This time from Catholic theologian Hans Küng, the co-author of a new book reviewed by Adam Kirsch in The Tablet:
How to Do Good and Avoid Evil is, in fact, the fruit of one of Küng’s major ecumenical projects, the “Declaration toward a Global Ethic” produced by the Parliament of the World’s Religions, a conference held in Chicago in 1993. Küng drafted the declaration, which lays out four “irrevocable directives,” ethical principles upon which people of all religions can supposedly agree. They are “Commitment to a Culture of Nonviolence and Respect for Life”; “Commitment to a Culture of Solidarity and a Just Economic Order”; “Commitment to a Culture of Tolerance and a Life in Truthfulness”; and “Commitment to a Culture of Equal Rights and a Partnership between Men and Women.”
He’s a joker, that Küng, but then I suppose you have to be to take seriously something called the Parliament of the World’s Religions.
H/t: Andrew Sullivan, who highlights a different aspect of Kirsch’s review.
Hey, Hans? Kurt Godel just called, he told me your precious Declaration left out a few religions he had in mind…unless it was meant as an empirical study of what extant religions preach and the faithful actually believe? But no, you couldn’t possibly be that stupid…
That may be true, but I have to admit I’ve always thought “Hans Küng” is one of the coolest names out there. I picture him as having a German father and a Klingon mother.
He’s not quite a “Catholic theologian.” In fact, Kung has been banned by the Church from teaching theology due to his heretical views. I know that must sound delightfully Draconian, but the Catholic Churh does have a rather clear tradition which it strives to preserve.
Shall we have a translation of those four directives?
“Commitment to a Culture of Nonviolence and Respect for Life”
Translation: mercy for terrorists and death row inmates (Israeli citizens excluded)
“Commitment to a Culture of Solidarity and a Just Economic Order”
Translation: taking money from productive people and giving it to the “needy,” including the blood-soaked kleptocracies of the 3rd World. Henceforth the commandment “Thou shalt not steal” will be stricken from previous directives.
“Commitment to a Culture of Tolerance and a Life in Truthfulness”
Translation: this platitude is basically untranslatable, but rest assured that it will include tolerance for the worst of humanity.
“Commitment to a Culture of Equal Rights and a Partnership between Men and Women.”
Translation: [translator gagging] equal, meaning equalization of wealth (see directive 2) and the further feminization of men.
Please have the tiresome Kung put the above on a bumper sticker so I can rear-end the cars of those who display it.
I’m sorry — that wasn’t very tolerant of me. Clearly I’m going to hell (translated: re-education camp).
“Commitment to a Culture of Nonviolence and Respect for Life”
Peaceful deliberation for the resolution of disputes, preferably under the aegis of law. With regards to mercy for terrorists… mercy as in trying them, convicting them, and locking them up for life like the common murderers they are? As opposed to martyring/glorifying them as noble warriors fighting for their faith? Sure. Death row inmates? Even if we were absolutely certain of their guilt, it costs more to execute them than to simply lock them up forever. Win-win.
“Commitment to a Culture of Solidarity and a Just Economic Order”
1) Don’t let children starve in the streets, because that’s frankly cruel and utterly unacceptable for a purportedly civilized society.
2) Given that we’re not going to simply kill off the extra mouths, give them adequate nutrition and social opportunities. Malnourishment stunts brain development, reducing productivity and causing social problems later on. It’s cheaper than prisons and enriches the next generation.
3) To prevent excess mouths, free contraception (and sex education) for everyone.
“Commitment to a Culture of Tolerance and a Life in Truthfulness”
As a general directive, tolerate everything save intolerance, but damn well tell the empirical truth as we discover it. Never censor science, no matter what it finds.
“Commitment to a Culture of Equal Rights and a Partnership between Men and Women”
Equality under the law for all sentient beings, including those who happen to be female.
… no offense, Don, but I prefer my translations. That said, getting religions to agree on them (or anything) is probably just as difficult as yours. This might be why Kung leaves them untranslated.