Immortal Longings By Karlheinz Stockhausen Poem by Daniel Brick

Well, of course, they are. And that's the inevitable result of all these religions which each claim to be the one and only truth. After six thousands years of such stubborn isolation of beliefs and denigration of other beliefs it is time for humanity to declare a multi-faith perspective by finding the common ground upon which ALL religions rest. In fact various PERENNIAL PHILOSOPHIES and ecumenical meetings have attempted to bridge this divide. One ecumenical gathering met in Assisi to evoke the spirit of Saint Francis and his universal love, The Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hahn write a comparative study of the two world redeemers, Buddha and Jesus. And the Muslim Seyyed Nasr Hossein has promoted ecology and caring for the earth as a mission that all religions derived from Abraham's revelation can agree on. We have to get beyond the contradictions which have divided us and led to bloodshed. No verbal statement of belief requires hostility, prejudice and killing of our fellow human beings. The meaning of the word G-O-D and the proper relationship of humanity to that numinous reality transcends the ability of ALL PEOPLE AND THEIR PARTICULAR RELIGIONS. In Stockhausen's opera SUNDAY FROM LIGHT the Chorus is divided and sings hymns from many religions simultaneously. He can do this because as a musician he can HARMONIZE differences into a higher unity. That should be our paradigm - HARMONY. And furthermore, why is praying to both Jesus and Buddha a contradiction? Prayer is a posture of humility and an expression of need for help. If you only believe ONE RELIGION is true, you art still left with thousands of other religions which at very least attest to human creativity. So celebrate that diversity and show respect for even the smallest human effort to comprehend the universe.