Call to Compassion!

On WPR last week, I had the opportunity to listen to Karen Armstrong.  She is a very well-known religious writer focusing not only on the Abrahamic religions but Confucianism, Buddhism, and Hinduism as well.  In November of 2007, she was awarded the TED award (Technology, Entertainment, Design) to those whom they think have made a difference and, with the help of this organization, can make even more of a positive impact.  Ms. Armstrong has decided to focus her energies on making the world look to commonalities through the lens of compassion.  As I have pointed out to friends and Ms. Armstrong concurs (and she is more knowledgeable on the topic than I), compassion is the foundation for each of these of these belief systems.  She continues to point out that those who aver that religion is the cause of all of the major wars in history are incorrect.  In fact, she asserts, that the cause of most wars are greed, envy and ambition (p. 4).  To get her organization off and running, she worked with thousands of people to create a charter for her "movement" and a group of notable individuals from six faith traditions who edited to get what is now the final version:

       The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us
       always to treat all others as we wish to be treated.

       Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone
       ourselves from the center of our world and put another there, and to honor the inviolable sanctity of
       every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and
       respect.

       It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting
       pain.  To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny
       basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others--even our enemies--is a denial of our 
       common humanity.  We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have
       even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.

      We therefore call upon all men and women

• to restore compassion to the center of morality and religion;
• to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate;
• to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions, and cultures;
• to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity;
• to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings- even those regarded as enemies.

       We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world.
       Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political,
       dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries.  Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is
       essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity.  It is the path to enlightenment, and
       indispensable to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.


To find out more about this charter, you can go to the website:  www.charterforcompassion.org or read Ms. Armstrong's newest book:  Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life.  In a country and world so torn apart by politics, what better way to change the way we look at our world.  Maybe if each of us can be a little more compassionate, we can make our corner of the world better for those in it.  And how much better would it be that someone else was grateful for the compassion we showed them and felt the world was better for having known us?