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How About the Church of Hope?
Since Barack Obama ran to bring hope in a time of change, I'd like to see him extend that to how he worships. Presidents are forced to attend church as an empty ritual. A cynic would say that if they wanted to worship the way that 70% of American males do, they should attend the church of televised football and golf. Other honest alternatives would be the worship of ambition, money, and political revenge, wherever those dogmas happen to be preached. To overcome such cynicism, and to end the masquerade of public piety, soon-to-be President Obama might consider the following innovations:
Worship where your conscience takes you: He might go to a church in the worst ghetto of gang-infested East L.A. or the scene of a recent disaster. A President praying with the victims of Katrina inside the refugee camp of the Astrodome would have done a lot for their healing and our national sense of compassion.
Worship where "the other" worships: Our so-called enemies consist of "the other," people we claim aren't enough like us. So let Obama worship in a mosque in suburban Maryland. Let him spend a Sunday with Black Muslims in Detroit. Film him praying with illegal immigrants in an impoverished corner of southern New Mexico.
Worship on the fringes: Millions of Americans prefer alternative churches, such as the hundreds of Unity churches scattered around the country. Some of the most humane and liberating theology to be found is preached there. I'd like to see Obama expose himself to these new ideas -- for his own good, really -- and make fringe believers feel more included. By the same token, he should pray with the fundamentalists in Dallas or Columbia, S.C. who think he's a Muslim and vociferously opposed him.
In short, if Obama went to a different church every week, with the intention of healing the wounds of divisiveness, he'd be extending the message he was elected on. It's already a sign of hope that we are going to be led by a uniter and not a divider. Even better would be a uniter of souls.
By
Deepak Chopra
|
November 29, 2008; 12:50 PM ET
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Posted by: e1313ruth | December 4, 2008 4:44 PM
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Dear Dr Chopra
Happy Thanksgiving Day!
Here's hoping your loved ones and friends in Mumbai are safe. It was great, that you as a Hindu, urged restraint from Hindu extremists, who would feel driven to retaliate and kill innocent Indian Muslims who have nothing to do with the terrorist attack.
India, home to many religions, ought to remain a holy land that does not have room for violence in the name of religion, any religion.
Soja John Thaikattil
Sydney, Australia
Posted by: s_j_thaikattil | November 27, 2008 9:43 PM
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In short, if Obama went to a different church every week, with the intention of healing the wounds of divisiveness, he'd be extending the message he was elected on. It's already a sign of hope that we are going to be led by a uniter and not a divider. Even better would be a uniter of souls.
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The message he would send attending a different church every week is that he sees church attendance as a photo op, rather than a place to feed his spirit.
Where he goes to church should be a decision that is made strictly for the meeting of his own spiritual needs, not for the political statement it makes.
Posted by: lepidopteryx | November 26, 2008 12:49 PM
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worship the way that 70% of American males do, they should attend the church of televised football and golf. Other honest alternatives would be the worship of ambition, money, and political revenge,
Deepax..are you a Muslim..You entire purpose for anything and everything you write is geared to make Christians look like hypocrites and to make Jesus and Christianity into a lie..
Personally I think tv, football, golf, ambition, money and politics are much better than lies and jihad and starvation and wars and slavery and the host of evils of Muslim countries ...If you hate America's way of life LEAVE..OR are you here practicing taqiyya.
Maybe a spy sent to infiltrate the christian beliefs with lies, half truths etc.which you do continuously...I for one am sick of idiot foreigners bad mouthing USA while we feel and house you...Go home to yor nice peaceful country..Ssome people will never be Americans.. they are not smart enough