RELIGION

Religion Offerings: 1/4

1/4/2014

In print

Unseen Arms by Amy Brooks of Pittsburgh, written with Jeff Ferris of Toledo, printed by Joshua Tree Publishing, and told with a healthy sense of humor, is Miss Brooks' story of having no arms or legs and being abandoned in the hospital at birth, then growing into a love-filled life with adoptive parents and Christian faith. Her parents also contributed chapters to the book. Copies will be available on the Web site amybrooks.org and on amazon.com.

Anti-trafficking prayer

The Historic Church of St. Patrick, 130 Avondale Ave., is providing the sanctuary for a prayer service Friday at 7 p.m. in support of stopping human trafficking. The group STOP, or Stop Trafficking of Persons, is planning the service, part of a national weekend of prayer to end slavery and trafficking. January is human trafficking awareness month. Jerusalem Baptists church's youth praise dance choir will provide a visual response to scripture readings. Four women's religious communities in greater Toledo, the Sylvania and Tiffin Franciscans and the Notre Dame and Ursuline sisters, formed the STOP group in 2006. For more information, contact Sister Geraldine Nowak at 419-517-8973 or gnowak@sistersosf.org.

Buddhist precepts

A Zen Buddhist liturgy acknowledging the Rev. Jay Rinsen Weik's receiving Denkai transmission from his teacher, the Rev. James Myoun Ford Roshi, will take place Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at the Great Heartland Buddhist Temple of Toledo, 6537 Angola Rd., Holland. The formal ceremony is private, but this liturgy is a public event. Denkai transmission is a step toward Rev. Rinsen becoming an independent teacher within the lineage of Zen Buddhism. Rev. Karen Do'on Weik, the other priest at the Buddhist Temple and Rev. Rinsen's wife, is to receive Denkai transmission later in 2014.

Two states support

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — A poll suggests a majority of Israelis and Palestinians supports the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, but remains suspicious of the other side.

The survey was released Wednesday, hours before U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s return to the region. Kerry is trying to forge agreement on the outlines of a peace deal, but gaps remain.

In the poll, 63 percent of 601 Israelis and 53 percent of 1,270 Palestinians surveyed said they back a two-state solution. Support dropped to 54 percent and 46 percent, respectively, when respondents were asked about specifics of a two-state deal.

The Israeli poll, by an Israeli university, had an error margin of 4.5 percentage points. The Palestinian survey, by a West Bank think tank, had an error margin of 3 percentage points