The Australian Broadcasting Corporation live broadcast of the religion and ethics program Compass brought up a number of very interesting interfaith subjects. The program will air on ABC TV this Sunday 13 December and be subsequently available at http://www.abc.net.au/compass.
The panel discussion underlined the fact that although issues of compassion and social justice are largely common to religions around the world, fear of difference remains a serious problem.
I tend to believe that no one faith is fully sufficient to grasp the entirety of divinity, and that only by working together, by learning from one another, can we come close to understanding the purpose of humans on this planet. It does seem that people of faith, when they get together in venue like this, tend to ask, “What can I, in cooperation with you, take on to make the world a better place.” In contrast, political gatherings, such as those dealing with global environmental concerns, tend to ask, “How much can you do to make the world better and how little can I do.” In this respect, the Parliament may offer a hopeful model for global problem resolution.
I see fear of difference as fueled in large part about insecurity around our own beliefs. When we feel secure, when we have faith in the strength of our ideas, then we are more willing to interact with people with different ideas. In this respect, some conflicts are fueled by religious beliefs. More commonly, however, religion is used as a mask to cover deeper causes of conflict, including economic inequality or social injustice. Violence in the name of religion is unacceptable, whether truly based on ideological intolerance or when religion is used as a mask for weapon.
Although the unfamiliar is always unsettling, I believe maximum diversity never destroys things of true substantive value. If we can see the divine in the other, despite our differences, we can move toward a more harmonious world. One of the ironies of our highly interconnected post-post-modern global village, we seem to know less and less about each other. A great challenge to spiritual leaders will be to leverage the tools of the modern world to address the social injustices that plague our planet
The panel discussion underlined the fact that although issues of compassion and social justice are largely common to religions around the world, fear of difference remains a serious problem.
I tend to believe that no one faith is fully sufficient to grasp the entirety of divinity, and that only by working together, by learning from one another, can we come close to understanding the purpose of humans on this planet. It does seem that people of faith, when they get together in venue like this, tend to ask, “What can I, in cooperation with you, take on to make the world a better place.” In contrast, political gatherings, such as those dealing with global environmental concerns, tend to ask, “How much can you do to make the world better and how little can I do.” In this respect, the Parliament may offer a hopeful model for global problem resolution.
I see fear of difference as fueled in large part about insecurity around our own beliefs. When we feel secure, when we have faith in the strength of our ideas, then we are more willing to interact with people with different ideas. In this respect, some conflicts are fueled by religious beliefs. More commonly, however, religion is used as a mask to cover deeper causes of conflict, including economic inequality or social injustice. Violence in the name of religion is unacceptable, whether truly based on ideological intolerance or when religion is used as a mask for weapon.
Although the unfamiliar is always unsettling, I believe maximum diversity never destroys things of true substantive value. If we can see the divine in the other, despite our differences, we can move toward a more harmonious world. One of the ironies of our highly interconnected post-post-modern global village, we seem to know less and less about each other. A great challenge to spiritual leaders will be to leverage the tools of the modern world to address the social injustices that plague our planet
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