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In this Issue Understanding Islam, Johnson & Johnson, Living from the Heart
President’s Message: E. Betty Levin, MA, LPC, CCMHC, NCC
Understanding Islam and the Koran with Geopolitical Variations
(approval for Continuing Education Units requested )
Spirituality has many dimensions, both in our counseling profession and beyond. What is not generally known is that the United Nations includes a Spirituality Caucus and an Inter-spirituality Dialogue influenced by the president of Iran who suggested we need a Dialogue of Civilizations to better understand one another. I am privileged to have been invited to join this dialogue as a representative of my faith group, the Ethical Culture Movement, a longstanding component of the non-governmental organizations of the UN. (Some other non-governmental organizations include the American Red Cross, Oxfam, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watchgroup, League of Women Voters and myriads of other groups supporting human needs and dignity within the United Nations mission). Though I have been on a spiritual path for many years, my membership in NJASERVIC has given me the inspiration to expand and deepen my understanding. Perhaps your attendance at NJASERVIC activities will provide a similar impetus. Please join us for our October 24th meeting on ‘Understanding Islam and the Koran with Geo Political Variations” and discover what may enliven you and bring new meaning.
We are privileged to sponsor a lecture by Dr. Gisela Webb, Professor of Mid Eastern Studies and Comparative Religion at Seton Hall University, with ample time following for questions and discussion.
Islam is the 2nd largest religion in the world and by the year 2015, the 2nd largest in the United States. Because of contemporary events, it is often difficult for non-Muslims to understand just what is the religion of Islam. We plan to look at traditional beliefs and practices derived from the Koran that all Muslims share. We will also explore variations in Islamic spirituality in different cultural and political regions of the world. Finally, we will identify common elements shared by Jewish, Christian and the Islamic faiths in an effort to bridge the religious divide.
Dr. Gisela Webb is Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Director of the University Honors Program, and Faculty Fellow in the School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University. Her doctoral work was in Medieval Islamic Thought. She teaches “Comparative Religion”, “Islamic Studies, Women in World Religions” and “Women, Gender and Islam.” She has contributed to several publications on the subject of contemporary developments in Islamic Religion as well as traditional Islamic spirituality. She is editor of “Windows of Faith: Muslim Women Scholar-Activists in North America,” a collection of essays by leading Muslim women scholars on the subject of Muslim women’s rights, published by Syracuse University Press. It is now being translated into Arabic by Dar al-Fikr in Damacus, to be distributed in the Middle East. Dr. Webb has been involved with inter-religious dialogue, peace and justice work throughout her career.
Her interest in spirituality combined with the experience of caring for a mother with Alzheimer’s disease led her into pubic speaking on the subject and eventually to the writing on the subject. “Intimations of the Great Unlearning: Inter-religious Spirituality and the Demise of Consciousness, Which is Alzheimer’s” was published in the Fall 2001 issue of Cross Currents Magazine.
General Robert Wood Johnson, who guided Johnson & Johnson from a small, family-owned business to a worldwide enterprise, had a very perceptive view of a corporation's responsibilities beyond the manufacturing and marketing of products.
As early as 1935, in a pamphlet titled TRY REALITY, he urged his fellow industrialists to embrace what he termed "a new industrial philosophy." Johnson defined this as the corporation's responsibility to customers, employees, the community and stockholders.
But it was not until eight years later, in 1943, that Johnson wrote and first published the Johnson & Johnson Credo, a one-page document outlining these responsibilities in greater detail. Johnson saw to it that the Credo was embraced by his company, and he urged his management to apply it as part of their everyday business philosophy.
The Credo, seen by business leaders and the media as being farsighted, received wide public attention and acclaim. Putting customers first, and stockholders last, was a refreshing approach to the management of a business. But it should be noted that Johnson was a practical minded businessman. He believed that by putting the customer first the business would be well served, and it was.
We believe our first responsibility is to the doctors, nurses and patients, to mothers and fathers and all others who use our products and services. In meeting their needs everything we do must be of high quality. We must constantly strive to reduce our costs in order to maintain reasonable prices. Customers' orders must be serviced promptly and accurately. Our suppliers and distributors must have an opportunity to make a fair profit.
We are responsible to our employees, the men and women who work with us throughout the world. Everyone must be considered as an individual. We must respect their dignity and recognize their merit. They must have a sense of security in their jobs. Compensation must be fair and adequate, and working conditions clean, orderly and safe. We must be mindful of ways to help our employees fulfill their family responsibilities. Employees must feel free to make suggestions and complaints. There must be equal opportunity for employment, development and advancement for those qualified. We must provide competent management, and their actions must be just and ethical.
We are responsible to the communities in which we live and work and to the world community as well. We must be good citizens – support good works and charities and bear our fair share of taxes. We must encourage civic improvements and better health and education. We must maintain in good order the property we are privileged to use, protecting the environment and natural resources.
Our final responsibility is to our stockholders. Business must make a sound profit. We must experiment with new ideas. Research must be carried on, innovative programs developed and mistakes paid for. New equipment must be purchased, new facilities provided and new products launched. Reserves must be created to provide for adverse times. When we operate according to these principles, the stockholders should realize a fair return.
When a woman in a certain African tribe knows she is pregnant, she goes out into the wilderness with a few friends and together they pray and meditate until they hear the song of the child. They recognize that every soul has its own vibration that expresses its unique flavor and purpose.
When the women attune to the song, they sing it out loud. Then they return to the tribe and teach it to everyone else. When the child is born, the community gathers and sings the child's song to him or her. Later, when the child enters education, the village gathers and chants the child's song.
When the child passes through the initiation to adulthood, the people again come together and sing. At the time of marriage, the person hears his or her song. Finally, when the soul is about to pass from this world, the family and friends gather at the person's bed, just as they did at their birth, and they sing the person to the next life.
In the African tribe there is one other occasion upon which the villagers sing to the child. If at any time during his or her life, the person commits a crime or aberrant social act, the individual is called to the center of the village and the people in the community form a circle around them. Then they sing their song to them. The tribe recognizes that the correction for antisocial behavior is not punishment; it is love and the remembrance of identity.
A friend is someone who knows your song and sings it to you when you have forgotten it. Those who love you are not fooled by mistakes you have made or dark images you hold about yourself. They remember your beauty when you feel ugly; your wholeness when you are broken; your innocence when you feel guilty; and your purpose when you are confused.
If you do not give your song a voice, you will feel lost, alone, and confused. If you express it, you will come to life.
Modern Paganism is a collection of diverse contemporary religions rooted in or inspired by indigenous traditions worldwide. Pagan religions are characterized by Earth- centered spirituality, belief in the interconnection of all life, personal autonomy, polytheism, and immanent divinity. Pagans value diversity, good works, living lightly on the Earth, individual freedom, personal responsibility, community service, gender equity, and spiritual development. While the largest segment of the Pagan population is Caucasian, highly educated, and middle class, Pagans come from all walks of life. Most are avid readers with interests in ecology, creativity, and personal growth. Many work in scientific and computer- related disciplines. Since Paganism is not an organized movement, it is difficult to determine the number of practitioners. Estimates range from 100,000 to several million in the U.S. alone.
Pagan religions may draw on ancient historical practices or be entirely new. In the case of the former, Pagans look to the beliefs, practices, gods, symbols, lands, music, and myths of a particular historical culture and adapt them for contemporary needs. Anachronistic elements, such as ritual violence, are rejected. Elements such as reverence for the natural world, honoring of the ancestors, and responsibility to the community are retained. Pagan religions which are not historically based take their inspiration from visionary, artistic, and libertarian traditions to create vibrant spiritual systems centered in Pagan values.
Our New Jersey association is not promoting one faith or another, nor are we for or against any political or religious position. Our workshops are designed to provide a forum for discussion. Our newsletter is designed to educate by delivering varying perspectives. We are trying to contribute to the development of counseling competence by introducing points of view or values that are not necessarily held by our members, but might be held by some of our clients.
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