I am the enemy you killed, my friend

This year I want to think of the many different types of people who contributed to stemming the tide of imperialism and Nazism. And also, let's not forget those who refused to take part in war, which is a very brave decision also.

Black veterans, Asian veterans, LGBT veterans, the poets and writers and artists, medical personnel, conscientious objectors, Bevan Boys, Land Girls, Lumber Jills, the Little Ships that went to Dunkirk, and other groups who get forgotten in the general remembrance. And what about those who fought on the other side, whose memorials just say they lost their lives, not that they laid down their lives for their country.

When so many have been slaughtered,
Let us mourn with tears of sorrow,
And treat victory like a funeral.
~ Lao Tsu, Tao Te Ching, 31

What about all the refugees and civilian casualties? What about all those who were shot for desertion, or died of disease, or from "friendly fire" or accidents? Did they lay down their lives for their country, or did their country lay down their lives without thought of the cost? Let us not treat victory as anything other than a funeral, because the fact that war ever came to seem like the only way to solve a conflict is a cause for mourning. Yes, we must resist oppression and persecution, but let us study peace-mongering ways to do it.

Strange Meeting ~ Wilfred Owen

It seemed that out of battle I escaped
Down some profound dull tunnel, long since scooped
Through granites which titanic wars had groined.

Yet also there encumbered sleepers groaned,
Too fast in thought or death to be bestirred.
Then, as I probed them, one sprang up, and stared
With piteous recognition in fixed eyes,
Lifting distressful hands, as if to bless.
And by his smile, I knew that sullen hall,-
By his dead smile I knew we stood in Hell.

With a thousand pains that vision's face was grained;
Yet no blood reached there from the upper ground,
And no guns thumped, or down the flues made moan.
"Strange friend," I said, "here is no cause to mourn."
"None," said that other, "save the undone years,
The hopelessness. Whatever hope is yours,
Was my life also, I went hunting wild
After the wildest beauty in the world,
Which lies not calm in eyes, or braided hair,
But mocks the steady running of the hour,
And if it grieves, grieves richlier than here.
For by my glee might many men have laughed,
And of my weeping something had been left,
Which must die now I mean the truth untold,
The pity of war, the pity war distilled.
Now men will go content with what we spoiled,
Or, discontent, boil bloody, and be spilled.
They will be swift with swiftness of the tigress.
None will break ranks, though nations trek from progress.
Courage was mine, and I had mystery,
Wisdom was mine, and I had mastery:
To miss the march of this retreating world
Into vain citadels that are not walled.
Then, when much blood had clogged their chariot-wheels,
I would go up and wash them from sweet wells,
Even with truths that lie too deep for taint.
I would have poured my spirit without stint
But not through wounds; not on the cess of war.
Foreheads of men have bled where no wounds were.
I am the enemy you killed, my friend.
I knew you in this dark: for so you frowned
Yesterday through me as you jabbed and killed.
I parried; but my hands were loath and cold.
Let us sleep now . . ."

what kids really want

According to a series of interviews by the BBC, what children really want from their education is more time to learn about other cultures and the world around them, more innovative use of technology, more social networking, and more support services. I'm surprised there was no mention of the environment, but was heartened by the interests expressed.

I think education should start by discussing the world as it is, and then use that as a starting-point to explain how it came to be that way. For example, when I was at school we studied the Tudors and the Stuarts - presumably because that was the period when the current arrangements of Church, State, Parliament and so on came into being - but if that was the reason for studying those periods of history, no-one ever said so explicitly. If they had, people might have found the topic more interesting.

tolerance and intolerance

It's ironic, but the one thing that the tolerant cannot tolerate is intolerance.

If you try to impose your ideas on others, you will get thrown out of a UU church, a Pagan group, or any other group that espouses freedom of conscience.

The paradox of a multicultural society is that all must accept or at least tolerate each other for it to work. The only way this can work is through mutual listening, dialogue, patient work, forgiveness, and more forgiveness, together with an acceptance that no-one is perfect. "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." Qualities which are not generally apparent or widely cultivated in today's culture.

There is much discussion among Pagans (and UUs and others too) about what to do with the intolerant and those who seek to impose their ideas on others. The simple answer is, walk away - with compassion. To get embroiled in argument is just to give in to the troll.

Trolls are destructive - they seek to twist your nice inclusive liberal ideas because they (possibly subconsciously) know that's where you're vulnerable. they'll do it in real life and on the internet, and then whinge endlessly about how much you wounded them by refusing to be dominated by them, and how that makes you not really a liberal, because you tried to impose rules on them. Well let me tell you, rules are the only way we have for communicating with each other, to ensure fairness and equitability. Rules are a part of nature.

This little rant was brought to you courtesy of the latest troll to cross my path (the subject of the linked-to post).

Does this man drop by every potential new Unitarian's blog to tell them his story and try to put them off, just because he fell out with one UU congregation? (I've deleted his comments now, because I don't give air-time to trolls.)

The more I think about this, the more saddened I am that this has happened.

I declared that I have found something truly beautiful and joyful and life-affirming, and I got trolled.

Get over it, forgive, move on. Read the stories on The Forgiveness Project and ask yourself if the hurt you suffered (and inflicted) is anywhere near what those people have been through. If the people whose stories appear on that site can forgive, then so can the rest of us.

divergence

When is multiculturalism simply segregation and no longer a celebration of diversity? When there are two or more cultures living side-by-side that hardly ever come into contact with each other, their values are polarising and diverging in opposite directions, and the common ground between them is shrinking like the polar ice-caps. It was reported today that younger Muslims are more in favour of Sharia and wearing the veil than the elder generation. In an earlier post about this, I said that as long as there were shared values, we could celebrate diversity and regard it as a strength, because homogeneity is boring and excluding. I still believe this, but I think we need to decide what values are the core values of Britain, such as inclusiveness, tolerance, fairness, equality, democracy (the last is a bit of a dirty word these days, but as Dennis Potter once said, "The trouble with words is that they've been in other people's mouths"). If people do not share these values, then they are in some way less than members of society (and I would put idiots like the BNP in that category). This is ironic, given that if one stands for inclusiveness and equality and tolerance, one should not want to exclude anyone, but unfortunately dangerous extremists exist, and we need to be on our guard against them. A government spokesman said:

"From a period of near-uniform consensus on multiculturalism, we now face questions about how different groups can live side-by-side, respecting differences, whilst working together to develop a shared sense of belonging and purpose."

Obviously we need to break down Islamophobia as well as trying to discourage Muslim youth from adopting extremist views, because the polarisation is hardening on both sides of the divide, and it's a vicious downward spiral - mutual mistrust breeds further mutual mistrust.

diversity is strength

Whether or not one supports the principle of multiculturalism depends on how one defines it.

If it is tantamount to the doctrine of "separate but equal" espoused by segregationists in America, then it is doomed. If it means lumping people together in monolithic cultural categories which are seen as fixed identities, then it is doomed.

However, I do not believe that multiculturalism should mean either of these things. It should mean an awareness that we all have multiple identities and allegiances, which vary according to context. I am English, yes, but I primarily see myself as a European (in the sense that I identify with the inclusive and cosmopolitan values of Europe). I am also a Pagan, so I do not subscribe to the idea that British or European culture should be founded on Christian values (except where those are also universal humane values).

One of the many reasons that I welcome diversity in Britain is that, even ten years ago, it was very difficult to be openly Pagan, as many people assumed that it meant you were a devil-worshipper and/or a child abuser. One of the benefits of multiculturalism has been an increased recognition of the legitimacy of Pagan beliefs. Another reason is the massive improvement in our cuisine that has been brought about by the presence of other cultures.

Britain has always been diverse, ever since Roman times, when Hadrian's Wall alone had legions from Spain, Gaul, Germany, the lands along the Danube, Asia Minor, Syria and North Africa. (http://vindolanda.csad.ox.ac.uk/exhibition/people-1.shtml) Retired legionaries also settled in Britain. All these cultures lived happily side by side.

It is ironic that those who shout loudest about British culture being tolerant and inclusive are also the ones who vilify the supposed intolerance of Islamic culture - without bothering to look at the reality of what Islamic culture is actually like. The admittedly small sample of Muslims with whom I have discussed religion have turned out to be much better-informed about and well-disposed towards Paganism than many Christians I have encountered.

We need to focus on the shared values which underlie all our different cultures, whilst celebrating the diversity of customs and traditions. The reason that Britain has become more violent is because of the erosion of a sense of community and the social and economic alienation of many groups (not just extremists among the Muslim community, but other groups which have resorted to violence, such as racists and animal rights activists). This social and economic alienation is a direct result of the erosion of traditional economic infrastructure, such as the mines and factories. It is nothing to do with multiculturalism.

Integration is a two-way process, and requires both an inclusive attitude on the part of the majority and a willingness to be included on the part of the minority. However, one of the main difficulties in the way of Muslim integration is that British socialising revolves around alcohol, and alcohol is forbidden in Islam. If we are going to engage in dialogue, maybe we need to revive the coffee shop as a place to hang out.

Diversity is strength, monocultures are economically and biologically weak. A monoculture is slow to adapt and its homogeneity means it has no resources to cope with new threats and opportunities.