I’m just learning about this organization – TED – Technology, Entertainment, Design. According to its website, it started in 1984 as a way to bring top thinkers together from those three industries.
They write about their mission on their website:
Our mission: Spreading ideas.
We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world. So we’re building here a clearinghouse that offers free knowledge and inspiration from the world’s most inspired thinkers, and also a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other. This site, launched April 2007, is an ever-evolving work in progress, and you’re an important part of it. Have an idea? We want to hear from you.
The attendees of their annual TED Conference, known as Tedizens, include people like “Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin along with other Internet icons as well as celebrities such as Forest Whittaker and Cameron Diaz.” Link. On the TED website I noticed some of the speakers have included Bono, President Bill Clinton, Richard Dawkins, and Jeff Bezos (CEO of Amazon.com).
This year, Karen Armstrong, a former Catholic nun and British author on comparative religion, suggested that the world combine universal principles of respect and compassion based on the Golden Rule, an idea that has some derivative in nearly every world religion.
As a result, Tedizens are putting forth the Charter for Compassion. The opening page of the website asks for input from everyone. If you go to the website you can write your thoughts, stories, and ideas for such a charter. I noticed that one of the members of the Council of Sages includes Archbishop (and former General Secretary of the United Nations) Desmond Tutu.
I think this organization is something to watch. I also think it would be interesting to provide input. As a follower of Jesus I unashamedly proclaim that Jesus is the one way to the Father. I don’t claim to know everything about what that means, but I do know that there is a narrow path of faith, through Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, to eternity with the Father. My faith thus is often falsely accused of being discriminatory, elitist, separatist, and other less nice things. But given Jesus’ command to seek first God’s Kingdom and to boldly proclaim the Kingdom, I think the Charter for Compassion provides an opportunity for us to continue the message of the gospel of the Kingdom.
At the very least, go check it out. Keep an eye on it. And pray.