Mar 09 2012
Power Point presentation at Annual Meeting
Geoff Neilson presented the new statement of the purpose of the Sea of Faith and introduced the “Charter of Compassion” instigated by the religious historian Karen Armstrong, for discussion.
Sea of Faith Network (NZ)
* The Sea of Faith Network (NZ) is an association of people who have a common interest in exploring religious thought and expression from a non-dogmatic and human- oriented standpoint.
* We recently clarified our purpose by rebranding ourselves as “Sea of Faith: The National Religious Discussion Network” and “Exploring Spirituality, Religion and Ethics.”
Charter for compassion
* The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves.
* Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures …
* Compassion impels us to … dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there …
* Compassion impels us to … honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.
* It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain.
* To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest … is a denial of our common humanity.
* To impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody … is a denial of our common humanity.
* To incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies … is a denial of our common humanity.
* We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.
*We therefore call upon all men and women to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion …
* We therefore call upon all men and women to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion …
* We therefore call upon all men and women … to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate …
* We therefore call upon all men and women … to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures …
* We therefore call upon all men and women … to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity …
* We therefore call upon all men and women … to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.
* We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world.
* Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries.
* Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity.
* It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensable to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.