The Fundamentalists Channel 4 at 7.15 tonight

RE: The Fundamentalists Channel 4 at 7.15 tonight

Well, I notice that over 60 people have read this, but did anyone watch the programme? Love to hear from you!
I'm embarrassed to admit that it played second fiddle to “What do you do with a problem like Maria” (which I’m totally addicted to – can’t believe it!) [sm=speechless-smiley-008.gif]

However, I did see the middle bit and have to say, the one bit that shocked me to the core. I never dreamed in a million years that I would be seeing monks who call themselves Buddhists becoming political, speaking with such hatred of others, saying “meditation is not going to stop the bombs”, fighting with other monks and being accused of setting fire to and trying to destroy Christian churches in Sri Lanka. Where is the Dalai Lama?

Gosh, it was so depressing that it was a relief to get back to the mental bubblegum of Maria!

I have posted this link before, but it’s so relevant, that here it is again:

The roots of fundamentalism March 2003 issue of the Christian Science Journal

To help forward the world’s progress toward this goal may demand that each person sincerely love what is good about someone else’s belief—and love the sincerity it expresses, if nothing else. Among people who are following their religious vision, there should, at the least, be a degree of honest appreciation for others who are also seeking to do God’s will. And if fundamentalism is at least in part a reaction against change, one can affirm that no one can fear that something good can be lost, and know that such rigidity of thought cannot reside in either the fundamentalist or oneself!

It’s September the 11th as I write this and I guess we all are thinking of how the world has changed since that terrible day. The way that I pray about this growing threat to the world of religious fanaticism and entrenched thinking is to know that in reality, there is only ONE Mind (God). I also remember that the all-encompassing power of the Christ reached Saul's hardened and hate-filled thought on the road to Damascus when he truly believed that he was accomplishing his (then) highest sense of good by arresting and even killing Christians. (See Acts 7-9)

Mary Baker Eddy writes of his experience:

“Saul of Tarsus beheld the way--the Christ, or Truth --only when his uncertain sense of right yielded to a spiritual sense, which is always right. Then the man was changed. Thought assumed a nobler outlook, and his life became more spiritual. He learned the wrong that he had done in persecuting Christians, whose religion he had not understood, and in humility he took the new name of Paul. He beheld for the first time the true idea of Love, and learned a lesson in divine Science.”

“……………….What a pitiful sight is malice, finding pleasure in revenge! Evil is sometimes a man's highest conception of right, until his grasp on good grows stronger. Then he loses pleasure in wickedness, and it becomes his torment.” (Science and Health p 326/7

And I’ll let her finish this post:

“It should be thoroughly understood that all men have one Mind, one God and Father, one Life, Truth, and Love. Mankind will become perfect in proportion as this fact becomes apparent, war will cease and the true brotherhood of man will be established. Having no other gods, turning to no other but the one perfect Mind to guide him, man is the likeness of God, pure and eternal, having that Mind which was also in Christ.” (Science and Health p 467)

Love and peace,

Judy

RE: The Fundamentalists Channel 4 at 7.15 tonight

hi judy,

i intended to watch it and i cant think for the life of me what i was watching instead... eeeks was it X factor? [&:]

anyway, like you, i watched some.. unfortunately it was the islamic part. i dont know if you saw that bit? in retrospect, it left me a bit jaw dropped. i mean, just how can we (i dont mean you or i... i guess i mean non muslim fundamentalists) "communicate" with people soooo willing to die and kill for their belief. listening to the parents, particularly the mother, of a young suicide bomber, just made me feel very sad... that a mother "welcomes" the death of their child in any event? 🙁

i'm sorry to say, i would have liked to have seen the US bible belt bit... scary people also!

i didnt see the buddhist part but i do remember a thread on here from some time back citing buddhists as being responsible for many wars in history and violence.

of course, its important to remember that this programme was about fundamentalists and for good TV, it has to shock.

RE: The Fundamentalists Channel 4 at 7.15 tonight

Hi Rosie,

Yes, I did see that bit about the Palestinian mother. I really think though that she is in a minority - I have in the past seen interviews with other mothers who are as distraught as we would expect them to be. But that one, yes, posing with a gun beside her son for the suicide photo - chilling.

Watching the Buddhist monk justify his group's actions and thinking, it made me realise that though the core of all religions is peace, goodness, right behaviour, treating others as you would wish to be treated yourself (and then other more spiritual ideas with some) humans with a desire to control, to obtain fame, to have power, will use a perverted sense of the religion for whatever their end game in. Look, for instance at the horrible history of Christianity. Quite apart from the way that Jesus taught us of a higher power than material law, his whole teaching was based on love and forgiveness. One of the 10 Commandments (the corner stone of Judaism and Christianity) is "Thou shalt not kill". Look at the Crusades!

Watching that debate between the two Muslims at opposite ends of the spectrum, it seems that it's almost impossible to humanly communicate, but action based on love and respect, backed up with prayer as has been described above, can get through. We have to recognise the Christ in each other - that is the key.

We also need to remember that these fundamentalists are a TINY minority. The vast majority of people living on this planet live good peaceful lives and they just want the peace to be able to get on with them.

Love and peace,

Judy

RE: The Fundamentalists Channel 4 at 7.15 tonight

"It should be thoroughly understood that all men have one Mind, one God and Father, one Life, Truth, and Love. Mankind will become perfect in proportion as this fact becomes apparent, war will cease and the true brotherhood of man will be established. Having no other gods, turning to no other but the one perfect Mind to guide him, man is the likeness of God, pure and eternal, having that Mind which was also in Christ.”

What fact does mankind have to show that it will become perfect in proportion? Certainly not by her claims. Not everyone believes or ever will believe in the same belief system. Obviously everyone thinks diffrently which even further proves the point. You would have to force all to submit to 1 set of rules inorder to form a collective mind, to believe in 1 God and accept having only 1 life. Any other reason why Communism will always be a failed form of government other than the fact that it's within the nature of humans to be a dominant species? Where is the 'science' in her claim when all reality escapes out the door in a simple form of hope?

"We also need to remember that these fundamentalists are a TINY minority. The vast majority of people living on this planet live good peaceful lives and they just want the peace to be able to get on with them."

I still question what you consider peace? Being a peacekeeper you should realize by now as I said before that you can not speak for everyone when it's only your views of peace that are of mentioning as "good". Do you actually believe that people do not like living under the rulership of Sadam? No diffrence than living under the guidelines of the God you believe in inorder to achieve the ultimate goal when another finds it discriminating or as you would relate with it more easily in the form of 'evil'.

RE: The Fundamentalists Channel 4 at 7.15 tonight

Dear OL,

I respect your right to hold your own views.

God bless you,

Judy

RE: The Fundamentalists Channel 4 at 7.15 tonight

Hello OL,

You have made some excellent points.

Patsy.