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Celebrating Diversity.
Here is an interesting article. A Bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church argues against the secular faith attempts to impose its beliefs on everyone. His point is that instead of imposing one belief system on everybody [ which the communist tried in the Soviet Union and failed miserably with the cost of millions of human lives and the destruction of the environment ] human relations should take a different path of mutual respect and dialog between the different belief systems. Russian Orthodox Church opposed the secular monopoly
Moscow, June 10, Interfax - The Moscow Patriarchate believes that the secular humanistic society model should not be imposed on the world as the only correct and forward-looking.
4 comments from 2 users
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posted by
Wayfarer
on Jun 12, 2009 at 11:40 AM
From the science of Cultural Anthropology we get the concept of Ethnocentrism which is the belief that anyone culture or society is superior to the other. This ties in with this blog ,because many people who value freedom + live and let live, often see nothing wrong with imposing their values on other cultures. For example should every nation of the world be forced to have a western style democracy? This type of thinking doesn't work for cultures like traditional Chinese that values social harmony over individualism. Should Islamic or Buddhist nations be forced to adapt secular beliefs. Communist China has been internationally condemned for doing so to the Tibetan people and their muslim minorities. The point is maybe we should be more open to accepting other people of the world and their cultures that are different than the secular western culture many of us was raised with. posted by
Wayfarer
on Jun 12, 2009 at 01:47 PM
Thanks my comment was a attempt to bring home what the implications of the article are to the audience of this site. I infer from my knowledge of the concerns of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholics that his grace the Bishop was addressing the attempts of the European Union to impose secular humanist values on all the countries and cultures making up the Union. That is a little far off for the average reader. On the other hand the average reader might support or not support US military intervention in the Middle East ,but from comments from either side a number of them look down at the native cultures there, as being backward and barbaric. I think this point of view is mistaken. So on the whole I think we should all be open to learning about new cultures and perspectives to broaden our own horizons and free us to think out of the box we were socialized into. posted by
catpaw
on Jun 13, 2009 at 09:48 AM
The good bishop fails to acknowledge that, however slowly, we are a shrinking world that is assimilating. All but a minute few want the same things: TV sets, wash machines, health clinics, schools...stuff that make life a little more managable. Somehow, the possibility of material things brings on the need for basic freedoms like access to music and literature, birth control, the freedom to hold hands with your girlfriend, without an insecure and frightened cleric calling it "lust," and a work of satan. But then, church hierarchy got into a frenzy when a few dared to say the earth is not the center of the universe. In the end, school children are taught the earth is the third rock from the sun and church did not disappear nor did basic morals that govern every society's day to day conduct. Secular thought is not the enemy. Imposing a single secular lifestyle or any other philosophy is a tool of dictatorship that is counter to what the bishop calls "equality." posted by
Wayfarer
on Jun 13, 2009 at 01:36 PM
Secular thought is not the enemy. Imposing a single secular lifestyle or any other philosophy is a tool of dictatorship that is counter to what the bishop calls "equality." On the other hand faiths beside secular humanism are not the enemy either. Including those you label as camel land;0
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