The positions Ged describes may be very different but they can be equally
strongly held. It can be as dismissive to insist to a secularist that our
lives are supernaturally guided as to tell someone from a faith position
that as their views are based on belief and not evidence they can be
disregarded. Actually, one could argue that atheism is a faith position
only a different kind of faith, in empiricism.
These are all different life positions and there are many things these
groups will have in common such as respect for life, recognition of the
importance of human relationships, human rights etc. We do not have to
construct this as a polarisation unless we choose to.
Our institutions have to accomodate many different beliefs about the
spiritual aspect of life from Humanism ( the spiritual not seen as a big
deal) to Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and even religions such a Druidism
where objects in nature are seen as having individual spirits (as I
understand it and I may be grossly oversimplifying).
Mutual respect enshrined in a policy (even if policies are generally hard
things to implement) is I think no bad thing. Though faith positions
enshrined in cults which require submission to a high level of control
leave me very uneasy and we have, a while back, had some problems with
that kind of thing.
Oh dear, this is a debate I really didn't want to have! Still there it is.
Berry
Berry Dicker
62-68 Lichfield St.
Wolverhampton
WV1 IDJ
Tel 01902 321197
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