What is Pluralism?

WHAT IS PLURALISM?

Pluralism is not a religion, but merely an attitude of respecting the otherness of others, and accepting the (God) given uniqueness of each individual. Hey, if you like the peach cobbler and I like the apple pie; does it make a difference to each other? Is your food taste superior to mine? Hell no!

If you worship kneeling and I worship standing - does it make a difference to you or I? You enjoy your practice and I do mine. Is my religion superior to yours? Hell no! Each religion brings harmony within an individual and with fellow beings. More at: www.PluralismCenter.com

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in Standing up for others and has done that throughout his life as an activist. Mike has a presence on national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News; fortnightly at Huffington post; and several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes his work through many links.  

What are friends for?

I urge you to have a heart to heart, one on one with your spouse and children, friends and fellow workers frequently, knowing that the person cares and "listens uninterrupted” is healing in itself. This last week, a friend committed suicide, shot himself in the car in a parking lot…. It has made us all think through the precariousness of life. How difficult must it have been for him to bear the pain, anxiety or depression to have shot himself…

  You are tagged because you do your share of listening and being there for your friends,  and I just wanted to share what was gonig through my mind this morning. I was thinking about this friend, he has been a part of the Unityday program, and he was on my dial list to call... but I never got around to do that.. and when I heard the news, I said to myself, damn me for not calling him...he and I have talked for at least 15 minutes whenever we tallked. Sometimes, people talk to you even if you are not a close friends, but if they sense you care.

Some 20 years ago, a Boys Scout parent, was anxious, I noticed that and talked to him on the Sunday Scout meeting to meet with him the following week... on Monday evening we waived at each other at a stop sign… then on Tuesday, he hung himself in his home. I have come to regret that fairly frequently; it was so difficult for his son who was a boys scout mate of my son… And now, when I trace anxiety with a person whom I know, I make an effort to set that as a priority to listen to the person.

Every year for the last five years, while wishing well on festivals and holidays, As a part of my personal share of responsibility to the well being of fellow beings, I give out my phone number, for the ones among us to call, and thank God a few do, and it feels good to do my share of work.  If you  want to just talk to someone, please feel free to call your friend and ask them to listen…for at least 5 minutes,  or you can call me.

Thank you
Mike Ghouse
www.MikeGhouse.net
(214) 325-1916

TEXAS FAITH: Anthony Weiner and Internet ethics

By now, we all know more about Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner’s online habits than we probably care to know. But his distribution of a lewd photo and online sex-talk with women other than his wife does raise ethical issues that the Internet if fast forcing upon us. And that is, to what degree is a sin a sin?

Jesus certainly said that to look at a woman with lust was like committing adultery. So, to some extent, that ethic applies to today’s wired world. Applying that standard, what happens online “counts” as much as what happens physically between two people.

But here’s the question for this week from William McKenzie/ Editorial Columnist, Dallas Morning News; "In what ways does the Internet force us to rethink ethical standards?"

Here is the take from Mike Ghouse, one of the 7 seven panelists for all the response go to: http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/06/texas-faith-anthony-weiner-and.html

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

We keep going back to the basics whenever there is a flaunting violation of ethics in the public square. This is like going home where it is safe and comfortable. Ethical standards are indeed dynamic and are moving away from public domain to individual concerns in linear progression. However, they remain the anchor of a culturally stable society.

Before the emergence of earliest formal religions like Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Hinduism and the native traditions, adultery was handled like the bulls or the rams, it was not even considered an ethical issue. Whoever was mightier took the girl as though she was a prized chattel.

We have come a long way in moving the civilization to maturation. The statement, "to look at a woman with lust is like committing adultery" is not as comfortable as it was a hundred years ago. Today we are consciously accommodating, "to look at the other person with lust is like betraying the trust of the spouse or a partner."

Oddly the word "sin" is alarmingly absent in the public discourse on Weiner's issue. Indeed, the word is reduced to a personal betrayal rather than a public violation that demanded flogging once. Even the evangelicals were looking at Gingrich, Spitzer, Hart, Craig, Edwards and Clinton as violators rather than sinners, all the while Clinton made attempts to redefine sin in the Lewinsky hearings. According to a new CNN poll, "56 percent of voters in Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner's district do not think the scandal-plagued congressman should resign."

Welcome to the world of new emerging ethics. Thanks to the Internet for forcing us to factor in a variety of individual opinions to change the public discourse on sin, ethics and morality. Without the Internet, the only opinions that mattered were that of the clergy and the polls reaching out to a few.

But today, citizen journalism, blogging and social networks are dramatically altering the black and white issues into colorful ones that give an ever-widening range. The opinions are not the domain of a few any more, but of everyone who freely expresses his or her opinion on a given topic. On my facebook, I have received over 70 comments on the issue and the conversation about open marriages and accommodating the whims in a relationship has earned a space.

As a futurist, I see the word "sin" to remain on books but gradually lose its old meaning and acquire a new value in the public square. The violations would be individual in nature resulting in betrayal and cheating, rather than sinful activities. A new ethics is in the making.

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, writer, thinker and an activist committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day – all of his work is indexed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/