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Naperville
Friday, March 29, 2024

Transitions – Religious diversity

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Last month I attended my first service at a Greek Orthodox Church. I have seen many infant baptisms, but the triple full immersion of a naked baby was a first. It was an exciting experience, especially when little Zoe’s two young sisters walked around the Baptistery with lighted candles near their long hair. That was scary.

I am fortunate to live in a country where I’ve been exposed to people of other faiths. Raised Baptist and now Lutheran, I have attended a Jewish Bat Mitzvah and wedding, Hindu services at ornate temples in our own western suburbs (Lemont and Batavia), and visited the incomparable nine-sided Baha’i Temple in Wilmette. I have also observed worship in several mosques, from Istanbul’s famous Blue Mosque in Turkey, to an open-air mosque (no bigger than a small room) on a beach in Senegal on the Atlantic Ocean.

In this country we pride ourselves on religious diversity and tolerance. Yet, we practice tolerance imperfectly. The Puritans were notoriously intolerant of other religions, even condemning four Quakers to death. John F. Kennedy’s Catholicism dogged his campaign as he narrowly defeated Nixon. Mormons were driven out of the Midwest, but recently Mitt Romney ran for president with barely a reference to his Mormon faith.

When former Mayor Pradel held his first Prayer breakfast he asked his colleagues in faith to acknowledge where they worshiped. The Imam from Naperville’s Islamic Center was in attendance. He, like others, was there to pray for the well being of our community. His presence was a testimony to our country’s inclusion of many faiths, even though this belief is sometimes flawed.

I’m glad I attended Zoe’s baptism. It was a rich experience that I will savor for a long time.

Check out this Amazon commercial www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2016/11/16/amazon-ad.

And the Lebanese film – Where Do We Go Now? – available at the library. www.imdb.com/title/tt1772424.

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Barbara Blomquist
Barbara Blomquist
Barbara Blomquist is a Naperville resident, wife, mother, quilter, and screenwriter. Contact her at BWBLomquist@aol.com.

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