Hope for religious pluralism

[Tux]

http://www.dailybulletin.com/Stories/0,1413,203~21481~2734607,00.html


The Bulletin: Do you believe pluralism flourishes in our society?

Amerson: Despite the problems, it does. This society is remarkable. I love the fact that I'm three minutes away from two mosques and 10 Christian churches and a Quaker church and a Buddhist fellowship and a Jewish synagogue. I think that is terrific. ... I really think that is the future of North America.

The Bulletin: Do you think anything hinders it?

Amerson: Oh yeah. Ignorance hinders it. Bigotry hinders it. ... The issue is how do we treat the pluralism around us? Do we treat it as a gift? Do we treat it as a place of learning? Do we treat it as an opportunity to practice our faith without trying to coerce our faith on one another? I think it is a gift.

Another ray of hope in-mist of the darkened sky. If more could appear, it would weaken the orcs of Bushland.

[Maraya1969]

1. The man is educated and Methodist

I find that the Methodist churches are more tolerant of other religions.

A lot of Southern baptists ministers require no education. Remember that little kid that was a minister and how he told his story as an adult that he was abused and forced to memorize his sermons. Oh, his name was Marjoe, after Mary and Joseph.

If more fundamentalists received higher education they might not be so myopic in their views.

[Tux]

2. But

Anything that can redirect the energy of the fundies would be welcome. We can't solve the fundie problem, but we can redirect them away from the Constitution, our lives, and our quest for happiness.

[Maraya1969]

5. I didn't mean to say it was a bad thing or not a good thing

I think it will help of course. We need more moderate religious leaders speaking out and maybe they will make a dent in the fundamentalists.

[Enquiringkitty]

3. Education won't do anything for them....they don't believe anything taught

in college. The words of the devil and all that rot. As many religious institution as we have here, it's a great opportunity to learn about other religions. There is a lot that all of these have in common. This is what we should use against the Christian right. Educate everyone who isn't in the Christian right so they don't have any new recruits. It will take a while but they will dwindle.

[Maraya1969]

6. Pat Buchanan is a good example - sometimes

Since he has been a corespondent on MSNBC he SEEMS to have gotten a little more moderate. Of course there are the times when he shows the old time RIGHT side and maybe he is just doing his job by not being an idiot but maybe being around non-extremists is helping.

[magnussun]

8. I like Pat

Pat is unorthodox, and always has been. That's why the neo-cons hate him. I like him, alot, always have. I don't think his views have moderated. He is just in an environment now where he is freer to think for himself and express his true views. He is right on so many issues, specifically trade. He is a wonderful representative for conservatives against the war, though sometimes he regresses into the details, rather than continually questioning why we are there in the first place.

Pat has been maligned as a hater by both the left and the right, who do not know his real motives but claim to. I do not sense an evil spirit in him, I sense honesty. It must be hard to be a Christian as he is, and take issue with Israel. He is attacked as an "anti-semite." In today's political environment, independents and free thinkers are beyond the pale. I cherish them, and understand the first amendment was made for controversial people like him.

M

[izzie]

4. There will be a fight to keep it the "right" Christians.

It will not win in the long run. That is my own belief.Why? Be cause they are only a small group in a pop. of 5 percent of the world. They just have more power right now than they usually do so they have more say than the usual group of that size.The guy with the gun has a lot more power than the 5 guys with no gun but the odds goes down when the one man with a gun is standing in front of 100 people. They are so sure they are right that it will be a fight.

[GOPBasher]

7. That guy seems cool.

I really hope more tolerant and open pastors come out and join the debate. It's been too long dominated by the right.