Transcript
SPEAKER 1:
Roger Williams uses the metaphor of a ship to convey his beliefs about an ideal world. He talks about how every man, woman, child is equal in spite of their faiths, beliefs, and God. Today we're going to explore how far us as a society has come to his version of an ideal world.
SPEAKER 2:
It happens sometimes that both Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and Muslims may be traveling on one ship. In that case, I tell you the tool the freedom of conscience I have ever asked for depends upon these two things, that none of them is forced to come to the ships' prayers of worship and that none of them is stopped from worshipping in their own way if they pray at all.
SPEAKER 3:
In Hackney, I think we have the same challenges as all other communities in the country. And I think that what's actually happening is that you have two sides of a coin. On one side, you see great strides in terms of communities getting along better, being more respectful of each other, and getting to know each other's cultures better. And I think that this school that we're in exemplifies that.
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SPEAKER 4:
And I think the call is really important for us to seek out people of all faiths and none and look for good, the common good, that guides us all. And the more we get to talk about things like how the golden rule, love your neighbour, exists in every religious culture and every non-religious culture throughout history, the more we get to encourage people that we all have exactly the same standards. Treat other people the way you want to be treated, the better it is for all of us.
SPEAKER 3:
However, on the other side, I must caution that incidents of religious hatred, lack of tolerance still exist in society, still exist in the local community. But I think that when they do happen, the moral majority are more empowered to gather together and condemn those actions with our words and our deeds to show that we are better together and stronger together than being divided.