Creating an enlarged mentality

(I owe the expression "enlarged mentality" in the title to Jennifer Nedelsky [one of the profs who taught my law, religion, and public discourse class last semester at U of T], who in turn owes it to Hannah Arendt, who apparently borrowed it from Kant. Just so I'm not stealing it.)

Today in my interreligious dialogue class we talked about how our society might avoid the pitfalls currently affecting much of western Europe, and specifically the Netherlands, as political parties call for harsh restrictions on immigration and laws restricting the religious expression of minorities (particularly Muslims) because of a fear of Islamic fundamentalism. This was in the news most recently due to the rioting of immigrant youth in France, the brutal murder of Theo Van Gogh in Amsterdam, and Ayaan Hirsi Ali's rising prominence in the US as a critic of multicultural policies, arguing that Islam is an inherently violent and oppressive religion.

We discussed the necessity of dialogue between adherents to different religious traditions, especially discussion in which one is open to understanding the life experiences and beliefs of others. One does not need to withhold opinions about right and wrong ways of life, but, out of love for neighbour, should be encouraged to speak sensitively and be willing also to hear criticisms and opinions regarding one's own religious tradition. The class agreed that citizens should invite dialogue as well as accept invitations to dialogue, as Jesus himself did throughout his ministry, with people very different from himself. There is no guarentee that others will accept your invitation, just as many reject Christ's. But we still invite. The more we know about others, the more we can understand why they live the way they do, the opinions they have, their history, and their moral, social, and political views.

I invite you to learn a little bit about the life of a doctor who lives half way across the world.

You're invited.