ubiquitous dialogue
reposted from 2005-01-04 06:08:00 in mojo_meeting for its recurrent validity... and now, with slight annotation...
pinkflesh17 posted a rabbi's review of mel gibson's film, "the passion," in which the rabbi mentions something he learned from his teacher:
"if you want to discuss or criticize some one else's religion make sure someone from that religion is sitting down at the same table with you when you open your mouth."
this is a profound teaching... and one which i think that we should keep in mind at the mojo_meeting... not only would we likely be able to get a more thorough analysis of any given religion if we had someone from that faith present to provide their expert opinions... i think that we would also manage to have more respectful discussions if we at least spoke spoke as if there were someone of that faith present while we are discussing a particular religion.
this last context is synonymous one of my fundamental ethics, to speak about people as if they were present, and only say things about a person that i will say directly to that person... this is a belief which led me to establish the community, areopagus.
after a discussion last night, it occurs to me that i could make a community that is more fun than areopagus by encouraging people to say more constructive, affirmations about each other... complements, kindness, and praise, rather than criticism, grievance, and adversity.
pinkflesh17 posted a rabbi's review of mel gibson's film, "the passion," in which the rabbi mentions something he learned from his teacher:
"if you want to discuss or criticize some one else's religion make sure someone from that religion is sitting down at the same table with you when you open your mouth."
this is a profound teaching... and one which i think that we should keep in mind at the mojo_meeting... not only would we likely be able to get a more thorough analysis of any given religion if we had someone from that faith present to provide their expert opinions... i think that we would also manage to have more respectful discussions if we at least spoke spoke as if there were someone of that faith present while we are discussing a particular religion.
this last context is synonymous one of my fundamental ethics, to speak about people as if they were present, and only say things about a person that i will say directly to that person... this is a belief which led me to establish the community, areopagus.
after a discussion last night, it occurs to me that i could make a community that is more fun than areopagus by encouraging people to say more constructive, affirmations about each other... complements, kindness, and praise, rather than criticism, grievance, and adversity.