September 11th
...Nepstad, 299) To Hindus, there is a huge emphasis on the kinship and interconnection of all things. Therefore, if you hurt or destroy a person or group of people you are hurting everyone as a whole. Ghandi was assassinated before he could see the freedom of India from England. Without his leadership and will power this freedom would have never taken place and more people would have lost their lives in war. Like Hinduism, Buddhism also believed in Karma and an understanding that the world is interconnected. Buddha wanted people to be “aware” of their surroundings so that they may “overcome disorientation.” (Monk, 27) He believed that there is suffering in the world caused by selfishness and that suffering can be cured by overcoming this selfish greed through his eightfold path. A Vietnamese monk by the name of Thich Nhat Hanh, who was the “leader of the Paris Peace Talks during the Vietnam war” wrote many books about peace, anger, and suffering.(Graham) He was nominated in the 1960s for a Nobel Peace Prize by Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.. He still works today in the fight against violence. Recently he held a retreat for police officers and other public service workers to help them cope with job related stress. “The retreat included meditation, silent meals and instruction in the practice of “mindfulness,” a basic tenet of Buddhism to be aware of the consequences of one’s actions.”(Howlett) Through this retreat the officers will learn how to deal with their daily stresses and cope with violence in a better manner. This is something that will benefit everyone in the community and be a helpful tool in anger management. Violence can be avoided by discussing and cooperating on an idea. It is when people become selfish and closed minded that a problem can turn into violence. Hinduism and Buddhism both have similar ways of dealing with violence in our world. Christianity is slightly different and more organized. It is grounded on the basis of Christ’s teachings. “Jesus’ teachings and lifestyle, accepted all persons as God’s chosen people.”(Monk, 40) Christians are tolerant of other religions and believe in spreading the good news of Jesus. Martin Luther King Jr. was a Christian who was spreading the good news of Christ in a time where the United States was faced with the fear of a world war. Martin Luther King Jr. was a protestant passive aggressive leader during the fight for Civil Rights in the United States. He conducted several non-violent protests against segregation and inequality. He delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech at the August 1963 march on Washington. “He emphasized that all humans have the capacity for both good and evil but he argued that the use of vi...