The ambitions of the Office of Religious Freedom tap into a growing global challenge -- one that some in the general public seem intent on dismissing by caricaturing religious devotees as inherently fanatical whose weak acquiescence to a ragbag of delusional self-therapy fables is intellectually offensive.

It's a repetitive pattern: Once outsiders become insiders, many of them want to slam the door on others who are eager to come in. In a swiftly changing nation, how can we keep the door open?

What emerges from the Columbia disaster is a remarkable story of hope, friendship and enduring faith that serves as a testament to all that is possible when people come together to work for the greater good of mankind.

In designing us incomplete, God has forced us to find our completeness in others -- those who do not look or believe the same as us. As Abraham experienced so long ago, God comes to us in the stranger. He came to Jesus in the others and so to us in a similar way.

Pressured to withdraw because his views on a particular sexual practice were not in line, Rev. Louie Giglio was seen not to be "fair-minded," a not surprising comment when pluralism is set aside as the functioning model of public life.

American Jews simply cannot enjoy the benefits of American pluralism, which we surely do, while pretending we are not living in the most dynamic religious marketplace in the world.

We are reminded again about America's wonderfully unique status as a melting pot. As a place where one's religious faith should never be an impediment to achievement. Yet the question remains: How will these (and other) non-mainstream voices be treated in the upcoming Congress?

America has always been recognized for its diversity, and is seen as a country composed of minorities who intersect with one another on a regular basis. The steadily growing number of Latino Muslims in the United States is inevitable.

It is one thing to wish someone a "happy holidays" in reference to the multitude of secular and religious winter holidays. It is quite another to declare that an evergreen tree is a universal holiday symbol.

Nepal celebrates a diverse population in terms of religion and ethnicity. And, amongst our differences we celebrate oneness, the grandeur of diverse culture, language, and faith.

Yes, Sikhs are not Muslims and Sikhs are not Hindus, but jumping to clarify difference leaves the unfortunate, if unintentional, perception that there is something wrong with those "others."

I hope to return to that parking lot for an interfaith service project, where imams and rabbis join evangelical pastors, Sikhs, Buddhists, and religious and nonreligious folks from around the neighborhood.

As we enlarge our spiritual capacity to be with all of our experience, we also gain the capacity to be with the all of the experience of greater and greater numbers of beings.

In our studies of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, one thing has been particularly striking: the exclusivism of the Abrahamic religions. Jews are the "chosen people," the path of Jesus is the "only way" and Muhammad's was the "final revelation."

The Dharma continues to be about Culture -- whether we are aware of that or not is a factor which will either lead us to create more freedom or less freedom for all of us.

And why is the Buddha all about culture? Because the Buddha recognized the importance of culture as a path to freedom.

The U.S. religious landscape is shifting, and no one may be more thankful than GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney. The spread of Latter-day Saints across the nation has paved the way for a Romney run.

Our students definitely need more, rather than fewer, days in school, so more holidays may not be the answer. But, different holidays could be.

I am no pacifist. Wars are necessary sometimes, whether of words or of military might. But religions don't look for wars where they don't exist, and they never thrive on military metaphors.

Internal diversity is the norm -- no religious community is homogenous.

Religion rejects the arrogance of those who assume that by virtue of the fact that they are here now, they possess greater insight into the human condition than revered teachers of old.

The significance of such an approach to dialogues is not dependent upon whether both sides agree or disagree on a given issue; rather, that we are comfortable accepting these differences as a starting point.

The report finds that a primary factor underlying the persistent harassment, ridicule and discrimination against American Muslim children is the American mainstream's general misperception of Islam and Muslims.

While nonreligious student groups have a history of reaching out to religious groups for discussions and debates, the amount of cooperation in the last few years has increased drastically and broadened in scope.

We can be conflicted between ideals and application and struggle to implement our values into our lives and policy. This raises serious questions about what it means to live as followers of Jesus in an increasingly diverse post-9/11 country.