I received many responses to my new focus on sacred activism, and it's been 99% positive. One email in particular stood out, in which the sender questioned this common assumption about what it means to be a "spiritual" person:

"I continually hear in spiritual communities to put ourselves above humanly thoughts, because that is all ego-driven, and spirituality is way beyond that. Or at least you need to be above it in order to advance to the next level of your spiritual evolution."

How many of us get caught up in that belief? But does it really seem “spiritual” to neglect our brothers and sisters (including non-human animals and other life forms) in order to be evolved?

The idea of a spiritual path being superior to -- or separate from -- human experience is another version of same old toxic theology we’ve been fed for centuries. The only thing we should be able to say for certain about spirituality is that everything is interconnected.

There is no them and us. Only us.

Dr. Terri Daniel, CT, FFGT

Clinical Chaplaincy, End-of-Life Educator

Bereavement and Trauma Support

office@deathgriefandbelief.com

END-OF-LIFE, AFTERLIFE AND BEREAVEMENT

Hollywood Hears Us!

An organization called Hollywood, Health & Society (HH&S) was developed by the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center to provide the entertainment industry with accurate, up-to-date information for health-related TV and movie storylines. HH&S is funded by partners who recognize the profound impact that entertainment has on audience knowledge and behavior.

When it comes to the subject of end-of-life care, they've come up with four tip sheets to inform movie and TV writers about accurate and relevant facts. It's a brilliant idea, and you can find the tip sheets HERE.

Have You Met Hospice Nurse Julie?

If you're looking for first-hand, truthful information on what hospice is (and is not), this is the place to find it. Hospice care is a riddled with myths and misconceptions, and Julie sorts it all out boldly and beautifully. Bookmark THIS PAGE and share it with anyone you know who needs honest, clear information about death, dying and all the details as they are experienced in hospice care.

An Inside Look at Medical Aid in Dying

"The patient referral comes through my reliable old fax machine on a single sheet of paper. 'Thanks for seeing this 74-year-old gentleman with end-stage liver failure. He’s been following the news carefully and is eager to make a request for an assisted death. I hear you’ll be providing this service here in Victoria – courageous! I look forward to your assessment. Summary of his file is below.'

I read it twice to myself before sharing it with Karen, my office manager. We look at each other for a short moment before I break the silence. “His name is Harvey. I’m going to need a chart.” READ MORE...

New Podcast Episode!

Death Positive Practices, Imagery and Icons from the Victorian Era

As you've probably noticed, we don't publish episodes on a regular basis... only when we find something really unique and interesting to share with you. This episode hits both of those marks. It's an interview with Jennifer Ingraham, who collects and sells antiques specfically related to Victorial-era death and mourning. Her collection of rare objects includes memorial hair wreaths, clothing, post-mortem photography, viewing coffins, and more. She shares fascinating stories about the “spiritualist” movement in the early 20th century and its views of death and the afterlife in contrast to the restricted, medicalized view held today. LISTEN HERE

SACRED ACTIVISM

"The Sin of Empathy" and Other Toxic Propaganda

Editor's Note: This is a link to an episode from one of my favorite podcasts, Straight White American Jesus. The hosts are two college professors who started out as evangelical youth pastors and left that world to become academic scholars in religious studies and social justice. They now have a huge following of folks who are recovering from religious trauma and struggling to make sense of the influence of the Christian right on America. The first five minutes of this podcast -- with recordings from Elon Musk and MAGA Christian pastor Joe Rigney talking about the evils of empathy -- should terrify you. LISTEN HERE

The Other State of the Union

by John Pavlovits

Never mind what one small, petty, hateful, traitorous man or those who worship him say. Pay no attention to the gaslighting or the fake news or the scary stories. Don't listen to the liars. Listen to the voice inside you that refuses to relent. We are not dead yet, not by a long shot. This is the other state of the Union, and we have to fight like hell for it. READ MORE...

Oklahoma Schools Pushes Harder

for Bibles in Classrooms

"Ryan Walters, Oklahoma’s superintendent of public instruction, made national headlines for his efforts to get bibles into public schools in his state. After state officials rejected his request for $3 million to buy the bibles, Walters launched a fundraising campaign to buy copies endoresed by Trump." READ MORE..

Indiana Church Throws Out Ministers Who Support LGBTQ+ Rights

"In recent weeks, Carrell was told to leave and take his church with him, or face an investigation due to his LGBTQ-affirming theology and disbelief in a literal hell. It’s the latest in a string clashes within Church of God (Anderson), which considers itself an anti-hierarchical movement, not a denomination."

Save These Dates!

Those who've been following us for several years will remember that we started out in 2010 as The Afterlife Conference. In 2020 we became The Conference on Death, Grief and Belief, and as we got better at producing virtual (vs. in-person events), we split our annual conference into twice-yearly online events.

Our format now includes the summer Conference on Death, Grief and Belief, focused on spiritual and mystical aspects of death, grief and beyond, and the winter Symposium on Death and Bereavement Studies, which takes a more academic approach geared toward end-of-life professionals (but is open to everybody).

Details and links to come later, but for now, add these dates to your calendar. As always, CE credit hours are available.

Summer 2025

Conference on Death,

Grief and Belief

Saturday, July 12, 2025

Politics, Religion and Death: Radical Conversations for Spiritual Care Providers

Winter 2026

Symposium on Death and Bereavement Studies

Saturday, January 18, 2026

Bereavement Best Practices

Across Hospice Disciplines

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﻿Death Positive Practices, Imagery and Icons from the Victorian Era

Save These Dates!

Death Positive Practices, Imagery and Icons from the Victorian Era