tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-769237935430750989.post2955274602573367406..comments2024-02-09T23:01:58.528+00:00Comments on The Invisible Province: FundamentalismUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-769237935430750989.post-54928065261214965822010-08-28T14:07:07.973+01:002010-08-28T14:07:07.973+01:00What makes a fundamentalist. Is it just somebody ...What makes a fundamentalist. Is it just somebody with an excessive belief that ‘without this fundamental idea, without recognizing something as definitive within their lives, their lives would be trivialised’. Maybe.<br /><br />But what swings somebody from being a loving, caring, respectful human being even if with a fundamental core to their lives, into being an aggressive, disrespectful, intimidating, threatening, or murderous individual.<br /><br />My instincts are to look deeper than just their current fundamental outlook, and later influences in their lives. But beyond. To believe that any baby could grow up and turn towards evil and away from light in order to achieve what they believe is ‘their fundamental truth’ has to be just as much about their frustrations, feelings of repression, anger, as it is about their ancestors, their heritage, their time in the womb, their childhood, upbringing, motivations, education, adolescence, influences in adulthood, and their ungrace etc etc.<br /><br />I guess that’s why having a moral justice system is so important.<br /><br />Somebody once said to me “If you do not like something about someone’s behaviour, rather than looking at trying to change them, look at changing yourself” I think there is a great truth in this. But I am only one person in this world. All we can do is try and understand with compassion and change our own little corner.<br /><br />I think one of the hardest things for any person to do, is to truly forgive, and let God be the judge. Easy to forgive the little things, but to truly forgive things like murder especially of the masses and war and terrorism is so difficult. <br /><br />How do you manage fundamental beliefs in a pluralistic, liberal society? Well even before we determine Whether it be by co-existence "productive conflict", tolerance or mapping out consensual ground, I believe that compassion, forgiveness and therefore Grace has to feature.<br /><br /><br />‘Forgiveness is not the same as pardon, Forgiveness offers a way out, it does not settle all questions of blame or fairness, but it does allow a relationships to start over, begin anew.’ ‘Magnanimous forgiveness, allows the possibility of transformation in the guilty party’. If you can forgive a person who you once branded as powerful and evil you can then see them as a person weak in his needs. ‘When we genuinely forgive, we set a prisoner free and then discover the prisoner we set free was us’. <br /><br />Again if everyone’s fundamental beliefs were of Love and Grace as they SHOULD be regardless of origin one wonders what a different world we would all be a part of today.magsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-769237935430750989.post-80181681436509920092010-08-25T16:47:34.478+01:002010-08-25T16:47:34.478+01:00"The quest for certainty and simplicity becom..."The quest for certainty and simplicity becomes dangerous," writes Pope Benedict in Salt of the Earth, " Does it?<br /><br />Isnt there just one fundamental universal Truth. Regardless of whether you are religious or secular, or what country you come from, or what politics you embrace. Love (agape) is funadmental to all.magsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-769237935430750989.post-57460194715964496162010-08-25T13:18:54.024+01:002010-08-25T13:18:54.024+01:00Suddenly being a hermit feels like the favourite a...Suddenly being a hermit feels like the favourite answer!magsnoreply@blogger.com