"For if there is one law that we can be most certain of, it is the law that binds people of all faiths and no faith together. It is no coincidence that it exists in Christianity and Judaism; in Islam and Hinduism; in Buddhism and humanism. It is, of course, the Golden Rule — the call to treat one another as we wish to be treated. The call to love. To serve. To do what we can to make a difference in the lives of those with whom we share the same brief moment on this Earth."
This stood out to me, especially. While I am certain there is some supreme being or force that is our raison d'être, to me, this "Golden Rule" is what matters more in the end. There is a certain shared moral compass among all religions and peoples, and this is what Obama speaks to in this paragraph.
Also, if you didn't read his Arizona State speech, you should: http://www.huffingtonpost.
It was a good speech. These are the times I like him most. What he said about the abortion debate reminded me of what Furman's President said in his charge after Bush spoke last year (Notre Dame just seemed deja vu, and I did not appreciate Michael Steele getting into the middle of it). Shi said that practicing tolerance and self-criticism and humility "doesn’t mean that we should not be confident or forthright in our convictions. It does mean that we should not contemptuously dismiss the convictions of others." Demonization gets us nowhere.
ReplyDeleteI don't know. I rather enjoy the occasional demonization.
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