PLURALISM

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has pledged to ensure the fulfillment of people's civil rights and Tionghoa Confucius, according to Indonesian citizenship law. "The government will ensure the fulfillment of civil rights and race Confucius Tionghoa accordance with the mandate of Law Number 12 Year 2006 on Citizenship of Indonesia," the president said in a National Lunar New Year celebrations at the Jakarta Convention Center, February 20 last. About 6,000 people, including vice presidents, a number of ministers of United Indonesia Cabinet II and inter-faith leaders attended the event held Confucian High Council of Indonesia (MATAKIN). The theme is taken "Once Promises spoken, four horses Could not Attract Back." Lunar New Year celebration began in 2000 nationally since the late Abdurrahman Wahid, who is remembered as the father of pluralism - allowing a national celebration. The President appealed to all parties involved to continue to improve t...

More than 200 Protestants, Catholics and Muslims are committed to continue fighting for the pluralist message of former president Abdurrahman Wahid. Damien Dematra, author of "A Million Hearts for Gus Dur" said at the meeting of 12 April and then "Gus Dur wants from us is to continue fight for pluralism." Speaking before the participants, including 40 Catholics, Damien recognize Gus Dur has transformed himself into a pluralist. Jalaludin Rahmat Muslim intellectual, Father Franz Magnis-Suseno, SJ and Father Antonius Benny Susetyo also gave their testimony at a meeting hosted by the young Christian. According to Grace, Gus Dur is 'a Sufi intelligent, strong opinionated but humorous.' Father Magnis-Suseno admitted that Gus Dur is a pluralist, 100 percent of the people of Indonesia and 100 percent of NU. She is grateful God sent people like him extraordinary. Pastor Benny said that Gus Dur is devout, and consistent in fighting for human ri...

The leaders of the Catholic Church in Korea invites people to pray so that the tension in Korea did not deteriorate. President of South Korea cut its trade with the communist-controlled North Korea in retaliation for a torpedo attack by North Korea that killed 46 South Korean sailors. "In the light of faith, we hope this will lead to national reconciliation, and we have to keep hoping. We need to pray for peace, "Fabiano said Choi Hong-jun, chairman of the Board of Laity Korea. He said the tensions that emerged lately like throwing cold water on national reconciliation efforts. Sinking Cheanon, South Korean warships, on March 26 in the Yellow Sea is the country's military defeat since the 1950-53 Korean War years. A torpedo from a submarine ditembakan North Korean ship sank, the international investigation team reports Father Raphael Seo Jong-yeob deplores' economic attacks' from South Korean President Lee Myung-bak against North Korea, giv...

Let's start off discussing what a paradigm is. Simply put, a paradigm is basically the "noise in your head.," nothing more. An important distinction to make is, it's your noise because you put it there, not anyone else. That's right, your spouse, your boss, your parents, the economy, the person who just cut you off didn't put in there, you did. What you need to realize is that we all do this, every single human being who has ever walked the planet, except for maybe Jesus Christ, Mohammed, the Dali Lama and Gandhi. So, now you should feel a little better about yourself. The reason for this is because your paradigms are based on your past experiences and circumstances, so they're habitual. What that means is what you think, what you believe and how you act at a given point in time, is like flying a plane on auto pilot. You don't even realize it, because you're not aware that you're on auto-pilot but that's what's happening. What Is Yo...

When we encounter people of other faiths--Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Jews, Baha'is, etc.--observing their obvious devotion to what their religious convictions and the inner peace they seem to have and the gentleness, it makes us want to make a place for them in the kingdom of God. Our Western culture promotes pluralism of all kinds--racial, ethnic, political, and religious. Anyone who argues for one Way as the exclusive way of salvation our society opposes, ridicules, and fears. Of course, God, in His sovereignty, may choose to save anyone He wants. In the exercising of His wisdom, justice, and mercy, He certainly has the prerogative that human judges often exercise: of allowing for extenuating circumstances and the attitude of the defendant. What's more, He can factor in the confluence of a multitude of cause-effect relationships wholly unknowable to humans. We are confident that if He makes such allowances, they will be decisions that will only serve to magnify His holin...

The holy scriptures of the Jews, the Christians, the Muslims and of other creeds portray God as good. I have a problem with that although I wish I could agree with that. My reasoning in this case starts with considering a new born baby - 5 seconds old. If the God of the universe were good, that baby would have been born with an innate understanding of this God. If this baby is truly the creation of this good God it would have, let's say, an instinct for the laws of God and all the other things God would want a creature to have; an instinct that for instance new-born sea-going turtles have to make it into the sea as soon as possible. All brand new turtle babies know to scratch and claw their way up to the surface of the sand and immediate, and in great haste begin to crawl toward the sea. They have an innate understanding of how to do all this and why. Such baby turtles know they are easy prey to birds and mammals, so they rush as fast as possible into the safety of the waters....

peace of a region or country is often disrupted by terrorist acts carried out by some persons or groups who are not responsible. chaotic situation created by the terrorists is often a systemic effect in many areas, the main thing is the economy. but if we want to look further, what exactly is the reason of the terrorists? the problem of terrorism is often associated with fanaticism of certain groups of ideology that they profess, but whether this is true? it is often the case lately, acts of terrorism is always linked with the problem of difference, namely religion, but the fact of what happened, we can assess that terrorist acts have more to do with the interests of certain groups, will be a thing, and they use religion to be as a justification of their actions. therefore, let us not be sheep pitted with these acts of terrorism. We should be able to assess and find out what exactly their motives, so that we are not mistaken mananggapi steps in this matter.

a norm usually prohibit the illicit relationship between two gay men, in this case can a man with men, or women with women. It's no secret that things like this is morally opposed, and religion. Then the question arises, whether this is fair for those who experience it? If we look at from the standpoint of the norm, it's things like this is not feasible to be done, even to be a highly forbidden, because it is considered to have violated nature. But if we look at from the standpoint of the right to vote, which included human rights, this is not something that deserves to be banned, because this is part of the right itself. So how do we have to respond to incidents like this? For sure we should never just judge from one side only, we must be able to view a problem from many different angles, to be able to understand the issue more objectively. As a moral human being, of course we can put ourselves to respond to problems like this, if we're talking in the context of norms an...

a condition in which there are many differences, and also where the distinction itself becomes wealth, should be maintained, so that survival can be berkjalanan with a harmonious society. Communities should be able to see a difference as a unifier, as well as a spirit to be able to complement each other. What is happening in various parts of the world, where the difference becomes an excuse to hurt each other, should not recur. Conflict in the Middle East is seen as the problem of religious interests, should not be a breaker of togetherness, because we want to see klau further, actually what happened in the middle east is not a matter of religious differences, or others, but rather a conflict of interest, in this case more political direction, which is about territory. Let this issue be resolved politically, too, do not be resolved arbitrarily, by putting his own ego that difference, because it will increasingly extend the problem itself.

By: KH. Abdurrahman Wahid  When Indonesia was standing, there is a very interesting thing, namely the term "independence". With the words used in different usage, then gained some sense and meaning. The word independent means loose or free. Today, the word independence was also used by security forces, such as freedom from arrest or could be interpreted freely. However, the word freedom is more than free. For a nation, free means free from colonialism. It is used to show the political independence, economic and rest. Economically independent, meaning not at all dependent on other countries in all respects. Politically, it means that apart from the occupation of other parties. For example, the escape of Indonesia from Dutch colonial opinion so that our nation is able to quickly develop a political culture, economics, and others own. A sentence like to maintain the independence of the country has achieved, whether through war or by way of negotiations, referring to aspec...

Depok (ANTARA News) - Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) in Depok, west Java, disperse forcibly drag queen contest that was held at the Hotel Bumiwiyata in town, Friday. FPI chairman Habib Idrus Al Depok Depok Gadri in saying that the Depok city with religious and predominantly Muslim. So the event was not worth it here. In addition, he argues, is illegal drag queen contest because it has no permit from the local community leaders, Depok Municipal Government, and the police. Dozens of FPI members went to a place with a drag queen contest riding a motorcycle around 10:30 pm, complete with his trademark attributes. They immediately went in and forcibly disperse until the drag queen show trickle out. FPI threatened if the show still be held Islamic organizations that will bring the masses in larger quantities. Indonesian Ladyboys Forum Communications Chairman (FKWI) Indonesian territory of West, Merlyn Sofjan, denied the existence of transvestites contest. "` We are gathered here to...