRS programmers to join me for a conversation about spirituality. Ned is the host of The Vinyl Hour, which airs Thursday evenings at 8pm, and Sharo is the host of The Persian Hour, which airs on Saturdays at noon. Join me for this lively round table discussion, and listen to both of their programs on KYRS - Thin Air Community Radio, www.kyrs.org. This program originally aired on 8/21/11.

Roseanne Lasater is an ordained spiritual healer, holistic life coach and Reiki Master/Teacher. We will be discussing her fascinating journey from the world of the correctional system to the world of spiritual healing.

Joel Williamson is a Spokane native whose first career was Lighting Design for theatre and who now works as a community organizer in order to "change his hometown for the better". He is active in the local community through churches and political groups and still does some theatre at Coeur D'Alene Summer Theatre. We will be discussing Joel's journey in regards to religion/spirituality that has taken him from atheism, which he said was caused by evangelical Christians, to a now radical Jesus centered theology, which was brought on by personal experiences with injustice and a new look at what he believes Jesus was actually about.

In an encore to the popular program that I did last year for Father's Day, I have invited my dad, Thomas, and my brother, Rick, to came back again this year so that we can have another conversation about spirituality and fatherhood. 

On May 31, the one year anniversary of the Israeli attack on the unarmed passengers in last year's International Peace Flotilla that killed nine people aboard the Mavi Marmara, including an 18-year old U.S. citizen of Turkish descent named Furkan Dogan, organizers for the U.S. Boat to Gaza announced that they are expecting some 50 people to be aboard The Audacity of Hope, a U.S. flagged boat, that will be a part of the International Freedom Flotilla II that will sail from a port in the Mediterranean in late June and travel to Gaza. Aboard the boat will be US citizens from many different backgrounds, ages, and communities across the United States. Four passengers will be travelling from the Pacific Northwest on The Audacity of Hope, one of those passengers, Erin DeRamus, is my guest on today's program. Erin is currently a resident of Portland, OR, a practitioner and instructor of acupuncture and qigong (a meditative movement practice for internal cultivation), and the last few years she has worked in public health and recovery with the local Native American Rehabilitation Association. Erin travelled to the West Bank in December of 2008 to train mental health practitioners in a basic ear acupuncture protocol for the treatment of PTSD (port-traumatic stress disorder). She was in the West Bank during "operation cast lead", when Israeli forces without warning began a devastating bombing campaign on December 27, 2008. By January 18, 2009 some 1,400 Palestinians had been killed and large areas of Gaza had been razed to the ground. We will be duscussing Erin's background, training, her experiences, and her reasons for making the decision to join the U.S. Boat to Gaza. Additional information: New York Times Article, Lara Lee Video, Unedited Mavi Marmara footage smuggled off of the ship (15 minutes), Lara Lee speaking to the United Nations, Democracy Now Coverage and Interview with Lara Lee, Alice Walker Statement, Petition to support International Fotilla Contact Information: http://ustogaza.org/, http://witnessgaza.com/

Rev. Terry B. Hall has served as the pastor at Cheney United Methodist Church since July 1, 2009. He previously served at Wesley UMC in Yakima, and Epworth LeSourd UMC in Tacoma. Prior to being ordained in the ministry, Terry had a family counseling practice and worked for over 24 years in the social services and mental health fields. We will be discussing his spiritual journey as well as his view on judgement. This program originally aired on 5/15/11. Contact Information: 509-235-4600, cheneyumc@centurytel.net , thall5665@msn.com or http://cheneyumc.org.

As a tribute to Mother's Day, which is on Sunday May 8, I will be having my mother, Wilhelmenia Williams, and her sister, my aunt, Jesse Rogers, as guests on my program to talk about their experiences with religion when they were growing up and how that affected their own religions beliefs and the way they chose to raise their children. This program originally aired on 5/1/11.Contact Information: revolution@kyrs.org

Skyler Oberst is the founder of the Compassionate Interfaith Society, a student led group at Eastern Washington University that meets weekly to discuss various topics related to religion and spirituality. CIS members are active in Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Wiccan, amongst others, and goals of encouraging mutual respect and affirmation. Skyler was last on the program in May of 2010, in a return visit he will be discussing what he and is group have been doing since his last visit, some consequences of his work, and his upcoming plans. This program originally aired on 4/3/11. Contact Information: r.s.oberst@gmail.com

Pastor Shelley Bryan Wee is the Campus Minister at Eastern Washington University for Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Cheney Washington. The campus ministry is welcoming, inclusive, and celebrates the love of God through worship, prayer, service projects and fun! Students of all faiths and denominations, or no faith background, are welcome and invited to visit and participate in their programs. Shelley will be discussingher expriences as a pastor. This program originally aired on 3/20/11 as a part of Women's History Month. Contact Information: http://emmanuelcheney.org/, lcmewu@yahoo.com or 509.235.5081

Hilary Hart teaches and writes about women’s spirituality and the divine feminine. Her books include The Unknown She and Pearlie of Great Price. She is an adjunct faculty at Antioch University in Seattle. Hilary studied Philosophy at Yale and the University of Colorado, has practiced within both the Tibetan Buddhist and Sufi traditions, and has over 10 years experience in dream work. She currently lives on Whidbey Island and runs, knits, loves dogs, and enjoys learning how to grow her own food. This program originally aired on 3/6/11. Contact Information: http://www.womenspowerwheel.com/

Charles Smaltz was "called" to pastoral service at the age of 11, quickly embarking on an intense study of religion, teaching, preaching, and anything else that might enhance a life in ministry, including counseling. His early exposure to conscious growth and experience naturally predisposed him to spiritual consciousness and connection. Charles studied hypnotherapy through Heart Springs Institute Transformational Trainings and was certified by the American Council of Hypnotist Examiners in 1993. He completed advanced training and became a master hypnotherapist in 1994. He was ordained that same year.Through personal experience and lifelong research, Charles found that many religions restrained or stifled individual access to total spiritual truth, so he began to facilitate consciousness-awakening sessions for friends and others. Over time, and with continued spiritual guidance, this evolved into "The Path to Total Consciousness," a 10-part workshop series he considers his life work and calling. This program originally aired on 2/6/11.Contact Information: http://www.diversitycounseling.net or (509) 474-9964.

My daughter, Renika, will be joining me to celebrate the Third Year Anniversary of Revolutionary Spirituality. In a reprisal of the last two year's anniversary shows, I will be the one who is interviewed by my guest. It should be a lively conversation. This program originally aired on 1/2/11. Contact Information: revolution@kyrs.org

During the month of December most of the focus is on Christmas, however there are several other celebrations that also take place during the month, including Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, the Human Light Celebration and Bhodi Day. My guests were Jim Downard of the Inland Northwest Free Thought Society and the Spokane Secular Society who joined me to talk about the Winter Solstice Celebration in Spokane on 12/21 and Marci Halili-Akoma, a Southern California Native who has been celebrating Kwanzaa for the past 30 years, joined me to to talk about the meaning of Kwanzaa. This program originally aired on 12/19/10.

When tragedy struck Leslie Stickel, with the suicide of her mother, she discovered how life can change instantly and with the potential to destroy our happiness and stability. Leslie reached for her faith in God to get her through, and in her book Hope Defined, she shares her story and her journey of healing with heartfelt honesty and offers hope to anyone going through a loss. Leslie speaks publically about her experience and is actively involved in suicide prevention and awareness. She has been a Social Worker for 25 years, working with at risk youth, victims of domestic violence, homeless veterans, disabled and the elderly. Leslie is married and has two

Tiffany Lanoix earned a Master's degree in Sociology at the University of California, Irvine in 2005. Currently, she is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Los Angeles Valley College where she also serves as faculty advisor for the Sexual Equality Club. We will be discussing the sociological idea of the social construction of reality, which is basically the idea that nothing has any inherent meaning. In other words, reality is dependent upon the socialization process, or the process by which a person learns their culture. Tiffany connects this concept to spirituality and religion by asserting that the world and the experience that a person wants to live in can be created in spite of their circumstances, since those circumstances only have the meaning that they are given. This show originally aired on 11/7/10. Contact Information: lanoixtr@lavc.edu  

Stan Hughes, aka Ha-Gue-A-Dees-Sas, (Seneca for "Man Seeking his People), discussed his newly released book, "Medicine Seeker: A Beginner's Walk on the Pathway to Native American Spirituality." Stan is a retired public school administrator with an extensive publication background, including an Editor's Choice Award from the International Library of Poetry. He was born on Yakima Indian territory in Washington State and grew up in the Black Hills of South Dakota. While he is not enrolled in a federally recognized tribe himself, both of his grandmothers were of Native American decent. He was trained by traditional Shamans from northern California and participated in the Rite of Passage to Warrior Status in the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming. He is a Vietnam era veteran who served from 1959-1965. This show originally aired on 10/17/10. Contact Information: www.medicineseeker.info.

In the midst of the uproar and protests that have surrounded the plans by developers in New York City to build what has been dubbed the "Ground Zero" Mosque, more than 30 Southern California religious leaders gathered on August 20th in downtown Los Angeles to show their support for the project, despite widespread opposition. Leaders representing more than a dozen faiths, including Jews, Muslims, Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Baptists, Quakers, Universalists, Mormons and Sufis, held a news conference in front of the Islamic Center of Southern California and issued an open letter warning that "the growing 'fear and hysteria' over the New York mosque is un-American and based on a distortion of the facts." Stephen Rohde, along with members from Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace, participated in a Los Angeles gathering in support of the controversial "Ground Zero" Mosque. We will be discussing that gathering and the mission of the organization, as well as the perspective of the ICUJP on the "Ground Zero Mosque" controversy. Stephen Rohde is a constitutional lawyer, lecturer, writer and political activist. He is the Chair the ACLU Foundation of Southern California, a founder and current President of Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace and Co-President of the Progressive Jewish Alliance. He is a past president of the Beverly Hills Bar Association. Mr. Rohde is the author of American Words of Freedom, which explores the origins, history and meaning of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. His most recent book is Freedom of Assembly which is part of the American Rights Series. He is also co-author of Foundations of Freedom published by the Constitutional Rights Foundation and has written numerous articles and book reviews on civil liberties and constitutional history. Mr. Rohde received his B.A. degree in Political Science from Northwestern University in 1966 and his J.D. degree from Columbia Law School in 1969. He is senior partner with the law firm of Rohde & Victoroff in Century City specializing in communications and intellectual property law, civil and appellate litigation and constitutional law. This show originally aired on 9/19/10. Contact Information: http://icujp.org

Kamori Cattadoris, founder of Ancient Traditions, began her spiritual quest at the tender age of 7 when she realized that she could not accept what the nuns and priests were preaching about God and Jesus and the Bible at the Catholic church and school she attended. Her very interesting journey led her to found Ancient Traditions, a gathering that meets weekly at the Woman's Club of Spokane, WA. Ancient Traditions promotes the balanced development of both Mind and Heart through action in the midst of life. The primary aim of the curriculum is to de-program the Mind from the prison of anxiety-based delusions and polarized beliefs, while at the same time, learning to restore the Mind's curious, open state, in order to receive Wisdom from the Heart. While religions require adherence to prescribed beliefs, Ancient Traditions instead turns within to where one's own Inner Guide indwells. "Beliefs have their place in human development, but they hinder the unfolding of our highest potential when they do not grow and change with our evolving awareness". This show originally aired on 9/5/10. Contact Information: http://ancienttraditions.org

Ann Marie Floch will be discussing her new book, Soul of a Woman. Even with all of the strides that women have taken over the past century, some still believe that they are not equal to men. Some have even gone as far as to say that women were not supposed to have souls and have drilled this notion into young minds that continue to pass it on to generations to come. The Soul of a Woman offers a new challenge to the women of the world; a chance to embrace their newfound souls and bring about the changes the world needs for its survival. Written in a beautiful poetic style, each chapter focuses on a different type of woman. Throughout the journey of a woman's soul, she may move through one, two, or many of these different identities until she finds her own. Now is your chance to truly discover The Soul of a Woman. Author Ann Marie Floch lives in Spokane, Washington, where she spends much of her time writing. After teaching junior high and high school for many years, she now focuses on family and marriage counseling, as well as retreat work. In addition to being a Reiki Practitioner, she is involved in many groups and is team teaching a series of workshops for strengthening families. Ann Marie is currently working on three other books and plans to write many more.This program originally aired on 8/15/10. Contact Information: http://strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/TheSoulOfAWoman.html

Chris Rodda is the Research Director for The Military Religious Freedom Foundation which is dedicated to ensuring that all members of the United States Armed Forces fully receive the Constitutional guarantees of religious freedom to which they and all Americans are entitled by virtue of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the US Constitution. MRFF believes that religious faith is a Constitutionally guaranteed freedom that must never be compromised, except in the most limited of military circumstances, because of its fundamental importance to the preservation of the American nation and the American way of life. We discussed the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, its history and mission, the work that it is doing, and some of the responses that the organization has received. The program originally aired on 7/18/20. Contact Information: http://militaryreligiousfreedom.org/

Eric Petersen is the editor of a book of Thomas Jefferson’s writings entitled Light and Liberty: Reflections on the Pursuit of Happiness. In it, he has laced together carefully chosen expressions reflecting the eloquent genius of Thomas Jefferson. Happiness, hope, liberty and peace are among the topics in Jefferson’s own words compiled after ten years of studying his reflections in reports, state papers, speeches and twenty thousand letters.Eric S. Petersen is a partner in the law firm of Hawkins, Delafield and Wood LLP. He graduated cum laude from Brown University in 1970 with a degree in American History, and from the University of Chicago Law School in 1973. He has appeared on numerous radio and television programs including ABC, CNBC, CNN and the Fox News Channel and offered lectures around the country and as far away as the University of Iceland and the Senate in Prague. He enjoys marathon running, meditation and international travel, and has studied Jefferson's life and works since 1993. This program originally aird on 7/4/10. Contact Information: www.lightandliberty.org.

8: The Mormon Proposition is a documentary film that the filmmakers say exposes the Mormon Church's historic involvement in the promotion and passage of California's Proposition 8 and the religion's secretive, decades-long campaign against gay rights. The film takes place in California and Utah as Mormons, following their prophet’s call to action, wage spiritual warfare with money and misinformation against gay citizens, doing everything they can to deny them marriage and the rights that come with it. 8: The Mormon Proposition opens in theaters on June 18th, 2010, two years after the first gay marriages took place in California (June 17th, 2008), and it will be showing in Spokane, WA at the Magin Lantern Theater. My guests for this program are Spencer Jones and Tyler Barrick, a gay couple that was married in San Francisco before the passage of Proposition 8. They are featured in the documentary. Contact Information: www.mormonproposition.com or contact Laura Kim at laura@redflagreleasing.com.

Alfreda Lanoix is founder and facilitator of Love At Work-The Exchange, a weekly fellowship in Los Angeles, CA, that she describes as equal parts group therapy session, metaphysical discussion, social gathering and new school revival. She is also author of an upcoming book titled: "Go to Hell", which as she puts it, is intended to inspire and encourage readers with honesty, clarity and even "comic relief", as they face everyday challenges and realizations. Through Love At Work and her book, Ms. Lanoix is focused on beginning a movement that is blurring the societal dividing lines of race, religion, spirituality and sexuality. This program originally aired on 5/30/10. Contact Information: www.facebook.com/alfreda.lanoix

The Compassionate Interfaith Society (CIS) is a student led group at Eastern Washingtin University, founded by Skyler Oberst, that meets weekly to discuss various topics related to religion and spirituality. Skyler started the club after seeing hateful demonstrations towards people of different faiths, and after being a club for only two quarters, the CIS is one of the largest clubs on the campus, with members from fifteen different religious and spiritual traditions!The group is currently focusing on Islam, and the practices and misconceptions that are often associated with the tradition. Members of CIS visited a Mosque in Spokane, and were privileged to join in prayer, sermon, and a discussion over lunch. They are scheduled to participate in a video-conference with Al-Najah National University in Palestine to speak about Islamaphobia in the United States, and they also have plans to work with the Muslim Students Association to have an Islamic awareness day on the EWU campus in the fall. CIS members are also active in the Buddhist, Christian, Jewish and Wiccan communities, helping everyone from Sravasti Abbey and the Universal Compassion Movement to the local synagogues and churches with support and community service in any way possible, and encouraging mutual affirmation, if not respect. This program originally aired on 5/16/10.Contact Information: r.s.oberst@gmail.com Dut to technical difficulties, this podcast abruptly ends about five minutes before the completion of the interview. My apologies.

Chunta is a Tibetan Buddhist who is visiting Spokane from Nepal. She has worked with Denise Attwood of Ganesh Himal Fair Trading Company in Spokane, WA, developing a co-op in Nepal. We will be discussing her life experiences and the work that she is currently involved in that focuses on Fair Trade. This show originally aired on 5/2/10. Contact information: http://ganeshhimaltrading.com.