Challenging the Voice of Fear with the Voice of Hope

- (Tikkun – March/April 2006). Tikkun is a magazine for Politics, Spirituality and Culture. The Tikkun Community’s goal is to build an international network of people who share an intellectual and spiritual perspective; that is, to mend, repair and transform the world.

While recently conducting front-line research in the Library, I came across this magazine and was inspired to read on because of the cover copy reading: Michael Lerner – “Challenging the Voice of Fear”. After reading the article, I added ‘with the Voice of Hope’.

Following are excerpt examples of content containing the word ‘challenge’ or a variation of the word ‘challenge’.

The Network of Spiritual Progressives (NSP) will:

Challenge the misuse of God and religion by the religious right – and champion a progressive spiritual politics.

Challenge the anti-spiritual and religio-phobic tendencies in some sections of liberal and progressive culture.

Challenge the American ethos of selfishness and materialism by championing a New Bottom Line for American society – so that institutions get judged efficient, rational or productive not only to the extent that they maximize money and power, but also so the extent that they maximize love, caring, kindness, generosity, ethical/ecological sensitivity and awe and wonder at the grandeur of the universe.

Yet it still does little to challenge the Kadima party on the peace question.

Michael Lerner’s ‘The Left Hand of God’ is written in a way that even our most spiritually challenged journalists, talking heads and elected representatives could understand.