Race Unity: Is There a Cure For Racism? | Free Event

1458 Alder Street,Eugene OR 97401

20 August, 2022

Description

Is racism actually a moral and even spiritual disease that will require more in addition to just changing laws and reforming institutions? Does the cure to finally eradicate it also demand profound changes in how we think and see each other, ultimately requiring a transformation of hearts? Almost no aspect of our society is untouched by racism. Laws have been changed and some progress has been made, but how far can those solutions take us on their own? After slavery came Jim Crow. After Jim Crow came mass incarceration and institutional racism. Attempts at remedies through Reconstruction and the Civil Rights Act were not enough – the disease simply found new ways to thrive, mutating its form to infect our education, judicial, health, economic and other institutions and systems in ways – overt & covert – that continue to persist today. So what else is called for? Is a spiritual remedy also needed to help heal what is at its core a moral and spiritual disease? Humanity is not a collection of laws or social regulations. Rather, we are defined by our common nobility as spiritual beings. While finding strength in our “unity in diversity”, might recognition of our essential oneness help bring about the transformation of human hearts that no change in law could ever achieve on its own? Be part of a different kind of conversation – one that welcomes every perspective in a search for the truths that unite us all – as we discuss the spiritual perspective offered by the Bahá’í Teachings on the elimination racism. Join us for a lively discussion as we continue discussing a series of topics exploring how we can move towards achieving racial unity, focusing this week on how centering our beliefs and actions on the oneness of humanity can lead to a restructuring of society that could finally cure the disease. Join us as we continue exploring how a spiritual perspective can help us better understand ourselves and find a path forward in bringing together the beautiful diversity of our communities, helping us to eliminate racial prejudices and work together for the betterment of ourselves, our families, our communities, and our world. “We must lay aside all prejudice—whether it be religious, racial, political or patriotic; we must become the cause of the unification of the human race.” – Bahá’í Teachings *** This event is free and open to all regardless of background or belief. Donations will not be accepted.