How interfaith initiatives empower young people

Often cited as America's least religious generation, millennials find friendship and strengthen their personal faith through involvement in interfaith programs.



Eboo Patel addresses a crowd at Utah State University on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2014. (Norian Cruz, Utah State University)

Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News • Modified: September 6, 2014 at 12:03 am • Published: September 7, 2014

In a crowded university auditorium, a young woman leaned over to her neighbor and asked, "Have you heard of this guy before?"

The pair, along with dozens of their fellow college students, had heard of the event from friends and professors, but the speaker, Eboo Patel, was unfamiliar.

Patel, founder and president of Interfaith Youth Core and the University of Utah's event's guest of honor, would likely view the girl's question as a good metaphor for interfaith work.

"Most of the students (at our events) are there because of a professor, a chaplain, a diversity officer or a friend from their dorm," Patel said. "It's our job to capture their imagination."

http://newsok.com/how-interfaith-initiatives-empower-young-people/article/5339772

http://www.ifyc.org/