I saw this discussion on the subject at someone else's LJ. They were saying that there are 2 kinds of diversities: one is when you are just indifferent to all the differences, do not seek to qualify or quantify them and call it diversity. Another kind is where you actually identify fault lines and always say that the diversity is in terms of something.

Like, yes, it's hard to define Christianity if you talk about it in general. But if you set some parameters, such as monotheism, views on certain issues raised and so on, you can always say where similarities end and define it for your purposes.

I'm very much for the former description. It just goes back to my convent school days and is an ideal that sadly I don't think I'll ever experience again.

I think the reason it was hard for them to define Christianity was because they didn't know anything else from where they had grown up. No Muslims, Buddhists, Hindhus, free thinkers, etc. Just different flavours of Christianity.

But the first definition will lead you to conclude that everything is diverse! It's good to have a certain tolerance level, which allows to ignore some of the minor differences and say that two concepts or ideas are essentially identical, save for minor variations.

And this is why this "tolerance level" will actually help one conclude that different flavours of Christianity do not really represent true diversity. If you were to set parameters, such as whether a religion is monotheistic, what is its holy text, what is the spectrum of fundamental beliefs (say, limited to 5 or 7 to prevent people from going into hair-splitting issues) and so on, you would be able to see that within these parameters the different denominations of Christianity are not all that diverse at all.

And like you said, it definitely helps to have some knowledge of other religions, because this kind of comparison will help in setting parameters that ultimately define Christianity.

I guess it depends on the environment that you're in! Like when I was younger, it was just assumed that any kind of class outing, you don't get food that has pork in it because the Muslims can't eat it. But we didn't make a big deal about it, it was just expected. Later on in Junior College, one of my Malay friends went on a class trip and all the food had pork in it! This was because the organizers had all gone to a Chinese secondary school. So now it becomes this special thing that they have to be aware of, and they're conscious of Muslims as being "special", when really it's not a big deal. Just don't get pork for class outings. :P

I think that's the main problem with "diversity" in the US. Like Stanford is supposed to be all liberal and diverse, etc. but the attitude is like, practicing your cultural traditions is "cool". No, it's not cool, it's part of life. I think emphasizing differences versus accepting them as part of daily life leads to social segregation.

it could be diverse compared to other cities there? or something?? it doesnt seem real diverse at all. at all.

thats one of the big things I really notice when we go to (some parts) of the states that there isn't as many places where there's huge racial diversity even when there are cities with the diversity. the times I've been the only white person anywhere in the states ive been made very aware of that fact and in my city im often the only white person and no one seems to notice or care.

Maybe his entire hometown is black. Who knows? :P

Frala, you're not white, you're a Newfie! ETHNIC MINORITY.

ROFL!!!!!!

diverse compared to the rest of Ohio maybe?

That could be it. But he was speaking in a national scope!

It's so diverse--that's why a lot of food companies experiment with things in Columbus, because we bring so much to the table. The new foods--they always try it out in Columbus.

It is actually 100% the OPPOSITE. The reason Columbus is a major test market (and it is) is because it's considered perfect Middle America, where most people are white, Christian, and middle class. Companies and restaurant chains DO always try things out in Columbus, but it's only because it's super-white. Not because it's super-diverse (which it's not).

I thought about it a little more and figured that might be the reason. "Hey, if the people in Columbus can stand this, the rest of America should be okay with it!!!"