The ideal spiritual achievement is when we become one with nature (God), meaning we believe and act as part of the web, and not outside the web. The others parts and us make the whole. It will be a cohesive, interconnected, interdependent world for all of us. What kills this harmony? Arrogance prompted by selfishness and insecurities. How do we work towards it? We accomplish that by respecting the otherness of others and accepting the God given uniqueness of each one of us.
Think about it, no matter how much we argue and disagree, we are still inhabitants of one earth, to a Martian; we are all one and the same.
I don’t consider anyone to be my enemy, although I did get death threats when I was on on TV with Sean Hannity, I see the problems in communication, and if we see each other’s point of view, half the battle is won.
I do not run away from any one. I am committed to do my share of building cohesive societies and I intend to connect with everyone as humanly possible as I can.
Tomorrow, if I sit with Bush and have a conversation, it does not mean I am with him. If I sit with Netanyahu, it sure does not mean I am on his side and if I am meeting Modi it does not mean I agree with all of what he says or does. When I am with SeanHannity, we don’t agree but still carry a conversation. Yes, everyone can talk with me.
A few people have a problem when I am with people they don’t agree with, and I am comfortable with the entire spectrum from left to moderate to extreme right. The problems we have in the world are the result of not talking with and listening to each other.
Pluralism does not mean yielding and making up, it means advocating force (in case of ISIS) to stop the wrong doers from killing other people. Pluralism does not mean I have to agree with you, it means that I see you as a fellow human with your own ambitions, aspirations, apprehension and have to figure out how both of us can live.
Please don’t judge me for who I am with, as I have no barriers between me and the 7. 3 billion people on this earth. I will disagree with you but will not hate you, condemn you or belittle you, it also does not mean I will take the crap from you.
Mike Ghouse