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Mid-Ohio Valley Interfaith condemns the Easter Sunday bombing of Christian churches in Sri Lanka and joins with many others around the world in extending our deepest condolences to the victims. We condemn all acts of terrorism against any people and concur with the following statement from the Parliament of World Religions in response to these attacks:
"The Parliament of the Worlds Religions is committed to a culture of non-violence and respect for life, as agreed upon in our signature document 'Towards A Global Ethic.' The violation of life committed in these attacks is abhorrent and we call upon peoples of faith and conscience to come together and stand with the Christian community and all victims of these heinous attacks in Sri Lanka and around the world."
Mid-Ohio Valley Interfaith is disturbed about all acts of terrorism but especially those visited upon houses of worship. We recall the November 2018 shootings at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh and the recent shootings at mosques in New Zealand. These worshipers were targeted during Friday prayers for the single reason that they were Jews and Muslims.
People of goodwill in the Mid-Ohio Valley should be troubled about acts of violence targeted at houses of worship. Living among us are men, women and children who are followers of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity -- the major Abrahamic faiths -- as well as followers of other faiths such as Baha'i, Buddhism and Hinduism. All people in our area need to feel safe in their houses of worship.
In response to the recent attacks, Mid-Ohio Valley Interfaith is asking all congregations of faith to become a signatory to a Pledge of Unified Support for Communities of Faith. The simple pledge asserts that we respect the traditions of those who worship and practice their faith in the Mid-Ohio Valley and pledge to stand together against any attempt to disrespect or harm the well-being of any community of faith or its sacred space.
For more information about this effort and signing the pledge, please see Mid-Ohio Valley Interfaith on Facebook and contact Dr. MJ Ebenhack [(740) 434-5638; ebenhack@gmail.com] or Dr. George Banziger [(740-434-5685; gbanz42@suddenlink.net)].
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Dr. Mary Jeannette Ebenhack is a retired minister and nonprofit administrator. Dr. George Banziger is a retired professor and academic dean. Both are members of Mid-Ohio Valley Interfaith, which seeks to promote understanding among peoples of all faith traditions.