Eboo Patel, a founding member of President Barack Obama’s Inaugural Advisory Council on Faith Based Partnerships, grew up Muslim…but he grew up American too! Eboo struggled to reconcile the traditional “one-faith” model of religious belief with the reality of a myriad of believers following a myriad of religious doctrines, yet all living the same struggle to serve their God and make the world a better place for all.

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In this episode, Eboo Patel shares how he founded the Interfaith Youth Core to help bring that vision to life, and how he has come to write two books including, Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation.  With a third book on its way, Eboo describes his experiences and conclusions regarding the best ways diverse believers can follow their different paths and share the same planet in peace.

“A huge part of religion is taking care of one’s neighbor…regardless of faith,” says Eboo Patel, going on to describe how interfaith cooperation works best.  Eboo details how President Obama stepped up to help make a meaningful interfaith group, as well as the President’s “interfaith challenge” (and where you can take it yourself!).  “I thought I was going to start turning cartwheels in the Oval Office,” laughs Eboo.

How does the Inaugural Advisory Council on Faith Based Partnerships walk the fine line between church and state?  How do they avoid using taxes to fund religious-based agendas?  And do these faith based initiatives really make a difference?

Join the Dr. David Liepert, the Optimistic Muslim, as he talks with Eboo Patel about what it was like to sit in the Oval Office the day President Obama announced his hopes for America, and what it’s been like living in and serving America Faithfully ever since!  Tune in!

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