Nashville Religion Communicators Council Visit Islamic Center of Tennessee

The Nashville Chapter of the Religion Communicators Council (RCC) meets monthly to talk about topics of interest and hear from professionals in religious communications.  

The Religion Communicators Council (RCC) is an interfaith association of religion communicators at work in print and electronic communication, marketing and public relations. The Nashville Chapter meets monthly at rotating locations to learn about other faith traditions, learn from fellow communicators and gain professional development opportunities.

The September meeting was held at the Islamic Center of Tennessee, where RCC members received a tour and heard about the history of the Muslim community in the area.

According to its website, “the Islamic Center of Tennessee (ICT) was established in 2010 with the goal of educating both the Muslim and non-Muslim communities in Middle Tennessee.” Located in Antioch, a community southeast of Nashville, the Carmike Bell Forge Theater was purchased with money raised from the local community and transformed into the Islamic Center of Tennessee.  As the largest Islamic Center in Middle Tennessee, ICT strives to provide unprecedented and professional Islamic and educational services to its parishioners. As the newest and most diverse community in Nashville, ICT aims to unite Muslims upon the true teachings of tolerance and peace from the Qu’ran and Sunnah.

“It’s always special when a faith tradition opens their doors to help others learn more about them,” says Julie Brinker, Communications Coordinator for the Nashville RCC and Director of Community Affairs for the Church of Scientology Nashville, “Prejudice cannot live when you understand your fellows, and understanding comes from looking for yourself.”  

The RCC has members from every faith group and walk of life including Baha’is, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Scientologists, Sikhs, Hindus and more. The RCC, founded in 1929, is an association of communications professionals who work for and with a diverse group of faith-based organizations in the areas of communications, public relations, advertising and development.

The RCC provides opportunities for communicators to learn from each other. Together, RCC members promote excellence in the communication of faith and values in the public arena. For more information about the Religion Communicators Council, visit religioncommunicators.org/nashville-chapter.

Diverse Organizations Call for Ban on Electroshocking Children

Anticipation mounted as hundreds of activists, clergy, civil rights advocates and supporters lined up to march in protest of electroshock on children during the annual convention of the American Psychiatric Association. But no one could foresee what would happen next.

One would expect the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, the international mental health watchdog, to take a stand against electroshocking of children.  But when CCHR takes that message to the heart of Atlanta during the annual convention of the American Psychiatric Association (APA)—and is joined by representatives of the NAACP, the Nation of Islam, 10,000 Fearless Men, Black Lives Matter and Concerned Black Clergy—one has to look deeper.

“Electroconvulsive Therapy,” otherwise known as “ECT” or electroshock treatment, is a controversial and “archaic technique invented in the 1930s, [which] sends jolts of electricity into the brain, inducing a seizure. It’s associated with numerous side-effects, including short and long-term memory loss, cognitive problems, unwanted personality changes, manic symptoms, prolonged seizures, heart problems and death,” reports Natural News.

Participants in the protest reported that bystanders were “shocked” to learn this practice is still common, stunned to learn that the APA is currently pressuring the Food and Drug Administration to expand its use against children.  “You mean they still do that?” responded one of the march viewers, a security guard on the property where the APA event took place.  “I thought that went out in the ‘40s!”

Not so, says Mental Health America, reporting that “ECT is administered to an estimated 100,000 people a year, primarily in general hospital psychiatric units and in psychiatric hospitals.”  And this while FDA agencies are already aware it is a dangerous procedure.  In fact, the FDA’s Office of Device Evaluation, a part of the Center for Devices and Radiological Health, issued a draft guidance in early 2016 recommending a “prominently placed” warning on ECT devices to include “The long-term safety and effectiveness of ECT treatment has not been demonstrated.” 

The same report lists effects known to be associated with ECT, ranging from long-term problems with “autobiographical memory” (knowledge about one’s own life), to pain and skin burns, to “insufficient, or lack of breathing” and heart attack, stroke and death.

So as the march led to a panel discussion on ECT, and the panel discussion into a symposium the following day, attendees asked, “Why on Earth would anyone in their right mind push to use this against children?”  Especially when one speaker, an ECT survivor who received “30 rounds of electroshock” in one year, at age 21, described how he had not one memory from his high school years, and broke into tears while recounting “sitting there, and my father having to teach me how to tie my shoes again.”

One participant seemed to have the answer.  “This is unconscionable to even consider doing this to a child,” said Dr. Linda Lagemann, a clinical psychologist who retired after 23 years in practice. “Someone’s getting rich and someone’s getting hurt. This really must be stopped.”

Long-term Georgia State Senator Donzella James, speaking during the panel, called for state legislation to ban the use of ECT on children. She said Georgia’s provisions to protect children and others from ECT were grossly insufficient and cited a World Health Organization recommendation to governments that: “There are no indications for the use of ECT on minors, and hence this should be prohibited through legislation.”

The unanimous, resounding and spontaneous support for James’ proposal, a proposal so natural it should have long since been law, suddenly explained what brought together this particular mix of political persuasions, religious affiliations and socioeconomic delineations, and gave hope that, at least when it comes to our children, we can find unity amongst diversity.

Religion Communicators Council Marks 85 Years at Annual Convention

The Religion Communicators Council will hold its 85^th annual convention in 2014 in Nashville, TN from April 3-5^th.

Religion Communicators Council (RCC) members from across the US will be heading for Music City USA April 3^rd-5^th this year to celebrate communications of many faith traditions at their annual convention. Hosted by the Inn at Opryland, the event will offer exciting plenary speakers, challenging workshops and awards to secular and faith-based organizations for exceptional work communicating faith issues.

RCC will honor members who have created excellent work for their faith group at the DeRose-Hinkhouse Awards Ceremony. At a special dinner event, the Wilbur Awards will honor secular media that have excelled in sharing faith stories in multimedia platforms.

The convention is open to members and others involved in religious communication on a professional or academic level. A full schedule is on the RCC website at religioncommunicators.org/convention and a registration site is open for all who wish to register at rccnashville.org.

The planning for the 85^th convention is being led by Rev. Brian Fesler, Nashville chapter president and pastor of the Church of Scientology. Rev. Fesler says, “This year’s convention is shaping up to be one of the best yet.  We’ve got workshops on writing, accreditation, handling crises, social media.  Attendees will leave with new skills and connections.”

The opening session features Remziya Suleyman with American Center for Outreach, who will provide “A Muslim Perspective on Interrelation of Religions and the Role of Religious Communication in Public Advocacy.” Plenary sessions also feature speakers Rev. Larry Hollon of United Methodist Communications, Dr. Sybril Bennett of Belmont University in Nashville, Rev. Michael Waters of Joy Tabernacle AME Church in Dallas, and Sarah Wilke, Publisher of the Upper Room Ministries.

Workshops will feature three key tracks which are professional development, communication in a digital age, and interfaith communication. Some of these workshops include APR: Accreditation in Public Relations, How to Handle a Crisis in Your Congregation, Religion in the Mainstream Media, Turning a Negative Message into a Positive, and much more.

The Religion Communicators Council (RCC), founded in 1929, is an interfaith association of religion communicators at work in print and electronic communication, marketing and in public relations. Members of the RCC come from many different religions and backgrounds including Baptist, Jewish, Baha’i, Scientology, Muslim and Methodist among others.

For more information, visit religioncommunicators.org.