Harvard Pluralism Project: Creating Relationships Across Differences (VIDEO)

Diane Eck, Director of Harvard University's Pluralism Project, talks about interfaith work and the importance of creating relationships out of diversity. She is joined by Kathryn Lohre who highlights the work of the Pluralism Project and the detrimental role that the media often plays in matters of religious understanding.

WATCH:

Video courtesy of Odyssey Networks.

Comments

[SoldAmerican]

11:26 AM on 06/08/2011

Pluralism is the Kryptonite for the Southern Baptist Evangelicals and the Pentecostal religious supremacists.

[speedracer27]

10:53 AM on 06/09/2011

And most of not all Muslims..

[SoldAmerican]

11:23 AM on 06/08/2011

Context 1:

Western concept of liberty as a political system: e.g. "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". It's a very broad framework. It does not go into the minutia or stipulate what it is that would make you happy etc.. Does it mean, that you can bring in a rigid system of communism or fascism ideology under that framework of "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"? Obviously not since those political ideologies would violate the basic framework of liberty in the political context. However, you can still have socialism as normative values within the frame work of "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness".

Now apply the same concept when it comes to Hindu religion vs a vis other religions. There is no set ideology that Hindus should adhere to, to be a Hindu.. Hinduism is freedom of spiritual quest for an individual as long as the framework is not violated. if you insist that your belief or ideology is the only true one and the rest are false or that every other faith except yours is in violation, then you are violating the basic freedom of spiritual quest and most Hindus would not accept that as being Hindu.

[SoldAmerican]

11:41 AM on 06/08/2011

Context 2:

Another illustration is how western liberal ideology is pilloried by some conservative societies of the world by pointing out to the worst in western civilization as an excuse for they not adopting a free society. e.g. They often point to pornography in the west as failure of a free society "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". They conveniently do not realize that westerners do not necessarily celebrate pornography instead consider that a price they have to pay for living in a free society.

Let me apply that to Hinduism. Because there are no rigid rules nor any Institution to enforce any in a "libertarian" faith called Hinduism, naturally you would find some odd and strange practices within Hinduism including some bizarre Tantric rituals. Missionaries and religious supremacists and leftists like Wendy often highlight these sects/practices to point to the failure of Hinduism just like countries that have a tyrannical political system who point to pornography as the central tenet of free society to rationalize the supremacy of their tyrannical ideology/belief system. Most Hindus would tolerate these bizarre tantric practices (within the context of a law and order) but not necessarily celebrate them as Hindu rituals/customs.

[SoldAmerican]

11:41 AM on 06/08/2011

Context 3.

Process of scientific quest: Scientists and the process of scientific quest is about the pursuit of that never reaching wall of absolute knowledge. Its the pursuit and not necessarily about finding all the answers there is to know. They constantly keep pushing that wall of ignorance a little further and the constant debate to fine tune. Yet, you would find some individuals (Creationists) who would use this as a weakness to deride scientists and what they do for they claim their Green Goblin up in the heavens has created it all.

In Hinduism, its not about a set of revealed set of truth given to 1 or 2 individual that has adjudicated all questions and that subsequent generation would just have to accept this "adjudicated revealed truth" into perpetuity and that they would be punished if they challenge these "truths" (Its really hearsay packaged as Truths). Instead, Hindu beliefs are really musings of individuals over 4000 years. Its intuitive perceptions of seers while introspecting and meditating deeply without guarantees to what they say is the absolute truth (They are opinions). Its devoid of compulsion by way of intrinsic threats for one to follow and believe what they sayy. These musings still continue and will never end just like scientific musings are a never ending pursuit.

[Ahmed Ahmad]

12:14 AM on 06/08/2011

Tolerance for intolerant religious ideologies is collective suicide.

[hollace]

03:36 AM on 06/07/2011

I disagree. I know someone just wrote a book about this but i think he was talking about if it was good for Religon. Of course it helps ...it always helps to actually know the people you live among. If life isn't about understanding others and learning about the world. What is it about. Where to buy a weedwacker and what to do for dandruff.

[religionfree]

10:24 PM on 06/06/2011

Interfaith is nothing but superstitious people coming together to reaffirm their belief in the supernatural.

If one person talks to invisible friends, we say that person is crazy. If a group of people talk to invisible friends, it suddenly becomes a cult or religion.

[chowda]

03:10 AM on 06/07/2011

We need for all the invisible friends to get along together, tho...

[Todd R Lattig]

02:02 PM on 06/09/2011

If atheists want to be "religion free", why do they, yourself included, waste so much of their time arguing about religion. Just leave it behind you and walk away.

[rsttho557949]

02:48 PM on 06/06/2011

Let me go on record sayinfg that I am totally against Pluralism! I am totally against Religious Pluralism! I am not racist ( biased for many things) and I know that ethnic diversity is a good thing since we are all God's children. But leave the culture at the door. Idealy, everyone should have their own country to live and then there woudn't be a problem with pleasing the masses. But since America is a country like no other, we should respect the things that created the Greatest Country that ever existed such as...

#1. This country was founded by European Christians--not Deists, Atheists or Secular Humanists. What holds this country together is Jesus--not "laws" Capitalism, or wishful thinking.
#2. English is the offical lanugage in this country. Don't like it, then high tail your butt back to where you fled from.
#3.All should strive to be Full-Americans..none of this I'm a Hyphonated-American. Hyphonation shows no solidarity and a "longing" to be back where you fled from. I say, be a full American or stay where you fled from.
#4 Come to America to contribute...not ake and send back to where you fled from.

We can live in peace by respecting Jesus, speak the language, be part of the Big Picture, and give back to the country that is giving you a unique chance to be all that you could be.

[religionfree]

10:22 PM on 06/06/2011

Our Founding Fathers were secular deists who despised organized religion. Look it up.

[rsttho557949]

11:19 PM on 06/06/2011

I despise organized religion, too! Its a lie from the pit of hell that the Founding Fatehrs were not Christian. ALL of them beleived in Jesus. The issues with the Founding Father-and the Colonits were two people"

1.The Pope
2. The King of England

NONE of them had iiiues with Jesus...who is not a religion but a REALITY of our existence.

Think about it, ALL the 13 colonies were occupied by Chirtians of seprate sects (e.g., Quakers in Pennsylvania, Bapstist in Rhode Island, Catholics in Maryland. These people were mostly white Europeans who were Christian. The Founding Fathers didn't omit religion, they made a way 1st Amendment so that Protestant Christians and Catholic Christians could co-exist in peace in this new nation. The entire premise of the United States is "WE THE PEOPLE". Relgion was always important to the Colonits and THE PEOPLE would never have allowed their representatives to omit religion because of the philsophy of a few representatives. The people would have never tolerated that. The forming of this country was the brain trust of a few men-they had to get input from THE PEOPLE before anything was finalized. The Desit myth centers around Washington, Jefferson and Franklin and thogh they may have had issues with "religion" all were Christian.

[Muno]

12:10 AM on 06/07/2011

Honestly, you are crazy. Normally I would feel upset but this just cracked me up.

[rsttho557949]

12:32 AM on 06/07/2011

Dear Muno,

I've been called worse. No, I'm not crazy...just standing up for what I beleive. I have no problem with ethnic diversity, but there is alot more to being a great country than simply paying taxes because you're forced to do it. I believe in freedom so long as everyone is on the same page and patriotic for this country.

I'm glad that I brought some humor into your life...people take themselves too seriously nowadays.

[methodman]

01:24 PM on 06/06/2011

Interfaith is a discussion of why one interpretation might explore more roads than another avenue. It isn't so much who is right as which explanations provide more hubs. However among the evangelical groups everyone except themselves is a hostile enemy. That is company I won't keep.

[religionfree]

10:25 PM on 06/06/2011

Don't just hold the Evangelicals responsible. Fundamentalist Muslims are no different.

[french queen13]

06:43 AM on 06/07/2011

I'd think the evangelicals are a bigger threat to your country though, aren't they?

[diversityreport]

12:19 PM on 06/06/2011

My thanks to Diana Eck for her inspiration & encouragement 20 years ago. The pluralism project highlighted interfaith work on the local and national level from its inception, emphasizing the complexity of religious diversity, not the TV sound bites. Religious pluralism should be a major part of our ongoing community building, not merely a response to headlines.