Last weeks Forum, "God: Big Questions...Bigger Questions," was awesome. Some people loved what panelists Rabbi Harold Kushner, Christopher Hitchens and the Rev. Peter Gomes had to say, and some HATED it. Regardless, they are talking about it and THAT makes the Forum a great success.
We have a clip posted on youtube now. Watch for more clips!
Don't forget to:
Comment
Rate
Subscribe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlhkUiN583w
You can also check out:
Candy Colored Frown
Peterson Toscano
Posts
4 comments:
The God Forum was the first Forum that I have attended. I must say I left deeply disturbed by several things. The first was the audience's reaction - and the panelists - to the absence of women on the panel. I was disappointed by the laughter - women have been left out of everything for far too long, and it is no laughing matter. I was appalled that the Forum had not made the inclusion of women on this timely topic a priority. Omission is a more polite form of consent. Does the Forum agree with the subjugation of women?
Secondly, Hitchens' alcohol consumption and his ensuing rudeness was beyond the pale. How could the Forum have sanctioned the use of alcohol on stage? How could the Forum have allowed him to return after intermission when he was so obviously inebriated, even to those of us who were seated quite far away?
I think to say that the panel should have been different is to take away from the speakers that were on the stage. If a woman was to be included who would not have been up on stage? Hitchens? Kushner? Gomes? I would not have replaced any of the panelists as each panelist made great points and got the audience involved. I believe the Forum made the discussion about God the priority. Put an atheist, a rabbi and a priest on the stage and have them discuss their sides to this topic. The discussion between the panelists takes precedence over gender issues. With this being such a hot topic maybe a future forum should be about religion and gender.
Subjugation of women???? The forum was about God not women. Talking about the subjugation of women changes the topic. Don't expect a forum to be about something that its clearly not. "Omission is a more polite form of consent" There are time constraints on the forum and they could not have every group represented. There were no scientologists on the stage by your logic that means that the forum consents to scientology? That logic is way off base.
I have been a subscriber for about 5 years. While I have to admit that Hitchen's comments to Kushner about genital mutilation made be feel uncomfortable, I cannot imagine the panel without him. The discussion was candid, and it challenged me in many ways. I am still thinking about it! This was one of the best Forums in a long time, and it's why I'm a subscriber!
Post a Comment