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%FINDING COMMON GROUND CONSERVATIVE LIBERAL CHURCH+970203
%CHRISTIAN FUNDAMENTAL CONFLICTS COMMANDMENTS LAW+970203
%LEGALISM MORALITY CONDEMNATIONS SELF RIGHTEOUS SIN+970203
%SCRIPTURES TEXTS INTERPRETATION HONOR RESPECT FAIL 970203
Often there are conflicts within religious traditions
about how to interpret their scriptures and the teachings
of their revered founders. Often such conflicts revolve
around how to respond to the commandments which are found
in scriptures and early teachings of the early leaders in
the religious tradition. There are differences in
interpretation as to what the words mean, and in deciding
how to respond to their meaning within modern contexts.
How are religious people to find common ground on
which to work together in cooperation? Often the
differences between them are confused, rather than
clarified, by their conflicts. Distinctions are made but
not illuminated. There are, however some steps by which
to make distinctions and illuminate upon-what-basis the
distinctions are made:
1. Make a comprehensive list of the commandments in
the original scriptures and teachings which various
conflicting factions: (1) take seriously and seek
diligently to honor, (2) disagree about how to deal with
the commandments, (3) almost always ignore as irrelevant,
(4) rarely discuss, because there is virtually universal
agreement about, understanding of, and respect for, them.
2. Have participants in a finding-common-ground
exercise vote two ways on each commandment in the
comprehensive list.
A. How controversial is it within their
religious tradition; 5 for very
controversial and 1 for not at all
controversial.
B. How well respected, supported and/or honored
each commandment is among the "main-line"
congregations of their religious tradition.
3. Make a scatter plot of commandments by number;
plotting the average score on how controversial each is
along the vertical axis as ordinate, and how well
respected, supported and/or honored each commandment is
along the horizontal axis as abscissa.
4. The numbers of controversial commandments will be
across the top of the scatter plot, and the ones about
which there is consensus, across the bottom of the scatter
plot.
5. The numbers of highly respected, supported and/or
honored commandments will be up and down the right of the
scatter plot, and those that are not respected, on the
left part of the scatter plot.
6. It will be illogical for there to be many
commandment numbers in the upper right and lower left
corners of the scatter plot. Commandments cannot be
controversial and also highly respected; no can they be
devoid of respect and honor and also be controversial.
In the above way, participants can come to recognize
the differences in how their religious tradition regards
the commandments found in their scriptures and early
teachings. It is important to recognize and agree that
such differences exist without the differences being an
immediate threat to various participants. To admit the
existence of the differences need not make any participant
vulnerable to attack.
Next, in seeking common ground, participants need to
discuss why the recognized differences exist. What is it
about the commandments regarding which there is consensus
which has led to the consensus? What is it about the
commandments regarding which there is controversy which
has led to the controversy? Why agree about some, but
not about others? What tacit understandings, beliefs,
attitudes, values and ideals serve as the basis for
agreement where there is agreement? What is the common
ground which serves as the basis for consensus about some
of the commandments? Seek first to understand the basis
for agreement where there is agreement.
Once the tacit basis for agreement has been
recognized, named, and described; turn to the
commandments about which there is controversy. View them
in the light of the recognized common ground for
agreement about the commandments about which there is
little controversy. Seek to articulate why some people
regard the controversial commandments as worthy of
support, honor and respect; and why others view them as
not worthy of support, honor and respect. The differences
are probably rooted in deep differences in root attitudes
and beliefs about the nature of humans, good, evil, sin,
God, earthly life, spiritual life, heaven, birth, death,
salvation, damnation, redemption, etc.
To find common ground we need to learn how to connect
root differences to the differences in how we regard
controversial and non-controversial commandments which
have played significant roles in our religious traditions.
(c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in
www.essayz.com Search for Integrity and Honesty
(On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)
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