Glenn's blog

On November 12th, the "Charter for Compassion" was unveiled. Basically, the charter is a document asking people to live more compassionately and apply the Golden Rule to their lives.

The organization behind the charter is running a campaign to promote the charter and is asking people all over the world to "affirm" (or sign on to) the charter.

Generally speaking, I think it is a wonderful document, and will be affirming it myself. However, I was somewhat disappointed that human beings were placed at the center of the charter. There is a call "to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures" but "to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect." Note that they write "human being."

I would have like it to be more inclusive of all beings, and to call on each and every one of us "to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single [being], treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect."

I really don't know that we can be truly compassionate if we do not honour and respect the sanctity of every being.

Still, this is a great document, and I'd encourage everyone to try to live up to it.

I've reproduced the charter below, but have a look at the website and share it widely.

The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.

It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.

We therefore call upon all men and women ~ to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.

We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensible to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.