Sunday in Outer Blogness: Interfaith Dialog Edition!

To recap recent discussions, ProfXM says:

To me it seems like it might be a good idea, but it also requires that religions not be exclusive, which, of course, many are. So, rather than being a good idea, it seems more like a futile idea. And I say that as someone who fully embraces the idea of working with and seeing liberal religious groups as allies against the fundamentalists. But it just seems, well, silly to think that religious people can give up being RIGHT!

Andrew H. (a liberal Christian happy to join with anyone to contribute to our community and world) adds:

he is just painting a rosier face on his fundamentalism which will lead to the same end. He is condemning other faiths, just not to their face. and people will see through it.

Daniel cites a relevant Jesus and Mo, and Chino — referring to the LDS/Evangelical Religious Right alliance — calls it “co-belligerence,” while Alan accuses the atheists of the “the exact same behavior.”

These are very tricky questions that can’t be dismissed with simple answers. We humans have major points of common interest and major disagreements with, well, basically all of the other humans on the planet. What to do???? Luckily, the Internets this week have stepped up to the plate to offer insights on these very questions!

Let’s start with all the real-world examples of conflict-laden dialog. Like Neil deGrass Tyson at BYU, Boyd K. Packer and an atheist, an exmo with her visiting teacher, an atheist with various Christians, exmos with other exmos, Christians with “real Christians”, Mormon housewives with *ditto*, McCarthy and playmates, a kid with the stake president, another kid instructed not to say “evolution”, South Park guys and the Mormons, Mormons and intriguing bumper-stickers, a sexist guy and his colleagues, Rick Santorum and google, a feminist polygamist at Sunstone, parents and teenagers, etc. Ah, Internets — so full of contrasts!! Sometimes, the contrast of worldviews can be summed up in a koan. To help, a reddit exmo recommends Non-Violent Communication. And for some great communication, don’t forget to attend Sunstone!!!

Now, as much as I’d love to keep chatting all day about how funny it is that we’re all so different and all so the same, there have been some serious developments on the political scene. Attacks on freedom like photograph a cow, go to jail (WTF Florida?), religious discrimination preventing HS kids from forming clubs, an inmate is disciplined for religious-based grooming standards, girls can make it to state but don’t get to compete… Also, be very careful if you’re a woman or a doctor. OTOH, in a grand victory for the Constitution and states’ rights, the US government stopped defending DOMA (beware of marauding gay hordes), and even Fox News broke out of its reality-repelling bunker to cover it! And, in even bigger news, the situation in Wisconsin and Egypt is getting serious — we’re breaking out the big words: fascism and (Mormon) Socialism! Looks like the root is economic (but the sexism is kind of biting us on the nose…). It’s hard to think what to do, but you can perhaps start here.

Good week, and good luck! 😀