Pluralism Center: fear sells

Showing posts with label fear sells. Show all posts

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Texas Faith: Which religion stories merited more and better coverage?

Published on 12/21/10 at Dallas Morning news

Each December, the Religion Newswriters Association asks members to choose the top 10 religion stories of the year. We decided to flip that around and ask you our esteemed Texas Faith panelists which religion stories, trends, developments did NOT get the media attention they deserved in 2010.

Here's what they said:

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

A great initiative was taken by the Foundation for Pluralism to mitigate conflicts by demystifying the myths about Qur'aan, which were aggressively pushed by the right wingers to pit one American against the other.

Pastor Robert Jeffress (of First Baptist Church of Dallas) called Qur'aan an evil book written by a false prophet. He did not tell the truth nor did he take up the challenge to identify what is evil in Qur'aan. The media failed to ask him the specifics; his words were carried on the airwaves like the gospel truth.

The purpose of the Foundation for Pluralism conference was to understand the issues and find ways to remove such fears and phobias in an open forum and restore the cohesiveness of our society and work towards building a safe and secure America.

Pastor Jeffress declined to attend the conference. This story should have been on the front pages and evening news and it was not.

Are the neglected subjects in the media a function of the media's relentless focus on competitiveness and profits, and, at this moment, survival?

Indeed, the media are at a critical juncture of having to choose between fulfilling their societal responsibility and succumbing to the political compulsions of our times.

Please visit Dallas Morning News to read all the responses: http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/12/texas-faith-what-religion-stor.html

MikeGhouse is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. He is a professional speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, civic affairs, Islam, India, Israel, peace and justice. Mike 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 and regularly at Huffington post, and several other periodicals across the world. The blog www.TheGhousediary.com is updated daily.

Texas Faith: Why not worry about your theology?

Published on 12/14/10 at Dallas Morning news

In summing up the findings of Putnam and Campbell, Rod reaches this two-fold conclusion:

"The good news is that we Americans of different faith traditions get along remarkably well, not by casting aside religion, but by learning how to be tolerant even as we remain religiously engaged.

"The bad news is that achieving religious comity has come at the price of religious particularity and theological competence. That is, we may still consider ourselves devoted to our faith, but increasingly, we don't know what our professed faith teaches, and we don't appreciate why that sort of thing is important in the first place."

Rod goes on to write:

"It seems the more we know about believers in other faiths, the better we feel about those faiths. Isn't that progress?

"The problem - and it's a big one - is theological. If you believe that religion is nothing more than a statement of what an individual or a community thinks or feels about God, this is not such a big deal. If, however, you believe that religion is primarily a statement about what God thinks of us - that is, if religion proclaims binding moral and metaphysical truths that are necessary to live by - then a great deal depends on maintaining theological continuity and integrity."

So, for this week, I'd like to hear your thoughts about this question:

Why shouldn't people of faith worry about maintaining theological continuity and integrity, if indeed religion proclaims binding moral and metaphysical truths that are necessary to live by?

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

America does it!

People of faith, particularly "conservatives," continue to worry about maintaining theological continuity and integrity, but they really don't have a choice and cannot "control" perceived "deviants" by frightening them with excommunication or persecution. America is the land of the free and it does bring freedom to one from the clutches of one's own beliefs, however religious associations in America are tempered with free choice.

The men and women who came to America in the face of religious persecution in Europe formed their own communities and found the freedom to practice what they believed was their inalienable right. As more diverse communities grew, they developed an acceptance of the other out of a sheer need to co-exist and a desire to reject the idea of persecution they had endured. Although fanaticism was a part of the growth in persecuting Jews, Catholics, Mormons and Wicca, the idea of co-existence was also growing stronger.

One of the values immigrants cherish most is the freedom this land evokes, cajoles and activates in them. There is nothing like it anywhere on Earth. Immigrants are not what you think them to be; Mexicans, Indians, Chinese, Asians, Arabs or Africans but every one of us including you and me. Indeed the Native Americans have fiercely guarded and demonstrated their freedom as well.

Despite the binding moral and metaphysical truths espoused by the conservatives as truths to live by, the American gene of freedom has gotten them as much as everyone. They are worried about the dilution of their faith, but have gradually moved on from the familiar to unfamiliar, an inch at a time establishing new equilibriums.

They have reluctantly accepted pre-marital sexual relations; resisted abortion and have remained silent about men and women living together without the wedding vows, and now they are battling with the homosexuality issues and one day they will cross that threshold and accept new equilibriums.

The first living and practicing women rabbis, pastors or imams in the Abrahamic traditions particularly, and priests in other traditions in general, are here in the United States. That was an unthinkable thing some fifty years ago.

Our sense of morality is continuously enlarging and embracing diversity of thought as the legitimate other.Freedom of religion is the binding value of America and the American gene of freedom thrives and permeates in every one's DNA, and we will remain loyal to freedom over dogma.

Please visit Dallas Morning News to read all the responses: http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/12/texas-faith-why-not-worry-abou.html

TEXAS FAITH: How should chaplains deal with Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal?

Published on 12/07/10 at Dallas Morning news

The possible repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy has had Washington in a stir. The Pentagon released a report last week that showed that 70 percent of service members thought the repeal would have a negligible impact on their work.

Many military chaplains echoed that view. Only three of 145 chaplains who took part in a focus group said they would quit or retire.

But, as this Washington Post report indicates, some chaplains saw a repeal of the military's policy towards gays and lesbians as condoning a practice they consider sinful. The article quotes the Rev. Douglas Lee, a retired Presbyterian Army chaplain, as saying:

"There's a strong possibility that a chaplain wouldn't be allowed to proclaim what their own faith believes, and not give people the information they need to be a good Christian or a good Muslim or what have you."

So, with this situation in mind, here's this week's question:

How should army chaplains handle a situation that contradicts their religious convictions, whether it's about gays in the military or some other issue? They, after all, are called to minister to people of all faiths.

In answering this, I hope you all can reflect upon your own experiences or approaches in counseling people whose values you do not share.

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

Let us resist the temptation to become the moral police of our nation. We have led the world in innovation, science, technology, medicine and just about every aspect of life and it is time we consider moving from restrictive religious convictions to universalizing our God who loves his creation. It's a new paradigm in broadening our moral compass.

Some of the restrictive moral convictions are a product of insular religious or cultural traditions. Indeed, they were practices with narrower applications.

Let's follow the path of Jesus by embracing the whole of humanity and lead the world in respecting the "otherness" of others and setting the model of co-existence for nations like Ghana, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan to emulate us and not vice-versa.

Once upon a time, white man made nearly all of our military brass but that is not the case today. Our military is served by both men and women and by people of different races, faiths, ethnicities and nationalities.

We have come a long way since the declaration of our independence to believe and live up to the full meaning of the words "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." It took us nearly 150 years for our men to feel secure enough to treat women as equals to vote. It took us 50 years to honor our World War II hero Jesse Brown, a black man. Three years ago, we finally came to grips with our smallness in denying a Wiccan symbol in the Arlington Cemetery. We still have a long ways to go in fully accepting that all men (and women) are created equal. Together as Americans we have to be inclusive in serving and be served equally.

When an individual opts to serve our country to defend our freedom, we must honor that individual to the highest degree and treat him or her with dignity. We should never forget that they are defending every American and not just an exclusive club. Those of us who serve them ought not to forget to reciprocate them with equal enthusiasm and unrestrictive honor.

The Army Chaplains are employees of the nation to serve the men and women who defend our nation, and they ought to serve every defender of our nation regardless of their sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, faith, language or appearance.

Please visit Dallas Morning News to read all the responses: http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/12/texas-faith-how-should-chaplai.html

TEXAS FAITH: Was Oklahoma out of line with Sharia amendment?

Published on 11/16/10 at Dallas Morning news

According to the Associated Press, the measure's sponsor, Rep. Rex Duncan, said the amendment was not an attack on Muslims but an effort to prevent activist judges from relying on international law or Islamic law in deciding cases.

But Muneer Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Oklahoma and filer of the lawsuit before Miles-LaGrange, said the measure transforms the state constitution into "an enduring condemnation" of Islam.

About 20,000 to 30,000 Muslims live in the state, according to the AP. Is Oklahoma out of line with such an amendment or is the federal judge erring by delaying, for now, its implementation? And, briefly, why?

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

The Oklahoma referendum on Sharia is simply gratuitous and one of the best examples of politicians duping the public.

Getting the public to be riled up against something that ain't there is the ploy the politicians have been using. Many a times they succeed and the responsibility falls on our shoulders to wake the public up to such abuses.

The reason the Oklahoma law is gratuitous is because Muslims in America value the laws of our nation. They strongly feel that the American laws serve the very justice they seek, and they do not seek or ask for sharia law in America. Even if a few ask for it, statistically they are insignificant.

Please visit Dallas Morning News to read all the responses: http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/11/texas-faith-was-oklahoma-out-o.html

TEXAS FAITH: How do you view God?

Published on 11/09/10 at Dallas Morning news

In their new book, America's Four Gods, Baylor professors Paul Froese and Christopher Bader claim that America's cultural diversity goes back to our competing views of God. There is the engaged, judging Authoritative God; the loving, supportive Benevolent God; the observant but not punishing Critical God; and the stand-apart Distant God.

In essence, we are at war over who God is, which leads to this week's question:.How do you view God?

Do you fit into one of those four categories? A blend of them? Something quite different than these categories? Or do you not see God at all?

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

Has God created us in his image or have we created God in our own image? This new paradigm is gaining currency and it is worth looking into.

There are nearly seven billion of us and each one of has his or her own idea of God on a personal level. We have given gender to that elusive creator and we have come to believe he is one, many or none.

The new paradigm incorporates different perceptions of that creator, and we are limited by our references in terms of our senses and imagination. Having journeyed through atheism and agnosticism to Islamic pluralism, I have come to believe that God is not an entity, nor is it a being, and as such I have hard time collapsing God in to a word, an image or even to describe it conclusively.

I am closer to the idea of a stand-apart distant God and here is my reason. No matter which theory we subscribe to -- evolution, creation or the big bang theory -- the fact is that we exist and are real. When it all began two major things came out of it: Matter and Life.

Matter was programmed to find its own balance and every piece of matter in the universe has its own built-in balance. Whether it is Jupiter, Mars, Earth or the Moon, each one is hung precisely and runs its course on a pre-designed program.

When the question of life arises, we were not put on a trajectory nor were we placed on a pre-determined course. Instead we were given the free will to find our own balance. Our model is the Universe where each item respects other items' space and existence, and if we can replicate that model, we will be in peace and balance.

God is energy to me, a distant stand-apart God is my perception and we have the responsibility to attain that balance, and it comes from internalizing the social norms of an equilibrimic society. God is about finding balance for oneself and what surrounds one; life and environment.

Please visit Dallas Morning News to read all the responses: http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/11/texas-faith-how-do-you-view-go.html

TEXAS FAITH: Why does fear sell on the campaign trail?

Published on 11/02/10 at Dallas Morning news

Putting aside your own political views, which perhaps lead you to agree with some of these claims, help the rest of us understand why this point: Why does fear play such a big role in our elections?

For example, is there something deep within our psyches and/or souls that responds to fear, perhaps in a way that we are unaware? Or is it that fear sells and strategists know it? Or is it something else?

I'm sure we'd all like to think elections play to our better angels. But they often don't. Help us understand why.

Read on for some very interesting replies, including ideas about how the brain works.

Some provocative answers by the Texas Faith panel. Keep reading.

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

Fear has been ingrained into our psyche from the moment we had a chance to life. Darwin proclaimed the universal truth, "Survival of the fittest," though his reference was to survival of the species; it is indeed applicable in political, social, religious, cultural and other contexts.

Our journey began fighting for life with millions of fellow sperms who competed with us, every one of them withered. You and I have survived and made it to the end, to the egg and to the point of reading this note. Thus our DNA is stamped with fear. We must have been the fittest of all the millions of sperms to have survived to share our story.

The fear of elimination continues and we will be competing for just about everything in life; attention from loved ones to converting others to our point of view to gaining a majority in the Senate or House.

Fear is tapped by both the right and left among politicians to attain a sense of security and to preserve the values they espouse to work for the society. If moderates were to reign, co-existence rather than fear would play a key role in the elections.

The right wingers fear erosion of their values or at worst an end to their 'normal' life. They have become adept in cranking up imaginary fears and then assuring with 'fake' confidence that "we will fix it," thereby giving hope to the 'frightened ones". The net result is often no real change.

The left perceives the same threat to their freedom and liberties. They seek change and venture into the unknown territory of experimentation, often giving doubtful confidence. They frighten the right, netting in a zero result.

Religion uplifts one from sheer animal instincts to figure out co-existence. Most people get the religion right and a few don't. Those who get it right find deprogramming of their fears in achieving Nirvana, Moksha, Nijaat,Mukti, Salbation or freedom.

Those who don't get it right, live in eternal anxiety. Religion underwrites protection for the vulnerable moments and works as insurance that blankets us all in a safety net.

We need to understand that our security does not hinge on big corporations, Republicans or Democrats but sane individuals who can balance the budget, create jobs and prevent wars. We need to demand commitments from the politicians and hold them accountable for their focus on the well being of Americans for today, tomorrow and for the next seven generations. As Americans, our loyalty should be to our system of governance and not to the parties and we can truly make this government of people for the people by us. Let your vote count, vote today

Please visit Dallas Morning News to read all the responses: http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/11/texas-faith-why-does-fear-sell.html

MikeGhouse is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. He is a professional speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, civic affairs, Islam, India, Israel, peace and justice. Mike 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 and regularly at Huffington post, and several other periodicals across the world. The blog www.TheGhousediary.com is updated daily.