Introduction
The Belmont Religious Council is the interfaith council for the town of Belmont, Massachusetts.
Membership is open to any faith community located in Belmont.
Representatives include both lay and clergy members of the participating congregations.
History
The Belmont Religious Council was founded in April, 1954 as an organization of the various faith communities that serve Belmont.
Its purpose is "to enhance the spirit of unity through fellowship, to develop understanding and appreciation for the various religious faiths represented and to exert a positive influence in the social and moral life of the Belmont community."
By promoting interfaith dialogue and cooperation, the Council can also help enable Belmont's faith communities to pursue important goals generally not attainable by a single congregation.
Sacred Decisions at the End of Life — How Do We Decide?
When: Tuesday May 28th from 7:30 – 9:00 pm
Where: First Church Unitarian Universalist, 404 Concord Ave., Belmont Center
Sponsored by: Belmont Religious Council and Belmont Clergy Council
The decisions we make about the end of our lives are among the most complicated, the most difficult and the most important choices we face. When we (or our loved ones) experience debilitating illness at the end of life, we often have to weigh a variety of treatment options and ask hard questions about the costs—physical, ethical and spiritual--of various alternatives. In these moments, many of us find it helpful and crucial to include the voice of our faith in our deliberations. What do our personal religious values, our sense of God and the teachings of our tradition say about these questions? What guidance and comfort might our faith provide as we try to navigate these wrenching choices at the end of life?
Join Belmont clergy from a variety of local faith communities, members of the Belmont Religious Council and your neighbors for a fascinating, timely and valuable conversation about how faith can inform our decisions at the end of life.
Panelists:
- Rev. Cheryl Minor, All Saints Episcopal Church, panel moderator
- Rev. Diana Donahue, United Church of Christ, chaplain at Mass. General Hospital
- Pastor Ruth Harvey, First Baptist Church of Belmont
- Dr. Houman Javedan, Baha'i Faith, Director of Geriatric Inpatient Services at Brigham & Women's Hospital
- Rabbi Jonathan Kraus, Beth El Temple Center
- Bishop Ryan Thompson, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, physician at Mass. General Hospital
The evening will begin with a brief business meeting of the Belmont Religious Council, and proceed directly to the panel and open discussion.
To download a PDF describing the event, please click here.
Recent Activities
Some of the Council's recent activities have included
- organizing the annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service each fall
- supporting the crucial work of the Belmont Food Pantry
- creating life-changing Interfaith Youth Missions for our congregations' young people, and
- supporting Belmont Against Racism by co-sponsoring the wonderful breakfasts honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
In prior years, we have sponsored a thought provoking panel discussion about Mel Gibson's film, "The Passion of the Christ", a presentation introducing the foundations of Islam and an Interfaith Choir Concert.
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