INTERFAITH DIALOGUE CENTER POSTS -- 1

Here are some edited excerpts from my recent posts at the Interfaith Dialogue Center forum:

+ The reason people keep playing "My Religion Is Better Than Your Religion" is quite simple in my opinion. Both (my Moslem friend) and (my Christian friend) take the scriptures literally instead of metaphorically. Once we understand that the power of the Bible and the Qu'ran lies in symbols and archetypes, then we can find our common ground instead of what divides us. Then the Bible and the Qu'ran can both be seen as inspiring and illuminating and truthful. There are no contradictions once we understand the common ground of the Perennial Philosophy which is the foundation for all sacred texts and all sacred beliefs and actions.

Three websites which present the basic common ground I am talking about are:
http://www.theharmonyinstitute.org/tenteachings.html
http://www.peterrussell.com/CIA/CIA.php
http://www.mythosandlogos.com/perennial.html

+ Dear Friend,

I don't find it necessary to use this forum to attack your (Islamic) messengers. Why do you find it necessary to do so? Paul is one of the most quoted and appreciated figures of antiquity. He was brilliant and compassionate. I urge you to stop attacking my faith. Let's look for common ground. Let's work together building a glorious realm of abundance, joy, wisdom, beauty, love, truth, peace, justice and freedom.

+ Not all Christians interpret the Bible the way some literalists do. I do not see God's will behind the repression of the Palestinians for the last 90 years by the British, the Israelis, the USA and others. Jews should indeed be free to live in Palestine. But Arabs were the big majority when Britain took over in 1917 and should have at least half of the land of Palestine and probably a lot more. And I'm not talking about any land East of the Jordan River, Johnny. The Bible should not be taken literally. It needs to be understood metaphorically.

Isaiah 49:1-6 makes it abundantly clear that God's will is that all of the chosen people are called to be the Light of the World. The New Israel is not a geographical land but a network of compassionate people creating abundance, joy, wisdom, beauty, love, truth, peace, justice and freedom.

+ Condemning another religion has nothing to do with true Christianity.

Jesus was a faithful human being who was a Rabbi in the Jewish tradition, willing to challenge the control freaks who were in charge just as prophets within the church need to challenge the authoritarian plutocrats who try to run the church in every generation ... just as prophets within society need to challenge the authoritarian plutocrats who try to run society in every generation.

As wise men and women reflected on what Jesus accomplished, they saw God at work and called Jesus the Christ. But it is important to realize that the humanity of Jesus was never in question. What needs to be realized is that all human beings are filled with divinity and we are therefore divine beings as well as human beings. That's what Christianity asserts.

The Good News is that Jesus is not different than us but the same as us. We all have the potential to be just as effective as he was. Indeed, Jesus wants us to be as effective as he was. So, love one another, liberate prisoners, heal the sick, feed the hungry, forgive everyone, make peace, do not judge ...

+It is very sad that some people in the West are convinced that we can do no wrong, that we would never terrorize anyone, that we would never be unjust. The lack of objectivity and humility among some people in the West is due to ignorance.

The same is true of Moslems who are convinced that they can do no wrong, that they would never terrorize anyone, that they would never be unjust. The lack of objectivity and humility among some Moslems is due to ignorance.

+Actually, Christianity & Islam have a similar history. Both were spread by armies as well as genuine conversions. There is no disputing this. History is clear about this.

The game of "My Religion is Better than your Religion" simply gets in the way of a realistic appraisal of the history of Islam & Christianity.

Judaism & Christianity & Islam all trace their origins to Abraham who is known for his hospitality and compassion. Our core values are essentially held in common. The hostility between the 3 great Abrahamic wisdom traditions runs deep but the hospitality and unity runs deeper still. Let's seek the depths of hospitality, love, peace, justice and sustainable abundance rather than the hatred and hostility which mock God no matter whether Jews or Christians or Moslems do it. We are called to love one another and forgive each other at all times.

+ Intolerance and hatred toward other religions runs deep in the human psyche. There are all too many places on the face of the globe where minorities are persecuted. The Islamic world is no exception to this unfortunate trait.

+ The Christ and The AntiChrist are powerful archetypes which are working inside all humans, all religions, all nations, all political parties. Projecting either one on to specific persons misses the point entirely. I like the change in Washington DC a lot but I see no need to demonize the previous administration. (Of course) Any illegal activities should be investigated and prosecuted.

+ When Christians talk about Jesus being totally human and totally divine, we mean that he showed us how to be Godlike and he got this power through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit makes us all divine beings while we remain human beings. In prayer and meditation we become one with God. All of the great spiritual teachers tell us that we have within us the power, the wisdom, the love which makes us divine beings. Moslems and Christians, Hindus and Buddhists, Jews and Taoists, etc. have different ways of speaking about this truth but our basic undertanding remains the same. We are one. God is "here, there and everywhere" connecting us to the heavenly realm of abundance, joy, wisdom, beauty, love, truth, peace, justice and freedom. We become increasingly a participant in this heavenly realm as we practice stillness, silence, solitude, simplicity, detachment, discernment, devotion, delight, humility, healing, holiness and heavenliness.