Faith ~ #MondayBlogs

What is faith? Is it our religious belief or is it having the confidence that our fellow man will work in the best interests of humanity? Believing in something, someone, or ourselves is a basic human need. Belief is faith.

It seems that we are living in a world filled with hatred and fear, one in which man allegedly uses the name of a religion as a reason to destroy and spread hate. There are those who hide behind supposed commandments of their god(s) to spread ruin and there are those who hate others simply because of the deity they pray to. Some people believe in a supreme deity but do not agree with the tenets of organized religion (agnostic); some do not believe in any higher presence (atheist). A growing faction is yelling that religion is THE problem why men cannot get along with other men.

We can have faith in humankind without praying to a god by any name. Or we can follow the true teachings of our chosen religions – every religion is founded on common principles that include: loving thy neighbor; forgiveness; treating others the way we want to be treated; giving charity; honoring our parents and elders; being truthful; showing kindness; and living peacefully among our fellow man. While the phrases and wordings may differ, each religion shares commonalities with the others; some religions are monotheistic and some pray to multiple gods.

Every religion has members whose interpretation of its teachings are zealous and self-serving, most often those fanatics are in the minority although they may be loud. People who choose to practice a religion should do so because they believe in the spirit of their scriptures rather than simply following step-by-step rituals with no meaning behind our actions.

Rather than focusing on the differences in our religions practices or alienating those who call themselves agnostic or atheist, our need to believe in something makes us more alike than different. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful thing if we could embrace that sameness and work towards fostering an atmosphere of peace and unity instead of viewing others with suspicion and hatred?

As a child of a Ham Radio Operator in the 60s and 70s I remember going to group get-togethers. One of the places that held an annual picnic was a Monastery located several miles north of where we lived. The monks that lived there and hosted the event were all very friendly, intelligent, welcoming and knowledgeable. I was amazed one day during a discussion with one of these men to find he was very proficient in Hebrew scripture and my own faith of Judaism. In adolescent surprise I asked him how come he knew so much when his religion taught otherwise. His answer was so simple — to truly understand your own beliefs you need to understand what belief means to people. Every monk, he told me, was schooled in all forms of theology and was required to be proficient in multiple religions.

Perhaps this type of education is needed for all of us so that we can love and appreciate our own convictions as well as understand and respect other belief systems. Somehow we must work towards unity and love of the entire human race or there will be no world and humanity for our future generations. Mankind is our own enemy when we allow hatred in our lives.

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A Changing World

As I listened to news reports about Bin Laden’s death, tears formed in my eyes as I remembered the horror of a September day nearly ten years ago. Many Americans and others throughout the world felt the emotions once again surface…

"I never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure." - Mark Twain. That’s quite a quote and several of us posted such lines on Facebook and other social media sites to help explain the myriad of feelings.

I woke the next morning in a world where the man on the FBI’s Most Wanted List was marked deceased. The lives lost because of Bin Laden and his followers are gone forever leaving only tears behind, but the world is changed once again.

I recently wrote a novel involving a very contemporary issue, the heroine is a Pakistani Muslim immigrant. She is a peaceful, gentle woman. I did a lot of research in writing about this potentially volatile subject. I believe that there is good and bad in every people. I also know there are some who refuse to see past a few and blame an entire group.

In Hyphema, Sudah encounters prejudice because of who she is and where she comes from. There is one scene where she is accused of being “the same”… I’ve thought about how ironic these words seem now.
“Wouldn’t you be used to that?” Donna directed her question at Sudah.

“Donna?” Both Laurie and Trisha were shocked by Donna’s question.

Sudah shrugged. “Why am I used to violence?”

Clucking her tongue, Donna waved off her friends. “Well I figure where you come from…”

“I come from Pakistan. We are not near the Afghanistan border where there are skirmishes. My home is in a little town, it is very nice there.”

“Well you Arabs are always fighting.” Trisha tried to stop Donna, Donna ignored her.

“But I am not Arabic, I am Pakistani.”

Donna snorted. “Same thing.”

Trisha broke in. “Donna I don’t understand why you are being so rude. I am so sorry Sudah.”

“Why are you apologizing?” Donna faced Sudah menacingly. “My older cousin’s fiancé was killed on 9/11…”

“Oh goodness Donna, that was almost ten years ago. Sudah was only a little girl back then.”

“I am very sorry for your loss, but we are very much alike then. My father’s dear friend Jamaal also died on that terrible day.”

“Hmmph. On one of the planes I bet.”

Laurie gasped.

“He was working in a restaurant in New York City. He was very proud and working to bring his family to America. He loved this country and was studying to become a citizen.”

Donna rolled her eyes. “So what happened?”

“He ran to the two buildings after the first plane crashed. The restaurant was across the street. He was trying to help when the second plane came. He was lost in the debris and fire.” Sudah had to pause. “We were very sad that day. I remember when Jamaal’s wife was told her husband was dead. I felt very bad for her.”

“And yet you cover your head like those Arab women who cheered.”

“I cover my head because I am Muslim. It is a sign of respect for my beliefs.”

“Muslim? That’s who attacked us.” Donna snorted. “And they say that Bin Laden lives like a hero in Pakistan.”

“I have not seen him. I do not know where he lives. I would tell authorities where if I knew.” Sudah smiled sweetly and shook her head. “The Islamic people are people of peace. The few who murdered so many and the people who were happy about it are not true believers. They are cowards who hide behind a sign that says ‘I am a Muslim’. They do not speak for most of us.”