Discussion and dialogue. The very act of either is opening the self up to possible arguments, superficial connections or in the best cases, getting below the surface and the formation of friendships. This was not the goal of the SPSCC Forum though. I wish I had been though, given that the building was completely full of all the people who had come to learn or to re-validate their beliefs. The goal of the forum was to present 4 different perspectives on 3 big questions. Which I think would have been more powerful had it included small group discussions after. For what it was worth though, it was extremely educating on learning a Muslim, Christian, Jewish and Buddhist perspective on "The Meaning of Life," "Humanity's Problem" and "How to fix humanity's problem." Each representative was given three minutes to respond to each question with a little time after for questions from the audience.
What is the meaning of life?
The first to answer was Muhammad Ayub representing Islam from the Islamic Center of Olympia. He quoted the Quran, specifically the verses, "God says I have created people to worship me," and "Blessed is he who created life and death so that we could be good." From this I took the meaning of life is to worship God and through our worship of God be good, which he articulated also as being able to face God on the Day of Judgment.
The next to respond was Paul Jones the pastor of Reality Church in Olympia. He said that the meaning of life was to worship God and that through our worship of Jesus who is God we would be made good. To quote him directly, "There is a purpose that can be known, but not within ourselves, only within Him," and "We are He was quick to show the difference between Islam and Christianity by talking about God as the Trinity, being the Union of Father, Son and Holy Spirit and God as having no beginning or end and us as characters in the story he wrote. I took this meaning the meaning of life is God and letting God shape the individual which was similar to Islam.
Next to speak was Rabbi Seth Goldstien of Beth Hatfiloh the Reform Jewish Synagogue in Olympia. He expressed the meaning by using three stories from Torah. The first story was of Genesis and how man is made in the image of God and because of it holds the divine spark of God which is articulated through mercy, creation, compassion and creativity. Because we were made in the image of God we therefore partners with God in his ongoing creation.
The next story was of Sinai and Moses's receiving of the commandments from God. From this became the purpose of our relationship to one another and our relationship to God.
The third story was the Exodus, and the story of moving out of slavery to freedom and our responsibility to repair the world as we and the world transform.
Together I took this to mean our meaning is to be partners with God in creation, live in relationship of respect for another and to work to heal the world.
The final person to speak was Kelsang Tsoglam of the Mahayana Buddhist Center of Olympia. She expressed meaning as cultivating peace in the heart so that we may create that peace in the world. She said it can't be mandated or legislated but can only come through individuals finding of inner peace and helping others find inner peace as well.
What is humanity's Problem?
The first to speak was the Rabbi this time around. With each question the professor hosting the forum would switch the order around. The Rabbi's answer to the question was that humanity's problem was being human. We are fallible and not God and that it's in recognizing our humanity that we can overcome it. He said the way of moving forward knowing that we are human is through the liturgical cycle of atonement and repentance and that is how we can overcome are evil inclinations and be good. "We are in a constant state of becoming." Humans are change. He also expressed one of the problems is fundamentalism which he saw as denying our humamanness.
After the rabbi the Nun spoke of what she believed humanity's problem was. She said it was our inability to make ourselves happy. We are so focused on outside material things to be happy that we lose state of true happiness coming from within.
Next Muhammad Ayub spoke. He expressed humanity's problem being that we have a sense of hopelessness, lack of direction, greed and racism and are unable to achieve balance. He said the answer is in the Quran and that "By remembering God you find balance in your heart." As well as the words of Prophet Muhammad who said, "You are not a true believe until you love for others, what you love for yourself." It is by remembering this that we advance in God Consciencesness.
The last to speak was the Pastor. He said, our problem is pride. We don't like God being in control of our story and that was the reason for original sin and our rebellion against God. We were once perfect because of God, but because we chose self over God we have been suffering since. God declared us "dead" because of sin.
How to solve humanity's problem?
Some of the questions were answered partially in talking about the problem, but there was still more said by all. First to speak was the Buddhist Nun who reiterated that we need to solve our own problems first. She used the analogy of the airplane and that before you put the oxygen mask on another you need to put it on yourself. When a person is at peace that peace effects others and that is how the problem is solved, by more people achieving peace in their heart.
Next Mr. Ayub spoke, he expressed the solution was through the 5 Pillars of Islam, which are:
1) Testimony to God and prophets and in doing recognizing the many attributes of God.
2) Pray 5 times a day, and in doing so achieve balance through the honoring of God.
3) Charity and the giving of 2.5% of savings to the poor. Egalitarianism and looking after the widows, orphans and those who have the least in society.
4) Fasting during Ramadan in order to gain greater will power and to remember those who have not.
5) Haj - The pilgrimage to Mecca in memory of the past and to form more connections.
"A friend is someones story we have heard. An enemy is a story we have not heard."
Next was Pastor Jones who said the solution was not through doing more good works then bad. That the solution is faith in Jesus Christ and the Trinity of God not through certain behavior modifications. He believed that God would bring about those behavioral modifications in us though through our faith but that can only happen through repentance as a coming back to God. God puts the oxygen masks on us in the plane. In the end he said God will rule over creation in relationship with Him.
Last to speak was Rabbi Goldstein. He first made a joke about using another airplane analogy but couldn't think of one. Rabbi Goldstein said that the solution could be found in the Torah and the commentaries on the Torah known as the Midvash. He used one of the commentaries as an example where there are angles arguing with Moses on why he should receive to Torah when it comes from God. In the end Moses wins because he establishes that humans need to the Torah in order to be good and establish holiness in the world. He shows that the angels don't have the same problems as people do so it is really only people who need the Torah. He closed saying the answer is to live righteous and holy life and in doing so we bring each other close to one another in the Divine.
After there were a few questions in which I learned that Islam and Judaism do not believe God inhabits the individual like with Christianity. On the question of the afterlife and beginnings and endings the afterlife was also discussed. Islam describes it depth having 1/3 of the Quran cover it, Mahayana Buddhism defines it as it as continuum where Karma keeps recreating it. How a person dies depends on what they are reincarnated into in the next life. God and life are eternal in Judaism and God is most concerned with our actions in the now and for Christianity God was the beginning and is the possibility of being eternally present or eternally absent based on our choices.
Now it would be difficult to really describe all my thoughts on everything that was said. I learned a lot about all four faiths today. I wish the Nun had brought up more points about Buddha's teachings though, just as I wish there could have been small group discussions after. One thing I respect about all of these faiths is their call for virtue. Whether it's through believing God is making them virtuous, through submitting to God, to co-creating with God or living by Right action I believe that is the essential Good that I wish more members of these faiths and all people would turn too.
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