WHAT IS PLURALISM?
Pluralism is an attitude of respecting the otherness of others
We have crystallized the definition of pluralism to, “respecting the otherness of the others and accepting the uniqueness of each one of us”. Pluralism is nothing but an attitude of live and let live, and it is applicable in every aspect of life including culture, society, religion, politics, gender, food, ethnicity, race and other uniqueness’s.
Our Objective is to prepare an individual to function effectively in a multi-faith, multi-cultural, multi-racial, multi-ethnic and multi-sexually oriented society with least conflicts.
In cultural terms, Pluralism is recognizing your culture as a beautiful expression of life to you, as my own culture is to me. When it comes to food, it is recognizing that you will almost always enjoy what your taste buds are trained to enjoy, you might enjoy a well done steak while, I may relish the medium rare I delight, or vice-versa. Religiously, it is learning to honor the way you worship or bow to the creator in gratitude, your faith is divine to you as my faith is divine to me. As beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, faith is in the heart of the believer.
By the end of 2020, there will not be a major city in America, and perhaps in the world, where you will not find people of different faiths, cultures, ethnicities, races, nationalities and social backgrounds working, eating, playing, marrying, and doing things together.
We need to prepare ourselves for those eventualities to prevent possible conflicts, and lay a good foundation for nurturing goodwill and effective functioning of the societies. Exclusive communities will become a thing of the past. If you live amidst others, you must also respect the otherness of others, as you expect them to do the same for you.You are who you are, and I am who I am. As long as we don’t mess with each others space, sustenance and nurturance, and mind our own business, we all will do well. If we can learn to respect the otherness of other and accept the God-given uniqueness of each one of the seven billion of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge.
Pluralism is not a set of rules, it is simply the attitude of live and let live religiously, politically, culturally and socially. We are committed to building cohesive societies, where no human has to live in apprehension, discomfort or fear of a fellow being.
Pluralism is our future, and as a futurist, based on the trends, I foresee, that two generations from now, we would be comfortable in saying, my religion, culture or life style is my personal choice, and further down the road, a significant number will proclaim that my way of life is not superior or inferior to any.
They will consider claiming superiority would be sheer arrogance and religion (a major part of life to many) is believed to imbue humility that builds bridges between cohabitants of the given space, communities and nations in creating that elusive kingdom of heaven where all live their lives without apprehension or fear of the other.
Ideal society is where, no individual has to live in apprehension or fear of the other, live his or her own life and let others live theirs. If we can learn to accept the otherness of others, and respect the God given uniqueness of each one of the 7 billion of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge.
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Mike Ghouse has done extensive work on pluralism and interfaith for nearly two decades and is considered an expert in monitoring the interfaith movements. He has written over 150 articles on Pluralism at Dallas Morning News, nearly 100 pieces at Huffington Post, and together over 1000 pieces published in different media outlets.
Mike has conducted 26 Workshops from Atheism to Zoroastrianism, and 520 hours of Radio talk show on every faith and tradition and nearly 100 Shows on Fox News with Sean Hannity. Organized and presented 35 major public events over a course of 20 years.
Mike Ghouse is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. He is a professional speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, civic affairs, Islam, India, Israel, peace and justice. Mike is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News and regularly at Huffington post, and several other periodicals across the world. The blog www.TheGhousediary.com is updated daily. Talk/Text (214) 325-1916
His interfaith, Islam, motivational speaker profiles and CV are all linked atwww.MikeGhouse.net