By Sam Richards

Staff writer

 

Wednesday, December 4 (11:00 a.m.): Many different religious groups operate within, or immediately adjacent to, Rossmoor – “mainstream” faiths like the Lutheranism, Catholicism and Judaism to “alternative spirituality” groups like Eckankar, Center of Spiritual Cultivation and Ananda (related to Buddhism).

Rossmoor, it appears, reflects its region.

The Public Religion Research Institute (or PRRI), a Washington, DC-based nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization dedicated to “driving conversations at the intersection of religion, culture and politics, in its 2023 ”Census of American Religion: County-Level Data on Religious Identity and Diversity” deemed Contra Costa the fifth more religiously diverse county in the United States. That determination was based on a “diversity score,” with 1 being “complete diversity” in which every religious group is of equal size, and 0 signifying a complete lack of diversity, everyone sharing the same faith. Contra Costa’s score of 0.873 was ahead of seventh-place San Francisco County (0.868).

That report can be accessed at https://tinyurl.com/4knxmz6s

Rossmoor is, indeed, in Contra Costa County, but does it reach the level of religious diversity found in, say, Richmond or Pittsburg? The evidence is strictly anecdotal, but several within Rossmoor’s faith community say no – at least, not quite.

But by most measures, several observers say, Rossmoor’s almost 10,000 residents have a substantial variety of faith traditions.

“I think everything we do stands for diversity, designed to build diversity consciousness inside the Rossmoor community,” said Channing Miller, an ordained interfaith minister and president of the Interfaith Council of Rossmoor, which encourages cooperation and dialogue between different faith groups. Even if Rossmoor isn’t a flawless reflection  of the Bay Area overall, she said, “We have a nice slice of diversity here.”

Mary Taylor is co-chairperson of the Diversity Consciousness Committee of the Interfaith Council.

“Contra Costa County is more diverse than the Walnut Creek and Rossmoor area, mainly because of housing cost,” Taylor said. “Rossmoor more closely mirrors Walnut Creek.”

Ruth Ahearn also considers Rossmoor a diverse place, and that its faith community reflects that. Secretary of the Interfaith Council of Rossmoor and herself a practitioner of Baha’i, Ahearn said she knows people in Rossmoor of faiths including Protestant, Catholic, Christian Science, Unitarian, Jewish, Hindu, Unitarian Universalist, Sikh, Baha’i, Buddhist, Ananda, New Age and Sufism Reoriented traditions, as well as atheism.

Representing major faiths inside Rossmoor’s gates are Hope Lutheran Church, B’nai Israel, Cantonese Christian Fellowship and a Mandarin Christian group.

Miller said that the Interfaith Council of Rossmoor has itself diversified over the years. Once centered on the Christian faith, it has since expanded to include all faiths whose members want to be involved.

An Oct. 29 interfaith meditation/prayer service in the Echo Room at the Event Center, led by Ahearn, drew about a dozen people, representing eight separate faith traditions.

Miller and others cite the income, and to a lesser extent age, of the average Rossmoor resident as to why Rossmoor’s faith community isn’t even more religiously (or culturally) diverse. They also note that Rossmoor’s Muslim community is relatively small, and underrepresented. Both women said they would encourage the Muslim community in Rossmoor become more involved with interfaith activities.

Everyone interviewed for this story said Rossmoor boasts a significant degree of inclusivity of faith, and that it’s growing.

“We are a privileged community, and there is plenty of spiritual diversity here – there’s a lot to choose from,” said Mariu Arzayus, president of the ECK Spiritual Adventurers Club, a Rossmoor group aligned with Eckankar, which she describes as she describes as an “active, individual, and creative spiritual practice” that promotes a deeper understanding of love, wisdom, and freedom.

Arzayus and others said the presence of so many active faith groups in Rossmoor benefits them all. “It’s a choice, not a competition,” she said.

Mark Hara, one of the leaders of the Rossmoor Bible Study, agreed an atmosphere that promotes diversity of faith is like the proverbial rising tide that lifts all boats, strengthening all who are floating, celebrating worship as each person sees fit.

“I don’t think it’s the religion that makes it important,” Hara said just after the Nov. 21 Bible Study gathering, which brought about 25 people to the Dollar Clubhouse. “It’s the fact we’re all breathing.”