“The grieving are calling out to Jesus–and God and HaShem and Krishna. They are chanting passages from the New Testament, the Torah, Unitarian readings, and the Vedas.| The crew of Columbia represents an extraordinary variety of faith traditions:
- Kalpana Chawla – Hindu
- William McCool – Roman Catholic
- Ilan Ramon – Jewish
- Rick Husband – Charismatic
- Laurel Clark – Unitarian
- David Brown – Episcopalian
- Michael Anderson – Baptist
“This is just the way America is right now. Seek the best and the brightest, and you’ll invariably scoop up a great assortment of faiths.”
—Seven Heroes, Seven FaithsBeliefNet)
I wish I had the time to delve into this excellent compilation of brief bios, commentaries on the funeral/memorial services associated with each faith, and links to off-site resources on the religious traditions of each astronaut.
