[Vision2020] Religious Diversity Education

Ted Moffett ted_moffett@hotmail.com
Wed, 28 May 2003 01:16:15 +0000 

Luke et. al.

OK, the "chosen people" comment was meant with a bit of sarcasm, aimed at 
people who look at their spirituality granting them special divine status as 
"chosen people," whatever that might mean.

Sorry.

If you want to ignore or dismiss the possible validity of numerous diverse 
religious faiths, you have lots of support for this attitude!

People often seek to avoid open confrontational debate or discussion that 
questions fundamental religious issues which can determine beliefs on 
everything from marriage to environmentalism to justifying war and killing:  
some kind of blinders come on, perhaps an ideological sacred cow syndrome is 
aroused, that leads many to think we should argue vehemently about financing 
public schools or women's rights etc., but the basic underlying spiritual 
values that we use to make these decisions are off limits to discussion:  
this just insults people, it's a waste of time with circular never ending 
arguments that go nowhere and convince no one.

But you could say the same about numerous issues on which people hold 
opinionated and inflexible views: gay marriage, the death penalty, the war 
in Iraq, topless women.  Why waste time discussing these issues when it is 
rare anyone budges from their opinions?

No wonder the human race still is acting at the moral level of "cavemen" at 
each others throats while we have the science and technology to kill 
everyone on earth.  People avoid honest open-minded debate about the 
fundamental ideologies and values, the underlying psychology and 
spirituality, that we use to adapt to the realities of human life, when 
these spiritual differences are at the core of human conflicts.

How can understanding and tolerance be expanded across the planet when we 
regard attempting to engage in diverse and open minded spiritual discussion 
or education as off limits?  If we adopted this attitude for everything, 
we'd still believe the earth was flat and at the center of the universe.

I recall very little honest in depth discussion of the variety of spiritual 
faiths and religions in the world while growing up here in the USA.  Not in 
church, not in school or from teachers, not from my parents or peers, 
NOWHERE!  It was assumed I would just follow whatever I was told on 
spiritual matters without much question, it seems.  Understanding of other 
religious faiths than Christianity, which is the faith I was raised in, was 
filtered through oversimplifying stereotypes.

I think the public schools should offer in depth required courses studying 
all the major world religions, even minor ones if students wish, to increase 
understanding and respect across religious faiths, without advocacy, of 
course.

I think many are afraid of finding out their deeply held convictions just 
might be wrong, atheists and agnostics included.  And that questioning 
religious ideology, when it is viewed as the glue holding society together 
and providing moral structure, could make the wheels come off the whole 
show!

Best not to question too deeply.

Ted

>From: "Luke" <lukenieuwsma@softhome.net>
>To: "Ted Moffett" <ted_moffett@hotmail.com>, vision2020@moscow.com
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Deep in the Matrix a Voice is Heard Whispering...
>Date: Sun, 25 May 2003 14:26:46 -0700
>
>Dear Visionaries:
>
>
> > God is far too vast and complex an "idea" to be understood only one way!
> > The test for humanity that the "divine" has placed before us to be open 
>to
> > all the various manifestations of the divine on earth.  People who 
>explore
> > spirituality in this manner are the chosen people.  The rest have fallen
> > into the dogmatic trap of comfortable narrow belief, beliefs which in no
>way
> > can encompass the immense incomprehensible nature of the divine.  Such
> > narrow dogmatism is an insult to the divine.
>
>But wait, you're not being open-minded to narrow dogmatism! You're 
>excluding
>narrow dogmatists from the picture! How intolerant.
>
>And it's pretty narrowminded to say that only those who explore 
>spirituality
>in all the "various manifestations of the divine" are the chosen people. 
>How
>limited.
>
>
>Cheers,
>Luke
>
>
>
>
> >
> > >From: "Luke" <lukenieuwsma@softhome.net>
> > >To: "Ted Moffett" <ted_moffett@hotmail.com>, vision2020@moscow.com
> > >Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Deep in the Matrix a Voice is Heard
>Whispering...
> > >Date: Sat, 24 May 2003 21:45:10 -0700
> > >
> > >Dear Visionaries:
> > >
> > > > "I have explained the nature and properties of God. I have shown 
>that
>he
> > > > necessarily exists, that he is one: that he is, and acts solely by 
>the
> > > > necessity of his own nature; that he is the free cause of all 
>things,
> > >and
> > > > how he is so; that all things are in God, and so depend on him, that
> > >without
> > > > him they could neither exist nor be conceived; lastly, that all 
>things
> > >are
> > > > predetermined by God, not through his free will or absolute fiat, 
>but
> > >from
> > > > the very nature of God or infinite power."
> > > > Baruch Spinoza, from Ethics (1677 AD)
> > >
> > >
> > >Yes, and I want a brand new truck too; why do I want a brand new truck?
> > >Because all the cool people have them. Who are the cool people, you 
>ask?
> > >Why, the ones with brand new trucks, of course.
> > >
> > >Best,
> > >Luke Nieuwsma
> > >
> > >
> > > > Just a messenger,
> > > >
> > > > Ted
> > > >
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