THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 1, 1995 TAG: 9412300248
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 11 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GARY EDWARDS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
Forget what your parents told you about never discussing politics and religion. We not only can, but we must if America is to survive.
That, at least, is the message the authors of ``Spiritual Politics'' are spreading. Corrinne McLaughlin and Gordon Davidson finish up a six-day stay in Virginia Beach today, the last stop of 29 on a book tour/workshop itinerary that began Sept. 6 in Boston.
During their Virginia Beach visit, the married couple touted their book and offered a series of lectures at the Association for Research and Enlightenment. The theme of the 1994 New Year's Conference was hope. In their talk ``The Inner Side of World Events'' on Tuesday night, McLaughlin and Davidson tried to offer some to the crowd of 200-plus.
McLaughlin began by saying that the subtitle of their book, ``Changing the World From the Inside Out,'' sums up the approach. She said that the old political paradigm of confrontational and adversarial relationships no longer has to take center stage. It can and should yield to a healthier ``consensus building'' and cooperation based ``upon mutual interests.''
She and Davidson both used the abortion issue as an example of ``conflict resolution through finding mutual interests.''
``No issue polarizes people more than abortion,'' said McLaughlin. ``You're either pro-life or pro-choice. But when you start looking for mutual interests, you find both want to prevent unwanted pregnancies. You can then proceed from that point.''
McLaughlin, like her husband a college student and political activist in the '60s, grew weary of working to change external events. She traveled to the Findhorn Community in Scotland, where she was introduced to the ``Ageless Wisdom'' and her husband-to-be, Gordon Davidson. The couple called the Ageless Wisdom ``the golden thread uniting the inner teachings of the major religions of the world.'' The timeless philosophy is passed on by those called ``The Enlightened Ones.''
Davidson and McLaughlin returned to the United States and bought 86 acres to start an American counterpart of Findhorn in Shutesbury, Mass., called Sirius. They have lived and worked at the eco-village since its founding in 1978.
They contend that the United States has a spiritual, as well as political, destiny. The founding fathers spoke of this during our nation's infancy, they said, citing George Washington's mention of the role of ``divine guidance,'' ``an invisible hand'' and ``providential agency'' in his first inaugural address.
Spiritual politics transcends the old left/right, liberal/conservative labels, Davidson said. It seeks to amplify similarities rather than differences. ``Liberals should try to find something positive about conservatives, and vice versa,'' McLaughlin exhorted the audience.
``Albert Einstein once said, `Two sides can disagree on an issue because both are wrong,' '' Davidson said.
He spoke of the symbolism of world events.
``The name of the company that polluted Love Canal, does anyone remember?'' he asked. ``Hooker Chemical. We have Love Canal, symbolic of the birth channel, being ruined for profit by a company called Hooker, another word for prostitute.''
``Spiritual Politics'' has enjoyed brisk sales since its publication earlier this year. It sold out its first printing in three weeks. It has nearly sold out a second, and a third is forthcoming, they said.
``Our publisher said that it should be a best-seller by fall,'' said Davidson. by CNB