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."