I would say that I generally have had a good experience at evening masses...this one was mixed. But before I get into why, I want to describe the Church. The Blessed Sacrament Church also has a school that is pretty large attached to it as well as a few statues and flowers growing around the premises. It is quite a lovely area.
Inside the Church is very similar. It actually reminds me of Saint Thomas More Catholic Church, but the actual Church feels bigger, though it may not be. It certianly has more information. When I arrived early I walked around...seeing the Tombstone Memorial the Unborn (also have seen one of these at Saint Joseph's in Salem) and has information on the memorial Mass for the Sanctification of John Paul II and John XXIII. It also had their brief biographies.
There were tons of posters, notices and free information for anyone who was visiting. As someone who had arrived to the Mass early it was perfect for me in exploring the Church. After it got closer I made my way into the main Chapel.
The chapel is beautiful. The tapestries were white and had Thomas touching the risen Jesus with the quote, "My Lord, My God." and the quote "Blessed are those who have not seen and believe." This was the focus of the sermon, which I enjoyed.
Now for why it was mixed, besides the Tombstone...the music and the fact the Church is connected to the radio. The songs were just Christian Rock songs on the radio in the worst artificial way...beautiful, but no soul and turning words into lyrics for no other reason then for there to be singing...the congregation was quite on all the responses because the singer dominated...there wasn't much of a congregation it felt like even though the Chapel was full.
This is one reason I'm grateful for the sermon...the sermon tied to the belief after the readings (all of which were New Testament Readings) on belief and being saved and finally tying it into Thomas's doubt. I might have covered this in a past post but I think Thomas is the minimum that someone like me could ask for. When Supernatural claims are made (someone raised from the dead) I need more than people who lost a friend...if not it is in all probability just inspiration.
That is one reason I find Jesus's quote hollow...St. Paul asked people to think but then assumed to trust authority and his word regardless...if that's the starting point, how can one start clearly doubting and seeking the truth?
The priest had a great quote about questioning with an agenda (and tying it to the media as wrong) and I agree with him...but can't the same be applied? Would you apply the same doubt to you and your own beliefs as you would apply to another religion? To another supernatural event?
For me as an agnostic this is huge. If there is something that I can know for certain about what I can find beyond my senses...you can bet I would like to know. It would change the way I perceive the world beyond the very real human relationships and ethics of this one. The thing is, I haven't had a way to test that...I've had experiences but nothing so certain as touching the holes in a risen corpse and the wound in his side.
For any religion, any supernatural thing...I would want that. To know the world as more than what I've known so far. Knowledge is power and with an ethical mind that power can change us for the better, and it is sure as hell a lot better than ignorance.
One of the best things about getting lost is you'll never know what you'll find. In the case of today I was fortunate to discover the Dajia Wunchang Shrine. The Shrine was donated by a wealthy man in Dajia and it was originally both a shrine and a school built in the late 1800's, being eventually made a historical cite in 1985 by Dajia's local government. The location was on a corner next to a hamburger joint a new friend I made here is opening...so the location is inconspicious. This was one of the many ways it differed from Zhenlan Temple.
Another difference was how uncrowded and peaceful it was. At Zhenlan it was too overwhelming to even say a prayer, much less buy incense...but here, incense was based on how much you chose to donate and there were only a few family present performing the rituals for the new year. It was here I got three incense and said my prayer as well. For virtue, fortune and luck...
It was my first time being in a place where I could reflect on my time here so far and the possibilities of the year to come with all its trials and possibilities. Suffice to say, I plan on returning here again. It was the first and only place I stopped to stay at after Zhenlan Temple, though I did discover many more places I plan on visiting.
The day ended with success and I found where I was soon after the Shrine. Here is to the coming year and the final days of this Lunar New Years.
A new year and a new place to visit. This year I was given the opportunity to visit Taiwan, specifically the town of Dajia. Dajia is a great place for the blog for many reasons, one of which is its closeness to other cities (and how close Taiwan is physically to other nations) and the three Temples here in town.
Over the course of this year I'll be covering holidays with friends and visits to the Temples.
I look forward to what the future holds in regards to these explorations and others. I can hardly speak on the religious makeup of Taiwan but I plan to explore wherever I am and wherever I go in my time here, and hopefully through it all continue to grow.
I look forward to your feedback and thoughts and look forward to seeing you on this side of the Earth or when I return to the USA. Thank you for your continues support and conversations that this blog has sparked. I would not have lived as long as it has if not for that interaction with people, community, you. So thank you.
Here goes to this new year and time inTaiwan and all the possibilities to come.
Today was the day of the funeral. This is the third funeral I have ever attended, and each one was different in type of grief and memories with it. A funeral should capture who a person was and meant to people. The greatest way to honor someone is with the truth and remembering and appreciating the person as all of who they were. Across all religious and non-religious boundaries this what I've learned.
The funeral began with a prayer by my Uncle Todd and than the closing of the casket. The room was full of pictures from the viewing. All of us cousins with pictures of Grandma, including the picture from her house where all of us gave her thumbs up breast surgery for the cancer she was going through. The prayer honored her faith and after we made our way into the chapel for the service.
Lately there have been gaps between the update of the blog. Part of this reason is busyness and partially it is also due to my growing apathy towards religions use in general. Suffice to say that interest was reignited by two things. One of my best friends telling me about faith work during the tornadoes in Oklahoma in his work for FEMA, and trip to Peru.
The trip was largely a family trip but also was through my Mom's work, so I got to meet more people who my Mom knew or who were worked with my Mom. Suffice to say the group was amazing! On the trip no one got sick, and the differences in age was a non-issue. There were always ways to talk and connect regardless of our differences.
The next entries will be exploring what I saw, learned and experienced. I would see how much of the indigenous faith still lives on, even after the Spanish Conquest. I would see and learn about the complexity of the Catholic Faith in Peru and how in many cases it has been integrated (or figures from it like Mary or Santiago) have been integrated into faith practices of the people, along with the faith of their ancestors.
I wouldn't say that I believe in the supernatural anymore than I do before. The trip didn't change me in that way. I don't know if God or any other supernatural thing (spirits, demons, angels, etc.) actually exist outside of our minds and I haven't been convinced that when I do have a spiritual experience it is in fact a supernatural event or supernatural player who created it. I always remain open to the possibility but that is not mean I know or am convinced of it.
This trip didn't change that fact, but this trip was also a chance to learn a lot about myself and grow with the help or silence, prayer and the rituals we did with our guide who is a Medicine Man and Shaman. The next many entries will be that story.
The Episcopal Church community's is one of the Christian communities I've always felt the most connected in. The Church has the tradition of Orthodox and Catholicism of Old Mass that I've always like about those 2 faiths, but the liberal approach to faith and Mass that for me has always captured the good in any community. All are welcome to partake in communion that was a big part of the discussion with the priest after the service.
The openness of some of the sects in allowing all to partake in communion or the service is one thing that has always made me appreciate what open religion is capable of. It is a way of recognizing shared humanity and within that all that can be accomplished. I've seen this in the activism towards Marriage Equality and Immigrant rights within the Episcopal Church...this largely is motivated I think from following the "Spirit of the Law" rather than "The Letter of the Law," since the Holy Books of the Abrahamic Faiths aren't the most compassionate, virtuous or loving of books. It isn't difficult to find barbarism in the form of law being laid down by God. In this way no religion really follows all of the tenants, even the most fundamentalist
choose to ignore the laws that would end them up in prison if followed through on.
If you want to know ethics and how to live with virtue, your best bet is philosophy. It is there where the rational and logical formation of ethical codes are founded, critiqued and changed. Within religion there may be elements, but the moment the Supernatural enters, it adds more unknown factors that cannot necessarily be rationally or empirically proven.
St. Paul's Chapel is small but in doing it is rather intimate. There were only a few people there as I took part in Communion and the prayers around it.
During the service and prayers I felt the warmth I sometimes have experienced visiting certain communities. The warmth is around the chest and is almost like a high in a way. I don't know why it happens but it does usually happen connected with certain prayers and atmospheres of places. I've felt it at concerts before or when connecting to a person or group of people to a lesser extent. It's strange, and it's something I should analyze more deeply next time I experience it.
The experience and conversation with the priest again reminded me of why I enjoyed creating this blog in the first place. Each experience is a small adventure, and what will happen whether it is unpleasant, wonderful or a mixture of the two differs from community and place as the Outsider travels.
After quite a long time, the blog has returned. It's a shame the return can't be under happier circumstances. Having been dealing with illness I found I finally had time to make one of the visits I'd been intending to make to the Christian Science RSO (student group) on the avenue.
Suffice to say it was a fascinating experience. Christian Science reminded me of a few other faiths. It's hymnal is similar to hymns I'd heard in the Mormon Church and Lutheran's. The layout was a bit different from a lot of traditions I'd been too, but that might have been because it was a student book.
It began with a 2 readings (from the Bible and from the main book Mary Baker Eddy the founder of the faith wrote: "Science and Health with Keys to the Scripture." This was read after the hymn that was sung after the readings and prayer. The Book and the Bible are seen as the Pastor and it's the committee's involved with organizing it that create the sermons that all Churches do, based off the 2 books.
The silent prayer was a good chance to reflect at where I am today and how lucky I am even with all the challenges that have been going on for a while (health) or recently risen.
The day ended with another song to end and afterwords a discussion where I mostly listened as a Catholic asked about if Christian Scientists believed in the healing power of books or other objects? The answer was a major now and that the whole point is that Christian Science tries to help people heal as Jesus healed, or realize that they can, as well as living in relationship with God. Jesus is not God, though he is seen as the perfect human being that all should strive to be like. In this way it was much more based in mysticism and how Buddhism is expressed on how any person can possibly achieve Enlightenment (and in both these Christian Science and Buddhism, many thoughts on how to get to that point).
In that way it was more Unitarian (Jesus as Example but not Deity . The most important part of the Bible that the student lead group (with 2 professors present) said was that "We are made in the image of God as expressed in Genesis" all else is second to this in how we see ourselves and what we accomplish.
The people were kind without being overbearing or attempting to convert so it was a good experience and a great way to kick the blog back into gear. At this point though I think I'll be expanding it into other topics. Where my own journey leads, I'm not sure, but my doubting of the supernatural has not diminished and skepticism towards religious groups and the corruption that comes with human organizations as a whole.
I was reminded of why I enjoy doing things like this though. I enjoy meeting new groups and getting to know the people. I think it's improbable that I'll ever believe in the supernatural, my doubt is a bit too strong for that (and reason why I find more truth in philosophy) but there is still value. Religions like people are changing and where it goes will be shaped by the practitioners and the world around them.
It's been a while since I've done a faith visit. Partially due to job searching (which has now been resolved) and partially from ambivalence and wondering where to go next...while not wanting to do a repeat visit to a faith community. Well today I would learn a little bit about this sect of Methodism as well as see some old mentors of mine and become re-acquainted with Interfaith. A part of myself which I don't think will ever go away.
The Interfaith event that brought me to my first Methodist Church was the Interfaith Amigos. They are a rabbi (Ted Falcon), pastor (Don Mackenzie) and sheikh (Jamal Rahman) who became friends after 9/11 and sought to use their mystic perspectives within their faiths to try and bridge the divide between different religions, but specifically the major 3 that came from Abraham. Rabbi Ted and Sheikh Jamal have been mentors to me in regards to Interfaith and their first book, "Getting to the Heart of Interfaith" was one of the major books I used for my Senior Thesis on how to promote successful interfaith between the 3 major religions from Abraham.
Before the event started I talked to Jamal and Ted for a while before running into someone who I will talk later about (future post later).
The event was built around their second book they put out, "Religion Gone Astray," I brought the first book that I already owned and used for my Thesis for the book signing afterword. It started out with the three talking about 9/11 brought them together and what they believe is the core of each faith. For Judaism "Oneness" for Christianity "Unconditional Love" and for Islam "Compassion." They talked about this and also tackled the problems within their faiths such as the history of their faiths in regards to the rights of women, gays and the Arab-Israeli conflict. The big thing on homosexuality and the Arab-Israeli conflict that were mentioned is how those who hate do not know people of other religions or the group they are hating and how in their personal and experiences they've had together have seen on the grassroots level those divides going away with getting to know "the other," with the end goal of helping others to get rid of the exclusivity within faiths to having the Truth, since so much conflict comes from that.
They demonstrated this with quoting the most exclusive passages from their scriptures and then interpreted them to give them new meaning or what they believe the original meaning was.
Example, "I am the way the truth and the light, no one can come to the father except through me." To mean God is the way the truth and the light, no one can come to God except through God. Since "I am" is the name of God in the Old testament.
From my experience I do have some issue with this but that's mostly due to the fact that there is no way to know if this or the traditional Trinitarian interpretation is correct. Which is why I am so agnostic when it comes to religion.
Seeing them being upfront about the human rights issues within each of their faiths, as well as ways to bring out the best in each of their faiths reminded me of why I'd been drawn to interfaith in the first place. They stated early on where the major problems at interfaith events were when people talked about their similarities and only that, or people talked about their differences...in both cases it missed the personal reasons for why a person is a member of any faith in the first place and moves it away from the interaction at hand to the abstract...which tends to kill connection in religious dialogue. The personal is where the connection happens and where there is the possibility for change.
After they sang there theme song, "It's all one and I am as I am." In Arabic, Hebrew and English their dialogue ended and it was opened up to questions. Most of the questions were understandably for Jamal since right now Islam does have the most problems related to the issues that were discussed. He did a good job answering the questions, as they all did. For all it was showing how they saw the core teaching relating to the context and history of the passages or how their religion has gone astray on human rights and their personal experiences with it.
It ended with coffee, treats and a book signing and I had the pleasure of talking to a retired Methodist pastor and the pastor of the Church, before and after the event...which will be a story for another a day.
First want to start out by saying, next time in Oregon I will be visiting other denominations and religions. I'm planning on moving down there eventually so there shall be much exploration of the religious communities down there.
Now, the visit. Saint Mary's is one of the most beautiful Churches I've ever been in. It reminded me of the Churches and Cathedrals in Italy and had a very calm ambiance. The stained glass windows had the stations of the cross, their were two beautiful images of Mary on the sides of the seat and in the center was the Vatican II Altar as behind it underneath Jesus on the cross was the pre-Vatican II Altar against the wall.
The place spoke of it's one hundred year history simply in the artifacts that made up the inside of the Church.
The sermon was about the calling of people to be "Shepards" and used one of the Old Testament Prophets and Jesus when he realized the people needed a Shepard. The thing that stood out to me on the Jesus story was it involved him running away from the people to a different town because he was tired...this surprised me in a big way since I'd always been told God comes to those seeking Him and if Jesus is God he wouldn't run away, since the story sounded as if the people had been seeking him.
As a counter part this is good on the part of a teacher. Words and messages can only really be fully appreciated and applied when brought beyond the person. Whether it's Buddha or anyone else from philosopher or scientist...it reminds me of a quote my friend told me:
"Religion is like a boat. It's good to bring you across the river, but once you reach the other side it would be silly to carry it."
To carry the analogy further one could break the boat and carry the pieces and use them for fire wood later on for the journey on land or to rebuild it later along a different water source. What we read and learn doesn't leave us fully. It shapes us in the moment of reading and in applying it. But it is no longer the person who it was learned from, it isn't the teacher it is something different.
On the core message of the sermon, we all will be servants and leaders at different points in our lives. It comes with following passions, with applying the knowledge learned and by living virtuously. If religion inspires you to live it more, more power to you...but I'm becoming all the more certain that I won't be joining any religious groups houseboats. Too much of it doesn't make sense to me and doesn't seem to help necessarily with promoting virtue in how we live and treat our fellow men.
What an experience the last year has been. The experience of the people, the history, religion and my time as a teacher are memories I will never forget. I might be teaching one last year in China as well, though that is something I'm still figuring out.
Religion in China is complicated. Historically it has been used to both promote the status quo of power (power of the gentry and noblemen through Confucianism and the Emperor as "Son of Heaven") while also acting a force of resistance against the gentry in government, as seen by movements such as the Yellow Scarves, the Taiping Rebellion and others. Many times they were used to empower the people by having communal food for all and other means of supporting the families who joined said movements.
An interesting point is that even the Cultural Revolution could not do away with the old traditions. The old ways were never fully crushed. This past school year I worked in the countryside and took part in Mid-Autumn Festival with my colleague who is also a friend and saw the fruits that were laid out in honor of the Moon Festival and in hopes of wealth and success.
First I want to mention Confucianism and how important it has been historically in relationship to education. When Confucianism became the base for the hypothetical reason for lords being able to advance, China became one of the earliest meritocracies. This focus on reading, writing and general knowledge in Confucianism is a part of the Chinese system that lives on this day, and is something any nation can learn from.
I also visited Linggue Temple in Baoying a few times and witnessed how much a part of life it is for the community. The Temple is an important part of funerals, marriages, births and festivals. A few years ago I saw Fajing Temple in Hangzhou serving the same purpose. Religion in China helps with facing all the different parts of an individuals life.
Though like America, there is also the corruption and connection to Money. At Linggue Temple my friend and I would get conned by a man who worked there and I would witness in Suzhuo the Xuan Miao Taoist Temple and it's connection to money by blessing gold at a gold shop that sat just outside the Temple...that whole area was the market and material meeting the ancient rituals and philosophy that contradicted said materialism.
China has also had a great diversity of faith. The Abrahamic Faiths of Judaism, Islam and Christianity have all settled to some degree in China (less so Judaism though), as well as the ancient traditions that still carry on and the big three of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism.
The big three with a few exceptions still live the contemplativeness of their past teachers. Many a Buddhist and Toaist Temple can still be found on top of a mountain, and most temples are designed to be large spaces...like a cathedral. You can get lost in reflection and can see how nature is always changing and impermanent in the fish, plants and turtles that are living within the Temples.
There will always be more to write, but these are some of the major things I noticed during my amazing year teaching in China.
Today was the day I would be seeing much more of the Christian community that makes up Nanjing. The church was St. Paul's Church, an Anglican Church founded in 1923. When I arrived it was crowded as in the main Chapel a wedding was being prepared for. It was a bit overwhelming because of all the people...I then got a call from my friend who let me know where the English service was, which was in a smaller but more spacious, less crowded area in a different building.
The theme of the service was the love of God. As the program said at the beginning, "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."
When I arrived it had just begun so I caught the scripture reading and Apostles Creed before the hymn and then sermon.
The first thing I noticed was how humble the place was. There was a single wooden cross in front of red drapes and the altar where the people would go to speak. The second thing I noticed was the music. Those old English hymns when sung by a good choir are some of the most heavenly things in the world. That was a major good that I experienced today, was the beauty of those hymns.
The sermon was from a brother of the church. He was quite passionate and talked about how love of Jesus means claiming souls. This line reminded me of how Christianity and Islam are the most aggressive religions historically when it comes to gaining converts (through peaceful and military means). For a while a lot of it was good and I thought he was describing virtue really well (carrying for the sick and for others, as well as loyalty to friends), and then he went off on a tangent. He brought gay marriage into it and seemed to be saying two things:
1) Those who believe in Gay Marriage are moral relativists and that "The world is" (which isn't not always true).
2) That there are false prophets in the Church who support gay marriage.
His words reminded me of how unwelcome the Church can be to people and how the love isn't unconditional, but conditional. The ironic thing in it was that some interpretations of Jonathan's relationship to David was in fact homosexual and that was what he was using to illustrate how we should love and be loyal to God (unlike Saul who used David for his vanities).
Besides the end of the sermon/tangent, it was a really enjoyable service. It was great being there with my friend I'd made last week. Afterwords I joined him and his friends for Lunch and their had a discussion with one of them in regards to Christianity versus philosophy in what should be valued. Both of us believed in truth and virtue the difference was I doubted the Bible and Christ as God (Christ can be a great example for how to live I think, just like Lao Tzu and the other great men), but I do think admitting ones own flaws and being honest about it is the only way to move forward and to grow as a person (or for a peoples to grow).
Where we differed most was I believe our relationships to others and our own actions are the most important thing that we know (living virtuously and growing), as well as the quest for truth. He believed that the truth came down from Jesus and that humanity is so broken that only belief saves us (via reward in the afterlife due to Jesus's sacrifice on the cross).
He brought up the C.S. Lewis Trilemma of Jesus being "Lunatic, Liar or Lord," as proof of Jesus's divinity, which for me didn't quite do it. There have been many throughout history who were delusional on some things but still super smart and ethical on others. He was flawed and human like them. What makes him different?
He's a kinesthetic learner and all about experience. His experiences with people who are believers and through church and relationship made him who he is. For me that's true as well, but so much of my experience of learning is through books, hearing, introspection and that was when we realized how our ways of learning compliment one another.
I told him I'd pray to Jesus and see what happens. Though I don't know if that's the best way to check the validity of Christianity (check it's claims) in regards to greater truths or the revelation it claims to be. Historically a lot of it doesn't hold up literally (Exodus, Genesis, Noah's Ark), but that doesn't change the value of the stories (though their are some un-virtuous practices in the Bible done in God's name).
It was a great day and it reminds me why I do the blog. It's about the human relationships and the quest for truth...it's the discussions and the learning that comes through discussion, study and experience.
This entry was hard to write. I've never been at a place where I've felt
such a mixture of emotions (except perhaps when I visited the Vatican).
I think the best way to tackle it is how I first met the Temple.
At the gate there is a building that was part of the Temple complex
but now serves as a high end place for people to buy gold (blessed by
Taoist monks, yep). Outside the Temple gates (and within I would soon
learn) are shops and more shops. Clothes, high end tea, figurines and
even things with naked women on them that look like they came out of a
trailer park. These shops and more surround the Temple and are spread
throughout the Temple grounds.
Once we passed through the
gate we were greeted by a swarm of shoppers who were visiting the
different craftsmen and sellers that covered the grounds of the sides of
the Temple. Wanting to get out of the noise and feeling of emptiness I
made for the main building of the Temple which was separated by a small
gate.
Once inside I was greeted by a throng of people who
sat watching a Taoist service taking place. The music was peaceful, the
chanting was order to the chaos outside. Inside the Temple three Golden
Immortals rose up where offerings were placed. The monks were dressed in
colorful robes and around was a guardian for each birth year on the
Chinese Zodiac.
The people were mid-age (a few 20ish) but
mostly older married couples. You could see that they were experiencing
something in the ritual and peace that the main hall brought. Even as a
tourist site, it hadn't completely gone to the dogs. It was still an
active temple and for all the people there it meant something.
Of the things that stood out in the main hall, there was a one horned
bull that was rubbed on the head and snout for luck, an immortal who was
most likely Guan Yin of Buddhist lore who was in three corners of the
Temple. There also was a bridge placed in the middle of the hall painted
black and gold.
After we crossed through to the back we
found a hall with tacky lights around a God or Immortal of War, the room
was nearly empty, and then in the main hall the three Gods of Long
life. We crossed through the hall and ended up back with the shops. The
shops were impossible to get away from, except in the Temple rooms.
The last thing we saw were the God of Literature. The fact that one
exists made me smile a bit inside. It's nice to know that something like
that has been admired for thousands of years. It was outside this
temple where in the shop that was selling Gods, porn on plates and stuff
was also being sold.
This place made me feel peace and want
to wretch. Peace because of the people there worshiping and the times I
myself prayed and other wretch because of how close money as God was
present...it was hard to tell where the good of religion and worship of
money began as they overlapped in a messed up ball of humanity...
Hello readers and welcome to 2012! I haven't been posting entries and there is a reason for that. I've become a English teacher in China and where I'm living doesn't exactly have churches to visit. So most of my experiences of considering religion have been reading, analyzing and reflecting on my experiences thus far.
What do I believe? That it is important to live with virtue and seek to understand what virtue is in order to live it better (which can be by wu-wei, philosophy and critically thinking). I believe in a God, though if I were to define it I would be assuming power I don't have, and my belief is Agnostic (I accept could be wrong and there may not be a God), I think God as first cause and as the incarnation of virtue and where virtue is and comes from (like Plato's true forms) makes sense. What that means in relation to us beyond the standard that we all strive for, I'm not sure. I'm not God.
Because I can't assume supernatural perception of the supernatural (which if it is supernatural must be beyond materialism and the natural world and out of my perception unless nature suddenly does an unexpected change and becomes supernatural). I can't count it out either. It's for this reason I believe in the possibility of miracles, or natures reversed becoming supernature, many things are possible and the future is unknown. I don't think this should be my basis for acting good though, or that it is truly probable (growing back of limbs on a human being for example). Say a supernatural deity does in fact exist does doing good for It's approval any more virtuous than doing good because it helps oneself, other people and is true? What would be virtuous motivation or right thought? Would it not be egoless thought? At least that makes sense to me. Not acting on approval, fame or reward...simply because it is right and matters to the person or people for whom it is being done for.
The ritual of religion and traditions are a mixed bag (as are the history of faiths and the faiths themselves). Most faiths carry some sort of wrong and vice done against another, while many at the same time claim that the faith changes them into more virtuous beings. That is true for some people I think, which is why I then ask, is it God or the people who has the power in those situations? Is it both? What about the problem of evil in religions that claim guidance by a perfect and good, omnipotent, all-powerful God? (Same goes for Holy Books and the words of God). When I read holy books I see the flaws of people and how far they are from the mark of perfect goodness, and in many cases God is justifying or at least being used to justify it (also justifying good...which again, shows humans speaking rather than God).
Religious ritual is also powerful...it brings people together, it's a common language, a way to say we are the same and one family. This idea of solidarity among humanity I think is important (though not with moral relativity - abuse of children and women (and abuse as whole), rape, murder, genital mutilation, "honor" killings, oppression of women and GLBTQ people, stealing, cheating on a spouse, etc.) are clearly wrong beyond thought crime (thought crime should not be prosecuted) and must be stopped.
These are actions that bring trauma and end life. There isn't a moral gray on these issues because of the harm they cause to ones development and how they cause trauma to the one being hurt and unless the person is a complete sadist, to the one doing the action, who is probably acting out on their upbringing and baggage.
If I don't believe in a religion than why continue the blog? Because of people and who knows, I am open to the possibility of the supernatural and religions make the greatest claim to it and miracles. The stories are full of miracles and I always learn from the conversations with others, and the ways that common virtue can but not always touched on in the sermons and stories of others. Maybe me the doubting Thomas can touch the holes in Jesus's (the Risen Christs) hands someday (or the equivalent within another faith)...but I'm not holding my breath. It's an adventure and its a chance to live with integrity and seek truth with others while living with virtue. What more reason do I need?
In the States, and when I can visit places of worship in China or other countries the blog will be updated, but until then...thank you for walking with me.
Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival over here in China. Yes, I am in China right now teaching English at a high school in China. While in China I plan to do faith visits that won’t have me ending up in a prison and writing about religious events that I take part in. I won’t be posting though (my girlfriend will) since Google blogs are blocked. Mid-Autumn Festival at its core is religious, allow me to explain why.
On my way to the Baoying countryside I noticed something that was in all households. Nearly all households have Guan Yin, the goddess and bodhisattva of compassion in Mahayana Buddhism. Her role is similar to Mary in Catholicism as an advocate for those who have little and watching over families. She is especially related to fertility, the harvest and wealth, which are extremely important in the countryside.
The common wishes people have are found expressed in prayers within nearly all faiths. These wishes are the wish for a more comfortable life (better harvest, new job, job, recovery from sickness, ect.), the possibility of children and the well being of family and friends. I have heard these prayers expressed in the conversations with people of the Christian, Muslim, Sikh and Jewish faiths and have experienced it in China in relationship to Buddhism.
I think in many ways this has helped improve people. It is along these larger than life expressions of the infinite and unknown that people have sought to help one another. Mayahana Buddhism is based around family, I experienced that at the Mid-Autumn Festival today where I was treated as honored guest and invited to be a part of the family. Just as the infinite, unknown God or divine reminds us of what we don’t have; it reminds to cherish all the more what is a part of our life.
So have a joyous day today and if you are religious or spiritual, look at your faith and how it relates to the unknown and think of how it has connected you to others and in what way it shows you the wholeness of the moment right now.
Many of you may be wondering why it has taken me this long to write a post on Islam. The reason for this was the difficulty of me reaching an Islamic Center in the times I've been in Olympia and around University of Washington. In both instances I got lost trying to find the Islamic Centers of both areas. Well, I'm happy to say that I've finally been able to do the visit after years of not visiting an Islamic community.
After two times of attempting to meet up with the Interfaith Coordinator of the Islamic Center of Olympia for a ride, I finally was able to meet up and get a ride there.
What are my thoughts on Islam? I think some of the evil that attributed to Islam is in some cases valid (homosexuality is viewed as a sin and in the Quran, like the Old Testament...punishment is death), women cannot lead prayers where both sexes are present, separation of the sexes (this is a huge issue with me in regards to Orthodox Judaism, and other conservative religions as well). But on issues of groups like Al Qaeda and people who do honor killings. The honor killings are a tribal custom that needs to be changed, and groups like Al Qaeda are like the NRA, using religion as an excuse to commit nonreligious acts (Though my issues with Kings and the Bible still apply to the Quran, God ordering the killing of sacred life (or punishing it to Hell). I don't see how that can be good in any instance.
In my visit though I overwhelmingly experienced the good, and got to talk about some of the bad afterword...which I will get to farther into the blog. We arrived when the afternoon call to prayer was taking place and hurried. Shoes were left outside and we entered into the room where all the other men were. The Iman was up front leading the call to prayer and then began preaching about Time. He preached about how God created time and how it is a gift and precious to us and that we must make the most of it by living with righteousness and virtue. This made sense to me and is one of the parts of the Quran (like Jesus's Golden Rule, actions to the poor, and many psalms) that transcend the era it was written and can apply to any time.
I joined in the end of the prayer and felt the connection that I'd forgotten that always came with the full body bowing. This act of submission and vulnerability is such a powerful act. It would be the ultimate act of one person honoring another if they both bowed this way, or an act of veneration simply in the way the body speaks. This is one thing I have always found beautiful and good about Islam. The goal of Islam is to live that prayer in everything (with Quran as guide), just as the goal for a Christian is to live like Jesus with the New Testament as a guide.
After prayer I talked to the people. There was a man whose family lives in a small town in Libya. It was wonderful to know they were safe, and one of the leaders of the Mosque is living in Tripoli now and has snipers on his roof as Gadaffi is preparing for war...I talked to one of the Board Members, the Interfaith Coordinator and another man named after Solomon. The Interfaith coordinator is hoping it can be resolved peacefully, but Solomon had given up hope due to Gaddafi's paranoia and evil actions.
After I got a tour of the building that is under construction that will be the new place of worship. The shell is complete but due to funding it still has ways to go till it's finishing internally. I found out the Lacey and Olympia community has been very accepting of the Islamic Center and this made me glad after the Oarnge County crap, the protesting of the Islamic Community Center in New York City, the areas in the central United States that have come out against the building of Islamic Center's of worship in their state...(which is sad considering their Christianity is very similar in values to what they seem to be so afraid of). I am grateful Olympia and Lacey have generally not acted this way.
Then we went out to Coffee (the Board member, Interfaith Coordinator and I). I brought up the things I see as evil based on how I have seen them practiced abroad (the execution of gays in Muslim nations, not having ever seen a women lead worship or preach (I found out their are women scholars of Islam though...so who knows, maybe their will be female Imam's leading worship someday, right now the issue is a scale the least and horny of people not having a distraction so they can submit to God, and the belief in men and women together would be a distraction to both sexes), in the conversation I had with the Interfaith Coordinator in the car he mentioned Muslims have not done as much as they could to abolish the negative stereotypes, and also people needing to come without preconceived notions and wishing to learn as well (both of which I agree with based off experience).
We then talked about Satan...as in all cases that a figure such as this is brought up. I think the possibility of malevolent and benevolent spirits exist...I just don't see it as likely. I see human's doing so much more good and evil without any outside forces being attributed to actions. The reason I was given for why he exists is to test us. The pattern with Christianity over free will in regards to Satan in God seems to be, as I understand it now.
God is the ultimate good, making people who are just good is not good, therefore choice must exist in order to choose the good, so it is truly the good. Evil is chosen just as good is chosen. This still doesn't quite make sense to me if all God wants is submission or worship (and all creation in submission and worship), so I still don't buy this explanation completely. I've seen fear of Satan lead to more evil acts (persecution of gays, fear of sexuality, avoidance of responsibility) to have trouble seeing it as being Satan or some spirit being responsible. Though the same applies to the good as well...I consider myself a Thiest but when it comes to peoples actions, it depends on the people. I've seen virtious believers and non-believers of all faiths, and evil committed by believers and non-believers in the name of (Enter Idea Here). So the exploration continues.
The conversations and the act of prayer were the most rewarding part of the visit and I believe in the awareness that comes from these two acts that real change can be brought about in the world. A prayer can be anything from reflecting to good action or prayer to good action, the key is the good action. This is one thing I myself shall continue to grow and seek to better myself in, for I can always do better in living the good, as can we all.
The Vedic Cultural Center is home to the ISKCON or International Society for Krishna Consciousness also called the Hare Krishnas. This was my first time visiting the Center, and I arrived on the final day of the Festival, in which they unveiled the new Deity who is the founder of the Faith. Swami Pradhupada is his short name. When I arrived the Guru was talking about what role of the people in the Temple was and how devotion to Krishna was the only way to completely escape the cycle of karma and rebirth and that true believers should tell more people about the way, since in death they will be judged on how many they were able to bring to Krishna. This reminded me so much of Christianity, especially Evangelical Christianity and missionary work.
The Guru was saying what he himself and the devotees believed. That devotion to Krishna is how to get of the cycle of rebirth and karma. He talked about how that a person must live in a Krishna like way (no meat, spread the word of Krishna, devotion to the Supreme God Personality (Krishna), live love, and the creation of more Temples, and the publishing of literature to educate people in the way Krishna).
The part of the sermon that made me feel the most displeased with the Guru was when he bashed evolution and science.
"Darwin would have you believe, Krishna came down as a Chimpanzee!" He said incredulously.
He also bashed Hawking for a while for his theory that the Laws of Gravity explain the Universe and why there is no need for a God. Given that he didn't even consider that it might be true, he kept to his dogmatism of the way of Krishna and how Swami Pradhupada was superior to Jesus because he never claimed to be the only way to Salvation.
Does fundamentalist religion come with the belief that you have the only true path to salvation? Krishna was talked about like I've heard Jesus talked about at Churches. This was a major issue I had with the faith. The guru spent most of the time talking about how ISKCON had changed people's lives and the superiority of it's founders in their humility and love. I wondered, does being a religious devotee come with this much certainty that your way is the only way? If it is, I'm glad I have no plan of converting to any faith.
Then the blessing/devotion to Swami began. He was brought out as people chanted "Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare, hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare." Which means praise Krishna! Praise Krishna! The statue was given a scarf and it was blessed with yogurt and flowers. I was given a flower to give to Swami(the statue/deity), which I did. The mood was festive and I danced as other people danced around me. There was a stage in which Krishna was unveiled and I with everyone bowed. I had warm feelings the entire time. Which could have been the intention of the event, euphoria from dancing and positive energy, something more, or any of the above.
As the devotional continued, a child or man would come by with flowers or fire with incense and the people would sniff the flower, and put their hand above the flame and then touch their forehead. I've never danced so much at Church, well besides Bet'Alef Synagogue. It was nice to see believers with so much energy, happiness and soul. The symbols of Krishna and the deities were also beautifully created.
After there was announcements. The statue of Swami would be given to a family from Vancouver so they would built a Temple to Krishna within three years. He also thanked all the people who gave more then One Hundred dollars that day in the announcement. I disliked how devotion seemed to be measured in money given to the church. He also spoke about an Interfaith chant festival that would be going on in two weeks. I saw this as awesome, since hardly any Churches bring in so many diverse faiths, as this event would.
Then there was a performance by the youth. Teenagers sang a cultural song with chimes, drums and singing. It was AWESOME! Then a teenage dance painted a lotus in the dance she did on a piece of Paper. At that point I left since I was exhausted from all the events and the sheer amount of people. I plan on coming back to interview a devotee though, or possibly the Guru.
The service/devotional had positive energy. My biggest issue was with the content of the sermon and the Guru's promotion of his visceral reaction against doubting and scientific theories. The belief of Krishna cannot be proven beyond the Bhagavad-Gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. I think much can be learned from both books, just like the Qur'an, Torah and Bible. But to not doubt anything within them? These books were written by people, whether you see it as God inspired or not, and people aren't perfect and are bound by their cultural circumstances and values. Reincarnation, like God, is also something whose existence can't be proven either way.
The cons were the anti-doubt attitude and certainty of the Guru, and concentration on money as form of devotion to the Temple and faith. Another con was the clear lack of love towards Darwin and Hawking, and bashing of science.
The pros were the energy, community, and the love and art that had been done to create the symbols of God(the deities) as well as the recognition of good within other faiths.
I'm grateful to have been able to take part in community worship, and to have experienced the end of the festival with the devotees. It is a great community I think, and the people are clearly happy and energetic. I'm grateful they found what works for them.
What does it mean to be an outsider? By default it is to be outside of an organization or group, which can be both a gift and a curse, but gives a very unique perspective.
For much of my life since I left the Church of Latter Day Saints (I disagreed with a lot about the faith - which I will share with you when I revisit a Mormon Church) in Middle School, the Outsider has been the role I have felt most comfortable in. Even as part of me for the longest time felt I needed to be a part of a religious community. Because of this I tried on many different faiths, for a while I was Pagan, I briefly explored Buddhism (in middle school, and then later in college when I visited China) and then come high school I considered converting to Sikhism, Kabbalah (Mystic) Judaism and Unitarian Universalism. At one point I even considered converting to Catholicism for my girlfriend and her family.
It was from the outsider's perspective that I would choose not to join the Eastshore Unitarian Church, after experiencing the politics of the faith in regards to the different leaders' interactions with one another. It was also this outsiders perspective that lead me to see the cons and what I disagreed with about all these faiths, even as I experienced the pros and positive aspects of the faiths. It was from this outsider perspective that I was a part of Youth Exploring Spirituality (YES) and Interfaith Voices of Youth (IVY).As an outsider I have learned so much, but it's been years since I've seriously asked the questions that YES and IVY asked. I want to bring that back with this blog.
I plan on visiting different faith communities and blogging about my perspective and experience of them here on the day I visit a community and take part in it. I'm hoping that the blog posts will be weekly. Some days may have 2 posts, if I visited 2 different communities. What the blog will be describing is: What was the service like? What the core beliefs are (and how they differ from other denominations)? What was the community like? How was I treated? and hopefully interviewing the leader/minister/priest/iman/rabbi/ect. if there is one, on their beliefs and what they believe they're faith preaches. I will also include my agreements and disagreements with the faith and what I connected to and didn't connect to about the faith and community.
I don't think I could ever convert to any faith. The outsider is where I have the most solace, fulfillment and peace, and also have experienced the most growth. But I do think there is much to be learned and experienced both from the faith and the community that makes up the faith. I plan on writing about the pros and cons that I found first hand and bringing an honest outsider perspective to the communities that I visit. I'm hoping you'll be able to learn as much as me, and if your interested, maybe visit the places I visited yourself.
