People of the Book

One of the great things about attending a private institution is the school's acknowledgement of the spiritual component in human beings. I am not talking about Christianity necessarily, I am simply talking about seeing human beings as dualistic beings. I think that some people have chosen to label and direct their spirituality in a particular way, usually toward a religion that accommodates their social and ethical beliefs. If there is an underlying spiritual nature to every human being than there is a modicum of truth in the way every person tries to experience it. I think this also explains why talking with people of different religions can help shed new light on the way you choose to practice your spirituality. For me Buddhism was insightful because of their focus on meditation and silence. This is a component that I believe would be deeply rewarding if I could learn to effectively incorporate it into my spirituality. I was recently able to meet with an Imam of a local Muslim community center, and ask him questions about Muslim spirituality. They Muslim Imam said that Islam respects Christians and Jews becasue of their belief in the Bible or the Torah. Muslims believe that these scriptures were revealed by God through men, but they believe Muhammad recieved the Koran directly from God. Their belief that both the Torah and the New Testament hold Divine revelation has led them to call Jews and Christians, "people of the Book." Their religious beliefs are not that much different from Judaism or Christianity. The main difference between their beliefs and Christianity is their belief in Jesus as a prophet not as the son of God. They believe there can be only one God, and on this point they agree with the Jews. This is one of the main reasons the Jews rejected Jesus; they believed He was claiming divinity, and was thus guilty of blasphemy. Islam's main contention with the Jews is over the birth right promised to the descendants of Abraham. Muslims believe that the Hebrew scriptures were changed, and that the true descendants of God's promise to Abraham are the Muslims. Most of the arguments between Jews and Muslims are not over their theological beliefs, they are over land issues connected to each religion's sincere belief that they are the rightful heirs to the land promised by God. The Imam believes that when Jews and Muslims are not arguing about their descent, and when Christians are not stuck either mediating or judging, all three religions actually have a lot in common. I was impressed with the community's attitude toward people of other faiths, and I left with a greater sense of what it meant to be a practicing Muslim in America. Dialogue between these three similar religions could be both fruitful and informative if there was a mutual respect for each other as "people of the book."

Is God sexist?

This question first appeared in my head when I was a young impressionable Sunday school attendee, but it eventually faded into the recesses of my mind without ever being completely quelled. I wonder how many women are forced to either ignore this question or simply come to a point of limited comfort with the explanations given by their church leadership. My feeling would also be that for many women this issue is central to their willingness to pursue the Christian faith. I do not believe that God is sexist because I do not believe God is a particular sex. One of the themes of my psychology of religion class has been the idea of metaphor in the scriptures. Metaphor in scripture allows us to see God as father instead of God is father. The emphasis becomes on the way we relate to the being of God not on the physical sex of God. The easy part of a discussion about sexism in Christianity is on the physicality of God, the more difficult discussion centers around the way Christianity has actually practiced responsible gender equality. Of any Biblical author Paul is the most criticized for his writings about women and their role in society and religion, yet a more careful examination of Paul's writing shows us that they were often directed at a specific church in a particular culture. Paul's view of men and women can be understood in the broader context of how they reflected the image of Christ. Consider the imagery used in Genesis to depict the creation of woman. Genesis depicts woman as having been created from the side of Adam. In Hebrew this is a statement that shows the equality of men and women. The side was seen as the exact middle of the body, thus giving credence to a woman's equal right to be seen as a being created in the image of God. What is interesting about the Genesis account is that it depicts men and women as essentially the same being. Thus when a man and women become united sexually they are recommitting themselves to the imagery of being of one flesh. The Bible uses this same imagery to describe Christ's relation to the church. How does this imagery fit with the traditional view in fundamental Christianity of women as meek, subservient, assistants to their husbands? If we are of the same body, than is it not more appropriate to see our roles as males and females as a mere expression of the function we hold within the larger body of Christ? A different way of saying it would be that the role of a husband or a wife is of equal importance, because they are both serving a function within the body of Christ. This is where I think Christians have misunderstood the duty of a husband to their wife, and of a wife to their husband. Instead of seeing themselves as part of the same body they have begun to see themselves as separate individuals, with one part of the body being of greater importance. By Paul telling women to submit to their husbands, and by telling husbands to love their wives, he is really stating the need to honor each other as one flesh. Now I understand that I probably lost some people in this lengthy examination of gender in scripture, and that it is nowhere near an exhaustive explanation of all the instances of perceived sexism in the scriptures. I simply hope that it will serve as a catalyst for a more in depth examination of perceived sexism in the scriptures, and within the practices of Christianity. For others I hope it will become a different way of viewing their role as either a husband or wife. There is so much more that could be said about this subject, but it will be contingent upon the responses of others. I appreciate you taking the time to read this rant, and I hope that it will in some way spark a conversation whether that be with me or someone else. Please feel free to direct your comments toward the progression of the discussion or as a critique/agreement of what was written. Thank you again for taking the time to read this, I honestly value all of your thoughts and opinions.

Other Religions

So I had the opportunity to attend a Buddhist temple yesterday, and I gotta say the experience was absolutely amazing. I've spent a good chunk of my life learning about my own religion as well as the religions of others, but I have never had the opportunity to experience a religion by engaging in practice with those to whom it is sacred. At the temple we were introduced to some meditation techniques used by Buddhists. It was surprisingly difficult to quiet my mind for the minimal 25 minutes the monk encouraged us to meditate. The monk asked us how we could possibly think we have control over our bodies or our minds when we are not even able to tell our mind to be quiet for more than 5 minutes. This process led me to contemplate the ways certain Buddhist practices could be used to heighten my spiritual development. Many Christians object to meditation, but I suspect it is due to misconceptions about the way it is practiced or what the desired outcome of it is. Meditation in Buddhism is about detoxifiying the mind. The practice is used to gain control over your body and your mind, and by doing this reach a state of enlightenment. In Christianity I believe meditation can be used much in the same way. The scriptures tell us the importance of meditating on the 'ways' of the Lord. In the scriptures it is through meditation that the Psalmist finds themself able to center on the precepts of God. Buddhism is able to teach its adherents control over their mind and bodies in a way that most Christians would find themseves lacking. Buddhism also seems to strive for a balance in all that they do. When I visited the temple there were statues of spirits that represented opposing paths of life. The spirit of war stood across from the spirit representing music and joy. The idea of balance is something I believe mainstream Christianity would do well to learn from. A balanced Christian would understand that the tensions between our beliefs and those from a different religious worldview can lead to a greater understanding of one another, and in the long run do much more to further Christian values than religious fundamentalism. I am absolutely not saying that Christianity and Buddhism are compatible. One of the essential ideas of Buddhism is that there is no God. Therefore one of the basic concepts of Christianity is denied. Buddhism's essential belief is that we are able to save ourselves through an understanding of certain truths. This is directly incompatible with the Christian worldview that teaches we are incapable of saving ourselves; it is through Jesus we find ultimate truth, and the forgiveness of sins. The danger in Christianity is to relegate ourselves only to the spiritual traditions we are most familiar with. By doing this we limit the ways in which we experience the presence of God. It is my sincere belief that the only limitations found in our experience of God are the limitations we place on ourselves.

Scriptural references to meditation

Psalms 104:34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD. Psalms 77:12 I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds. Psalms 119:15 I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.

So I've spent all night working on creating this blog page, and now I'm too tired to write anything of substance. Bah! Oh well, at least I get to commemorate my first blog on Easter Sunday. Easter is one of those few holidays that I actually take the time to visualize what it means to be a Christian. To my dismay, protestant churches are generally lacking in the iconography that would assist me in picturing the events remembered at Easter. As a result, I have decided to post some iconography here. My plan is to look at the meaning signified by the icons, and remember the death and resurrection of my Lord. I hope everyone has a good Easter, and that they get to spend the time with people they love. Cheers.