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- Go to Guidelines for Interreligious Understanding
It is as easy as it sounds . . . .
And all we have to do is silence our stubborness and begin to look at all others as important parts of our reality and we of theirs, and then realize that different parts of reality must be, well, . . . . Different!
posted by
archiew
on July 13, 2005 at 3:29 PM
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sannhet
excellent post -
and Ciel: I do wish that his adherents would sort what he said and taught from what others have said he said and taught, and most especially what they said he meant.
AMEN!
posted by
Metta
on July 6, 2005 at 11:30 AM
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well yeah
there are enough of u s.
posted by
Xeno-x
on July 6, 2005 at 9:34 AM
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Ciel -
No problem. You said what I wanted to say - and much better than I could have.
posted by
sannhet
on July 6, 2005 at 7:09 AM
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cb -
Ciel basically said what I wanted to say. But I will add that these guidelines were created by an interfaith group to publicize what they believe are the similarities of the world's great religions. By signing the document, they are they are stating to the world that they agree with the statements written within.
posted by
sannhet
on July 6, 2005 at 7:08 AM
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Painter -
You're right. Maybe we should start a movement?
posted by
sannhet
on July 6, 2005 at 7:00 AM
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Avant -
I wish it were that easy. But large blinders keep most of us from seeing those similarities.
posted by
sannhet
on July 6, 2005 at 7:00 AM
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Quoting:
"C.S. Lewis in Meere Christianity makes the argument that you can't accept Jesus as a great moral teacher if you don't also believe He was indeed the Son of God. He was either the Son of God like He said He was...or simply a lunatic to be ignored. "
Commenting: This is only true where one has none but those two extremes to choose from. This world, however, is filled with selections between black and white. Jesus was a great Teacher, though I would not limit what he teaches to morality. That is just too simplistic.
I have also known a few certified lunatics who also had the most astonishingly clear vision where most sane and rational folk are rather blind.
Whether Jesus was more a child of God than the rest of us is debatable, though he certainly made more of the kinship than most, but frankly, aye or nay, what he teaches is itself of immense value.
I do wish that his adherents would sort what he said and taught from what others have said he said and taught, and most especially what they said he meant. If you want to know, clear your ears and eyes, and ask him yourself! No human being has the answers you seek! All we have are bits of the puzzle seen from our own points of view. True of you, me and the apostles who cobbled together the Church, and those who came after-- adding and amplifying and loading on their filters and notions until the Church was more about itself than about Jesus and his teachings, or the people he was speaking to.
Ahem. Cough-cough... Sorry, Sannhet, didn't mean to hijack your thread... 
posted by
Ciel
on July 5, 2005 at 10:12 PM
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Understanding in this context?
Understanding is not the same as agreeing. Looking for all the similarities I think can help us coexist without trying to kill each other - which is a good thing. I agree.
However, these guidelines remind me of the school prayer debate where many argue that any prayer we could come up with that would offend nobody would also please nobody because the words would be so watered down.
These guidelines will not put an end to each religion which claims to be the "only way to heaven" from trying to persuade the others of the error of their ways. It seems that only religious people who reject their own religion's claim of exclusivity would be satisfied with these guidelines alone.
Almost by definition, these guidelines seems to require that we "not care" whether we really believe in basic tennets of our chosen faith and adopt a "yours is just as good as mine - it really doesn't matter" attitude.
As a Christian, I am reminded how often I have heard Muslims, agnostics, and Hindus make comments about Jesus being some kind of great moral teacher and that they agree with much of what He said.
However, at the same time He was making these very-easy-to-accept statements, He also said that He was the Son of God and that He was the only way to the Father. C.S. Lewis in Meere Christianity makes the argument that you can't accept Jesus as a great moral teacher if you don't also believe He was indeed the Son of God. He was either the Son of God like He said He was...or simply a lunatic to be ignored.
posted by
calebs_blogger
on July 5, 2005 at 6:54 PM
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maybe
if more and more people recognize this
maybe
there might be
more peace in the world
if this ever catches on
we need momentum -- more and more people.
posted by
Xeno-x
on July 5, 2005 at 8:32 AM
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profound, sannhet
those are the common threads that link all people. if we would but put aside our differences, we would see the similarities. thank you.
posted by
avant-garde
on July 5, 2005 at 7:49 AM
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