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This was our second Opensewer gathering in three separate locations:
Cleveland, Ohio, Columbus,
Ohio, and Ithaca, New York. Welcome
to Joshua Kaufman and the new Columbus group! Because of coordination
problems, there was no New York City gathering this time. We hope to
have them back by OS9!
THIS
MEETING'S CHARGE : How
does spirituality fit into the current American condition?
Is belief
in God a delusion or an insight into how the universe really operates?
How does the life of the spirit fit into our contemporary existence?
Some points
for discussion:
- What
are people looking to "get" from their spiritual lives today?
Are they looking for self-actualization, self-awareness and self-improvement?
Is this a major break from the past? Hasn't the basis of most religions
been what one can give--to society, to one's brethren, to those in
need--not simply what one can get?
- Has
multiculturalism broadened America's outlook, so that people tend
to tolerate opposing/different beliefs more readily? Or, have people
further entrenched themselves in their own beliefs, creating more
and more cultural factions?
- Does
spirituality lose its meaning (or become "diluted") when
one accepts the views of other religions as being valid?
- If society
holds to the belief that "it's all good, man," then what
is the point of anyone believing anything specific in the first place?
For example, if a Muslim were to say, "I don't believe in Buddha,
but who am I to criticize?" wouldn't that undermine most of the
core values of their spiritual life? Peacemakers proclaim that we
should all "just get along," but is this really possible?
- On the
other hand, differences in religion are what have caused a large majority
of the hatred, killing and wars throughout history. Is this because
cultures are closed-minded and blindly territorial, or do they really
have something to fight over? In other words, cultures that war over
religion seem to think that there is indeed one right side and one
wrong side. Is there really such a thing as right and wrong?
- Have
Americans in general become more tolerant of actions or lifestyles
that have historically been considered "sinful"? (Examples
would include cohabitation before marriage, homosexuality, abortion,
etc.) If yes, how does this relate to the manner in which spirituality
fits into peoples' lives? Are people more tolerant because of an increasingly
pluralist attitude (again, "it's all good, man")?
- What
is the relationship between spirituality and materialism? Within the
last two decades, the "spirituality business" has become
a major industry. Why?
- What
is the relationship between science and religion?
READING
MATERIAL:
Point:
God
on the Brain, by Jeremiah Creedon. From Utne Reader. (Note:
There's an error in their website: "Page 2 of 2" actually
contains the entire article.)
Counterpoint:
The
Latest Fashion in Irrationality, by Wendy Kaminer. From The
Atlantic Online. (It's a bit of a tangent, but still nice and cynical.)
Additional
reading, should you be so inclined:
A
reader's response to the above Atlantic Article.
Living
in Shimmering Disequilibrium, by Fred Branfman. From Salon.com.
The
Dangers of Spirituality, by David Weinberg. From The Jerusalem
Post.
Choose
a meeting: Cleveland
| Columbus | Ithaca
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