Volume IV
Issue III

From the Editor:

Respecting diverse beliefs and living co-operatively in a multireligious society is more and more an assumed fact of life in the United States and many other countries. In such cultures, actions which discriminate against a person's beliefs are legislated against and punishable as hate crimes.
Not so in too many other parts of the world where certain entrenched groups seem to feel unnecessarily threatened by religious pluralism.
The NEW CAN is helping to change that situation and promote the true information that diversity enriches a society.
Read on to hear about our expanding activities in the local, national and international arenas!

INTERFAITH AMBASSADOR

A course to create a brand new certificate has been announced by Rev. John-Brian Paprock, leader of the interfaith Inroads Ministry of Madison, Wisconsin. Here are excerpts from his announcement on the internet at www.angelfire.com:
"Religion courses abound at universitites and colleges to learn about different faiths without conversion to another belief. But nothing else is quite like this. In this course you will learn about different faiths and different faith communities. You will gain a deeper respect of your own faith tradition as you learn to be respectful and honoring of other faith traditions. This is the first opportunity for anyone to receive a certificate for Interfaith Ambassadorship."
And to top it off -the required text for this course on appreciating varied religious beliefs? - The New CAN's book, TOLERANCE I01 ! !

GET A LIFE

The philosophical opposite of respecting everyone's right to believe as they wish is the despicable practice of "deprogramming" (now euphamistically called "exit counseling" or "thought reform consulting").
Any attempts to gloss-over such activities are quickly exposed when one hears the facts of recent occurrences: NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
A woman in her 30's living in an ashram (Hindu commune) in New York was lied to about a fictitious celebration of her parents' 40th wedding anniversary and lured to northern California on that false pretext. Two "thought reform consultants", Patrick Ryan and Janja Lalich, were there to convince her that Hinduism - one of the oldest religions in the world - is a cult. Unbeknownst to them, the woman attended Harvard and is an attorney. They were summarily dismissed.
Are they going to return the hatemoney which had been paid them since they did nothing but make the situation worse? The woman's attorney, now in touch with the new CAN, may well ensure that they do. MIDWEST
A few weeks ago, Mary Alice Chronaloger, deprogrammer turned "exit counselor" failed to wrest an adult woman from her Christian beliefs. Mary Alice would probably not have been paid if she were honest about just how much worse she could make things with her "services".
Of course Mary Alice also has no refund clause in her contract for bad results. The woman's Chicago- based mother has now turned to the new CAN and is getting real help in restoring a relationship with her daughter.

NATIONAL NEWS:

NEW YORK:
A member of the National Council of Churches' Religious Freedom Committee invited the new CAN to present TOLERANCE 101 to this group of over two dozen attorneys representing a wide spectrum- from Jewish to Catholic to many Protestant denominations.
The new CAN's Buddhist board member attended a committee meeting in New York and discussed our activities at length including our many thousands of phone calls and helping families and communities sort out their religious differences. SEATTLE:
The National Association of Ecumenical and Interreligious Staff (NAEIS) is a professional association of religious people working on issues ranging from feeding the homeless to job skills for welfare recipients. Originally a Protestant group, it has made inclusivity part of its agenda over the past few years.
This year's annual conference in Seattle included a representative of the new CAN, who presented TOLERANCE 101 to all attendees.
The overwhelmingly positive response included interest from representatives from New York, to St. Louis, to Louisville, to Tacomah remarking how they would be using the book and getting it into more hands and wider use! CHICAGO & ARKANSAS
A member from Arkansas recently donated funds so that all libraries in the Crawford County Library System have now received copies of TOLERANCE 101
And a donation from a Christian group in Chicago made it possible to provide copies of TOLERANCE 101 to all 82 Chicago area libraries!

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: CALLS FROM AROUND THE WORLD:
In just the last few weeks callers have contacted CAN from places as far flung as Switzerland, England, South Africa, Argentina, Austrialia and Canada. Just one example:
A few months ago the distraught parent of a woman whose daughter is involved in a very closed Christian communal group in Europe, rejecting many of Mom's ways and ideas, called CAN desperate for help.
Mom was enlightened on what her daughter's religious views are and what she should do to work out their differences and have a positive relationship.
A few weeks ago she called in to give a "progress report" on how well it is going - with a communication line now established with her daughter for the first time in over four years! SPREADING TOLERANCE AROUND THE WORLD
A new international grass-roots interfaith group, United Religions Initiative, recently took a major step forward with the signing of its Charter at Pittsburg, Penn. on June 19th.
The NEW CAN was there, represented by one of our volunteers, Rick Ruffin, member of the Christian Community Church, and public defender from Philadelphia.
Attendees from countries around the world - ranging from Tajikistan, Pakistan, Bali, Ethiopia, to Bosnia, Argentina, Rumania, and the United Kingdom were presented with copies of TOLERANCE 101 to wonderful response, and have now returned to their own countries, taking TOLERANCE 101 and its message of communication and respect with them!

TAKING TOLERANCE TO EUROPE! FRANCE
The country of France is trying to railroad through a law which would make religious conversion (referred to as "mental manipulation" in this antireligious piece of legislation) a criminal activity.
Already passed through France's lower house the law is going to the upper house in September.
There has been a demand from France to get our TOLERANCE book* translated into French and out to legislators and religious freedom advocates.
Translation is now in progress, and negotiations are underway with a printer to produce the book in French.

YOUR DONATIONS ARE VITAL TO MAKING OUR INTERNATIONAL VERSION OF TOLERANCE 101 POSSIBLE!