Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 21, 2003
The “blend” of religiopolitical ideals
Civil Religion:
– Ritual = songs,
dance, speeches, sharing
– Remembering social
ideals = peace, justice, equality
– Remembering what
our “true calling” is as human beings
–
Remembering a modern-day prophet
Key Ideas
There will be no peace without justice
Religion should be a powerful social force for peace
in the world
“Religion” is about sharing and caring for other
people, even those with whom you disagree
“Religion” should unify, not divide
Difference & Inequality
Sameness and difference are not the same as equality and
inequality.
Human beings are
unique; their differences should be celebrated.
Racist social
constructs turn natural differences between human beings into life
situations of inequality.
Why?
Equality?
Do all people on the
planet possess equal levels of valued resources?
Do all people on the
planet have equal amounts, types, and ranges of life options?
To what degree are
the accomplishments of different groups of people valued equally?
If not, why not?
Religion and Violence
“Religion” is the
ideal way a people conceive of the world; it is the way the world SHOULD BE.
“Politics,” as power,
is the natural human inclination to see the ideals of their worldview realized
in daily life.
All of human history
is about the dynamic relationship between religion and power.
Thoughts on religion…
When “religious
answers” to profound life questions are institutionalized in a given
culture, the religion will express the very best in that culture but also can
be infected by the worst concepts and practices, all in the name of God.
Example: racism in
the name of God or the Divine
Insights from
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Human selfishness disrupts,
distorts, and sometimes destroys human lives
Individual
selfishness creates worry, insecurity, anxiety, and the need to manipulate or
control other people
Institutionalized
selfishness = racism, sexism,
group violence, etc. distorts all other human institutions
Insights from
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Racist social
constructions distort all
other institutions in society.
Problems:
–
Racism &
education
–
Racism in politics
–
Racism in society
–
Racism at work
–
Racism in religion(s)
–
Global racist
attitudes, and so forth….
What We Need
We need:
Equal opportunity for
all human beings to use their talents and achieve their life goals
To end all social
constructions that create an unfair, unjust living environment
To cultivate genuine
concern and caring for other human beings, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or
other “difference.”
Religion and Violence
Religion needs to be spiritually authentic and
social relevant
If it is neither, it can become the most dangerous
force on earth
Religion is either part of the solution; or it’s
part of the problem
When Religion Becomes Evil
Notes
on Charles Kimball’s Book
REL
454
Religion
and Violence
Key Observations:
Key Questions
Religious ideologies and commitments are
indisputably central factors in the escalation of violence and evil around the
world
What does Kimball mean by “evil?”
What examples of religious violence does he mention
(see page 4)?
Religion: A Problem?
Religious worldviews
are irrelevant and anachronistic
Conflicting truth
claims inevitably lead to conflict
Religion is
inherently divisive and destructive
Are these views
helpful in dealing with the problem of religion and violence?
Finding Solutions
Religious Studies
Comparative Religion
–
Seeks common ground in all world religious
traditions
Experience
Myth
& Ritual
Doctrine
& Ethics
Social
dimension
Finding Solutions
Identifying common characteristics among religions is not the same as saying
all religions are the same
Diversity exists within a religious community like
Islam or Christianity
Diversity of commitment, understanding, and belief
exist within individual believers
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN RELIGIONS
EXCLUSIVISM = my
faith is the only true way!!!
INCLUSIVISM = my
religion is sufficiently spacious to accommodate all others.
Pluralism = “moccasin-walkin’”
- keeping one’s own religion yet being open and appreciative of other beliefs
and practices
ARE RELIGIONS THE SAME OR DIFFERENT??
What aspect are you viewing?:
–
rituals
–
geographic location
–
cultural context
–
founding period
–
doctrines
–
ethics
–
experiential dimension
Dealing with Difference
All religious worldview are not equally
valid. Some considerations:
–
What are the social “fruits” of a particular
religion?
–
Does the religion generate peace and compassion in
believers or hate and violence?
–
Does the religion “work” in the lives of real
believers?
Is Religion the Problem?
Rigid exclusivism in Christianity:
–
“Christianity is not a religion; it is a relationship
with Christ.
–
Therefore, Christianity is the only truth.
–
“Religion” is a false, human creation.
–
Non-Christians are headed for Hell.
–
See pp.
26-29 in Kimball
Is Religion the Problem?
Scientism and materialism have caused people to view “religion” in a
narrow way.
The problem may be that “religion” has lost its spiritual
component.
Spirituality, as a model, may reveal the
interconnectedness of all religions.
RELIGION AND SPIRTUALITY
Spirituality:
an extraordinary
awareness of interconnectedness
a quality of being,
like mind & body, that we must nourish
provides inner-meaning
to all human endeavor
informs authentic
religious experience
RELIGION AND SPIRTUALITY
Religion:
the institutional expression of spiritual
insight
the pursuit of transformation under the impact of a
sacred worldview
6 dimensions = experience, myth, ritual, doctrine,
ethics & social
religion-ing
= a verb not a noun
RELIGION AND SPIRTUALITY
A person can be spiritual but not religious
a person can
be religious but not spiritual
a person can
be religious and spiritual
a person can be neither religious nor spiritual
What is “Religion?”
Going to church
Believing in God and
Jesus
Believing the Bible is the word of God
Being part of a faith
community
Getting saved so I go
to heaven when I die
Not cussin’ and
smokin’ and drinkin’ and listenin’ to the Devil’s music
I’m a ( ) Fill in
the blank with a label
Religion: Why?
I want God in my life
I want salvation & heaven when I die
I want to believe the truth about life
I want to worship in the “right way”
I’m afraid, insecure, alone, anxious, and sad a
lot. My religion helps me feel better.
I want to be happy
Religion: Why not?
Who needs it?
It’s just a bunch of myths, fables, and superstitions from the past
Science has replaced the need for religion
It’s irrational.
It causes all the wars and hatred in the world
I’m just here for 3 Gen. Ed. Credits!
Common Misconceptions
About Religion
Religion is a person’s own
business; it has no impact on society in general.
Religion is Christianity – “end of story!”
Religion only happens at a certain time, on a certain day, in
unusually shaped buildings that occupy prime real estate in the towns and
cities of the world.
Religion and
morality are the same thing.
Common Human Experience
All human beings in
all cultures and in all eras of human history have pondered the same existential
questions:
–
Who am I?
–
Where did “all this”
come from?
–
What is the meaning
& purpose of life?
–
How should human
beings live?
–
What is the “good
life?”
–
How do I find
happiness?
–
I know that I will
die. What happens, then?
Common Human Experience
Religion is about the ongoing quest for answers, for
“wholeness,” for peace and security, for justice, equality, and fairness.
The “world religions”
– Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, etc. – all emerge in a
relatively short (2500 yrs.) period of time.
Earlier peoples had
different answers; what will future answers and religious systems be like?
Worldviews & Religion
Everyone has a worldview:
• A worldview = your identity, or sense of
self + your relationship with the world around you + your interpretation of
life’s circumstances + your behavior!
•
Worldview = what a person really values; what they really
seek in life
• You know a
person’s worldview by their behavior; all else is “window dressing”