User:Cormallen/Religious pluralism

Hello Everyone,

I have again wrote up a small draft of what my research has found imperative to include. I think the section on history should come before the section on religions, like I have it here. I have taken a lot of liberty with the outline because nobody seemed to be able to wrestle it to a very good form in the sections presented here.

--Cormallen 00:51, 5 November 2005 (UTC)

Religious Pluralism - Draft

Pure Definition

Religious Pluralism Diversity is the coexistence of multiple religions/worldview systems. (views of truth)

see Pluralism and Diversity.--Robin.rueth 08:42, 5 November 2005 (UTC)

Religious Pluralism is a certain attitude towards religious diversity, whose exact content has yet do be developed from Pluralism.

Expansion of Definition

Basis of religious pluralism

The foundation of religious pluralism diversity is the existence of different beliefs of truth, and their coexistence with one another.

This is all right as far as Abrahamitic religions are concerned, and as far as religion is taken as a somewhat philosophical thing / a certain world view, but religion is also

• practice / way of life / ethics
• the foundation of society
• worship / meditation / getting in touch with the godhead and
• many other things (March4's remarks have made me much more cautious about this)--Robin.rueth 08:45, 5 November 2005 (UTC)

The existence of religious pluralism depends directly on the status of absolute freedom and acceptance of these different opinions of truth in a community, such as if more than one religion is popular or legal.

This sentence is not clear to me; isn't that Freedom of Religion?--Robin.rueth 08:53, 5 November 2005 (UTC)

Also, the amount and diversity of people in an area can strengthen or weaken the effects of religious pluralism; religious pluralism was almost nonexistent in Europe in the Dark Ages, whereas today's mixture of people in urban communities breeds it.

What do you mean by the Dark Ages: the Middle Age, where we had a widespread coexistence in Europe of Christians and Jews. Paganism was certainly not officially tolerated (cf. Charlemagne's war against the Saxons, but some elements subsided in popular culture and were only persecuted as witchcraft in the oh-so-enlightened epochs of Reformation and Renaissance.

Moreover, in Arabic and Christian medieval Spain, there was peaceful coexistence of Christian and Islamic populations, even though the Christian and Muslim kingdoms fought against each other.

The point I'm making here is just that we'd wanna do a whole lot of research before claiming anything at all.--Robin.rueth 08:53, 5 November 2005 (UTC)

Existence of such State pluralism in matters of religion

Religious pluralism exists in most parts of the world today. In Western society or in any other society in which freedom of religion is sanctioned, religious pluralism is advocated and protected by law. The First Amendment of the Constitution of America protects the existence of religious pluralism. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms sections 2.a and 2.b does likewise. In most Western societies, religious pluralism is strong, with people of every religion/worldview system interfacing constantly. However, in such societies, the general attitude of religious tolerance and secularism often prohibits and discourages religious conflict in this pluralism.

However, in some other nations, especially when the government is tied to a specific religion, religious pluralism is not permitted to exist. This is the case in some Islamic countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, where any religion but Islam is forbidden. In North Korea, a secular worldview system is impressed on the populace by the state.

Difference from closely related terms

Religious pluralism is a broad topic, and is more commonly referenced by other terms. Religious Tolerance describes a particular stance on religious pluralism. Ecumenism and Syncretism are attempts at solving the problem of religious pluralism.

lots of work to be done here, as well, I suppose

RP requiring and provoking response

Every religion/worldview system has a response to religious pluralism. The religion's view on truth is central to this stance. Any religion holding subjective or relative truth accepts any other religion unconditionally. Religious pluralism presents a difficult problem to all religions that profess absolute truth. The beliefs that compose truth according to different religions vary and often conflict. Therefore, most absolutist religions hold a rather complex system of dealing with religious pluralism, and tolerant society can, in some cases, considerably complicate these systems.

I think there are several issues to be considered here

• a community's view of truth (Do we know absolute truth or do we just have access to it -questions of humility, does anybody else inclusivism / exclusivism , does anybody at all - relativism?)
• Universalism vs Particularism, both with large potential for conflict...
• concrete social interests and practices that clash.--Robin.rueth 08:59, 5 November 2005 (UTC)

Religious pluralism and conflict

 ? Maybe this section would be better titled and themed "Effects of RP" ?

Reasons

As stated earlier, any religion based on absolute truth is in conflict with all other religions.

How conflict comes to expression

-Particularism

-Discussion between parties

-Physical conflict/War

Different points of view on this conflict

 ? Should this be included ? -philosophy of Enlightenment

-Clash of Civilizations

History

Religious pluralism has a defined history. The history of RP generally follows Western history, because Eastern religions are generally more tolerant, and truth less absolute. More changes have developed in the sphere of reliigious pluralism from the Enlightenment to the present day than all time before.

Beginnings

Religious pluralism exists because people hold different beliefs. Therefore, religious pluralism will exist while humankind exists. Different religions hold different positions on the origin of religious pluralism.

Situation Pre-Reformation

-Groups stayed in well-defined areas

-No group tolerated any other religion but their own (with a few exceptions), but no other religions existed, generally, within these groups.

-Governments were sacral

Protestant Reformation

-The beginning of the acceptance of RP

-Governments still supported specific religions

Enlightenment

-Technology increases mobility

-Philosophy development creates multitude of Humanist-based worldview sys.

-Secularization of governments begins, freedom of religion beginning to be granted

Globalization and Urbanization's influences

-Different people all pushed together, creating a situation of major RP

Postmodernism

-The encouragement of people believing in their own opinion of truth.

-Governments are secularized, complete freedom of religion forms

Bibliography

Dictionary of Christianity In America: ISBN 0-8308-1776-X