newsobserver.com | Acts of Faith

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About This Project

"Acts of Faith" explores the different belief systems that co-exist in the Triangle area. Ten years of heavy migration has brought many new faiths to the region, turning the Bible Belt home of Billy Graham into a spiritual coat of many colors. Mosques, Buddhist and Hindu temples, Sikh Gurudwaras, synagogues and scores of Christian churches have become spiritual and social centers for a radically changing population. The demographic shift has pushed congregations to find innovative ways to keep their members while attracting new arrivals. "Acts of Faith" was born as a way to show this new religious diversity and analyze the role spirituality plays in people's daily lives.

Pailin Wedel

When covering an event for Acts of Faith, we look for situations that evoke strong emotion and try to bring readers into the moment. Though holidays and major celebrations are important, we also look for unexpected expressions of faith and quieter moments of solitary exploration. We hope to give readers insight into the breadth and depth of faith by showing how people incorporate it into their everyday lives.

Ted Richardson

For two years, Sher Stoneman and Susana Vera produced this column. In 2004, they handed it over to Ethan Hyman, Scott Lewis and Lisa Lauck. In 2005, Ted Richardson replaced Scott Lewis on this project. In 2006, Pailin Wedel replaced Lisa Lauck.

More photos: 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006


September 21, 2007	Staff Photo by Pailin Wedel
Liza Castro, also known as RavenHarte, center, leads an opening unity ritual for the Pagan Pride Festival at the state fairgrounds in Raleigh. Castro, the high priestess of Clann Caladvwlch, referred to as a Western Mystery style Celtic Arthurian coven, says she hopes to with her unity ritual 'unite everybody, not just pagans. Everybody. To get them under the same banner of love, truth, communication and honor and hopefully change humanity.' People attending the festival gathered under four banners with the words love, truth, communication and honor then called out those four words when prompted by Castro. Castro says paganism is a very open path with a high diversity of beliefs and very little strict dogma. 'We embrace all paths all religions,' she says. 'We don't say ours is better than any other. We don't raise any God above any other.' Listen to Liza Castro or "RavenHarte" and Cindy McNulty talk about the unity ritual and paganism.

News & Observer | newsobserver.com | Acts of Faith

Acts of Faith

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