Local faith groups to raise money against violence
Although this year's homicide totals continue to be on a slower pace a year ago, Earl El-Amin said he and his faith-based brethren have grown tired of the violence, Baltimore Sun colleague Brent Jones reports.
"We're called to be keepers of peace," said El-Amin, of the Muslim's Community Central of Baltimore and a member of Baltimore's Interfaith Coalition. "That is essentially our mission. When you study history, all the great sages that came, they came to establish peace in environments that were out of sync."
El-Amin and about 50 other religious leaders, along with representatives from the city state's attorney office, announced an anti-violence initiative Thursday that will use money collected from religious services to fund activities for children.
Organizers of the program, called "Fifth Sunday: Violence to Virtue," are asking the more than 1,200 churches, mosques and synagogues in Baltimore to take up an offering every fifth weekend and donate the money to a local nonprofit, which in turn would disburse the funds to individuals or organizations that work with kids.
It is the first major program under the newly organized Baltimore Interfaith Coalition, which formed last spring after several religious leaders met with police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III, who called upon the faith-based community to help curb violence.
"We've challenged ourselves to break down barriers among ourselves and work for the greater good of the people in Baltimore," said BIC co-chairman Bishop Douglas I. Miles, pastor of Koinonia Baptist Church in Northeast Baltimore. "This is a means of funding small operations that may not have [nonprofit] status but are doing great things in our community — like people who work with marching bands, people who do mentoring on the weekends — something so they have means of getting funding to help advance their work."
Comments
the synagogues of the devil jews will use their money to destroy everything the others are trying to do good.
wake up you damn fools
Posted by: jewswillmurderallnonjewifyoufoolsdonotwakeup | May 29, 2010 3:13 AM
Wow, what a kind and well-thought out comment. Have you perhaps considered some sensitivity training? From this "damn fool" I submit that you are one incredibly vicious and bigoted fool.
Posted by: LouisVA | June 1, 2010 8:59 AM
Louis sadly bigotry and hate isn't limited to any one group.
Posted by: ravensfan | June 1, 2010 1:32 PM
Jews will murder all non jews,
You are an idiot--man you need a bed of nails not sensitivity training--a bed of nails and starvation.
Ravensfan Anon
Posted by: Anonymous | June 2, 2010 9:31 AM
What many Jews murder is the notion of making less money this year than last. It is a shame how many of them have drifted from God, but they are still God's people and the Muslims are not.
Posted by: Clay | June 3, 2010 8:25 AM
"What many Jews murder is the notion of making less money this year than last"
Clay that is a very un-Christian thing to say. It smacks of bigotry and envy something Christians are called not to be or do. Maybe you should look at your own words and deeds because you are quite the hypocrite.
Posted by: Anonymous | June 3, 2010 11:26 AM
Clay,
I took a 5% pay cut to keep my current job. Funny thing -- I regret this ... and I'm not Jewish.
Stereotypes are ugly and vicious, Clay. You do seem to rely on them a lot. That is shameful.
Posted by: BankStreet | June 3, 2010 12:07 PM
Clay - How exactly was your post doing anything for God? You would do well to worry about the log in your eye instead of the splinter in others.
Posted by: ravensfan | June 3, 2010 12:47 PM
Its simple. I care about Jews. My mom's boss is Jewish and works all the time. I would like him to take more time off. I also once said to him that I have never seen a Jewish person on welfare. He said to me, "no, and you never will." Sometimes people should look at their own intentions before criticizing the intentions of others. Thanks.
Posted by: Clay | June 3, 2010 3:03 PM
Clay it's not your intentions I question but your methods which at times stray.
Posted by: ravensfan | June 3, 2010 4:18 PM
I am not going to be a quiet witness by any means. Thanks.
Posted by: Clay | June 4, 2010 12:29 PM
Clay Witnessing does not mean making bigoted comments about another religion.
Posted by: ravensfan | June 4, 2010 12:54 PM
Clay - You might want to check this out for your witnessing.
http://net-burst.net/hot/witness.htm
Posted by: Anthony | June 4, 2010 6:28 PM