Texas Faith : After Election, how do we become one?

The most beautiful thing that will happen tonight is an expression of our civility, which is the highlight of our democracy, a lesson other nations are looking to emulate. 

In this election as in every previous presidential election, we saw the candidates going after each other, proving to us, that he or she is a better candidate than the other, we take sides and we also get upset and do everything to convince the undecided, it all comes to an abrupt end tonight when the decision is made. It is almost like going to take a major exam, the last day is tense for some and for some, its blank and for some, it is exciting, it was tense for me.

Mitt Romney, the candidate will congratulate the winner Barack Obama, and Obama will gracefully display his humility with an acceptance speech and acknowledging the good journey the candidates have taken. Thanks for your patience; it would happen exactly the other way if Mitt Romney wins.

We need to do the same, and I will go a step further, I will hug my friends who voted for Romney, as I have voted for Obama. Both of us sincerely believed that our candidate was the right one and we need to respect that. We have to get behind the new president and build the America we wish to see.

URL _ http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/11/after-election-how-do-we-become-one_6.html

TEXAS FAITH: After the election, how do we become one?

Bill McKenzie, Dallas Morning News.

So, barring another Florida, America will wake up Wednesday with one side joyously happy and another bitterly disappointed. Or, that’s how core supporters of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney will feel. The losing side will be tempted to demonize those who voted for the winner. And the winner’s
supporters will be tempted to gloat about the victory.

Neither response will help the country move forward as one. Neither response will help us move beyond the politics of division. And neither will help us realize that we really function best as a country when we balance individuality with community.

With that in mind, here’s the question for this week: “What is the message that different faith traditions can send about the importance of being one?”

Published in Dallas Morning News in the Texas Faith column, about ten panelists share their thoughts at: http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/2012/11/texas-faith-after-the-election-how-do-we-become-one.html/here is mine.

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

Election results tonight may severely impact on relationships between individuals and communities. As a pluralist my concern of the day is to offer pluralistic solutions and contribute towards preserving the cohesiveness of our society.

To that end, here is my faith based message:

We see God as one, none and many; male, female and genderless; being and a non-being, nameless and with innumerable names. We are represented by every race, ethnicity, language, culture and religion. Indeed, we are one nation and have to remain indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

The essence of my faith (Islam) or your faith is about restoring balance and peace within, and with what surrounds us; life and matter.

Here are a few steps to save the anxiety and remain one by acknowledging that others have the same rights as we do, and that each one of us is motivated by goodness, selfishness, phobias or fears one time or the other.

No matter what, the built-in safeguards in our Constitution have given us stability for 236 years, and the power to set the course that we have exercised today.

We have to accept the otherness of others, and respect the God given uniqueness of thumb print, eye print, DNA, taste bud, religion bud, and now the political bud.

Let’s pray that God enlarges our hearts to congratulate those who have voted for Obama, Romney, Johnson, Stein, Goode or Anderson.

The most beautiful thing to unravel tonight is our civility. The losing candidate will congratulate the winner, and the winner will gracefully display his humility. We need to do the same, and I will go a step further. I will hug my friend who voted for Romney, as I have voted for Obama. Both of us sincerely believed that our candidate was the right one.

We now have a greater duty to give value to our belief in forgiveness, and come together in building a cohesive America, where no one has to live in apprehension, discomfort or fear of the other. God bless America, may God guides to do the right thing. Amen!

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The Texas Faith blog is a discussion among formal and informal religious leaders whose faith traditions express a belief in a transcendent power – or the possibility of one. While all readers are invited to participate in this blog, by responding in the comments section, discussion leaders are those whose religion involves belief in a divine higher power or those who may not believe in a transcendent power but leave room for the possibility of one. Within this framework, moderators William McKenzie and Wayne Slater seek to bring a diversity of thinkers onto the Texas Faith panels.

MikeGhouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace making, foreign policy, Islam, interfaith, and cohesion at work place or social settings. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. Mike has a strong presence on national local TV, Radio and Print Media, and is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News, fortnightly at Huffington post, and several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes everything you want to know about him.