The Kansas City Times. Monday, October 4, 1976. Page 42
Jubilee Unites Faiths for ‘Human Service’
By Richard A. Serrano a member of the staff.
Jubilee For Unity. Black and White Christians, Jews and Muslims attended a (Spiritual) Life Jubilee yesterday afternoon at the Muhammad Mosque No. 30, 2715 Swope Parkway, where speakers such as the Rev. Jim Jones, leader of the Peoples Temple Church, urged that God, in whatever form, can best be found in the good works of man to man.
(Staff photos by William H. Batson)
About
2,000 persons, members of different religions with different view
points, joined forces yesterday afternoon for prayer, a barrage of talks
and a display of camaraderie.
The speakers, from Jewish,
Christian, and Islamic faiths meeting for the (spiritual) Life Jubilee
at Muhammad Mosque No. 30, 2715 Swope Parkway, agreed that in whatever
way man envisions God, brotherly love is the way to seek that vision.
“Human
service itself is the highest worship to God,” said the Rev. Jim Jones,
leader of the Peoples Temple Church. In fact, his church, based in San
Francisco, is made up of persons- the poor, the rich, minorities- who
have different religious beliefs but who seek God in man’s compassion
for man.
About 1,200 members of the church arrived in Kansas City
yesterday morning for the jubilee, traveling here by bus caravan. They
later are to attend meetings in St. Louis and Detroit before returning
to their homes in Kansas, Oklahoma, Wyoming and California.
As
Michael Prokes, a church spokesman, said, many of the church members are
lawyers, teachers, and medical workers. Prokes was a CBS bureau chief
who four years ago, while producing a documentary on the church,
resigned and joined. And as another spokesman said, “People must work
together, regardless of religion. This takes preference over anything
else, so we all must choose programs to benefit the good of man.”
Mr.
Jones echoed those views, calling for better drug reform programs,
fewer politicians and more statesmen and defense of the freedom of the
press.
“It’s sad that even after Watergate, the press is not loved,” he said.
Wallace
D. Muhammad, chief minister of the Nation of Islam, who was unable to
attend the jubilee, told the group in a telephone conversation from
Chicago that he was “very, very encouraged” at the meeting of minds in
Kansas City yesterday.
“I can’t help but feel good,” he said.
“We can forget about our religious labors and accept each other as
brothers whenever people come together for the common good.”
His
brother, Nathaniel Muhammad, minister of the mosque here, which has
about 600 members, said he was delighted at the success of the jubilee
and said the mosque had not been so crowded in a long time.
“Why
the life?” he asked the congregation, referring to the title of the
jubilee. “Life is to be alive. Let us come together and give the body a
shot of truth and put it back on the right path. Let us then wake up
this community with the spirit of truth.”
He said he never dreamed this meeting would happen, “especially here in Kansas City.”
Another
speaker was the Rev. James Leffingwell, executive director of the
Metropolitan Inter-Church Agency, who said, “I’m for a world where
liberty and justice for all means liberty and justice for all.”
Lorie
Newhouse, executive director of the Religion and Culture United for
Peace, said that he hoped that Muhammad(1) “will be treated in all
fairness and decency in the days ahead” in his appeal of a drug
conviction(2). Newhouse also introduced his daughters, one an orthodox
Jew, and the other a Moslem.
City Councilman Bruce Watkins, speaking on behalf of the mayor, proclaimed yesterday Life Jubilee Day in Kansas City, saying “I am proud to be part of a city that recognizes all of its people.”
A dinner was held after the meeting at the Salaam Cuisine Restaurant.
1. Nathaniel Muhammad - police informant: https://www.newspapers.com/image/?clipping_id=1597009&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjU1ODc0NjU1LCJpYXQiOjE2MTA4MTk0NTgsImV4cCI6MTYxMDkwNTg1OH0.u1VBJ3sW1EPZET9OYmA8GMF5V_vh0-Tafq7k7_3ePkM
2. https://www.nytimes.com/1976/01/25/archives/islamic-leader-sentenced-to-8-years-on-drug-charge.html
