VALUES SEEM TO SEPARATE US MORE THAN BELIEFS

Over the past 10 years, I've been writing about similarities and common ground among the several Abrahamic faiths. During that time, I've come to the conclusion that we are more divided by our values than by our specific beliefs. What do I mean by that? For example, I don't see much difference in the way liberal or progressive believers act about inclusion (e.g., including others as "acceptable" in our systems of tolerance). More conservative believers tend to exclude others. It seems there's a spectrum, with the most liberal on one end, and the most conservative on the other.

And it seems that, the closer one is to one end of the spectrum, the more likely that one is to call names. Here's an example: In 1995, after the Republican takeover of the House of Representatives, a local Baptist preacher, the Rev. Dr. Amos C. Brown, pastor of the Third Baptist Church in San Francisco, said, "...[Jerry Falwell], Pat Robertson and their colleagues in the Christian Coalition have worked mightily to prostitute Christianity, putting the religion of Jesus Christ into the service of the conservative politics of the Republican Party, in the process abusing prayer for political gain." (See Brown, Amos "Christianity and Rightist Politics." SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, May 3, 1995, p. A-19. See http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/1995/05/03/ED2259.DTL, retrieved 2 March 2012) Brown makes no bones about calling the Christian Coalition an organization which uses Christianity to further its own goals. He has no use for their approach to Christianity.

Here's another example of the spectrum. The Taliban in Afghanistan try to enforce very conservative rules on women - how to dress, where they may go (with male escorts) and not go , what educational opportunities they might be allowed, and what work they might do. (Others, like Greg Mortenson, have challenged the Taliban's positions about women's education by building schools for young women and men in Afghanistan and Pakistan. I would call his actions "progressive" and others might refer to him and his actions as "liberal.")

At the liberal end of the spectrum, an American Muslim woman has founded the Islamic Networks Group (ING) which works to "...counter prejudice and discrimination against American Muslims by teaching about their traditions and contributions in the context of America’s history and cultural diversity..." The need for their work is highlighted by the recent controversy over the building of a mosque in New York City, and by the planned Qur'an burning by a Florida pastor. Both those who resisted that building, and those who supported the burning, represent a more conservative, less tolerant perspective. See the two ends of the spectrum?

Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV), are "an inclusive community rooted in the traditional Qur’anic ideals of human dignity and social justice." (See http://www.mpvusa.org/) This group addresses, among other issues, "human rights, freedom of expression, and separation of church and state — as well as inclusive and tolerant understandings of Islam." Their statement of concerns could easily reflect concerns of, for example, The Center for Progressive Christianity (See http://www.tcpc.org). It's not that Islam and Christianity are the same, but it's true that Progressives in both faith traditions share the same or similar concerns. The web page for the World Union for Progressive Judaism (See http://wupj.org) says that it "is rooted in the Bible, [and stresses] ... desire to learn what God expects from us: justice and equality, democracy and peace, personal fulfillment and collective obligations." See the similarities? Social justice, not social control, is a common goal of these progressives.