What’s the line between faith & fanaticism — is Randall Terry different from Osama Bin Laden? Were the Puritan fathers who drove Anne Hutchinson from Massachusetts that different from the mullahs issuing fatwas against perceived heretics? And could the God/Yaweh/Allah of the Western worlds really condone wholesale slaughter in their respective names?
Lately, I’ve been watching the various gyrations of the the fundamentalists and the Episcopalians trying to understand where God and faith is in all their arguments. If you believe the Dobsons and such, God will abandon the Republican party if Rudy Guiliani is nominated. But, what has God had to say about 1/2 million dead Iraqis, 4000 dead Americans, 30,000 wounded? And then the Episcopal/Anglican angst over sexuality — does it really matter who you sleep with in God’s eyes. Doesn’t s/he care more about feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and sheltering the homeless?
Faith is powerful, transformative and uplifting — it asks considered action that answers the Dalai Lama’s question, to paraphrase — is it true, is it kind and will it improve the situation? Lately, I’ve enjoyed Bnjamin Franklin, Jim Wallis, Bruce Feiler and the wonderful blog, “Faithfully Liberal” to look at these questions.
Music to think to: Aretha Franklin, and Tennessee Ernie Ford
Everyone has inside him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is! –> Anne Frank
Take care,
Aly
History Thru the Looking Glass 