Jan 02 2009
Beyond Our Differences
Beyond Our Differences
PBS debuted a film last week called “Beyond Our Differences”. It addresses the prejudice often felt between differing religious traditions, prejudice based - as it always is - on misconceptions and untruths.
It is more than a little discouraging to realize that the human race is still so often governed by narrow minds and hard hearts. Have we learned nothing from Auschwitz? From Selma, Alabama? From 9/11? Is it so difficult to understand that we are all human beings of equal dignity and value? It is ironic that religion, in it’s truest form a path to peace, is so often twisted into a vehicle for violence.
In the course of discussing fear of those who are different, the director, Peter Bisanz, introduces some truly heroic people. One, an Irish priest working in Africa, opened a home for those afflicted with HIV/AIDS. Another ran a drama group for Palestinian and Jewish teens, that they might realize they weren’t so different from one another after all. Interspersed with these stories are interviews with various religious leaders the world over, expressing the importance of religion in the modern world.
Interestingly, the film concludes by showing that at the heart of all the great religions of the world is the tenet which makes them amazingly similar: treat one another as you wish to be treated. So simple, it’s basic human decency really. And yet, how few operate from this principle in our ego-centric culture. Perhaps this is food for thought for all of us. Maybe each of us could bring some tolerance and understanding to our corner of the planet. What a world that would be.
