Pluralism conversation - Ghouse-Campbell

A Converssation on Pluralism

Between Mike Ghouse & David Campbell

Mike,

I hope you had a great weekend and I hope you and your family was safe from the Hurricane and devestation along the Texas coast. I want to say thank you for the kind wishes and comments on my facebook. Not sure yet what I think of facebook whether it is a useful tool to stay connected to people or a time waster. I guess time will tell.

I had a couple of questions I was pondering and thought I would ask your perspective. These questions are more from a pluralistic perspective vs. an Islamic perspective. As you know I am not a pluralist, but it certainly does help in understanding where others are coming from. So if you will further indulge me, I would appreciate it.

1) I am assuming that a Pluralist holds that there are many paths to God. Is that correct?

2) Can you be a pluralist and believe in one True God. Or better stated, that there is only one God? From my understanding a pluralist would believe that there would be many paths to that one God. Is that a correct understanding?

3) As a pluralist, is ther any room for absolutes? For instance, is there any room to say that there is something always true regardless of time and other factors? Can something be universally true?

Just curious,

David Campbell

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David,

Thanks for the email, here are the responses for your questions

1) I am assuming that a Pluralist holds that there are many paths to God. Is that correct?
Yes, each path is divine to the believer

2) Can you be a pluralist and believe in one True God. Or better stated, that there is only one God? From my understanding a pluralist would believe that there would be many paths to that one God. Is that a correct understanding?

David, Pluralism is an attitude of accepting other forms and other beliefs, as one accepts his or her own. The ultimate source of all cause and creation is one - the term "True God" bothers me, as though there is a false God. You are right, a pluralist Muslim, a pluralist Jews, a Pluralist Christian would honor other ways of worshipping the creator, and will not be arrogant to believe his is the only way.

3) As a pluralist, is there any room for absolutes? For instance, is there any room to say that there is something always true regardless of time and other factors? Can something be universally true?

Yes matter is universally true, there is a room for absolutes as much as there is a room for abstracts. However abstracts and beliefs are one's perspectives that work for the believer.

The natural tendency of anything life or matter is to seek balance. All religions consciously, divinely, mysteriously or deliberately are designed for that to bring a balance to the individual and balance with what surrounds him/her - life and matter. To believe one is superior or true is denying the other his or her right to believe and living with imbalance.

Hope this answers some of your questions

Mike Ghouse

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Mike

Yes they do answer my questions, but perhaps raise others in their place. I, on the other hand am bothered if there is not a 'false god.' It would be of grave concern to me if I was worshipping 'a figment of my imagination.' If there was not a God who created all that exists and sustains that creation, I would kind of feel left adrift. If my goal is not offend another's beliefs then I have no problem with pluralism as a whole. But my goal is to worship and follow the God who does exist. If He does exist, then how does the creature have the right to tell the Creator what is and is not fair?

I guess I have a problem with being left to me being the one who choses what is right for me or not. Where does one determine that it is ok to determine what works best for one's self? That sounds really good until you factor in the fact that there is a God who created the world. There is a universe that operates with a preciseness and exactness yet holds tremendous mystery. Just like in order for me to EXIST there has to be the possibility that I can NOT exist. Likewise with God if He exists then there is the possibility that He NOT exist. Therefore there can be a True God and by contrast a False God--or more plainly a non-god (a god that does not exist).

So if there is a True God and also a god(s) that does not exist, would it not be possible to worship that which does not exist?

oh BTW, I think I have stated it but incase I did not. I am not really interested in telling another they are wrong or right or whatever, I believe that is left to God who makes that judgement. I am just curious how one operates in pluralism and how it affects the rest of life. As a Christian I cannot reason a person to God, it is God who makes that determination and it is God who woos a person to Himself. As a Christian I am to relfect His nature, His Character, and speak the truth in love, and proclaim his excellencies--the rest is up to Him. As I have said before, all men and women were created in the image of God and therefore by that fact alone are afforded the benefits of mutual dignity and respect. I believe that He gives purpose and He gives life and that apart from Him one cannot truly have life.

David Campbell

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David,
Worshipping is a ritual embedded in religion. Feeling the presence of a higher power and understanding that every thing finds its own balance is spiritual. It is the freedom you feel when you feel you have a grasp of the nature and takes away your fears, even though you do not have complete answers to your fears and doubts.

The problem with most of us is giving a shape, a body, a physical presence to this “higher power”. Higher in this context is something that is beyond our understanding and has been around before we were aware of our existence and will continue to exist when we are gone.
If you see this power labeled as God in some comprehensible form, then you would be worshipping the figment of your imagination. Every religion emanates from the same fountain of wisdom, but I do know that Hindu, Jewish and Islamic scriptures do not give a form, shape, color, time or any sense of a being to that power. However, some people are pre-disposed to imagining “that power” in our own image, as the Bible points that God created us in his own image.

God does not have to be anything; God can be viewed as the energy that causes everything to be in place, sustain it and bring about a balance.

Prayers are an expression of gratitude to such a thing; they are legitimate sentiments and produce a balance in you, as much as repentance and forgiveness lifts you up.
The act of ‘balancing it out’ is your own, as there are 7 billion other acts performed simultaneously. Feel confident that you are in balance, free from hate, jealousy, anger, and ill-will and loaded with goodwill, charity and kindness towards other. This is what every religion does to us, each way is legitimate and none is wrong.

Let me take a step further, the animist, Wiccan, the pagans and others are as right as the Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Bahai’s, Sikhs or any one is. It is arrogant of us to believe that they worship false God; it is not to them, even if you consider that they worship an idol. The act of worship is a self balancing act. Each one of the system does the same to allay human confusion and give hope and sense of security that everything is going to be alright.
Please ponder over this. No one has to be wrong for you or me to be right. We are wrong only when we deflect that balance; rob from others what is legitimately theirs, forcibly taking others space, grabbing others food and hurting the loved ones. Again, God is about balance in life and it can hit your imagination the way you are conditioned.

I reiterate that my path, Islam is a familiar path to me to keep my balance and it works for me, as your path works for you. Neither is superior or inferior, it is just a different faith bud.
Mike Ghouse