The Paths To Understanding Podcast

Challenge 2.0 Wading Into the Turbulent Waters of 2025

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Last month’s elections left many Americans deeply troubled. Whatever our individual opinions might be, what approaches and thoughts will best help us navigate the uncertainty of the coming months? In this episode of Challenge 2.0, we turn to three leaders from the major faiths of Christianity, Judaism and Islam to offer their perspectives and guidance

Challenge 2.0 Healing Shattered Spirits The Great Search Part Two

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In our last episode of Challenge 2.0, we began a conversation with John Philip Newell, the author of a new book called “The Great Search”. It explored why an increasing number of people believe organized religious institutions are failing to help them cope with the challenges of contemporary life. We continue that conversation in Part 2 of Healing Shattered Spirits, examining possible solutions, and new perspectives on questions such as “if there is a God, how could such a God allow bad things happen”.

Challenge 2.0 Healing Shattered Spirits The Great Search Part One

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Churches are closing, faith communities are declaring bankruptcy, the ‘faithful’ are increasingly expressing a sense that their religious communities have broken faith with them. I recently read two sentences that provided a useful summary-“Religion as we have known it has failed to adequately address the most urgent challenges of humanity, including the threatened plight of Earth. These challenges are not just ecological, and political and economic. They are also spiritual.” Those words are in the new book, “The Great Search”...and it’s the focus of this episode of Challenge 2.0.

Challenge 2.0 When He Who Has the Gold Seeks to Make the Rules

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One hundred and twelve years ago, Washington became one of the first states to adopt the initiative and referendum process. This gave citizens the ability to overturn laws and write new ones...essentially acting as a check on the power of elected officialsand on lobbyists. But some assert the initiative process has been coopted by the wealthy and powerful. Several initiatives on the ballot this year are sponsored by a hedge fund manager who has spentsix million dollars of his own money. In this edition ofChallenge 2.0, we’ll examine the implications of this trend.

Challenge 2.0 An Epidemic of Despair, An Epidemic of Youth Part Two

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Last week, we met the father and mother of a young man who died from suicide. In this episode of Challenge 2.0, they’ll outline a program they’ve developed to prevent such tragedies, aided by their son’s friends, as well as medical and mental health professionals.

Challenge 2.0 Epidemic of Despair, An Epidemic of Youth Suicide Part One

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Suicide is now the second leading cause of death among young people. Only car crashes claim more lives. The number of suicide deaths continues to increase dramatically, even among children as young as eight.In the next three editions of Challenge 2.0, we’ll meet the mother and father of a young man who took his own life, who now seek to prevent other families from experiencing the same tragedy.

Challenge 2.0 Potluck for Democracy

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Holiday dinners frequently pose challenges. But as differences in politics, philosophy and faith have become more extreme, such gatherings can become toxic-even or perhaps especially when the guests are related. But a new program called Potluck for Democracy believes with the right approach, the dinner table can become a place of connection, not division-even when the guests hold vastly different views. That’s the subject of this week’s edition of Challenge 2.0

Challenge 2.0 Man Camps A Pipeline to Violence Part One

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Workers who move to a region for oil, gas and mining jobs often set up what are called ‘man camps’; residential villages often located near or even on native reservations. Investigators from groups such as Amnesty International have documented the increased risk of murder, rape, sex and human trafficking experienced by Indigenous women and children. In this episode of Challenge 2.0, we visit with two native American activists about this and the broader problem of murdered and missing Indigenous women, men and children

Challenge 2.0 We Rise by Lifting Others

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The story of today’s Challenge episode was born in tragedy. A young woman who unsuccessfully sought to escape an abusive husband died at his hands when she was unable to find safe shelter. But it inspired a response that has literally saved thousands from similar fates. That response is called Maher-“Mother’s Home”. The setting for the story of Maher is in India, but it demonstrates the healing power of determination, imagination and compassion-a healing power available worldwide.

Challenge 2.0 Putting Faith into Action Quietly and Successfully

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Translating values into policy and law is never easy and rarely quick. In this episode of Challenge 2.0, we visit with leaders from the group Faith Action Network which represents 167 faith communities throughout the state. Those communities encompass Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Buddhism and prove the existence of common ground and shared values across different belief systems. Today, we’ll discover how successful they were in achieving their goals this year in the Washington state legislature.