This is the intro to the latest draft of an article I've been working on--comments welcome! --hazratio
Those of us who are involved in interfaith and metafaith initiatives strive to approach all people of faith with respect and understanding. Where we fall short, at times, is with regard to fundamentalists in the Abrahamic faiths who seem— at least according to their creeds —to regard us as infidels or heretics.
In reaction to the systemic intolerance which we (rightly or wrongly) attribute to them, we tend to close our hearts and minds to the many positive elements in these decidely conservative traditions. In particular, those of us with Christian backgrounds are sometimes less than fair to those who speak from an evangelical Christian perspective, often understanding them— or, rather, misunderstanding them —in the worst possible light. A good remedy for such misunderstanding is Pastor Rick Warren's best seller, The Purpose Driven Life. [More]
In reaction to the systemic intolerance which we (rightly or wrongly) attribute to them, we tend to close our hearts and minds to the many positive elements in these decidely conservative traditions. In particular, those of us with Christian backgrounds are sometimes less than fair to those who speak from an evangelical Christian perspective, often understanding them— or, rather, misunderstanding them —in the worst possible light. A good remedy for such misunderstanding is Pastor Rick Warren's best seller, The Purpose Driven Life. [More]