MeckMIN is a network of faith communities who promote collaboration to foster understanding, compassion and justice. We envision a community that lives by the highest values and core virtues of its rich faith traditions and respects the dignity of every human being.
In the spirit of peace and neighborly kindness, we ardently advise our fellow citizens in Mecklenburg County to remember our shared humanity. MeckMIN is a multi-faith community with a wide array of support for policies both conservative and liberal. It is quite natural for people to have varying perspectives and that is part of the beauty of this country and something we encourage as an organization. It is deeply troubling to see and hear our neighbors judge large groups of their fellow citizens with negative labels and a hateful tone. We strongly condemn such attitudes of contempt.
Our country has its flaws, but there is no doubt that what makes it special and gives us great potential are the foundations of freedom and diversity. The only way these values can reach their potential is if we apply them with a genuine sense of mutual respect while engaging in a peaceful discourse in pursuit of the truth.
At no point should our differing convictions on public policy or personal morality allow any of us to hate or inflict harm on each other. We appeal to our fellow faith leaders, elected officials and mass media to reject all rhetoric suggesting violence as an appropriate or in any way understandable response to a disappointing election result.
We are hopeful that by drawing upon the transformative power inherent in our divinely revealed scriptures that we can overcome the incitement of our lower natures and reach higher levels of understanding.
In this regard, we wish to share with you a few gems of wisdom from our sacred scriptures.
The following are some quotes from our sacred scriptures for us to reflect upon:
“You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.” (Judaism, Hebrew Bible, Lev.19:18)
“The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.” (Christian Testament, 1 John 4:21)
“God wishes to make loving affection between you and those with whom you feel enmity. God is fully capable of that. God is Forgiving and Merciful” (Islam: Quran 60:7)
“Do not create enmity with anyone as God is within everyone.”. “No one is my enemy, none a stranger and everyone is my friend.” (Sikhism, Guru Arjan Dev as written in Guru Granth Sahib)
“Hatred does not cease through hatred at any time. Hatred only ceases through love. This is the eternal law.” (Buddhism, verse 5 of the Dhammapada)
“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Christian Testament, Luke 6:31)
“Like-heartedness, like-mindedness, non-hostility do I make for you; do you show affection toward each other, as the inviolable cow toward her calf when born.” (Hinduism, Atharva Veda: III, 30)
“O ye beloved of the Lord! In this sacred Dispensation, conflict and contention are in no wise permitted. Every aggressor deprives himself of God’s grace.”(Baha’i Faith, Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá)
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Christian Testament, Matthew 5:9)
With Hopeful Love,
MeckMIN Board of Directors
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