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Tolerance Isn't Good Enough: The Need for Mutual Respect In Interfaith Relations

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Tolerance Isn't Good Enough: The Need for Mutual Respect In Interfaith Relations





Rajiv Malhotra


Founder, Infinity Foundation



It is fashionable in interfaith discussions to advocate "tolerance" for other faiths. But we would find it patronizing, even downright insulting, to be "tolerated" at someone's dinner table. No spouse would appreciate being told that his or her presence at home was being "tolerated." No self-respecting worker accepts mere tolerance from colleagues. We tolerate those we consider inferior. In religious circles, tolerance, at best, is what the pious extend toward people they regard as heathens, idol worshippers or infidels. It is time we did away with tolerance and replaced it with "mutual respect."

Religious tolerance was advocated in Europe after centuries of wars between opposing denominations of Christianity, each claiming to be "the one true church" and persecuting followers of "false religions." Tolerance was a political "deal" arranged between enemies to quell the violence (a kind of cease-fire) without yielding any ground. Since it was not based on genuine respect for difference, it inevitably broke down.

My campaign against mere tolerance started in the late 1990s when I was invited to speak at a major interfaith initiative at Claremont Graduate University. Leaders of major faiths had gathered to propose a proclamation of "religious tolerance." I argued that the word "tolerance" should be replaced with "mutual respect" in the resolution. The following day, Professor Karen Jo Torjesen, the organizer and head of religious studies at Claremont, told me I had caused a "sensation." Not everyone present could easily accept such a radical idea, she said, but added that she herself was in agreement. Clearly, I had hit a raw nerve.

I then decided to experiment with "mutual respect" as a replacement for the oft-touted "tolerance" in my forthcoming talks and lectures. I found that while most practitioners of dharma religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism) readily espouse mutual respect, there is considerable resistance from the Abrahamic faiths.

Soon afterwards, at the United Nation's Millennium Religion Summit in 2000, the Hindu delegation led by Swami Dayananda Saraswati insisted that in the official draft the term "tolerance" be replaced with "mutual respect." Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict), who led the Vatican delegation, strongly objected to this. After all, if religions deemed "heathen" were to be officially respected, there would be no justification for converting their adherents to Christianity.

The matter reached a critical stage and some serious fighting erupted. The Hindu side held firm that the time had come for the non-Abrahamic religions to be formally respected as equals at the table and not just tolerated by the Abrahamic religions. At the very last minute, the Vatican blinked and the final resolution did call for "mutual respect." However, within a month, the Vatican issued a new policy stating that while "followers of other religions can receive divine grace, it is also certain that objectively speaking they are in a gravely deficient situation in comparison with those who, in the Church, have the fullness of the means of salvation." Many liberal Christians condemned this policy, yet it remains the Vatican's official position.

My experiments in proposing mutual respect have also involved liberal Muslims. Soon after Sept. 11, 2001, in a radio interview in Dallas, I explained why mutual respect among religions is better than tolerance. One caller, identified as a local Pakistani community leader, congratulated me and expressed complete agreement. For her benefit, I elaborated that in Hinduism we frequently worship images of the divine, may view the divine as feminine, and that we believe in reincarnation. I felt glad that she had agreed to respect all this, and I clarified that "mutual respect" merely means that I am respected for my faith, with no requirement for others to adopt or practice it. I wanted to make sure she knew what she had agreed to respect and wasn't merely being politically correct. The woman hung up.

In 2007, I was invited to an event in Delhi where a visiting delegation from Emory University was promoting their newly formed Inter-Religious Council as a vehicle to achieve religious harmony. In attendance was Emory's Dean of the Chapel and Religious Life, who happens to be an ordained Lutheran minister. I asked her if her work on the Inter-Religious Council was consistent and compatible with her preaching as a Lutheran minister, and she confidently replied that it was. I then asked: "Is it Lutheran doctrine merely to 'tolerate' other religions or also to respect them, and by respect I mean acknowledging them as legitimate religions and equally valid paths to God"? She replied that this was "an important question," one that she had been "thinking about," but that there are "no easy answers."

It is disingenuous for any faith leader to preach one thing to her flock while representing something contradictory to naive outsiders. The idea of "mutual respect" poses a real challenge to Christianity, which insists that salvation is only possible by grace transmitted exclusively through Jesus. Indeed, Lutheran teaching stresses this exclusivity! These formal teachings of the church would make it impossible for the Dean to respect Hinduism, as opposed to tolerating it.

Unwilling to settle for ambiguity, I continued with my questions: "As a Lutheran minister, how do you perceive Hindu murtis (sacred images)? Are there not official injunctions in your teachings against such images?" "Do you consider Krishna and Shiva to be valid manifestations of God or are they among the 'false gods'?" "How do you see the Hindu Goddess in light of the church's claim that God is masculine?" The Dean deftly evaded every one of these questions.

Only a minority of Christians agree with the idea of mutual respect while fully understanding what it entails. One such person is Janet Haag, editor of Sacred Journey, a Princeton-based multi-faith journal. In 2008, when I asked her my favorite question -- "What is your policy on pluralism?" -- she gave the predictable response: "We tolerate other religions." This prompted me to explain mutual respect in Hinduism wherein each individual has the freedom to select his own personal deity (ishta-devata, not to be confused with polytheism) and pursue a highly individualized spiritual path (sva-dharma). Rather than becoming defensive or evasive, she explored this theme in her editorial in the next issue:

"In the course of our conversation about effective interfaith dialog, [Rajiv Malhotra] pointed out that we fall short in our efforts to promote true peace and understanding in this world when we settle for tolerance instead of making the paradigm shift to mutual respect. His remarks made me think a little more deeply about the distinctiveness between the words 'tolerance' and 'respect,' and the values they represent."

Haag explained that the Latin origin of "tolerance" refers to enduring and does not convey mutual affirmation or support: "[The term] also implicitly suggests an imbalance of power in the relationship, with one of the parties in the position of giving or withholding permission for the other to be." The Latin word for respect, by contrast, "presupposes we are equally worthy of honor. There is no room for arrogance and exclusivity in mutual respect."


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Software Developer: Even the Vatican is a Pirate

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Software Developer: Even the Vatican is a Pirate
avast

AVAST Software says only 1.8% of people using its Avast! antivirus program have paid for a user license, and that the original 14 – the only ones it’s sold – have been used in over 200 countries ranging from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe – even Vatican City.

AVAST Software is trying to convert pirates into paying customers after watching its Avast! antivirus program balloon to 774,651 active users on the backs of just 14 legal user licenses.

The news isn’t seen as a threat to Avast! which claims that it has “always prided itself” on the fact that 80% of new customers have been recommended the program by “satisfied friends” and sees the new users as a chance for additional growth.

“We made a decision to see just how viral this one license for avast! Pro Antivirus could be,” said Vince Steckler, CEO of AVAST Software. “The answer is ‘very’. Now we are in the process of converting these pirates over to legal products.”

Avast! says the irony is that license codes for its antivirus program were found on the very type of sites that the software is supposed to protect users from.

“We found our license code at a number of warez sites around the globe,” added Steckler. “There is a paradox in computer users looking for ‘free’ antivirus programs at locations with a known reputation for spreading malware.”

Here’s a breakdown of the countries with the most number of pirated copies in a list it dubs the “Top Dirty Dozen”:


  1. Russia

  2. Mexico

  3. Brazil

  4. Italy

  5. Spain

  6. USA

  7. India

  8. Philippines

  9. France

  10. Ukraine

  11. Argentina

  12. Thailand

Avast said that two PCs located within the Vatican were also using unlicensed copies.

The news is really much ado about nothing, Avast! seemingly using the whole affair to promote its antivirus program, but it is interesting to learn that even the Vatican has pirates in its midst.

Stay tuned.

jared@zeropaid.com

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Vatican in talks with PLO to establish juridical accord

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Vatican in talks with PLO to establish juridical accord

The Vatican has resumed diplomatic talks with the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), aimed at securing the legal status of Church institutions on Palestinian territory.


The talks follow up on a “basic agreement” reached with the PLO in 2000. For years the Holy See has been engaged in separate talks with the state of Israel, hoping to establish the same sort of juridical accord.


The current round of talks was held at the PLO headquarters in Ramallah. Msgr. Ettore Balestero, the Vatican undersecretary for Relations with States, headed the Holy See’s delegation.

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US cable reveals Vatican 'green' lobbying efforts

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US cable reveals Vatican 'green' lobbying efforts
(AFP)

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican agreed to help the United States in behind-the-scenes lobbying of states to join the Copenhagen Accord on climate change, a US embassy cable published by WikiLeaks showed Thursday.

The cable reported a meeting between diplomats at the US embassy to the Holy See and a Vatican official in charge of climate change talks, who "agreed to encourage other countries discreetly to associate themselves with the Accord."

"'Green' pope supports US path forward from Copenhagen," the cable said.

"Even more important than the Vatican's lobbying assistance... is the influence the Pope's guidance can have on public opinion in countries with large Catholic majorities," read the cable, signed by ambassador Miguel Diaz.

Pope Benedict XVI is seen as a major advocate for environmental issues.

He emphasised the need to protect the environment in a New Year's Day speech this year and has had solar panels installed in the Vatican. The Vatican is even thinking of launching an electric version of his famous "popemobile".

The cable also said the Vatican was "not naive" about the political motives behind criticism of the Copenhagen agreement from Cuba and Venezuela, which were among the nations that helped block approval of the pact.

Representatives from 194 countries are meeting in the Mexican resort city of Cancun for a new bid to strike a deal to curb greenhouse gases following on last December's disappointing Copenhagen meeting.

The leaked cable was the first from the US embassy to the Holy See to be revealed by WikiLeaks -- and many more will come, according to media reports.

The Catholic News Agency (CNA) in the United States said there wore more than 800 Vatican cables on human rights, religious freedom and security.

The Vatican's Osservatore Romano official daily has already said the publication will not affect diplomatic relations with the United States.

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Unbelievable: Berkeley City Council To Vote on Honoring Pfc. Bradley Manning

"If he did what he's accused of doing, he's a patriot and should get a medal"

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Unbelievable: Berkeley City Council To Vote on Honoring Pfc. Bradley Manning

"If he did what he's accused of doing, he's a patriot and should get a medal"


sfgate
An Army private jailed for allegedly leaking sensitive military data is a hero and should be freed, according to a resolution under consideration by the Berkeley City Council.

The council is expected to vote Tuesday on whether to declare its support for Pfc. Bradley Manning, who's suspected of providing WikiLeaks with classified military documents and a video depicting an Army helicopter attack in Baghdad in which 11 civilians were killed.

Manning, 22, currently in the brig in Quantico, Va., faces 52 years in prison if convicted. Manning has not commented on his guilt or innocence.

"If he did what he's accused of doing, he's a patriot and should get a medal," said Bob Meola, the Berkeley peace and justice commissioner who authored the resolution. "I think the war criminals should be the ones prosecuted, not the whistle-blowers."

The proposed resolution originated from the same commission that declared the Marine Corps "unwanted intruders" in Berkeley in 2008. The council's ensuing approval - and reversal - ignited some of the city's most raucous protest in years and prompted more than 25,000 e-mails to City Hall.
Flashback 2008: Berkeley City Council tells Marine Corps recruiters they are not welcome calling them "intruders"
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South Dakota Man Convicted of Producing Child Pornography

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South Dakota Man Convicted of Producing Child Pornography

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Phillip C. Running, age 23, of Parmelee, South Dakota, was convicted of two counts of production of child pornography as a result of a federal jury trial in Pierre, South Dakota. These charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both. Restitution may also be ordered. Running was indicted by a federal grand jury for production of child pornography on August 17, 2010. The charges stem from incidents in which Running videotaped two minor children engaging in sexually explicit conduct on or about between June 2001 and May 2002.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jay Miller prosecuted the case. A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date was set for March 1, 2011. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal.

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University of Connecticut Student Arrested on Child Pornography Charges

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University of Connecticut Student Arrested on Child Pornography Charges

David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Kimberly K. Mertz, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that STEVEN DONALD LEWIS, 21, of Plainville, was arrested today by members of the Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force on a federal criminal complaint charging LEWIS with possession of child pornography and receipt and distribution of child pornography.


The criminal complaint alleges that, on November 9, 2010, a Bristol Police Department detective assigned to the FBI’s Computer Crime Task Force in New Haven logged into a publically available Internet file-sharing program and downloaded 34 images of child pornography from a shared directory maintained by LEWIS.


LEWIS was arrested this morning at his dormitory residence at the University of Connecticut, where he is a student. Law enforcement agents also seized LEWIS’ laptop computer.


Following his arrest, LEWIS appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Thomas P. Smith in Hartford and was released on a $100,000 bond co-signed by a family member with whom LEWIS will now reside.


If convicted of the charge of possession of child pornography, LEWIS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000. If convicted of the charge of receipt and distribution of child pornography, LEWIS faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years, and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000.


U.S. Attorney Fein stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.


This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force, which includes federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bristol Police Department. The University of Connecticut Police Department and the Connecticut State Police have provided valuable assistance to the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Deborah R. Slater.


The Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force investigates crimes occurring over the Internet, including computer intrusion, Internet fraud, copyright violations, Internet threats and harassment, and online crimes against children. The Task Force also provides computer forensic review services for participating agencies. The Task Force is housed in the main FBI office in New Haven, Connecticut. For more information about the Task Force, please contact the FBI at 203-777-6311.


U.S. Attorney Fein noted that this prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.


To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

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Grand Jury Adds New Charges Against Deputy Sheriff and Charges Wife in Superseding Indictment

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Grand Jury Adds New Charges Against Deputy Sheriff and Charges Wife in Superseding Indictment

HOUSTON—A federal grand jury has returned a six-count superseding indictment against Harris County Deputy Sheriff George Wesley Ellington, 38, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno announced today along with FBI Special Agent in Charge Richard C. Powers and Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia. The superseding indictment incorporates charges of accepting bribes in return for protection of loads of Ecstasy from the original indictment returned in late October 2010 and adds four additional charges, including two counts of aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute Ecstasy—with one count adding his wife, Katrise Tania Ellington, 31, as a defendant—and two counts of carrying and possessing a firearm during and in relation to the drug trafficking offenses charged.


George Ellington, arrested following the unsealing of the original indictment in October 2010, was later released on bond. He is expected to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Milloy on Monday, Dec. 13, 2010, for arraignment on the new charges. Katrise Ellington surrendered to federal authorities this morning and after appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge John Froeshner has been ordered released on a $25,000 unsecured bond pending trial.


George Ellington is charged in Counts 1 and 2 with accepting a total of $1000 in bribes in February 2010 and April 2010 in return for using his position as a Harris County Deputy Sheriff to provide protection for two loads of 3, 4 Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly called Ecstasy, and with unauthorized access to confidential law enforcement databases; Counts 3 and 4 accuse Ellington of aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute Ecstasy on the same dates in February and April 2010; and Counts 5 and 6 charge him with carrying and possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crimes alleged in the previous counts. Katrise Ellington is charged along with her husband in Count 4 with aiding and abetting the possession with the intent to distribute Ecstasy in April 2010.


Each of the two bribery charges and two drug trafficking charges carries a maximum penalty, upon conviction, of 20 years’ imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine. The two firearm charges carry a potential 30-year sentence—that is, five years upon conviction of the first count and an additional 25-year sentence if convicted of the second charge—which must be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed.


The case will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel C. Rodriguez.


An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.


A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

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Tucson Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Production of Child Pornography

Defendant Worked as a Babysitter and Photographer for Children's Sporting Events

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Tucson Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Production of Child Pornography
Defendant Worked as a Babysitter and Photographer for Children's Sporting Events

TUCSON, AZ—Christopher Flynt, 28, of Tucson, was sentenced yesterday to 15 years in prison for production of child pornography by U.S. District Court Judge John M. Roll. Flynt was convicted following his guilty plea March 25, 2010.


An investigation into distribution of child pornography over the Internet revealed that on August 28, 2008, Flynt had received several images of child pornography from another individual.


On October 1, 2008, a search warrant was executed at Flynt’s home resulting in the seizure of his computer. A subsequent forensic examination confirmed Flynt possessed the child pornography sent over the Internet, along with over 300 additional images of child pornography.


“This individual used his employment positions as a babysitter and child photographer to indulge in the illicit child pornography industry and betrayed the trust of those he cared for and their parents,” said U.S. Attorney Dennis K. Burke. “He will now be under law enforcement’s radar for the rest of his life so that he does not get another opportunity to victimize children. I want to thank the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their work, along with the Orange County (California) Sheriff's Department for their collaboration in this investigation.”


“The FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office are committed to combating child pornography. This criminal activity against the most vulnerable, our children will not be tolerated and those who participate in this type of activity will be held accountable to the full extent of the law,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Nathan Gray, Phoenix Division.


At the same time Flynt produced, possessed, and traded child pornography, he was working as a babysitter for three minor boys and operated a business photographing children’s sporting events. One of the images on Flynt’s computer was of the youngest boy Flynt babysat.


The investigation revealed that Flynt coerced the boy, who was 8 years old at the time, into letting Flynt take a lewd photograph of him.


Flynt had previously been employed by an elementary school and the YMCA in the Tucson area.


Flynt will be placed on lifetime supervised release after he’s released from prison. He will also be required to register as a sex offender and to complete a sex offender treatment program.


The investigation leading to the conviction was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Orange County (California) Sheriff’s Department. The prosecution was handled by Angela Woolridge, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Tucson.


CASE NUMBER: CR 09-0279-TUC-JMR (DTF)

RELEASE NUMBER: 2010-265(Flynt)

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Northern Arizona Man Sentenced for Assaulting Police Officer

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Northern Arizona Man Sentenced for Assaulting Police Officer

Defendant Receives More Than Five Years in Prison

PHOENIX—Larry Shonnie Ben, Jr., 31, of Kayenta, Arizona, was sentenced on Monday to 66 months in federal prison by the Honorable Frederick J. Martone for assaulting a police officer. Ben entered a guilty plea September 21, 2010 to assault with a dangerous weapon.


On December 13, 2009, officers from the Kayenta Police Department received calls about a drunk driver. During a traffic stop involving Ben, an officer reached into his vehicle to retrieve the keys. At that point, Ben drove over the officer’s foot as he attempted to flee the scene.


“This individual was intoxicated to the point where he was uncooperative and even violent, posing a threat to the very officials who keep the community safe,” said U.S. Attorney Dennis K. Burke. “This case is a great example of multiple federal, state, and tribal agencies working together to bring the defendant to justice.”


Kayenta police, assisted by the Shiprock Police Department pursued Ben. During the chase, Ben deliberately hit the passenger side of the victim officer’s vehicle. The officer proceeded to drive in front of Ben to warn oncoming vehicles. At that point, Ben accelerated his vehicle to a high rate of speed and collided into the back of the officer’s vehicle.


The investigation in this case was conducted by the Navajo Division of Public Safety Department of Criminal Investigations, the Kayenta Police Department, the Shiprock Police Department, the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Christina J. Reid-Moore, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.


CASE NUMBER: CR-10-8014-PCT-FJM

RELEASE NUMBER: 2010-263 (Ben)

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