Communication Between Cultures

you learned growing up in the United States is found in variations in all cultures.

Although the words are different, the wisdom contained within the words is

universal:^272

Buddhism:“Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.”

Udana-Varga5:8

Christianity:“All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye

even so to them.”Matthew 7:12

Confucianism:“Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto

you.”Analects15.23

Hinduism:“This is the sum of duty: do naught unto others which would cause

you pain if done to you.”Mahabharata5:1517

Islam:“No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he

desires for himself.”Sunnah

Jainism:“In happiness and suffering, in joy and grief, we should regard all crea-

tures as we regard our own self.”Lord Mahavira, 24th Tirthankara

Judaism:“What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow man. That is the law: all

the rest is commentary.”Talmud, Shabbat, 31a

Native American:“Respect for all life is the foundation.”The Great Law of

Peace

Were it not for space constraints, we could have included an even longer list of

culturesthatexhort members to practice the“oneness of the human family.”How-

ever, we believe that from this brief sample, you can begin to appreciate what photog-

rapher Edward Steichen wrote about tolerance:“I believe that in all things that are

important, in all of these we are alike.”

We end this chapter and our section on developing religious tolerance by remind-

ing you,“God speaks multiple languages.”^273 Friedman presents the principle slightly

differently:“Can Islam, Christianity, and Judaism know that God speaks Arabic on

Fridays, Hebrew on Saturdays, and Latin on Sundays, and that he welcomes different

human beings approaching him through their own history, out of their own history,

out of their language and cultural heritage?”^274 That answer is yet to be determined. It

is also an answer that affects each and every person in the world, whether religious or

not. Put in rather blunt terms, we must either learn to be tolerant of religious differ-

ences or face the obvious consequences.

Summary

• Worldview is a culture’s orientation toward God, humanity, nature, the universe,
  life, death, sickness, and other philosophical issues concerning existence.


• Although worldview is communicated in a variety of ways (such as secularism and
  spirituality), religion is the predominant element of culture from which one’s
  worldview is derived.


• Atheism is a worldview that does not believe in the existence of God.


• Spiritualism is a personalized worldview that stresses self-discovery.

Summary 159

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