I hope anyone who follows my blog will understand what I mean by pluralism. There are many definitions of the word.
What I believe by pluralism is that a society/community can thrive while its members believe in different philosophies, religions, political views, and have different cultural backgrounds. I believe variety brings richness. I believe hybrids are stronger than pedigrees.
That means that as a left-wing antitheist I am happy living with people of all different, races, cultures and religions.
However, I believe that this is only possible if the members of that community adhere to a certain over-riding ethos. For me that ethos is one of tolerance, freedom, equality, democracy, empathy, compassion and respect.
I do not tolerate racism, misogyny, homophobia, or violence.
I believe that pluralism is the counter to fascism and fundamentalism. I also believe that education is the best weapon of all. If it is deployed properly it raises humanity to new levels of compassion and empathy.
My message is – Be nice to each other – build a positive Zeitgeist – look after the planet and all life that exists on it.