[Oe List ...] Thomas Berry on the Mayflower Compact

Tue Nov 23 10:18:22 CST 2010

First the compact

IN THE name of God, Amen.

We whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread sovereign
Lord, King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland
king, defender of the faith, etc., having undertaken, for the glory of God,
and advancement of the Christian faith, and honor of our king and country, a
voyage to plant the first colony in the Northern parts of Virginia, do by
these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God, and one of
another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic,
for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends
aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame such just
and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to
time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of
the colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.

In witness whereof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cape-Cod the 11
of November, in the year of the reign of our sovereign lord, King James, of
England, France, and Ireland the eighteenth, and of Scotland the
fifty-fourth. Anno Domine 1620.

Then Thomas Berry (from The Great Work)

In his chapter on "The North American Continent," Thomas juxtaposes the
culture of the American Indians and that of the Europeans settlers. The
arrival of the Europeans in North America, he says, "could be considered as
one of the more fateful moments in history, not only of this continent but
of the entire planet.. Every living being on this continent might have
shuddered with foreboding when that first tiny sail appeared over the
Atlantic horizon" (p. 40).

      The first peoples of North America and the European settlers held two
sharply contending views of nature. "To indigenous people.the natural world
was the manifestation of a numinous presence that gave meaning to all
existence.. As seen by the Europeans the continent was here to serve human
purposes though trade and commerce, as well as through the more immediate
personal and household needs of the colonists. They had nothing spiritual to
learn from this continent. Their attitude toward the land as primarily for
use was the critical issue" (p. 44).

      Culturally derived anthropocentrism caused insuperable difficulty for
the Europeans in establishing any intimate rapport with the North American
continent or its people. To Thomas, "Such orientation of Western
consciousness had its fourfold origin in the Greek [humanistic] cultural
tradition, the biblical-Christian religious tradition, the English
political-legal tradition, and the economic tradition associated with the
new vigor of the merchant class" (p. 45). To the Europeans "[t]heir
human-spiritual formation was complete before they came. They came[, they
thought,] with the finest religion of the world, the highest intellectual,
aesthetic, and moral development, the finest jurisprudence. They needed this
continent simply as a political refuge and as a region to be exploited" (p.
43). They were committed to a "divinely commissioned task of commercially
exploiting this continent [and] could even experience a high spiritual
exaltation in what [they] were doing" (p. 46).

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From: oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net [mailto:oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net] On Behalf
Of Geri Tolman
Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 2010 8:50 AM
To: 'Order Ecumenical Community'; 'Colleague Dialogue'
Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Salmon: Mayflower Compact

here's a link:

http://www.nationalcenter.org/MayflowerCompact.html

Happy Thanksgiving!

Geri

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From: oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net [mailto:oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net] On Behalf
Of Ann Shafer
Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 2010 8:19 AM
To: 'Order Ecumenical Community'
Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Salmon: Mayflower Compact

I would love a copy of both or anyway the Mayflower Compact. Thanks! Ann
Shafer

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From: oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net [mailto:oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net] On Behalf
Of William Salmon
Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 2010 6:47 AM
To: Order Ecumenical Community
Subject: [Oe List ...] Salmon: Mayflower Compact

George and Carol --

    I have a copy of that conversation--or at least a copy of the Compact.
Do you want a copy?

    Bill 

----- Original Message ----- 

From: M. <mailto:m.george.walters at verizon.net>  George Walters 

To: 'Order Ecumenical <mailto:oe at wedgeblade.net>  Community' 

Sent: Monday, November 22, 2010 9:51 PM

Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Happy Thanksgiving

I have been going through old files for days trying to find my old copy of
the Mayflower Compact conversation.

Everybody have a great Thanksgiving!

George and Carol.

Resurgence Publishing Corporation

4240 Sandy Shores Dr

Lutz, FL 33558

USA

Tel: +1 (813) 948-7267

Fax: +1 (813) 333-1787

Mob: +1 (813) 505-9041

URL: www.ResurgencePublishing.com

Professional Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mgwalters

From: oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net [mailto:oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net] On Behalf
Of Vinod Parekh
Sent: Monday, November 22, 2010 21:15
To: OE at wedgeblade.net
Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Happy Thanksgiving

The Parekh family joins all our beloved colleagues in celebrating
Thanksgiving with a deep sense of gratitude for enriching our lives. 

------ Original Message ------ 
Received: Tue, 23 Nov 2010 04:39:53 AM IST 
From: Sandra/Bob True <icatrue at igc.org> 
To: Colleagues <Dialogue at wedgeblade.net>, OE list <OE at wedgeblade.net> 
Subject: [Oe List ...] Happy Thanksgiving 

Dear Friends and Colleagues, 

In the season if gratefulness, I am deeply grateful for all of you on these
lists. You are my community, I've experienced your care and love. 
I lift a glass full of gratitude to you all! 

Hugs 
Sandra 

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