Thanks Mary, While thinking about your comments and comments from Jay and Sylvia, I’m reminded today (in contrast to my defensive justification yesterday) that I’m more likely to build useful community ties by emphasizing the social and practical parts of a philosophy of love, instead of making criticizing people’s various religious beliefs the main focus of my interaction with them.——
An ethical system can’t be defined only by what it is not. Non-religious morality must affirm a set of principles, instead of just denying the scientific and moral legitimacy of theology. ————–That affirmation leads me to reject religion as a way for making sense of my own life. However, I sometimes have a hard time remembering that I’m not helping to promote love if I assume others should necessarily see things as I do. ——————— That’s close-minded and arrogant, the sort of self-righteousness Jay White said is the same in principle as some religious folk who evangelize. ————–
Interaction requires reciprocity for it to be loving. So, my views about how secular morality may be better than theology will surface sooner or later. But I think I won’t alienate religious folk if they sense I’m bringing the issue up in order to better collaborate with them, not to try to impose my views on them or otherwise disrespect them. —————–
This was the case a couple of months ago when two guys were working a busy street corner in downtown Columbus as part of the ongoing Ask-A-Muslim campaign. We were able to talk with each other without getting hostile. ——————-They seemed to at least try to answer my question about whether a theocracy was not as good as a pluralistic society where people of a variety of religious faiths as well as no religious faith coexist.—————-
They also maintained their politeness and listened attentively when I shared my direct and philosophical perspective on human sexuality. They also tried to answer my questions about how Sharia Law affects the human rights of women, and queer folk. They even answered at some length when I questioned them about how they could be sure the Qur’an was divinely inspired. —————-
I don’t want to be overly idealistic about how to engage with Christian, Islamic, or other fundamentalists, but my guess is that our interaction would have broken down in tense silence and withdrawal or vocal hostility if I had made my central focus challenging their religious faith.
——————There’s a post on my FB page about that interaction, but as the details of their answers fade over time, I”m reminded that using an audio recorder is a good idea, and reminded that interviews actually serve a purpose for building community around key concepts such as ethics based on empathy and compassion. ————– But I don’t think I’ll return to the type of radio reporting I was doing when you and I met, Mary on the trip to DC during the brief Occupy heyday. ———–
For media work now, I can’t imagine requesting interviews from people doing important community work, many of whom are religious, on the basis of making my primary focus a critical examination of their theological faith. ————-Such folk, and people in general, are more likely to agree to talk about how their work in their communities reflects their moral views, and what those moral views are based on. ——-
This thread reminds me to pay more attention to maintaining my social common sense while systematically developing the concept I’ve keep blogging about for a couple of years : love as it pertains to community and political involvement. So, I’m grateful for the help from all three of you. Thanks
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