In violent times, religions endorsing peace are present at Hopkins
This is the third of a four-part series focusing on the relationship between violence and religion in the modern era.
According to legend, after seeing the horrors of war and conducting the most deadly invasion ever recorded in his time, the ancient Indian emperor Ashoka became overwhelmed with the destruction he had caused. He converted to Buddhism and adopted the policy of ahimsa - nonviolence. Rather than building machines of war, he built roads and universities. He sent emissaries as far as Athens and Rome in an attempt to spread his philosophy of nonviolence beyond the boundaries of his own empire.
The story of Ashoka may appear as an oddity of history and irrelevant to today's issues, but the principles of nonviolence continue to have an impact on our society.
"I think that the principles of nonviolence are very relevant in today's world," Kathryn Schnurr, associate chaplain of Hopkins, said.?"We are experiencing moments in history in which many people all around the world are under enormous stress and are desperate. We have to be dedicated to nonviolent conflict resolution if we are going to preserve our dignity and our lives."
While Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi's successful use of nonviolent resistance demonstrated the power of peace, the philosophy of nonviolence is deeply rooted in religious traditions.
"The principle of nonviolence is a common value in all religious traditions, although each approaches the principle in unique ways and has distinct expectations of their adherents regarding the use of physical force as an offensive or defensive action," Schnurr said.
The connection between nonviolence and religion is not outside the Hopkins community.
Every Friday, the members of the Baltimore Quaker community hold peaceful protests against the Iraq War in front of Homewood Friends Meeting on N. Charles Street. The Hopkins Buddhist community is another prominent nonviolent religious group against the current war.
According to legend, after seeing the horrors of war and conducting the most deadly invasion ever recorded in his time, the ancient Indian emperor Ashoka became overwhelmed with the destruction he had caused. He converted to Buddhism and adopted the policy of ahimsa - nonviolence. Rather than building machines of war, he built roads and universities. He sent emissaries as far as Athens and Rome in an attempt to spread his philosophy of nonviolence beyond the boundaries of his own empire.
The story of Ashoka may appear as an oddity of history and irrelevant to today's issues, but the principles of nonviolence continue to have an impact on our society.
"I think that the principles of nonviolence are very relevant in today's world," Kathryn Schnurr, associate chaplain of Hopkins, said.?"We are experiencing moments in history in which many people all around the world are under enormous stress and are desperate. We have to be dedicated to nonviolent conflict resolution if we are going to preserve our dignity and our lives."
While Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi's successful use of nonviolent resistance demonstrated the power of peace, the philosophy of nonviolence is deeply rooted in religious traditions.
"The principle of nonviolence is a common value in all religious traditions, although each approaches the principle in unique ways and has distinct expectations of their adherents regarding the use of physical force as an offensive or defensive action," Schnurr said.
The connection between nonviolence and religion is not outside the Hopkins community.
Every Friday, the members of the Baltimore Quaker community hold peaceful protests against the Iraq War in front of Homewood Friends Meeting on N. Charles Street. The Hopkins Buddhist community is another prominent nonviolent religious group against the current war.
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