Resources
Comparative Religion and Ethics
It can be difficult sometimes to identify what is going on with all the different world religions and their sub-divisions. For example as a ‘cradle Catholic’, I had limited exposure to some other Christian denominations, and none at all to some other faiths such as Baha’i and Shinto.
If we are to hope for any kind of peace in our world, we must try to understand others, what they believe in, how they live and die.
That’s why I like the BBC – Religion & Ethics website so much. It does what it says on the can: it’s a collection of essays, photos, videos and audio organised into a logical order, and is growing all the time.
You can either look up something specific, or you can check out whatever articles they’re featuring at the top of the page. Highly recommended – bookmark it.
This is an excellent website that was developed following the success of Stafford Whiteaker’s book of the same name. At the moment it concentrates on the U.K. and areas of Europe but will be expanding to cover the U.S. and other areas soon. It covers different kinds of retreat, not only Christian. My only criticism: that there is currently no search facility other than by area. It would be nice to be able to search by type of retreat key words. Otherwise highly recommended.
For nearly 60 years, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has been one of the world’s lone voices of peace from his place in exile. Those who have met him describe an extraordinary presence.
How can we hope to have a peaceful world? Well I think there are two ways. One, to quote another Master of Peace, is to be the change we want to see in the world. The other is to teach our children. Really teach them, not just coach them to pass exams.
The Missing Peace is a collaboration between 88 artists sponsored by the Dalai Lama Foundation. There is an exhibition currently touring the world. For a virtual look, click this link. As part of this project, there is a resource for teachers and parents, helping older children begin to think about life in different ways, through art and stories. All the materials are downloadable here.
There are materials for two age groups: 10 – 13 and 14 – 18. If you are a teacher or a parent (perhaps especially a homeschooler) I really encourage you to take a look.
You may also enjoy my page on Communities in the United Kingdom. To read it, click here.
