Question about the "Coexist" movement

[stephdc66]

Does anyone know much about the new Coexist movement that I see many bumper stickers and t-shirts touting? I looked up the basic information online and it would seem to be a positive force however I could not verify if there was any Catholic involvement or endorsement. My kids are wanting the t-shirts for Christmas and I want to check it all out and make sure I’m supporting something that I shouldn’t be. Thank you.

 

[YinYangMom]

A quick search brings up the Coexist Foundation “a charity established in 2006 to promote better understanding between Jews, Christians and Muslims - the Abrahamic Faiths - through education, dialogue and research. Through the projects and programmes which we support, we hope to help people of these faiths improve their relations - above all with each other, but also with different faiths, and with those of no faith.”

Looking at their board of trustees I see the Church of England representing “Christianity” thru the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Richard Chartres (Bishop of London and Dean of Her Majesty’s Chapels Royal).

The other members are lawyers, businessmen, and professors.

Their logo, I guess, what you’re seeing looks like this:
http://www.lollyshop.com/coexcist/logo_coexcist40.gif

I don’t see any statements from Catholicism, so personally, I’d steer clear of the movement. Good intentions and all, I suppose, and more power to them if it promotes peace and lessens discrimination, but it has a feel of ‘them’ against ‘us’ to me (them being all other faiths uniting against Catholicism), along the lines of “can’t we all just get along?”

Sorry, but there IS but ONE TRUE FAITH. I’m not willing to support or go along with groups which try to say otherwise.

Support Catholic Merchandise. You can find several clothing items at CafePress and Totally Catholic. Just Google “Catholic T-shirts”.

 

[zagjames]

You can try for toleration. That is a goal we can have concerning religion. But both Islam and Christianity have as part of their faith the commission to convert the whole world.

Coexistance implys you do not try and convert, you just live side by side. This movement is in my opinion just a weak liberal theological movement tied to a desire for peace. The desire for peace is good. But you cannot coexist in the way the COEXIST Foundation talks about without watering down your theology.

So dont support them.

But thats just my 2 cents.

 

[Geremia]

The “Coexist” bumper sticker is atheistic. It assumes the gods of the religions whose symbols it depicts do not exist in reality because if they all did exist, and because there are contradictions between the gods of different religions, there would be a contradiction in reality. Consequently, there would not be one truth but chaos, contradicting half-truths, and irrationality, which result from syncretism. Reality, however, is sensible and rational; modern science can attest to this. If there is no absolute truth or one single God governing the universe, then all religions’ gods are only figments of their individual adherents’ imaginations. That gods are whatever one wants them to be is Luther’s Protestant idea that everyone is his own authority or even his own god, i.e., sola fide or “faith only” in any god(s) is all that matters. Since syncretism is contradictory, a parody of the “Coexist” bumper sticker could be
COEXIS†
because there can be only one absolute truth, one true religion worshipping one real God, or
♀U♂:yin_yang:N
and
♂R♀☭IC:latin_cross:I:yin_yang:N
since confusion and contradiction are the results of amalgamating contradictory beliefs.

 

[dotcomrefugee]

The “Coexist” bumper sticker is atheistic. It assumes the gods of the religions whose symbols it depicts do not exist in reality because if they all did exist, and because there are contradictions between the gods of different religions, there would be a contradiction in reality. Consequently, there would not be one truth but chaos, contradicting half-truths, and irrationality, which result from syncretism. Reality, however, is sensible and rational; modern science can attest to this. If there is no absolute truth or one single God governing the universe, then all religions’ gods are only figments of their individual adherents’ imaginations. That gods are whatever one wants them to be is Luther’s Protestant idea that everyone is his own authority or even his own god, i.e., sola fide or “faith only” in any god(s) is all that matters. Since syncretism is contradictory, a parody of the “Coexist” bumper sticker could be
COEXIS†
because there can be only one absolute truth, one true religion worshipping one real God, or
♀U♂:yin_yang:N
and
♂R♀☭IC:latin_cross:I:yin_yang:N
since confusion and contradiction are the results of amalgamating contradictory beliefs.

I love Caesar dressing.

What dressing do you like on your word salad?

Thousand Island is pretty good too on jabberwocky posts.

 

[Epistemes]

I agree with Geremia to a certain extent: the “Coexist” movement does seem to not only support syncretism but also an underlying secular humanism which regards religion as little more than a cultural or ideological divide; however, this is a risk and an effect which many ecumenical efforts produce. It becomes extremely difficult to engage in fruitful dialogue without diluting the efficacy of what you know to be the Truth. (Enter Relativism.)

 

[Geremia]

I agree with Geremia to a certain extent: the “Coexist” movement does seem to not only support syncretism but also an underlying secular humanism which regards religion as little more than a cultural or ideological divide; however, this is a risk and an effect which many ecumenical efforts produce. It becomes extremely difficult to engage in fruitful dialogue without diluting the efficacy of what you know to be the Truth. (Enter Relativism.)

In a word, it ultimately leads to nihilism.

 

[survive]

That symbol is all over the place where I live.
Isn’t it something, how often people say they like/respect/believe in Christianity, but only as long as it doesn’t lead to sharing the faith or affect believers’ behavior or attitudes? I have a little game I play that I call “Wait for the projection”. I see how long it takes after I acknowledge something I believe in, before the person who asked accuses me of an emotion he or she is showing and I’m not.
I already do coexist with people of many faiths and none. Most of us do, don’t we? Yet it doesn’t seem to be enough for a few people. I think they thought they could first convince us we’re being mean somehow by not spending more time around people who disagree, then we would do so, and then we would convert. Or whatever was supposed to happen.

 

[WhollyRoamin]

I hope you didn’t get anything that promotes that trash.

:tsktsk:

 

[Dale_M]

The “Coexist” bumper sticker is atheistic. It assumes the gods of the religions whose symbols it depicts do not exist in reality because if they all did exist, and because there are contradictions between the gods of different religions, there would be a contradiction in reality.

I disagree. The different religions are man’s different understanding and experience of God. One God, but many understandings, just as there are many words for God, but still only one God.

 

[Blade_and_Blood]

You can try for toleration. That is a goal we can have concerning religion. But both Islam and Christianity have as part of their faith the commission to convert the whole world.

Coexistance implys you do not try and convert, you just live side by side. This movement is in my opinion just a weak liberal theological movement tied to a desire for peace. The desire for peace is good. But you cannot coexist in the way the COEXIST Foundation talks about without watering down your theology.

So dont support them.

But thats just my 2 cents.

Oh, that is totally something I will gladly support.

I’m there.

Ironically Yours, Blade and Blood

 

[Steadfast_love]

Just another data point. In Seattle “Coexist” bumperstickers are typicaly acompanied by pagan bumperstickers.They also cluster with pro-homosexual, pro-abortion, pro-Democrat, pro-marjuana, and pro-nudism bumperstickers.

I personaly wouldn’t dress my kids in Coexist branding, because of the message it sends up here in Seattle. But then again it’s just my impression based on a regional trend. Just playing devil’s advocate, it might, for example, be an easy way for Catholic kids to sneak a ’ † ’ into public school.

 

[CapIV]

I despise those bumper stickers. It’s just another mechanism to dissuade the faithful from trusting fully in their faith. Most young people these days seem to think that if you think you are right then you are a close minded, intolerant, bigot. People shouldn’t be afraid to proclaim the truth. It sickens me how many people are pluralists/relativists today.

 

[Geremia]

I disagree. The different religions are man’s different understanding and experience of God. One God, but many understandings, just as there are many words for God, but still only one God.

Then why are there contradictions between different “understandings”? Is this because of our finitude and inability to grasp the infinite, one God? How can we understand God Himself without His revealing Himself to us, i.e., His giving us the intellect, ability, and gifts to comprehend Him, even to the small degree that we do? Why would He reveal Himself differently and even contradictorily to certain people than to others? The Trinity does not confound us. The One Holy Trinity is our saviour and uniter, not our confuser and divider.

 

[Dale_M]

Then why are there contradictions between different “understandings”? Is this because of our finitude and inability to grasp the infinite, one God?

I think so.

How can we understand God Himself without His revealing Himself to us, i.e., His giving us the intellect, ability, and gifts to comprehend Him, even to the small degree that we do?

That makes sense to me.

Why would He reveal Himself differently and even contradictorily to certain people than to others?

This is the heart of the matter. I think it is perfectly acceptable to believe one’s own religion is the best, that its revelations are the most accurate. But I wonder if accuracy of revelation isn’t tied to cultural context, e.g. the accuracy of Islam is understood best within the cultures of Muslim nations and the accuracy of Hinduism best understood within the context of Indian culture.

 

[survive]

I think it is perfectly acceptable to believe one’s own religion is the best, that its revelations are the most accurate. But I wonder if accuracy of revelation isn’t tied to cultural context, e.g. the accuracy of Islam is understood best within the cultures of Muslim nations and the accuracy of Hinduism best understood within the context of Indian culture.

But Christianity makes sense in Bethlehem and Beijing, Addis Ababa and Anjou, Trenchtown and Tallin and Timbuktu.

 

[Morwenna]

Just another data point. In Seattle “Coexist” bumperstickers are typicaly acompanied by pagan bumperstickers.They also cluster with pro-homosexual, pro-abortion, pro-Democrat, pro-marjuana, and pro-nudism bumperstickers.

Same in this area, with the exception of “pro-nudism” bumperstickers … can’t say that I’ve EVER seen one of those.

 

[mlamg]

But Christianity makes sense in Bethlehem and Beijing, Addis Ababa and Anjou, Trenchtown and Tallin and Timbuktu.

Uh…not to everyone!