Robin Beck

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Hi, Robin - thanks for this - as I'm sure you know, the offending "chant to close the Temple in Flushing" tidbit was taken off the SGI Queens web page the day after an online furor erupted over the bizarre contrast between the SGI's sponsorship of a Flushing Remonstrance commemorative activity and the SGI's "chant to close a temple by Sensei's birthday" campaign.

I'm glad that online voices of sanity (like you, my friend!) are having some impact. Keep up the good work....oh, nad how do you put those links in the body of your blog entry? I can't seem to manage that myself.

Happy new year!

Best, Byrd in LA

In 1662 Bowne was arrested on orders of Governor Stuyvesant for allowing a Quaker meeting in his house. Refusing to pay the assessed fine, or to depart from the province, he was sent to Holland for trial before the Dutch West India Company. There, he successfully exonerated himself by appealing to the guarantees of religious liberty contained in the Flushing patent of 1645 granted by Governor William Kieft. Winning the respect of his judges by his uncompromising stance, he was released, and returned triumphantly home in 1664, Governor Stuyvesant being ordered to extend tolerance to all religious sects.- Wikipedia

The John Bowne's house is still there the oldest building in NYC.
http://www.bownehouse.org/flushing_remonstrance.htm

I always appreciated the Quakers idea of the True Inner Light.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quakerism

ch

I guess there might be some internal consistency between chanting to close a rival temple and celebrating religious freedom. To SGI, Nichiren Shoshu might symbolize religious intolerance and authoritarianism?

To me, it boils down to that SGI donated the temples, then got booted out of Nichiren Shoshu, then wanted the donations returned. It smells of resentment, grudges, and revenge.

I recall too many Gosho lectures which drove home the idea that nursing grudges is wrong; that revenge is an evil motive. I was sold too deeply on that to now buy into righteous anger.

Another side note, a few years ago, the Minister at [I think] the Flushing Temple gave a sermon denouncing religious tolerance and ecumenism. He did say he respected the freedom of relious choice. He just did not think that meant he had to condone misleading religions.

Robin,
Actually, on a bright note, Queens (which is apparently hosting the events) has an amazing array of events, with what look like some heavy hitters giving talks about religious freedom. Perhaps people will learn.

http://www.queensbp.org/content_web/cultural_affairs/cultural_remonstrance07.shtml

Take care,
Kris