Beyond Our Differences DVD

Comments about PBS Beyond Our Differences DVD:

Beyond Our Differences is a beautifully filmed, informative and engaging film that makes us think about what is really important to us and how those priorities are shared by people of faith around the world. And not only does it make us think, it inspires us to connect with others and to use our beliefs to make the world a better place.

Comments about PBS Beyond Our Differences DVD:

The economic collapse is just the beginning. If we can survive and actually learn from the experience so that a new, higher intelligence emerges from the ashes, this will be the shape of its spiritual understanding. New times are a' comin'.

Comments about PBS Beyond Our Differences DVD:

This is a truly great and long needed filmic treatment of some highly important issues.

However while the primary focus is placed on spirituality and religion (with its mixed & controversial record of positive and negative impacts on the world), the truly vital content sits further within the DVD's storyline.

And that is its largely introductory, but still significant content (and excellent accompanying quotations) concerning the fundamental importance and practical, day-to-day promise of NON-VIOLENT thought, philosophy and action to the world.

Each and every one of us know - only too well - of the ongoing history of violence and war (with religions often sitting at the heart of this, with combatants claimng to have 'God on our side'). However, by stark contrast, we know WAY TOO LITTLE, if anything, of the parallel history and record of achievement of various creative forms of non-violent resistance to such destructive & oppressive behavior.

Non-violence, because of its great underlying principles & evolved understandings, possesses a remarkable power and capacity of its own (active not passive/practical not just theoretical) to help make & keep the world a better place. It also holds direct relevance to most, if not all life issues and needs.

(For more, read Gene Sharp's 'Waging Nonviolent Struggle' and related works.)

Hollywood and even PBS's favorite son, Ken Burns, for over a century now have devoted more than sufficient film footage to war and its intrinsic violence. Enough, more than likely, to circumnavigate the globe several times frame by frame.

Consequently, it is high time this 'other history' of humankind ... and source of constructive (not destructive) power ... was given the same amount of attention. Attention aimed at helping rid us (through shared knowledge, methods & capacity) of the persistent scourge of war and other related acts of appalling violence abroad and at home.

'Beyond Our Differences' to its great credit - while not treating this 'hidden history' as its central theme - has definitely taken the first vital step towards correcting this totally distorted and sensationalized media focus.

So buy this video, because it (along with rare commercially released films like 'Gandhi') is finally using the mass audience capabilities of television and cinema - and not books alone - to help build the non-violent insights so essential to transforming ourselves ... in lasting and inspiring ways.

Is it too much to also hope that PBS, as a timely priority given Barack Obama's apparent predisposition to non-violence - something hopefully mindful of the legacy of Nelson Mandela - will commission a definitive new series devoted solely to this worthiest of threads through human history?

Comments about PBS Beyond Our Differences DVD:

Our similarities and beliefs far outweigh our differences. This film shares the power of our unity across all faiths and cultures.

Comments about PBS Beyond Our Differences DVD:

This gets beyond "religions cause war" and inspirationally presents those common, fundamental, agreements found among the world's major religions, from which our spices can build agreement. To ignore religions is to ignore the reality which drive the behavior of 90% of the world's population; this should be a core element of the curriculum at West Point, Annapolis and the Air Force Academy.