Posts Tagged ‘religion’
Oakland naturalization ceremony welcomes new Americans
Over 1,100 people from 86 different countries took the oath to become United States citizens at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland on Wednesday. In a warm and thunderous atmosphere, with friends and family whistling and singing, California Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Oakland), the keynote speaker, said, “I am so grateful to welcome all of you, my…
Read MoreIn an era of harsh immigration policies, Bay Area faith leaders create sanctuary
Bay Area religious leaders and activists use their faith to fight for immigrants.
Read MoreBay Area Muslims gather in observance of Iftar at Lighthouse Mosque
Muslims from all over the Bay Area gathered at Lighthouse Mosque for Iftar on September 19.
Read MoreBay Area medical providers and activists react to law proposal for denying services based on the provider’s religion
Advocacy groups say Conscience and Religious Freedom Division could allow for discrimination against vulnerable groups
Read MoreState of the black church in Oakland is at crossroads, local leaders say
In Oakland, the state of the black church is at a crossroads, local leaders said. Religious and civic leaders gathered in downtown Oakland last Wednesday for a prayer breakfast to discuss the state of the black church and political participation in the African American community. The event, sponsored by Black Elected Officials & Faith Based…
Read MoreIn Oakland and around the world, the Bahá’i community begins a new year
The Christian and Chinese New Years parties are long over. But on March 21, the Bahá’i celebrated their Naw-Rúz (literally, New Year). The Bahá’i faith was established a century and a half ago and has more than 5 million members all over the planet. The religion is the second most widespread worldwide; only Christianity can…
Read MoreExploring Oakland’s Mardi Gras celebration
A parade slowly danced its way through the downtown on Tuesday, Feb. 17, monopolizing the streets with music and joy.
Read MoreSunday morning, our country’s “most segregated hour,” unites people in Oakland
Among Protestant churches with fewer than 1,000 people in attendance, only 7 percent are multiracial, says Michael Emerson, a scholar on race and religion at Rice University. But in Oakland, Imani Community Church and Piedmont Community Church are two congregations, one predominantly black, the other predominantly white, that have developed a sisterhood.
Read MoreAt God’s Gym, members find kindness, support and an unlikely spiritual leader
On any given day, close to 90 clients come to God’s Gym for personal training from 49-year-old Gary Shields. Some clients lift heavy weights and work on their massive physiques. Others have more modest routines, toning or rehabbing injuries. The two-story storefront on the corner of Broadway and 25th Street is painted jet black from top to bottom. Images of two posed, flexing bodybuilders fill the front windows. One is a silhouette of Shields in his prime. Centered between the bright, bold white words of the gym’s name, is a painting of a buff, black Jesus breaking free of chains.
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