Can you think of any thing that you personally can do to help promote understanding ?

[diogenes66]

All of us can probably think of ways to be more tolerant of those who have different beliefs than ourselves !

[Lemmy Madder-Kramer]

If we know that the only purpose in life is to be love and if we can't do that at least do not hurt each others, than we know what to do. Kindness with own and others . Only this way man can save his own and mother earth and feel the eternaty within as with the outside and anyone around no matter the diffrences

with all my loving,

Lemmy

[diogenes66]

Right on !!
Namaste'

[Philip Harris]

Please see my event listed on my page-I hope you will all choose to participate!

[Alexander]

I believe people can find a fast route to the core of their own spirituality if they are aware of the truth which will set you free.

Spiritual truth is relative to the observer.


Consider... why would a God commit much of humanity to centuries of war, disease, and famine just because some girl ate an apple that a snake had lied to her about. That is a God who needs his head read, What a unfathomable act of utter stupidity for a supposedly smart God of light to do for the innocent future beings of his own creation. This a God asleep at the wheel.

When I want to know what Gods will for me is I look within for the truth. I look into my own heart with love, forgiveness, and compassion. I work with addicts. If an addict wants to make use of my compassion to continue using, I use tough love, otherwise I am not really helping them face the consequences of their own actions.

I hope I can help promote understanding, but If you would find it easier to use a religion rather than find your own core of spirituality within yourself, you are being plan lazy.
Ooch

[diogenes66]

We keep crossing paths and I have always felt a connection to you. Now I know why; I have 24 years clean and sober itself ! I am quite clear that the kind of "God" that most people believe that does not exist. I'm equally clear that there is some sort of higher power operating behind everything but is more of a source that one can tap into rather than a being that answers prayers!

I started "A New Dawn" because I felt that I had to try and do something! because I believe the old adage that "evil can only survive when good men stand by and do nothing" and that "one cannot fight the dark as, they can only help spread the light".

I belong to several of the spiritual networks and I am very encouraged and surprise by the size of the spiritual community here on the Internet and it does give me some hope. However, when I looked at the insanity in the world I get the sinking feeling that all of us here are just "preaching to the choir".

I find it difficult to understand how we could possibly "spread the light" to people who actually believe that they can earn their way into heaven by strapping explosives to the body and killing other human beings, at who raise their children teaching them hate from birth!

I tried to believe that "the meek shall inherit the earth" but frankly it is sometimes hard to keep the faith I see how technology has a vastly outpaced our intelligence to use it that a small number of dangerously insane people can do a rib damage to the rest of us, possibly even destroying us all in "gods" name.

[Daniel]

This is a frustrating issue to me and why I live a lonely life on account that we live in an irrational world filled with mystisizm, ego and agenda, all very distructive and only some of which is reflected previously in this discussion. The only thing I know of is to teach by example and testimony and just hope the message would be received.
As part of "the big picture" I learned in grade school that we are all different and there are reasons for that beyond the perceptons of the many, and the cruel world that results from that hurts those that don't even realize they are being hurt by it

[diogenes66]

Always happy to meet a kindred soul !

[Daniel]

Namaskar, my friend Thank you for including me

[Deborah J. Boyd]

I suppose if you are speaking about general understanding it comes down to a question of perception. If we operate from the point of view that most people are the enemy then we are automatically set to defend ourselves against anyone we see as different. If we choose to take the attitude that most people are as curious about us as we are about them; and that being different is not a bad thing we change our attitude and just see the different person as someone to explore. What do they like to eat in their family? What are some of the heros from their culture? I think most people will agree that men and women think differently. That is for a reason. If they work together they tend to balance each other. My personal opinion is that the teams I have worked with in Project management, grass roots coalitions, management teams, etc. have worked faster and better when they are composed of people from different experiences. In all cases, strong leadership and setting out the rules ahead of the discussion are always helpful. To me the person who stands by while someone else is getting harrassed or physically beaten is just as guilty as the one who is the agressor. That does not mean that the observer should risk their life, but in the age of cell phones I would think a call to 911 could be done out of range of the abuser.

[diogenes66]

Very well thought out I is glacially agree with the last part.

"Evil can only survive when good people standby and do nothing"

[Daniel]

I see where some are going in this conversation and I strongly feel I need to make a point that goes directly back to the subject line.
It seems most people use the word but do not know the definition of the word
Prejudice:
"To Prejudge by outward appearances" I've found three major points,
1) appearances have nothing to do with anything that matters, not happiness, rights or the economy or anything,
2)can be your origin, the neighborhood you live in, the car you drive, what street you'r walking down at what time of night,,,, so prejudice have millions of ugly faces
3) acting against appearances is immoral because it's destructive to our society as a whole and in the end takes from everbody's prosperities.
Opinion: If ego and agenda were all done away with, prejudice would be lhe last remaining crux of all evil so share this urgently.

[Alexander]

This may provide some insight into how people can so blindly judge things by outward appearances. It is because they believe that when they do it, 90% of the time they are right.

That fact is you can't judge a book by its cover, however in business when interviewing applicants for a position in your firm 90% of your first impressions are spot on.

What you believe about evil Is IMO wrong. There is only an absence of love. It is that absence and what happens in circumstances where it exists that people think is evil, no God and no devil, just Higher or Lower thought process's.