Comments on: Stressing Similarities http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2008/10/27/stressing-similarities-2/ Everyone has a right to my opinions Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:36:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: Robert http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2008/10/27/stressing-similarities-2/comment-page-1/#comment-133776 Robert Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:03:48 +0000 http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/?p=983#comment-133776 You don't. That's the limit of toleration, I think. But in accepting that, it does not follow that it is impossible to find value in any part of that culture. Many people try to throw the baby out with the bathwater, citing fundamentalist Islam, or militant Christianism, as a reason to show any respect to anyone from the Muslim or Christian faiths. A key point about multiculturalism is that it should never be unquestioning. Its a dialogue, not someone saying 'take us or leave us'. And its in the dialogue that you find the value, the aspects of a culture you can respect and perhaps even adopt. Its in the dialogue that one's shared humanity emerges. "Everyone who doesn’t share that religion is evil and should die" is not dialogue. You don’t. That’s the limit of toleration, I think. But in accepting that, it does not follow that it is impossible to find value in any part of that culture. Many people try to throw the baby out with the bathwater, citing fundamentalist Islam, or militant Christianism, as a reason to show any respect to anyone from the Muslim or Christian faiths.

A key point about multiculturalism is that it should never be unquestioning. Its a dialogue, not someone saying ‘take us or leave us’. And its in the dialogue that you find the value, the aspects of a culture you can respect and perhaps even adopt. Its in the dialogue that one’s shared humanity emerges. “Everyone who doesn’t share that religion is evil and should die” is not dialogue.

]]> By: Clarice http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2008/10/27/stressing-similarities-2/comment-page-1/#comment-133775 Clarice Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:41:58 +0000 http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/?p=983#comment-133775 The problem is when religions, or versions of them, include a clause that says everyone who doesn't share that religion is evil and should die, because god says so. How do you have harmony, when you've got that going on? The problem is when religions, or versions of them, include a clause that says everyone who doesn’t share that religion is evil and should die, because god says so. How do you have harmony, when you’ve got that going on?

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