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Methods of Relating to Tradition
There are many great world traditions. A great many
people relate to these traditions by calling one their own
and treating the rest as less valuable. It is perhaps more
important that people critically analyze how they related
to a particular tradition or set of traditions than which
tradition they are relating to.
There are many great world traditions. A great many
people relate to these traditions by calling one their own
and treating the rest as less valuable. It is perhaps more
important that people critically analyze how they related
to a particular tradition or set of traditions than which
tradition they are relating to.
Eliminating Bias
People generally have a very skeptical eye when it comes to
other people's metaphysical speculation, or the benefits of
other's traditional advice. They often do this to the point of
being completely unreasonable, and assuming that anything
in other traditions must automatically be wrong. Or if
worthwhile, is worthwhile by mere chance. At the same time,
the tradition that one happens to grow up with is often taken
as the unquestionable foundation of a good or virtuous
civilization. The person on the "inside" is unconcerned that
good and virtuous are defined by that tradition in
self-fulfilling definitions and uncritical praise. This habitual
uncritical view of one's own traditions often makes people go
to any length to defend and propagate their own beliefs as
"better" to say the least. One becomes unable to step back
and fairly assess the relative merits of one's own tradition. It
also becomes much harder in one's own traditions to
determine which qualities yield what merits and risks when
one is uncritical. Much fairer, is to view all traditions with a
reasonably skeptical view, even one's own. From this point
of view, we do not need to accept meaningless ideas,
magical stories as-real, or social norms as absolutes. But at
the same time, we can't discount the social norms of other
traditions. This balanced perspective allows us to have a
much larger basis for informing our judgment, and at the
same time helps us avoid the trap of foregoing judgment
altogether and blindly following directives or preaching
understandings that are no longer relevant or sensible in our
current situation.
Living Tradition
It is important to realize that while books may stay the same
over time, traditions actually change in terms of morality,
context, appropriateness, and understanding. Thinking the
world has four corners is an absurd idea in the modern age
of global understanding. We are better off treating such
things as metaphors for the extent that tribal people could
imaging the land extending, based on conventions of
perhaps direction. As we look through our traditions, we
need to inform our understanding with what we can verify,
based on sound methods and evidence, in the natural world.
Limiting our vision of the globe to the interpretation of one
set of legends is like imagining the world's history to be
graspable in the single page of a history book. Many people
do this because the feel a social need to show fealty to the
authority of their particular institutions. But such a
perspective is really harmful to the judgment of the
individual, their institution, and humanity. Better, would be to
read broadly, and understand that our perspective, our
priorities, our values, and our understanding of the universe
should change as we study nature and learn to live together
more closely on this small planet.
Avoiding Ecumenical Traps
Many traditions have an "I'm the only right one" mandate
built right into the creed. People reach out to others for
political and humanitarian efforts and revel in the
commonalities of different traditions with a sense that this
promotes understanding. Yes these things do and they are
good efforts, but such efforts are generally limited to external
contacts because of the "I'm the only right one" clause in
their dogma. As long as people regard themselves as the
"chosen ones" the "saved ones" the "only ones who see it
right" then bias, bigotry, intolerance, and reviling of others'
thinking are just a quick turn around the corner of
circumstances. It is propagated in the ideology behind the
smiling faces, the shaking hands, and the conferences that
bring others together.
For any ecumenical effort to have sustained value that can
endure the fluctuations of societies, that effort to reach out
must also include a reaching in, to acknowledge that no
tradition, no metaphysic, and no moral system holds all the
keys. Once we realize this, we are really changing these
traditions rather than setting ourselves "morally above" all
other traditions. As the broadly informed caretakers of our
traditions, our jobs become different. Our job is to learn,
and improve our traditions as best informed by the traditions
of others, and of science and rational studies. Regardless
of our efforts, we will only blindly propagate old and often
harmful dogma if we do not release from the "I'm the only
right one" assumption of a tradition.
Once this dogma has been released, we can see that
traditions begin to merge, and indeed we find ourselves the
inheritors of many, indeed all the traditions of the world that
we can expose ourselves to. Individuals should not consider
themselves branded with a particular metaphysic, nor are
children born that way. Instead, it is empowering to realize
that the traditions are there for us, and not us there merely
to propagate whatever traditions we find ourselves in.
Realizing that, we can reach to the core of the problem with
many traditions by weeding out the mystical bigotry at their
very cores. This process gives the term Ecumenical new
and more significant meaning.
Managing. Change
Change from the inside of a tradition is a powerful way to
develop society, but many institutions that have rigid dogma
and authoritarian structure strongly resist change. If this is
the case, then moving ones efforts outside that tradition may
be a better option. Individuals and groups in forcibly
stagnant traditions often consider they may not have the
wherewithal to create new, positive institutions that use
rational judgment, whose policies and ideas are based on a
modern awareness. But anyone can start out small, and it is
the responsibility of each of us to step out of supporting
traditions that rigidly enforce dogma and stifle critical
consideration of what they are enforcing.
Metaphysical Traditions
Whether it's ghosts and demons, angels and devils, magical
energies, many deities or just one, we need to keep clearly
in mind that these are metaphors of what ancient people saw
in the universe. Whether it's the ultimate father figure, or the
epitome of wisdom, they are metaphors that helped our
ancestors through difficult times when they new a great deal
less about the universe. We understand now through
anthropology and psychology that these symbolic ways of
relating to the universe do often have relevant metaphorical
meaning. All of the phenomena in nature attributed to these
metaphors have been resolved by science to be natural
processes, and treating things magically has been
demonstrated to significantly interfere with our
understanding of how the universe works. Metaphysical
places and predicaments are the same way, perhaps being
invoked by a leader to incite people, by a philosopher to
inspire others to his way of thinking, or perhaps spawned
from the narcisism of a charismatic leader. Poetically, we
can enjoy these things, but we should no longer let our
position appear ambiguous for social expedience. We all
need to stand up and say clearly that they may often be
heartwarming, but they are indeed poetic contrivance of an
age gone by where we understood much less. Without
being open and clear about this, we are asking others to get
caught up in those meteaphorical worlds, like some
imaginary game, where the rules are different and the real
world, even their real lives, no longer matter as much as
being on the right metaphysical side, attaining paradise of
one flavor or another. Without clearly and firmly helping our
traditional institution and those of others, leave such notions
behind, the nurturing metaphorical value of them is minor in
relation to the misguided travesties that even good people
unwittingly contribute to. This sad contribution occurs when
they defend the myth-as-real notions in the face of others,
and lead young people down a path where their imaginations
reign, where evidence seems pointless in decision-making,
and where their metaphysical assumptions become above
question. If one finds oneself being required by one's group
to support myth-as-real perspectives, it is perhaps better to
leave such groups altogether, and start a new group of
people who think clearly about the real world, and valuing it
in appropriate proportion to mythical, fictional, and imaginary
ones.
People generally have a very skeptical eye when it comes to
other people's metaphysical speculation, or the benefits of
other's traditional advice. They often do this to the point of
being completely unreasonable, and assuming that anything
in other traditions must automatically be wrong. Or if
worthwhile, is worthwhile by mere chance. At the same time,
the tradition that one happens to grow up with is often taken
as the unquestionable foundation of a good or virtuous
civilization. The person on the "inside" is unconcerned that
good and virtuous are defined by that tradition in
self-fulfilling definitions and uncritical praise. This habitual
uncritical view of one's own traditions often makes people go
to any length to defend and propagate their own beliefs as
"better" to say the least. One becomes unable to step back
and fairly assess the relative merits of one's own tradition. It
also becomes much harder in one's own traditions to
determine which qualities yield what merits and risks when
one is uncritical. Much fairer, is to view all traditions with a
reasonably skeptical view, even one's own. From this point
of view, we do not need to accept meaningless ideas,
magical stories as-real, or social norms as absolutes. But at
the same time, we can't discount the social norms of other
traditions. This balanced perspective allows us to have a
much larger basis for informing our judgment, and at the
same time helps us avoid the trap of foregoing judgment
altogether and blindly following directives or preaching
understandings that are no longer relevant or sensible in our
current situation.
Living Tradition
It is important to realize that while books may stay the same
over time, traditions actually change in terms of morality,
context, appropriateness, and understanding. Thinking the
world has four corners is an absurd idea in the modern age
of global understanding. We are better off treating such
things as metaphors for the extent that tribal people could
imaging the land extending, based on conventions of
perhaps direction. As we look through our traditions, we
need to inform our understanding with what we can verify,
based on sound methods and evidence, in the natural world.
Limiting our vision of the globe to the interpretation of one
set of legends is like imagining the world's history to be
graspable in the single page of a history book. Many people
do this because the feel a social need to show fealty to the
authority of their particular institutions. But such a
perspective is really harmful to the judgment of the
individual, their institution, and humanity. Better, would be to
read broadly, and understand that our perspective, our
priorities, our values, and our understanding of the universe
should change as we study nature and learn to live together
more closely on this small planet.
Avoiding Ecumenical Traps
Many traditions have an "I'm the only right one" mandate
built right into the creed. People reach out to others for
political and humanitarian efforts and revel in the
commonalities of different traditions with a sense that this
promotes understanding. Yes these things do and they are
good efforts, but such efforts are generally limited to external
contacts because of the "I'm the only right one" clause in
their dogma. As long as people regard themselves as the
"chosen ones" the "saved ones" the "only ones who see it
right" then bias, bigotry, intolerance, and reviling of others'
thinking are just a quick turn around the corner of
circumstances. It is propagated in the ideology behind the
smiling faces, the shaking hands, and the conferences that
bring others together.
For any ecumenical effort to have sustained value that can
endure the fluctuations of societies, that effort to reach out
must also include a reaching in, to acknowledge that no
tradition, no metaphysic, and no moral system holds all the
keys. Once we realize this, we are really changing these
traditions rather than setting ourselves "morally above" all
other traditions. As the broadly informed caretakers of our
traditions, our jobs become different. Our job is to learn,
and improve our traditions as best informed by the traditions
of others, and of science and rational studies. Regardless
of our efforts, we will only blindly propagate old and often
harmful dogma if we do not release from the "I'm the only
right one" assumption of a tradition.
Once this dogma has been released, we can see that
traditions begin to merge, and indeed we find ourselves the
inheritors of many, indeed all the traditions of the world that
we can expose ourselves to. Individuals should not consider
themselves branded with a particular metaphysic, nor are
children born that way. Instead, it is empowering to realize
that the traditions are there for us, and not us there merely
to propagate whatever traditions we find ourselves in.
Realizing that, we can reach to the core of the problem with
many traditions by weeding out the mystical bigotry at their
very cores. This process gives the term Ecumenical new
and more significant meaning.
Managing. Change
Change from the inside of a tradition is a powerful way to
develop society, but many institutions that have rigid dogma
and authoritarian structure strongly resist change. If this is
the case, then moving ones efforts outside that tradition may
be a better option. Individuals and groups in forcibly
stagnant traditions often consider they may not have the
wherewithal to create new, positive institutions that use
rational judgment, whose policies and ideas are based on a
modern awareness. But anyone can start out small, and it is
the responsibility of each of us to step out of supporting
traditions that rigidly enforce dogma and stifle critical
consideration of what they are enforcing.
Metaphysical Traditions
Whether it's ghosts and demons, angels and devils, magical
energies, many deities or just one, we need to keep clearly
in mind that these are metaphors of what ancient people saw
in the universe. Whether it's the ultimate father figure, or the
epitome of wisdom, they are metaphors that helped our
ancestors through difficult times when they new a great deal
less about the universe. We understand now through
anthropology and psychology that these symbolic ways of
relating to the universe do often have relevant metaphorical
meaning. All of the phenomena in nature attributed to these
metaphors have been resolved by science to be natural
processes, and treating things magically has been
demonstrated to significantly interfere with our
understanding of how the universe works. Metaphysical
places and predicaments are the same way, perhaps being
invoked by a leader to incite people, by a philosopher to
inspire others to his way of thinking, or perhaps spawned
from the narcisism of a charismatic leader. Poetically, we
can enjoy these things, but we should no longer let our
position appear ambiguous for social expedience. We all
need to stand up and say clearly that they may often be
heartwarming, but they are indeed poetic contrivance of an
age gone by where we understood much less. Without
being open and clear about this, we are asking others to get
caught up in those meteaphorical worlds, like some
imaginary game, where the rules are different and the real
world, even their real lives, no longer matter as much as
being on the right metaphysical side, attaining paradise of
one flavor or another. Without clearly and firmly helping our
traditional institution and those of others, leave such notions
behind, the nurturing metaphorical value of them is minor in
relation to the misguided travesties that even good people
unwittingly contribute to. This sad contribution occurs when
they defend the myth-as-real notions in the face of others,
and lead young people down a path where their imaginations
reign, where evidence seems pointless in decision-making,
and where their metaphysical assumptions become above
question. If one finds oneself being required by one's group
to support myth-as-real perspectives, it is perhaps better to
leave such groups altogether, and start a new group of
people who think clearly about the real world, and valuing it
in appropriate proportion to mythical, fictional, and imaginary
ones.
Currently all entries are © Erik Moore
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