In this article “7 Ways to Advance Religious Harmony in China and Around the World” Tony Blair gives us seven points that fail to take us beyond a moralism. It is true that we need to seek and work hard at the common good. It is foundational that we acknowledge differences and that at times those differences may take us to different policies and practices.

As globalization pushes the world closer together, the issue in respect of religious faith is very simple and clear: does it become a civilizing force that shapes globalization to advance human good; or does it become a countervailing force, dividing and alienating societies from each other?

Compare Blair’s article to Mark Durie’s blog “A Dozen Bad Ideas for the 21st Century”

Here is a list of false beliefs and modes of thought which make it hard for people in the West to come to terms with the challenge of Islam today.  If you are deeply attached to any of these ideas or ways of thinking, you will have difficulty accepting the truth about Islam’s teachings and their impact.