Progressive Spirit

Sheikh Mohammed Al-Hilli discusses Arbaeen: The Walk, the first book in English about the annual pilgrimage to the shrine of Imam Husayn15 - 20 million people participate in the annual pilgrimage to Karbala, Iraq to visit the shrine of 7th century martyr, Imam Husayn. Yet few in the West know about it. Sheikh Mohammed Al-Hilli has written the first book about Arbaeen in English. It is called Arbaeen: The Walk. It is a guide for participants and a helpful reference for English speakers to learn about the phenomenon of Arbaeen.Sheikh Mohammed Al-Hilli (Facebook, Twitter) is an Islamic scholar and speaker who has visited and presented lectures in many parts of the world. He has an MA in Islamic Studies at Middlesex University in the UK. For over ten years, Sheikh Al-Hilli studied Hawza (Islamic Seminary Education) in London and Najaf. He is a teacher for Hawza studies for the Islamic College in London. He is currently head of the Islamic Education Department at Noor Trust in the UK, conducting Quranic commentary

Imam Muhsen Al-Dhalimy of the Islamic Center of Portland Explains the Significance of the 7th Century Martyr, Husayn, and the Popularity of ArbaeenBiblical scholar, Dr. Susan "Elli" Elliott, discusses her book, Family Empires, Roman and Christian, Volume 1. Imam Muhsen Al-Dhalimy is the spiritual leader of the Islamic Center of Portlandon the corner of Denney and Hall in Beaverton. The Islamic Center of Portland is the only Shia Mosque in the Portland Metro.  Imam Al-Dhalimy was born in Iraq and made the pilgrimage to Karbala to mourn Imam Husayn and visit his shrine when doing so was illegal. Since the fall of Saddam Hussein, now between 10 and 20 million people visit the shrine of the grandson of the Prophet every year, making Arbaeen the largest peaceful gathering of human beings on Earth.I, inshallah, will be going on this pilgrimage courtesy of the Husaynia Society of Seattle. Imam Al-Dhalimy will talk about how the walk has changed and what it means for Shia Muslims and Iraq.Also, during the first part

Scholars and religious leaders explore the impact of Husayn and the devotion of the 15-20 million pilgrims who visit his shrine each year. Part 1 of 2.This is a rebroadcast of an episode that originally aired in May 2018.I will be attending the pilgrimage to Arbaeen from Najaf to Karbala, Iraq, at the end of October, with a Maulana Mohammad Baig, courtesy of the Husayniah Islamic Society of Seattle.On April 28th 2018, The Husayniah Islamic Society of Seattle and Global Initiatives co-sponsored an interfaith educational event called Husayn Day.  The event was a reflection upon Husayn, the martyred grandson of the Prophet Mohammad. Rather than bow to his oppressors, he, along with 72 family members were killed in Karbala, Iraq in 680 CE. He is considered a martyr for justice, truth, love, and resistance. He is a leading figure in Shia Islam and his death is mourned each year by between 15 and 20 million pilgrims who visit his shrine during the forty-day period of mourning from Ashura to Arbaeen.In the next two

Moral Philosopher and Environmental-Thought Leader, Kathleen Dean Moore, tells the hard, urgent truth about the state of Earth and calls out for moral courage.Dr. Kathleen Dean Moore spoke at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Beaverton, Oregon, September 30th, 2018. Hear her address, Bearing Witness (starts at 4:30). In this interview, she talked with John Shuck about her 2016 book, Great Tide Rising: Calling on Clarity and Moral Courage to Confront Climate Change. She discusses grandchildren, criminals in high places, religious hypocrisy, despair, hope, and moral integrity. Time is short. We have a mission. What is life for?Kathleen Dean Moore is a writer, moral philosopher, and environmental thought-leader, devoted to an unrelenting defense of the future against those who would pillage and wreck the planet.As a writer, Kathleen is best known for award-winning books of essays that celebrate and explore the meaning of the wet, wild world of rivers, islands, and tidal shores – Riverwalking, Holdfast, Pine Is

“The role of the media is the primary reason why good people become silent — or worse — about 9/11.” -- Frances ShureThis is the fourth of my four-part series on the 9/11 Consensus Panel, whose work was released in book form on September 11th, 2018.[Note: Amazon, as of September 25th, now reports the book as "Temporarily out of stock" even as the publisher says Amazon has many copies. Amazon has made purchasing this book difficult to say the least. See Edward Curtin and Ken Hanly].The book can be ordered from the publisher, Interlink Books at 9/11 Unmasked: An International Review Panel Investigation. The co-authors are David Ray Griffin and Elizabeth Woodworth.Reviewers of this book include Edward Curtin, Piers Robinson, Philip Roddis, and Paul Craig Roberts, who writes:Anyone who is still brainwashed by the official 9/11 story can immediately free themselves from their deception by reading this book. There is no longer any doubt that 9/11 was an inside orchestrated event for the purpose of unleashing two de

In Part 3 of my four-part series on the work of the 9/11 Consensus Panel, I speak with David Chandler about the physics behind the collapse of the three World Trade Center Towers on September 11th, 2001. Why do the buildings look like they came down in controlled demolition by carefully placed explosives? "Because," says David, "That is what happened." He says, "I tell people, you can see what happened with your own eyes, by doing the physics, I am just proving that you're not crazy."The 9/11 Consensus Panel has just published its six-year investigation of best evidence consensus regarding the events surrounding the crimes that took place on September 11th, 2001. Their book released on September 11th, 2018 is called 9/11 Unmasked: An International Review Panel Investigation. Even the distribution of the book has not been without intrigue. While the book was printed and sent to Amazon for distribution by September 11th, the Amazon website (as of September 17th) still says the item is not in stock.  I pre-order

Local 9/11 Activist, David Fura, discusses the work of the Oregon 9/11 Truth Action ProjectDavid Fura likes street fairs. It gives him an opportunity to talk with people about what happened on September 11th, 2001 and why what happened matters 17 years later. David is the founder of the Oregon 9/11 Truth Action Project, part of the larger 9/11 Truth Action Project or 9/11 TAP. Here is 9/11 TAP’s mission and goal:9/11 TAP’s mission is to build and mobilize a global grassroots movement to create a groundswell of civic support that achieves transparency and accountability for the crimes of 9/11, justice for its victims, an end to unwarranted wars, and restoration of our civil liberties.The goal of this new movement is to achieve an independent, comprehensive Congressional investigation, by mobilizing and coordinating the efforts of volunteers across the U.S. and abroad, through local Truth Action Groups coordinated at the state, regional, national and international levels.Dave says it is great for mental health

Former NASA engineer explains evidence that an intelligence operation, Able Danger, knew Mohammad Atta was in the US yet was forbidden to share this information with the FBI This is the second of a four-part series on 9/11, specifically, the work of the 9/11 Consensus Panel, an international 23 person panel of 9/11 researchers. The panel was spearheaded by Dr. David Ray Griffin and Elizabeth Woodworth. They have published a book on their work entitled, 9/11 Unmasked: An International Review Panel Investigation. (Read a review). This is from the book’s cover:9/11 Unmasked is the result of a six-year investigation by an international review panel, which has provided 51 points illustrating the problematic status of all the major claims in the official account of the 9/11 attacks, some of which are obviously false. Most dramatically, the official account of the destruction of the Twin Towers and World Trade Center 7 could not possibly be true, unless the laws of physics were suspended that day. But other claims m

This is the first of a four-part series on the new book released by the 9/11 Consensus Panel, 9/11 Unmasked: An International Review Panel Investigation."9/11 Unmasked is the result of a six-year investigation by an international review panel, which has provided 51 points illustrating the problematic status of all the major claims in the official account of the 9/11 attacks, some of which are obviously false. Most dramatically, the official account of the destruction of the Twin Towers and World Trade Center 7 could not possibly be true, unless the laws of physics were suspended that day. But other claims made by the official account including the claims that the 9/11 planes were taken over by al-Qaeda hijackers, that one of those hijackers flew his plane into the Pentagon, and that passengers on the planes telephoned people on the ground are also demonstrably false. The book reports only points about which the panel reached consensus by using the best-evidence consensus model employed in medical research. Th

In his latest book, America: The Farewell Tour, Chris Hedges shows how the effects of America's decline and decay affects its citizenry. As America sinks further into poverty and despotism, and as corporations and the military-industrial-media complex pirate the remaining assets of a nation that has lost its industry save weapons manufacturing, human beings suffer from gambling addiction, hatred, and violence in the streets. Hedges announces a spiritual call to resist.Chris Hedges is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist who was a foreign correspondent for fifteen years for The New York Times where he served as the Middle East Bureau Chief and Balkan Bureau Chief for the paper. He previously worked overseas for The Dallas Morning News, The Christian Science Monitor, and NPR. He writes a weekly column for the online magazine Truthdig out of Los Angeles and is host of the Emmy Award­–winning RT America show On Contact. Hedges, who holds a Master of Divinity from Harvard University, is the author of the bestseller

In his latest book, America: The Farewell Tour, Chris Hedges shows how the effects of America’s decline and decay affects its citizenry. As America sinks further into poverty and despotism, and as corporations and the military-industrial-media complex pirate the remaining assets of a nation that has lost its industry save weapons manufacturing, human beings suffer from gambling addiction, hatred, and violence in the streets. Hedges announces a spiritual call to resist.Chris Hedges is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist who was a foreign correspondent for fifteen years for The New York Times where he served as the Middle East Bureau Chief and Balkan Bureau Chief for the paper. He previously worked overseas for The Dallas Morning News, The Christian Science Monitor, and NPR. He writes a weekly column for the online magazine Truthdig out of Los Angeles and is host of the Emmy Award­–winning RT America show On Contact. Hedges, who holds a Master of Divinity from Harvard University, is the author of the bestseller

His Eminence the 7th Kyabje Yongzin Ling Rinpoche is on a teaching visit through the West Coast, August 15th through September 19th (See Schedule). He will be in Portland, September 7th through the 10th at the following venues: Gala for Tibet: An Evening with HE Kyabje Yonzin Ling Rinpoche Fundraiser for Sunday Tibetan School Friday, September 7th | 6 - 10 PM NWTCA Lemelson Auditorium Limited seating.  Public Talk: Kindness & Compassion Target Audience: Youth Saturday, September 8th | 10:30 AM - 12 Noon Maitripa College Free but pre-registration required.  Spirituality and Humanity: An Interfaith Conversation on Creating Harmonious Community and Healthy Leadership Saturday, September 8th | 2 - 4 PM University of Portland Free and open to all.  Dolkar Tsewang: White Tara Long Life Empowerment Sunday, September 9th | 9:30 AM - 12 Noon NWTCA Lemelson Auditorium Lojong: 8 Verses of Mind Training Sunday, September 9th | 2 - 4 PM NWTCA Lemelson Auditorium Suggested Donation for Empowerment and Teaching on Su

Parker J. Palmer, Founder and Senior Partner Emeritus of the Center for Courage & Renewal, is a world-renowned writer, speaker and activist who focuses on issues in education, community, leadership, spirituality and social change. He has reached millions worldwide through his nine books, including Let Your Life Speak, The Courage to Teach, A Hidden Wholeness, and Healing the Heart of Democracy. He is collaborating with singer/songwriter, Carrie Newcomer, in a project called The Growing Edge. His tenth book is On The Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old.

Matthew Fox. Silenced by the Vatican for his views, left the Catholic priesthood in the early 1980s. Matthew Fox is a theologian and activist who has written over 30 books. He has introduced millions of people to Creation Spirituality. In 2016 he published A Way to God: Thomas Merton’s Creation Spirituality Journey. According to Fox, Merton was assassinated by the CIA. We will talk more about that as well as have a candid conversation about ecology, human rights, capitalism, and resistance.In November 2016 I released an interview with activist, Matthew Fox. This is a rebroadcast of that episode.

Former U.S. Congresswoman (1992-2002, 2004-2006) from Georgia and 2008 Presidential candidate for the Green Party, Dr. Cynthia McKinney, speaks with John Shuck on the Beloved Community.Topics include her entry into politics, racism, the various factions of the Deep State, 9/11, COINTELPRO, media propaganda, Hollywood, the Israel lobby, and the wars.It is an educational hour about what it takes to awaken and “unrig” ourselves from the rigged system of partisan politics and to become activists for truth and goodness.Follow Cynthia McKinney on Twitter.

What is moral?  How has morality changed and how does that effect how we make decisions and evaluate the decisions of others in politics, business, and sex?   In Behaving Badly:  The New Morality in Politics, Sex and Business. Eden Collinsworth embarks on a personal journey to discover morality in a new globalized culture.Eden Collinsworth is a former media executive and business consultant.  She was formerly of Arbor House Publishing Company founder of the LA based monthly magazine Buzzbefore becoming a vice president at Hearst Corporation.She wrote a best-selling book in China for Chinese businesspeople on Western deportment and she launched Collinsworth & Associates, a Bejing based consulting firm which specialized in intercultural communication.This is an encore presentation of an episode that originally aired in April 2017.

Victoria Price, author of Vincent Price: A Daughter's Biography, discusses with John Shuck her latest book, The Way of Being Lost: A Road Trip to My Truest Self. Despite doing “all the right things” to successfully rebuild her life and her finances after a period of deep personal and professional turmoil where she lost almost everything, Victoria Price still felt something profoundly missing from her life. Victoria Price’s inspirational memoir is a heartfelt, candid account of rediscovering her joy and purpose after years of struggle, confusion and hopelessness. Michael P. Daley writes about crime and cultural history. His latest book is Bobby Bluejacket: The Tribe, The Joint, The Tulsa Underworld, the extraordinary true story of a man who went from career thief to prison journalist to Eastern Shawnee activist. Daley's previous books include Enjoy The Experience: Homemade Records 1958–1992, which was featured in BBC, NPR, Vice, Book Forum, Rolling Stone, and was called the greatest music book of the year by L

In this episode I take us back to 2012 for a re-broadcast of interviews with Sarah Sentilles and Eugenie Scott. In the first part of today’s show, you will hear an interview that first aired in January 2012 with Sarah Sentilles. Sarah Sentilles broke up with the Creator of the Universe just as she was about to be ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church.  She tells all in her book, Breaking Up With God: A Love Story.  In this interview Dr. Sentilles shares her theological journey and demonstrates why if the church is going to have any relevancy to educated and inquiring minds, it is going to need to challenge its patriarchy and its outdated images of God.Eugenie Scott, was  executive director of the National Center for Science Education from 1986 to 2014.  In 2012 she was my guest to discuss the history of the evolution/creationism controversy, and promote the teaching of science. 

In this episode I take us back to 2012 for a re-broadcast of interviews with Michael Zimmerman and Barbara Kingsolver.In the first part of today’s show, you will hear an interview that first aired in February 2012 with Michael Zimmerman, the founder of the Clergy Letter Project and Evolution Weekend.   Over 13 thousand Christian, Jewish, and Unitarian Universalist clergy have signed a letter in support of teaching evolution in public schools.   On the Sunday closest to Darwin’s Birthday faith communities all over the United States celebrate Evolution Weekend by honoring science and religion. Author Barbara Kingsolver lives in southwest Virginia.  She is the author of 14 books including the The  Poisonwood Bible, The Lacuna, and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.  She visited with me at the WEHC studio at Emory and Henry College to discuss her latest novel, Flight Behavior, a novel set in Southern Appalachia.   In part it is about denial and the beliefs that get assigned to us.  

Heart failure, accident, or murder? John Shuck interviews Hugh Turley about the mysterious death of Thomas MertonInvestigative Reporter, Hugh Turley, makes the case that the conclusion that Thomas Merton died by accident cannot possibly be true. Hugh Turley and David Martin are co-authors of the 2018 book, The Martyrdom of Thomas Merton, An Investigation. John Shuck speaks live with Hugh Turley on Beloved Community about the death of Thomas Merton, who was an anti-war author and spiritual leader. He died mysteriously on December 10th, 1968 in Thailand.  "Merton was in apparent good health and at the height of his productive powers when he died suddenly and mysteriously while attending a monastic conference, on December 10th, 1968, near Bangkok, Thailand. He was 53 years old. Up to now, no one has examined the circumstances of his death systematically, critically, and what is most important honestly. That is our purpose here." p. 2.Hugh Turley, as a volunteer columnist for the Hyattsville Life and Times was wi