About
Below you will find a short description of the various faiths and organizations that are a part of the Inter-Religious Council of Linn County. Soon this space will also be host to a series of short videos covering a wide range of topics from the perspective of each group.
Baha'i
The Baháʼí Faith is a religion teaching the essential unity of the foundation of all revealed religion, and the oneness of all peoples. Established by Baháʼu'lláh in 1863, it initially grew in Persia and parts of the Middle East, where it has faced ongoing persecution since its inception.
Hindu
Hinduism includes a range of philosophies, and is linked by shared concepts, recognizable rituals, cosmology, pilgrimage to sacred sites and shared textual resources that discuss theology, philosophy, mythology, Vedic yajna, Yoga, and temple building, among other topics.
Secular Humanist
Secular humanism is a philosophy or life stance that embraces human reason, secular ethics, and philosophical naturalism while specifically rejecting religious dogma. Humanism posits that human beings are capable of being ethical and moral without religion or belief in a deity.
Buddhist
Buddhism is the world's fourth-largest religion with over 520 million followers. Buddhism encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs, and spiritual practices largely based on original teachings attributed to the Buddha and resulting interpreted philosophies.
Jewish
Judaism is an ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. Judaism is considered by religious Jews to be the expression of the covenant that God established with the Children of Israel.
Unitarian Universalist
Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion characterized by a "free and responsible search for truth and meaning". Unitarian Universalists assert no creed, but instead are unified by their shared search for spiritual growth, guided by a "living tradition".
Christian
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Adherents believe that Jesus is the Christ, whose coming as the messiah was prophesied in the Hebrew Bible, and chronicled in the New Testament.
Muslim
Islam is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion that teaches there is only one God (Allah), and that Muhammad is a messenger of God. Adherents teach that God is merciful, all-powerful, and unique, and has guided mankind through prophets, scriptures, and natural signs.
Explore all videos
Despite the differences in our religious perspectives, we still have so much in common. Click the button below to explore all the videos in our Two-Minute Talks series and learn more about the diverse beliefs that make our Linn county community special.