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Call on Religious Leaders to Advise
The President-elect, along with his foreign policy advisers, needs to clearly understand that many of the world's conflicts are fueled by systematically flawed religious ideologies that are either obvious or subtle.
In attempting to confront religious extremism, and its shadow other, terrorism, it's useful to recognize that both are born through the ideology of religious bigots, and not by the hand of God. The birthing occurs with the assistance, and by the hands of, persons who have lost their humanity in the name of an ancient mythical God who hovers now, ghostlike as a shadow of the human imagination; an imagination fueled by freeze-dried, wistful sentiment, fantasy and a ruthless adherence to an unchanging theology, sustained by cultural nihilism.
Religious terrorism is less defined by a common faith tradition and far more by the roots of fundamentalism and its attack on any faith that lives into a vision of scholarly freedom, open and honest dialogue, the search for universal peace, equal protection under the rule of law and international law and the respect for the human dignity of every human being.
I hope the President-elect and his foreign policy advisers will heed the call to consult on a regular basis with religious leaders who possess deep roots in inter-faith, inter-religious dialogue. These religious leaders must be of sound learning, possessing both broad theological experience and high moral repute and who claim the "center" of their individual faith traditions. The President-elect must have the wisdom to bring these very rare individuals to the table for discussion, information sharing and possible Tract 2 religious diplomacy and international negotiations. Religious leaders need to be seated side by side with diplomatic negotiators to resolve international terrorism and violence that claims a religious theology as its foundation and continues to tear apart the world in which we live.
By
John Bryson Chane
|
December 8, 2008; 5:41 AM ET
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Posted by: coloradodog | December 9, 2008 2:38 PM
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We have just survived the worst 8 years of American history with a leader who "spoke to God" and "consulted" religious leaders on a regular basis. I hope President-elect Obama will avoid consulting religious leaders for anything. Religious leaders have done enough damage to the world already. In the real world, there is not such thing as "Interfaith" or "inter-religion" dialogue. All religions have as a keystone that they are right and all others are lies and blasphemers. Religion must be kept out of the business of the state. As an atheist, I do not want any believer of any religion consulting with the heads of the state. Organized religion has been around for thousands of years and is still violent, perhaps the absolute root of all evil. I want religion out of my life and out of my government. Religion should stay in the church, mosque, synagogue, etc. and let the people who want religion find you. I don't believe or want your "beliefs" influencing my life. Organized religion should concentrate on the "sheep" they have in control already and leave the rest of us alone. Obama should be consulting non-beliving people of knowledge to ensure he receives the correct information that is not twisted by some dogmatic influence.
Posted by: moranm58 | December 9, 2008 1:43 PM
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Excuse me, I don't know what Episcopalians are any more. Before, they were rich upper-class Protestants not known for gay bashing and Leviticus picking over Christ's words of love and exclusion. I understand there is now a Dobsonite version that spends more time gay bashing than teaching the love of God. Which version are you, Rev. Chane?