Now that the Rapture did not happen on Saturday, I thought this would give me an opportunity to say positive things about each system of belief that I have scrapped together during “Religions of the World” classes, and from reading news items and Wikipedia.
Much is said today about the negative aspects of religion. I am rather tired of it all. I have met people of many belief systems who are good people and could not see how God would leave them behind. These are in a random sort of order, with no emphasis on any belief system:
ISLAM: In learning the pillars of Islam, you learn about their charitable giving. It is one of the 5 fundamental pillars of their religion, it is a NECESSITY, as it should be for all (at the very least) prosperous people. Yet another thing I think Americans put on the back burner, it is difficult to give, but in helping others you are helping yourself.
BUDDISM: Desire causes suffering: so true, so damn true! Trying to prevent suffering means getting rid of desire, a very difficult thing for many Americans to embrace. This may not be a positive thing to say but it is definitely a world truth.
AGNOSTICS: I certainly understand the Agnostic viewpoint, saying there is no certainty in the existence of God is a safe way to think. It is a skeptical way to think, and I am of that thinking when it comes to things other people have seen and believe in the paranormal world. I have not seen poltergeists, Bigfoot, or aliens (visiting our planet, I accept the mathematical probability that they exist). So I am agnostic about those things. They may exist, I just can't say that I have seen evidence for them.
CHRISTIANITY: When not misused to go to war, the things that Jesus actually taught are rather deep and hard to comprehend (even today). It is difficult to imagine how it went over in his day, but his message got out. But his fundamental message (amazing I again use the word fundamental) is about love, for one another and the world.
Now I know Mormon is a different kind of Christianity but I still thought it needed its own paragraph:
MORMON: Many might say that this is a cult, not a religion. While I will not go into that, (but I won't discuss Scientology, a cult set up by a Science Fiction author) I will say that the Mormons know how to raise respectful children. Many boys in my high school were jerks, but not the Mormon boys. I am not trying to make light of this, how you raise your children sets them up for their future. If they are respectful in high school, they will likely be respectful husbands and fathers, which is not that common now a days. Also, in a South Park episode, it is stated that their religion was the one true way to heaven, and I think those guys must know something since they also know Satan's bedroom habits. ;P
HINDUISM: There is an easy positive aspect of this spectrum of religions, that is yoga. I practice this form of stretching and relaxation regularly and find it very helpful to keep the stress at bay. You noticed I said spectrum of religions? There are (just like all the rest of these religions) many different variations on this religious tradition in the Indian Subcontinent. One thing that can be said about many of them, they are tolerant of one each others beliefs.
JUDAISM: The tradition of scholarship in Judaism is honorable, although sometimes a bit misguided (for conservative Jewish husband and father to only study the torah and not provide for his family is misguided to me). There could be a very long religious debate as to which religious text gets the most study. The Koran, New Testament and many other texts get quite the analysis but I think the Torah wins. Also, the breaking of a glass at the end of a wedding just seems to be such a bizarre yet wonderful ending to a wedding. The groom breaks the glass, the new husband and wife kiss and everyone claps and yells “Masel tov!” It's joy is infectious. I would have liked to do that in my own wedding, but I think my Uncles (who are both Lutheran Pastors) would have not seen the relevance since my husband is not Jewish.
ATHIESTS: Yet another world view I am not trying to make light of but Atheists seem to make great musicians. I really like the song “Deus” from the Sugarcubes, and find it hilarious when they say they met God and he got them “squeaky clean – I mean REAL clean”. Yes, they are making fun of baptism, and that is their right. There is another atheistic pop song that I knew from the late 80's called “Dear God” by XTC. This song is angrily atheistic. It is an expression of the rage that can come from the anger at religion because it has really messed up someone's life. Whether someone loses a loved one to a horrible “act of God” such as the recent tsunami in Japan, or if an innocent child is molested by a trusted priest, such acts can cause someone to be incredibly angry at people and God. This anger does create fantastic music, and their songs have made me think about these sort of issues. The “why do bad things happen to good people” question that will always perplex us, no matter what you believe.
Now you may be wondering, “Well Erin, what religion are you?” I was raised ELCA Lutheran (yes, there is a difference in the US between the Lutheran Synods, I did not want to get into that). I am raising my children to be ELCA Lutherans, and to hopefully be conscientious Lutherans. Believing, accepting, caring, flexible (NOT literal) when interpreting the bible and therefore, to not become compete jerks.
Lastly, I would like to say that it is my hope that the Rapture will come, but it will be God's little joke on us because it will happen when the Sun slowly becomes a red giant and envelops the Earth, in say 5 billion years. That is when science says it will happen, anyway. Oh, did I mention that I have a scientific education? No? Well I know it seems like those two aspects of my life should be in conflict, but they are not. I have given a great deal of thought to this and they can peacefully co-exist if both are taken not to literally.
All religions need to try to co-exist as well, and that is much easier said than done.
No comments:
Post a Comment