knowyourneighbor

Stendahl's Rules

Some months ago I read an article on the website FAIR - Defending Mormonism titled Easier than Research, More Inflammatory than Truth by Daniel Peterson in which he outlines what have come to be known as Stendahl's Rules, three rules for dealing with and understanding other religions. Krister Stendahl, the man who crafted these rules, is the former Lutheran Bishop of Stockholm, emeritus dean of Harvard Divinity School, and a long-time friend of the Mormon church.

His three rules are:

1) When you want to learn about a religion, ask its adherents, not its enemies
2) Don't compare your best with their worst
3) Leave room for "holy envy" -- meaning leave room for true admiration of something in another person's religious tradition.

These are wonderful rules, and oh, how I wish that as the media scrutinizes our faith ever more closely, they would listen to Professor Stendahl.

But the fact is -- there's not much I can do about others' perceptions of my faith.

However, I can do as I would have others do.

For example:

1. Have I ever had an indepth conversation with a Jewish friend to find out what they believe, seeking for the common ground?

Perhaps, more importantly, do I have friends that are Jewish?

2. What wonderful things are there to be learned about Catholicism? And if I were to compare the best of Catholicism to the worst of Mormonism, what interesting discoveries might I make?

Do I have friends that are Catholic -- am I involved in any formal interfaith dialogues?

3. When I examine the Islamic faith, what do I admire about Muslims?

And again, do I have any friends that are Muslim?

Hmmm.

The Golden Rule and Stendahl's Rules.

Shall we?

HELLO, my name is....

At the beginning of 2007, Joseph Porcelli, launched The Nametag project, committing to wear a name tag every day for a year.

Eight months later, 6,000 people have accepted the challenge to wear a nametag for a day, and 30 for the entire year.

Today, July 15, the Boston Police Department will distribute 40,000 nametags at Fenway Park.

Link: HELLO, my name is BLOG!: Celebrate Nametag Day at Fenway Park!.

What's their stated goal?

To encourage people to get to know their neighbors, to build community.

What do you think?

Would this help to reach across the aisle? To find descriptors that bind, rather than separate us?

Orson Scott Card discusses the finding of common ground

I applaud Orson Scott Card for his willingness to talk so publicly about his beliefs (link below) as well as urging us to find common ground with other faiths.

In response to an essay written by Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr, a prominent Evangelical Christian, and president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Card writes:

We Mormons don’t agree with you on many vital points of doctrine. But I hope we all agree with each other about this: In a time when a vigorous atheist movement is trying to exclude religious people from participating in American public life unless they promise never to mention or think about their religion while in office, why are we arguing with each other?

You don’t want your kids to join the Mormon Church; well, I don’t want mine to join the Baptist Church, either. That’s because you think you’re right about your religion, and I think I’m right about mine.

But I would rather vote for a believing Baptist who lives up to his faith than for a Mormon who doesn’t take his religion seriously or keep the commandments he’s been taught.

And vice versa. Don’t you feel that way, too?

Link: Beliefnet: Blogalogue - Debates About Faith
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The Boston Globe's Jeff Jacoby reaches across the aisle

Jeff Jacoby's editorial this morning is a superb example of reaching across the aisle. I would encourage you to e-mail him to say thank you, as well as to find opportunities to follow his example, whether in writing, word or deed.

Link: Anti-Mormonism gets personal - The Boston Globe.