Date: Mon Oct 13 11:30:33 1997
To: Frank Grose
From: Rob Weinberg
Subject: Re: Birthday Greetings
Dear Frank,
As "argumentative" as my replies sometimes are, I try very hard nonetheless (not always successfully I fear) to display respect for your faith and at the same time challenge the logic of what you say. That is far easier said than done, for how do I get you to critically examine the basis and logic of your arguments without challenging your faith itself? I know that we're past qualifiers and apologies in advance, but know always that my replies are not intended to be disrespectful of your relationship with God.
I'm reminded that when I was young the question arose "if Jews were the chosen people (or something like that) then why isn't everybody Jewish?" It's as close to saying that Judaism is THE way, as we come I suppose. The answer is that Judaism is the one religion...for the Jews. What others believe or how they practice is between them and their view of God. That probably accounts for why Jews do not evangelize. But it's a valuable lesson in learning to live in a pluralistic society.
The real value, to me, of our dialog is trying to answer the question: "how do we learn to get along?" Like Rodney King said after the L.A. riots, "can't we all get along?" When I challenge you, it is in search of that answer. They're questions we, as white men, should ask ourselves not only with respect to religion, but also race and sexual relations.
The biggest problem in human miscommunication is the failure to define common terms and goals. We've seen a little of the first already. The nature of our discussions are now very susceptible of drifting into the danger zone of failure to define goals, so we should constantly remind ourselves of what those goals are (or make sure we even agree).
This is my approach to all "disputes" and how to arrive at consensus: As westerners, we have a linear approach, two points on a line. People who are trying to come to agreement bargain back and forth along the line. They may arrive in the middle, but unless that's where they wanted to be from the start, neither side is going to be happy with the result. It's what I call the Arab and Jew approach, bargaining, haggling over terms. It doesn't work, and it's the principal problem with litigation as the answer to dispute resolution.
Instead of thinking in linear terms, we should think in terms of a plane. Rather than looking for a point *between* us that we'll reluctantly accept, we should look for a point in space that we both readily agree is where we want to be, and work toward that point from our separate ends. That way, there's no give and take, just two sides striving toward a truly common goal from their own perspective.
If we go back to your original question: "What do we [Christians] do to change this attitude [by the Jews that the Christian right is the biggest threat]?" then the common goal in space we both strive for is, "how do these two cultures get along in a pluralistic society?" Obviously, the question becomes whether it's even possible, but if we can agree that that is a worthy common goal in and of itself, the "how" becomes a separate issue. "But it's just impossible," some say. To which I reply, "if you only focus on the obstacles, you'll never reach the goal." We just take the obstacles one step at a time.
Anyway, that's where I'm coming from. Got things to do and people to see. Take care. Rob
Sessions vows to fight for right to display.
By Karen MacPherson.
Birmingham Post-HeraldWASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., says he won't give up his fight to win Senate approval this year of a resolution allowing the display of the Ten Commandments on government property....
Birmingham Post-Herald, Tuesday October 14, 1997
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