Washington, D.C. – On this Sunday’s “State of Belief,” The Interfaith Alliance Foundation’s show on Air America Radio, Reverend Welton Gaddy speaks with Newsweek editor Jon Meacham and Washington Post reporter Sally Quinn, the co-creators of “On Faith,” a new Washington Post/Newsweek project on religion.  “On Faith” is an online forum providing a place for spirited discussion about religion.

Sally Quinn points out that religion is playing an increasingly prevalent role in the public square. “I don’t think I picked up the paper once this week without reading a story that has something to do with religion, but that is larger than religion,” she says.

Jon Meacham acknowledges that covering religion in the media is a difficult task. “Too often, we [in the press] tend to value the passion and the volume of people’s voices on these issues more than we do the expertise and the nuance,” he says.

“On Faith” brings together dozens of religious experts and leaders, including former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Pastor Rick Warren.  Reverend Gaddy and Bishop Jane Holmes Dixon, who serves as a senior adviser to The Interfaith Alliance, are both members of the panel. 

According to the “On Faith” website: “And so, in a time of extremism, how can people engage in a conversation about faith and its implications in a way that sheds light rather than generates heat? The point of our new online religion feature is to provide a forum for spirited talk, drawing on a remarkable panel of distinguished figures from the academy, the faith traditions, and journalism.”  The program is online at: http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/.

Also on the show: Reverend Barry Lynn, president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State on the Supreme Court’s decision to rule on the constitutionality of the president’s Faith-Based and Community Initiatives program.

Interfaith Alliance is a network of people of diverse faiths and beliefs from across the country working together to build a resilient democracy and fulfill America’s promise of religious freedom and civil rights not just for some, but for all. We mobilize powerful coalitions to challenge Christian nationalism and religious extremism, while fostering a better understanding of the healthy boundaries between religion and government. We advocate at all levels of government for an equitable and just America where the freedoms of belief and religious practice are protected, and where all persons are treated with dignity and have the opportunity to thrive. For more information visit interfaithalliance.org.