Paying Attention

Herein be random ruminations on politics, history, ideas, spirituality, religion, education, media, life, relationships, culture... and Boston sports when I really want to vent.

"If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention." (ubiquitous)

"Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never has and never will." (Frederick Douglass)

"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires." (Susan B. Anthony)

"Clearly the trick in life is to die young as late as possible." (William Sloane Coffin)

January 31, 2012 7:39 pm

A PIECE OF PEACE

It’s admirable that these religious leaders of various faiths known as much for their conflict as for comity can get together like this.  They’re trying to make a common witness to peace.  But they can’t, and the picture itself shows why.

Who’s missing?  Women!  So long as religions remain patriarchal, they cannot witness to anything but division, delusion and in the end, worldly impotence.  Not because “liberals” think sexism is “politically incorrect,” but because of what patriarchy does to religion itself.  First, it distorts the God of creation, the God of justice and love, who clearly could not intend one half of humanity’s divine image to be subordinated to the other half… man-made scripture fables notwithstanding. Second, it distorts humanity.  So long as religions try to witness to universal communion with a fractured vision of the human community, the best they can grasp is a piece of peace.  And for people who purport to represent the will of the Creator and the word of truth, that’s just not good enough.

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