I made a post on Facebook a couple of weeks ago that I thought I was a little too cynical and that I was going to try to change that. It's reached a point where I don't think it's all that healthy, and although it may be entertaining (especially for a blog like this!) I really AM trying to steer away from it.
The Dalai Lama is an easy target for a cynic. He made the news today because he declared that he's a Marxist monk, but then praised capitalism for opening up China and helping millions of people improve their lives. He says that all human beings are the same but is referred to as his Holiness and speaks on an ornate throne with people sitting on the floor at his feet. He says that Marxism has "moral ethics" and that capitalism only seeks profits, but then charges hundreds of dollars to hear him speak (he claims that it his "organization" and that he has nothing to do with that money).
Does that mean that he doesn't have anything good to say or that we can't learn from him? No, absolutely not. Wisdom can come from just about anywhere, and the Dalai Lama is no exception. I fully agree with Eddie on his point about this.
Religious harmony is certainly a lofty goal, but I personally don't think that it's really possible. It would be possible if all of the adherents of the various religions were what I would call "moderate" followers. What I mean by that is when you look at the claims of some of the major world religions as declared in what each of them calls their sacred texts, hardcore adherents will never ascent to religious harmony. I don't believe a person who makes a serious exegetical study of the Bible can argue with the exclusivity of Jesus Christ. There are, of course, several books about the subject. Two that I would recommend are "Jesus Among Other Gods" by Ravi Zacharias and "Christ Among Other Gods" by Erwin Lutzer. I'm certainly no expert, but based on my time in seminary that is what I believe. I'm also no expert in Islam, but in the bit of research that I've done, "true followers" of Islam have no doubts about the salvific exclusivity of their religion. They believe that Islam is "the only acceptable religion and the sole legitimate path to His pleasure." As a result, the hardcore adherents will never agree with the Dalai Lama that all the world's major religions are important. They are an aberration. I cannot speak to the other religions like Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, etc.
Having said that, I do NOT believe that the result has to be wars or outright intolerance of one another. I remember back in 1992 when I was on a port visit in Naples, Italy. We did a "comrel" (community relations) event at a local soup kitchen. It was run by a Catholic church, but we (a bunch of protestants) were helping serve and so were the local Mormons. Granted, this is more like divisions within what many would call "Christianity", but still, we all came together for the good of the local homeless populace. It was a good thing. Could the Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus work a soup kitchen together? I don't know.
The Dalai Lama is the leader of Tibet. As a result, at any time he could face the accusation that everything he is doing has an ulterior motive in regards to the land of Tibet. But that comes with the territory of leadership. The United States has been facing that charge for at least the last 100 years. Welcome to the club Mr. Lama!
Compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment, and self-discipline... I think we can all get behind that. It's certainly an uphill battle, on all five of them! On the one hand, there is plenty of "religious" history that has been completely contrary to these values. You don't have to look far: Bosnia (Orthodoxy/Catholicism/Islam), the Gaza Strip (Judaism/Islam), Baghdad (Sunni/Shiite), Ireland (Protestantism/Catholicism), etc. But I tend to believe that the ANSWER can still be found in those same religions. Again, I can't speak to all of the religions, but the Bible certainly teaches all of those things, and that's where you have to start. You have to look at your own beliefs and seek to live those values every day. To steal a line from Michael Jackson, "I'm starting with the man in the mirror; I'm asking him to make a change."
By the way Ed, I'm not sure that your "heat" (45 mph) actually qualifies as a fastball. If your three-base pitching was any indication, we would both shell you like Dresden in WWII. Please tell me that we can find some time for 3-base the next time we're all together???
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