Matthew Clarke

Although I am at times a back slider, I totally agree that if everyone operated with a fraction of the compassion and goodwill of Jesus, the world would be a far more pleasant place to live. However, all religions advocate a similar message. Thus, hypothetically there shouldn't be any cause for people of different religons to conflict with each other. The problem of course, is that religions in today's world are usually representative not of people who want to spread peace and goodwill, but of political groups who hide their greed-filled, supremacist, imperialist intentions behind the mask of a particular faith. It would seem that all of the mainstream faiths are subjected to this kind of infiltration and corruption. In terms of a solution, the teachings of Buddha on greed and craving are a good starting point. Of course I will not go as far as saying that world peace is ever really possible, but I do believe that a gradual culture change in people's attitude towards money and power could possible set off a trend which may encourage those who pull the strings of the world theatre to perhaps lessen their greed and craving for land and resources. Surely, it must be possible for powerful nations to have a little more sympathy and compassion for the people they feel they have to exploit. It is obvious that a growing number of groups have simply had enough of the unfair way in which the Great Powers do business, and it will only get worse unless there is a serious re-think on how best to get the resources, land etc that they need/want from less powerful countries. Although suicide attacks are not new they do seem to be the most popular response of people who are aggrieved. There will never be a trully effective way of combating such attacks, so unless the plan is to gradually aggravate a large-scale World War; then those in the West especially and elsewhere need explore alternative ways of achieving their aims. I do not propose the destruction of capitalism, but I do very much like the idea of capitalism with a friendly face. Regardless of the perceived righteousness of either side in the current conflicts, world/terrorist leaders should heed the message that hate-filled actions will only inspire and breed the same. <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

On Islam and Christianity Personally as a Christian I try not to keep enemies that would like to slap my cheek, however I can say when the event has occured I do usually turn the other. I have heard this sort of comment previously from muslim people I knew when I was younger. The problem with this disagreement is a problem Christianity faces not only with Islam. The Old Testament does of course preach attitudes such as an "eye for an eye" etc. The way world political leaders have behaved throughout most conflicts suggests that this is closer to their doctrine than "turning the other cheek". As such, it is also an unresolved problem that Christianity will always face when dealing with your average person who is more inclined to retaliate when attacked. There are many fundamental differences between Christianity and almost every other religion - in fact its uniqueness is perhaps what makes it so appealing to so many people all over the world. For one; in no other religion is there a man who claimed to be God on Earth. Christ's sacrifice, so violently at the hands of the government and religious leaders of the day is an event no other religion has any way of matching. Most other religions contain the teachings of good men who believed themselves to be prophets with powerful connections to God. One must remember that Jesus was rejected by nearly all but his closest followers during his time. This was of course very much to do with his revolutionary teachings which posed so much of a challenge and threat to the religious/political leaders of his day. I partly share your pessimism when recognising that there is an unresolvable conflict of teachings between Islam and Christianity. However there is perhaps a Christian-inspired solution to the manifestation of this conflict in real life - Not only toleration, but respect for the beliefs of people of all faiths regardless of their specific ideas and attitudes (as long as they are within societies laws of course) - A "love of one's enemies"; if thats how one may like to term people of non-Christian beliefs. Until world leaders make more of an effort to understand and trully acknowledge people of an alternative perspective; there will not be any chance for world/terrorist leaders to really resolve their equally greed-filled, supremacist, imperialist ambitions. As mentioned earlier, a complete re-think in the way the Great Powers do business is urgently required. On homosexuals and drug-users I seem to remember hearing from my parents that this sort of behaviour was also popular in Jamaica during their experiences there. I also remember reading Marlowe's Edward II as a student. It is fortunate for homosexuals in this country today that sodomy is no longer a punishable offence by law - one of the many freedoms and liberties that people in civilised countries are able to entertain. Unfortunate however it is for drug-users who still have their behaviour made illegitimate and illegal. It is generally a shame that all over the world people are persecuted, tortured and killed for their lifestyles and beliefs. I am by no means condoning what happened on the bridge in Iran, however I would not let such events cloud my fundamental belief in the right for everyone to have their beliefs and religions respected. Homophobics and anti-drug squads do not to me represent any established religion.

Personally I don't and have very rarely watched any of these programs. As sad as it gets sometimes, I'd still rather watch my own life. TV for me is for entertainment in the form of dramatic productions, music tv and news/documentaries and of course olympics and world cups, however I do understand why many people get something from reality tv programmes. I believe a lot of people these days are spiritually dead, or don't even entertain the idea of having a soul. I believe this has a knock-on effect on the way in which they cope with the downsides and traumas of their own life - They project themselves deeply into the traumas suffered by reality tv contestants. In addition to the benefit of watching others (usually voluntarily) suffering without having to yourself; it also fills your days with concern and interest for a new group of apparently exciting people. I have nothing against these programmes, despite the values they may seem to promote (they are not the first to promote and encourage negative behaviour); I just choose to change the channel. Maybe I'm boring, but a group of real people hanging around, playing in a confined space just does not do anything for me.

Although I am at times a back slider, I totally agree that if everyone operated with a fraction of the compassion and goodwill of Jesus, the world would be a far more pleasant place to live. However, all religions advocate a similar message. Thus, hypothetically there shouldn't be any cause for people of different religons to conflict with each other. The problem of course, is that religions in today's world are usually representative not of people who want to spread peace and goodwill, but of political groups who hide their greed-filled, supremacist, imperialist intentions behind the mask of a particular faith. It would seem that all of the mainstream faiths are subjected to this kind of infiltration and corruption. In terms of a solution, the teachings of Buddha on greed and craving are a good starting point. Of course I will not go as far as saying that world peace is ever really possible, but I do believe that a gradual culture change in people's attitude towards money and power could possible set off a trend which may encourage those who pull the strings of the world theatre to perhaps lessen their greed and craving for land and resources. Surely, it must be possible for powerful nations to have a little more sympathy and compassion for the people they feel they have to exploit. It is obvious that a growing number of groups have simply had enough of the unfair way in which the Great Powers do business, and it will only get worse unless there is a serious re-think on how best to get the resources, land etc that they need/want from less powerful countries. Although suicide attacks are not new they do seem to be the most popular response of people who are aggrieved. There will never be a trully effective way of combating such attacks, so unless the plan is to gradually aggravate a large-scale World War; then those in the West especially and elsewhere need explore alternative ways of achieving their aims. I do not propose the destruction of capitalism, but I do very much the idea of capitalism with a friendly face. Regardless of the perceived righteousness of either side in the current conflicts, world/terrorist leaders should heed the message that hate-filled actions will only inspire and breed the same.

As a Black Briton, I was always a little wary of explicit demonstrations of nationalism whilst growing up. As mentioned by some of the contributors earlier, nationalism can and does breed violence against the perceived 'other'. However, now I am older, I accept that with the establishment of nations, the doctrine of nationalism is important for helping to foster a sense of unity within state boundaries. After all, whether we like it or not, countries are here to stay and the citizens of each country do need to be taught to at least work together with the people who are around them. This teaching of nationalism however, does need to concentrate on celebrating the diversity within a country and the contributions that have and are made to the country's culture, economy etc from all the different groups over time. As shown by the example of Spain, Yugoslavia, USSR, African countries etc, in a lot of cases nations are very fragile coalitions of different peoples that may only really have their 'nation' in common with each other. Any weak and fragmented organisation will drastically reduce its effectiveness to serve its people and contribute positively to the international scene. Bearing this in mind, I am of the view that nationalism in itsef is not a bad thing and can be used to help create social harmony. On another note, as no-one seems to have mentioned it, I would like to comment on the type of 'History' that Black people are taught in Britain. Slavery and perhaps civil rights USA seem to be the only History Black people have. Of course these topics are perhaps the most relevant for Black people in the'West' but I do not think it allows a sense of pride to be felt. All people should be taught some aspects of History that help them to have pride in who they are and where they have come from. Hence some focus should be given to Pre-European African history. Not only would a focus on the ancient empires of Africa create a greaterr sense of self-worth for young Blacks, it would also allow European children to have a more balanced view of Black people. The current social and economic status of Africa in the media only creates sympathy and unfortunately, ridicule of the role Black people have played in world history. On this note i would like to ask the European contributors whether their countries consider the role of Black people in their History curriculum?? For example, in Spain particularly, are the Moorish invasions of the middle Ages considered?

Hi My name is Matthew Clarke. I teach History/Humanities at Hastingsbury school in Kempston. I am in my second year of teaching and although I use the internet a lot I have not created any websites. However, I am very eager to develop my knowledge and make links in this area.