Venerable Geshe Thupten Phelgye was born in Tibet in 1956 and escaped to India with his family when he was three years old. He became a monk at the age of seventeen, completed the rigorous eighteen year course of traditional studies in Buddhist philosophy that earned him the title "Geshe" (PhD) from the Sera Monastic University in 1991 and followed that with Buddhist Tantryana studies at Gyumeh Tantric Monastry. In 1993 he dedicated five years to a meditation retreat in the mountains of Dharamsala and in 1998 with the blessing of the Dalia Lama established the Universal Compassion Movement. In 2001 Geshe Thupten Phelgye was elected as a member of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile where he currently serves. Over the years Geshe Thupten Phelgye has been giving talks around the world advocating vegetarianism, interfaith dialogue and Universal Compassion. We will be discussing Buddhism, politics in Tibet and the Universal Compassion Movement. Contact Information - http://universalcompassion.org. This program originally aired on 7/20/09.

Jon O'Brien is President of Catholics for Choice, a Washington DC based, non-profit oragnization that was founded in 1973 to serve as a voice for Catholics who believe that the Catholic tradition supports a woman’s moral and legal right to follow her conscience in matters of sexuality and reproductive health. In response to the murder of Dr. George Tiller on May 31st in the foyer of his church, we will be discussing the ongoing debate about the issue of abortion and the role that religion plays in it.
For more information you can call Catholics for Choice (202) 986-6093 or visit their website at http://catholicsforchoice.org. This show originally aired on 7/6/09.