Philosophy Club Meeting
Religion in the Public Forum
Please join us at our next meeting of the University of Hartford Philosophy Club Online this Wednesday, Sept. 22 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. for discussion of the topic: Religion in the Public Forum. (See below for link to join meeting).
When I was growing up, it was considered part of being polite not to speak about religion in public. What happened at the temple stayed at the temple. The idea, I suppose, was that religion is intrinsically divisive, so for the sake of national or social unity we should confine religious discussion to private quarters. Back then, it was the same with politics. They were thus recited as the two of the three things not to talk about in public, the other being sex – the latter for reasons of its own.
Nonetheless, there was much political discussion in the media, not much of it rising to the unconscionably rancorous levels it now all too commonly does. But there was very little religious discussion. Of course, there was the occasional televangelist, or a “ Rev and Rabbi” slot on radio stations here and there. Yet these were and still are limited exceptions. Limited by its one-sidedness, televangelism, like the door-to-door proselytizer, is eerily similar in some ways to the infomercials we see everywhere peddling goods of various kinds. There is no real discussion, but something akin to a sales pitch. The Rev and Rabbi shows are a notch up from these, but there are all too few of them. Sometimes the ecumenism they represent is too narrow to engage or be relevant to all listeners.
In fact, the official definition of ‘ecumenism’ itself is too narrow, in typically refers to interdenominational Christian community and dialog. The omission of Judaism from the concept is unfathomable to me, since Christianity comes from Judaism, and since its founders lived and died considering themselves as Jews; and since Christian doctrine teaches that followers of Christ are “Jews by adoption”.
In fact, true inter-faith dialog would have to cover more ground even than that, at least to cover adherents of all major world religions – as well as of no religion. And it would have to be genuine dialog.
What’s wrong with keeping religion private is that it divides us more deeply than sharing it with one another. In so doing it spoils not only religion – all religions – but the public forum as well. An often-expressed insight on religion from the outside is that even if the doctrine is not true, the effects of religion may be salutary. This suggests that we all have an interest in keeping religion – all religion - salutary. But how can we accomplish this in compartmentalized isolation from one another, religion from religion, adherents from non-adherents?
All organizations require criticism – both from within and without – to maintain their ability to benefit their members and the world around them. That is what all organizations are supposed to do, and they can’t achieve that without the processing of ongoing criticism. As unpleasant as it is to receive criticism, we all need it. That’s what friends are for, and we are all supposed to be each other’s friends.
. (See attached for full paper.)
The University of Hartford Philosophy Club Online:
Meetings: Wednesday, 1 p.m.-2 p.m.
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Meeting Password: ACwqT3MBG33 Toll-free call-in number: 1-877-668-4493
Meeting Number (in case calling in): 171 628 0135
An ongoing weekly tradition at the University since 2001, the University of Hartford Philosophy Club is a place where students, professors, and people from the community at large meet as peers. Sometimes presentations are given, followed by discussion. Other times, topics are hashed out by the whole group.
Presenters may be students, professors, or people from the community. Anyone can offer to present a topic. The mode of presentation may be as formal or informal as the presenter chooses.
Please be a part of us as we continue this great tradition online.
Brian D. Skelly, Philosophy
413-273-2273