boyhood friends

[pohaikawahine]

I was just reading an article about the new pope opening the dialogue between the christianity and judiasm and including islam .... if I recall correctly the last pope had a boyhood friend who was jewish and through that friendship he was always open to the dialogue and better understanding of the catholic church and judiasm ....

I just received a rather disturbing article from a group that I have always considered to be pretty spiritual .... but this article was far from spiritual, it was filled with the type of thinking that continues to seperate all of us from each other and I have unsubscribed from the list .... I'm not posting the article but there are two things that I want to mention .... the first is that is basically justifies the holocaust as "cosmic law of karma and samskara" and applauds the dispersion of the jewish people around the world as proof that the cycle is complete and the "end of judaism is in sight" (I could not believe that this type of thinking came out of this group .... it is so hateful and ugly) ....

in his or their desire to justify the point of view, they trash all christians and jews because "they are incredibly receptive to the blasphemous lie which they've been told about the nature of the Bible" and is filled with fantasy ....

so why am I even posting this .... one of their statements is that moses and aaron could never have been brothers, but were probably in reality boyhood friends .... in this I immediately thought of the last pope and his boyhood friend .... maybe we need a world with more opportunities for children to grow up together and more boyhood friends to begin to lessen the tension and hostility ....

in the south pacific (before the introduction of guns by outsiders) families would send their first born off to other families .... in hawaii sometimes the children were exchanged between chiefs of different islands .... this practice is called "hanai" and exists even today but in a different form .... as far as I know hawaii is the only state that recognizes "hanai" as legitimate for inheritance purposes (a bit more technical than this, but this is the general sense) .... what did the practice of "hanai" really do .... it created new boyhood friends, and one chief did not wage war carelessly because his own childrens lives might be at stake living on the other island ....

perhaps a forum such as this "comparative religions" also creates new types of friendships and understandings .... at a minimum some sense of respect .... what other ways can we begin to foster more dialogue that takes place in a tent of mutual respect where the outcome is for a better world, more boyhood friendships that can develop, and bridging .... I think I just needed to vent after reading the article .... aloha nui, pohaikawahine

[I, Brian]

I agree the comments as you relate them sound intolerant. It's not really what I'd want to here from progressive groups, either.

I have my personal ideas of spirituality and religion - but whatever differences and disagrements I could make, I take it as a fundamental spiritual truth that we are all equal. Therefore such differences and disagreements are irrelevant in simply coming together as equals - for it is only as equals we can learn and share together.

It's one of the founding concepts of CR - even where we may find disagreement, it's better to encourage dialogue.

2c.

[Quahom1]

Originally Posted by pohaikawahine

.... one of their statements is that moses and aaron could never have been brothers, but were probably in reality boyhood friends .... in this I immediately thought of the last pope and his boyhood friend .... maybe we need a world with more opportunities for children to grow up together and more boyhood friends to begin to lessen the tension and hostility ....

Here is something for your edification and perhaps small relief:

"Aaron was one of two brothers who play a unique part in the history of the Hebrew people. He was the elder son of Amram and Jochebed of the tribe of Levi; Moses, the other son, being three years younger, and Miriam, their sister, several years older (Exodus 2:4; Exodus 6:16 ff.; Numbers 33:39). Aaron was the great-grandson of Levi (Exodus 6:16-20) and represented the priestly functions of his tribe. While Moses was receiving his education at the Egyptian court and during his exile among theMidianites, Aaron and his sister remained with their kinsmen in the eastern border-land of Egypt. Here he gained a name for eloquent and persuasive speech; so that when the time came for the demand upon Pharoah to release Israel from captivity, Aaron became his brother’s nabi , or spokesman, to his own people."

So, in a sense, not only was Aaron the brother of Moses, but he also became good friends with Aaron, due to meeting later in life, and developing that friendship. The two never had to deal with "brothers of adversity"

"A friend is devoted at all times, but a brother is born for
adversity" (Proverbs 17:17).

"Here is what is good and what is pleasant, for brothers to dwell together." (Psalms 133:1).

v/r

Q

[pohaikawahine]

mahalo nui i-brian and q .... me ke aloha pumehana, pohaikawahine