Dr. Arun Gandhi, President, M. K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
"The conflicts and misunderstandings that proliferate in the world today are issues that should concern all of us since these attitudes lead to violence. Common Tables is a unique project to bring disparate people together across a common table to break bread and dialogue to reach an understanding. I have no hesitation in endorsing this venture wholeheartedly and wish them great success."
Dr. Roger W. Teel, Senior Minister and Spiritual Director, Mile Hi Church, Lakewood, Colorado
"Common Tables is a beautiful grass roots effort...the kind that holds the greatest promise for building bridges of communication and understanding in an increasingly complicated and challenged world. I appreciate and respect the founding members of this unique project for masterminding a brilliantly simple and time-honored approach for building interfaith understanding and global harmony: sharing a table with others...especially those of diverse beliefs, cultures and faiths. Problem solving and peace emerge when hearts open and connect. So I invite you to get involved in this powerful initiative. Pull up a chair and let the healing and bonding begin."
Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed, National Director, Interfaith and Community Alliance, Islamic Society of North America, Washington DC
“Congratulations for this new initiative. We need to exert all efforts to promote understanding and dialogue between faiths. Your initiative seems to be a promise in that direction, and we will be pleased to offer our support. I would very much appreciate hearing more from you and exploring how we can be meaningfully involved.”
Dr. Patty Luckenbach, Associate Minister, Mile Hi Church, Lakewood, Colorado
"I have trouble finding words to tell you all how excited I was to learn about “Common Tables”! I hold close to my heart the vision that some day, in the not too far distant future, we will all look back at the early years of the 21st Century and see it as the time when people everywhere began to set aside their “need” to judge others; that we will see these years in which we are now living as the time when mankind began to let go of labels and stereotypes – when we each came to see all others as our brothers and sisters and expanded our heartfelt awareness of each other.
Vaclav Havel, President of Czechoslovakia in his 1990 speech delivered on the floor of the United States Congress said, “Consciousness proceeds Being." and “The salvation of the world lies in the human heart.”
I am convinced that Common Tables is exactly the type of grass-roots organization that will serve as a catalyst in bringing about the sort of change we would all like to see in the world.
Never underestimate the importance of the pathway of the human heart."
Blessings to each of you, Patty
Thomas P. "Pat" Hardeman, Ph.D., Sarasota, Florida, Minister, Church of Christ, Professor of Philosophy & Comparative Religion
"After teaching Comparative Religion for years and experiencing the difficulty of having confidence that my lectures give a truly fair and accurate picture of each religion, what a pleasure now to envision adherents of four or more faiths meeting to learn with respect and honesty from one another and to discover values to be shared!
I sincerely hope that Common Tables results in many, many friendships world wide and that much better communication and understanding among all groups will enable us indeed to “live at peace with all”. Our world needs this."
Paul Chaffee, Executive Director of the Interfaith Center at the Presidio in San Francisco California
"Most of us live in an unparalleled religious diversity today. But we enjoy scant dialogue with strangers from different traditions because we lack the context, the safety and 'permission' to talk openly about things that matter. As the Muslims said to the Congregationalists in San Jose when they showed up at worship two Sundays after 9-11: "We are neighbors, and we don't know each other. We think we should get to know each other. "
I love Common Tables because it delivers with so little baggage, so little institutional structure to encumber the safety and mutual respect required for initiating engaged interfaith dialogue and relationship. At the same time I appreciate how Common Tables is educating suddenly interfaith-friendly people about appropriate protocols, available resources, and the thousands of grassroots groups and organizations emerging in small towns, cities, regions, across the nation, and on the internet.
This grassroots movement is a source of hope in a broken world. Common Tables' particular interfaith role, it seems, is helping unleash the power of the internet on a time-honored way to start new relationships - sharing food in someone's home. God bless you!"
Rev. Paul J. Kottke, Sr. Minister, University Park United Methodist Church, Denver, Colorado
"I am very impressed with the initial work of Common Tables. The people organizing this project are heartfelt and grounded in a desire for faith to be a bridge between people, not a barrier. This project seems to be great way for a wide variety of people to tangibly become involved in interfaith relations. I believe that one of the great tasks of the 21st Century is for faithful people within their various religious/cultural traditions to find ways that we can work in coalition for the greater common good. We must become a clear voice that Triumphalism in any faith is wrong. "
Dr. Duane Troxel, Administrator of the Baha'i Center of Metro Denver and the Chair of the Denver Baha'i Assembly
"Put me down as one of those who enthusiastically supports what Common Tables is doing to build bridges between faith communities. Although I cannot speak for the entire Baha'i Faith, I can speak for myself as a Baha'i. The Baha'i Faith seeks to promote unity in all its forms; this too seems an important function of Common Tables".
Bruce Feiler, the New York Times best-selling author of seven books, including Walking the Bible, Abraham, and Where God Was Born, an award-winning journalist, and the writer-presenter of the PBS miniseries Walking the Bible.
"I'll be delighted to continue hearing about your success. You're pioneers and we need you! "
Jeff Maziarek, is an inspirational speaker and author of Spirituality Simplified, an ideal starting point for anyone with a sincere desire to pursue a path of personal and/or spiritual growth. Jeff is the creator Pondercentral.com’s “PONDER on THIS” is a series of daily (weekday) inspirational and/or thought-provoking” email messages.
“. . . a wonderful idea, and based on the state of the world it clearly couldn't come at a better time. In my book I write about how the only way for things to improve in the world is for people to free themselves from the past and the judgments that have been passed down for generations. . . . there is great value in what you folks are doing.”
Dr. Arun Gandhi, President, M. K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
Dr. Roger W. Teel, Senior Minister and Spiritual Director, Mile Hi Church, Lakewood, Colorado
Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed, National Director, Interfaith and Community Alliance, Islamic Society of North America, Washington DC
Dr. Patty Luckenbach, Associate Minister, Mile Hi Church, Lakewood, Colorado
Thomas P. "Pat" Hardeman, Ph.D., Sarasota, Florida, Minister, Church of Christ, Professor of Philosophy & Comparative Religion
Paul Chaffee, Executive Director of the Interfaith Center at the Presidio in San Francisco California
Rev. Paul J. Kottke, Sr. Minister, University Park United Methodist Church, Denver, Colorado
Dr. Duane Troxel, Administrator of the Baha'i Center of Metro Denver and the Chair of the Denver Baha'i Assembly
Bruce Feiler, the New York Times best-selling author of seven books, including Walking the Bible, Abraham, and Where God Was Born, an award-winning journalist, and the writer-presenter of the PBS miniseries Walking the Bible.
Jeff Maziarek, is an inspirational speaker and author of Spirituality Simplified, an ideal starting point for anyone with a sincere desire to pursue a path of personal and/or spiritual growth. Jeff is the creator Pondercentral.com’s “PONDER on THIS” is a series of daily (weekday) inspirational and/or thought-provoking” email messages.