I was at a group discussion of different religions yesterday. I met an incredibly nice man from India who happened to be visiting from India. He was a Hindu and I am a Christian, and we had a pretty good and respectful discussion about our respective faiths.
What was interesting to me was how adamant a guy in the crowd was that we don't spend any time discussing the differences of the different religions...he wanted to talk about the similarities.
I've heard many times the argument, "there are many paths to the top of the mountain, and all are equally valid" and heard yesterday, "there are many side streets that lead to the destination, but they all end at the same place". That was the first time I'd heard it said that way...but basically it's the same old argument.
Yesterday the similarities and differences were both brought up. Some of these religions/cults/beliefs have a monotheistic view. Most believe that you have to do something to get right with God. Most believe that there is an afterlife. There are tons of similarities. But the minute the differences were brought up - people would get immediately defensive.
The facts are that there are significant differences. To pretend that there aren't would be to be intellectually dishonest. I'm not sure I understand the idea of whistling a happy tune while we all pretend that we believe the same things.
We don't. That's ok. We can all still get along. We can vote for different people and still love one another. We can believe that the team with five Lombardi trophies is vastly superior to the team with one winning season in the last 20 years and still hang out for dinner on Tuesday night.
We're different and that's just true. How would pretending we all believe the same thing help?
What was interesting to me was how adamant a guy in the crowd was that we don't spend any time discussing the differences of the different religions...he wanted to talk about the similarities.
I've heard many times the argument, "there are many paths to the top of the mountain, and all are equally valid" and heard yesterday, "there are many side streets that lead to the destination, but they all end at the same place". That was the first time I'd heard it said that way...but basically it's the same old argument.
Yesterday the similarities and differences were both brought up. Some of these religions/cults/beliefs have a monotheistic view. Most believe that you have to do something to get right with God. Most believe that there is an afterlife. There are tons of similarities. But the minute the differences were brought up - people would get immediately defensive.
The facts are that there are significant differences. To pretend that there aren't would be to be intellectually dishonest. I'm not sure I understand the idea of whistling a happy tune while we all pretend that we believe the same things.
We don't. That's ok. We can all still get along. We can vote for different people and still love one another. We can believe that the team with five Lombardi trophies is vastly superior to the team with one winning season in the last 20 years and still hang out for dinner on Tuesday night.
We're different and that's just true. How would pretending we all believe the same thing help?
I think it's interesting that the genetic makeup of a human being and a chimpanzee are nearly identical (we share 98.7% of the same DNA), but I bet we all agree that the differences between the two are incredibly important. Yeah, most religions are basically the same, but that doesn't mean the differences aren't incredibly important.
ReplyDeletei hate the steelers. yes, they have a more storied history. yes, their draft in the 70's probably was the greatest of all time. yes, they have extremely loyal fans. just because they look better on the outside doesn't mean that i can't like the team with only 1 winning season in the last 20 (i remember when they used to win more). back off the bengals. i live in florida and i still have to hear from steelers fans. and not every path leads to the mountaintop, some lead off a cliff.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it important how different we are? Yes, we are different, and I think people get defensive because so many horrible things have happened to people because of differences. The fear is that the group that feels they are a majority will try to crush everyone else's beliefs/culture/whatever (or crush the people holding those beliefs). People, for better or worse, need to feel that things are predictable. What has been predictable is that people have hurt each other (a lot) because of differences.
ReplyDeleteWe have been gentrified and that scares some people (mostly men). I, personally, think being gentrified is a good thing.
gentrified? really? How long have you been trying to work that word into a conversation.
ReplyDeletesounds like anonymous is jealous of someone having a "different" vocabulary?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
ReplyDeleteWhile gentrification is used to refer to neighborhoods, homes, or cities, it seemed to apply here. I couldn't think of a better word to refer to my affinity for political correctness. And I think it made sense.
Political correctness means: "showing an effort to make broad social and political changes to redress injustices caused by prejudice. It often involves changing or avoiding language that might offend anyone, especially with respect to gender, race, or ethnic background". My understanding of this definition is trying to be inclusive instead of exclusive in the way you treat people.
How can that be a bad thing? When would being exclusive toward a good person ever be the right course to take? That's what I was trying to say.
People don't like differences between religions because it opens them up to potentially being wrong, which opens them up to potentially having to change.
ReplyDeleteThe people who get most upset about pointing out the differences in religion are often the same people who are most afraid of a god who demands that they change how they believe and/or live.
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteUnless you've been to a burning bush, talked to God and come back with stone tablets, you don't get to call anybody wrong about their beliefs.
Hee Hee
ReplyDeletesara,
ReplyDeletewhat if you are following the person who has been to the burning bush, gone up a mountain and come back with stone tablets, or claimed to be the Son of God and then proved it by dying and then raising from the dead? do i get to tell others that they are wrong then? i try to never tell some one that their beliefs are wrong, but ultimately either one is right and the rest are wrong or we are all wrong. there really is no option that we are all right because the differences are so great between all of the belief (or lack of belief) systems. i agree that the differences have be the cause of a lot of persecution and suffering and that should not be the case (as i think sean was saying), but we also should not be afraid of dialogue about what unites us as well as what keeps us separate.
Sara,
ReplyDeletedo you believe that it's wrong for me to believe that some people could possibly be wrong about what they believe?
that's just stupid
ReplyDeleteand wrong
Do you believe that it's wrong that you believe that I'm wrong for believing that you're wrong?
ReplyDelete