I remember the day so vividly. The day the Towers fell. My, how much has changed...
I remember the questioning and unknowing I felt, as well as the sorrow for the victims who died that day. I remember seeing Afghanistan as a just war, and protesting the Iraq War. I remember telling friends where I was the day the Towers fell.
I was in my 7th Grade art class. The teacher had the news on; the first tower had already collapsed. Around me was dead silence, interrupted only by the question, "Why?" We eventually learned that it was perpetrated by Al Qaeda, a terrorist organization with the goals of spreading Sharia, destroying Israel, and removing the US from the Middle East.Whenever I remember that day, my mind turns to the victims and their families. To remember, to mourn, and to turn it into action.
Al Qaeda's greatest tool against the West is the lie that Western countries are at war with Islam, justified through citing the Crusades of old and prejudices against Muslim immigrants and islamophobia in Western nations.
After 9/11 many United States citizens gave into their base fear and turned on Muslims in their community. Many stood above that fear though, and sought to build bridges between those with different beliefs and cultures.The Interfaith movements are still going on, even though those preaching fear are the people getting publicity, such as the reverend who threatened to burn Qurans and those protesting the creation of mosques.
It's by both sides who are in conflict defeating their fear and "other"ing of an individual in which true change occurs. It's this that will solve the problems in the end, as the eye for an eye continues on the world scale. Getting there, to that place where there is no longer an "other" between people of different faith or non-faith traditions.
True change only occurs when both sides remove their fear and stop "other"ing each other. Only through this will the problems end as an eye for an eye leaves the world blind. Getting there, to that place where there is no longer an "other" between people of different beliefs, is the challenge at hand.
Today was Rosh Hashanah. I woke up early to carpool to Synagogue, which meant going in I was pretty tired and fatigued. Today would be the longest religious service I've ever experienced. But it would be worth it.
What do Doctor House and Abraham have in common? Both have been caught in hallucinations and had to kill their delusion in order to break out of it. This was part of the theme of the Rabbi's story on the sacrifice of Isaac. How he explained it, it made sense too. Abraham had circumscribed himself and his family three days prior. Due to this circumcision and the extreme pain he could have hallucinated bringing Isaac up and killing him, while listening to the "Voice of God" and seeing an Angel tell him he was worthy.
Something similar happens to House in an episode of House. In which they are trying to heal a patient, but then a man comes in and shoots house. He then is hallucinating the entire time, the hallucination only ends when he kills his patient, which then brings him back to the present where he is being rushed to the emergency room.
Rosh Hashanah service was the longest religious service I have taken part in. In the length there were things I liked and didn't like. For example, I liked how people who volunteered were recognized by the community and by lighting a candle. I liked how there was meditation and the emphasis on Buddhist and Taoist ideals.
What I didn't like was the emphasis on the Torah. Every book is sacred in my opinion, but the special place the Torah is given inside the Arc and how we all paid tribute to it (not touching it, but touching to Torah with our prayerbook or prayer shall) kept up the separateness from the word being interpreted by the people. I did enjoy learning the history of that Torah though. It was over 300 years old and saved by the allies during World War 2. The Bonyhadi's would later give a plaque for it, that was from Central Europe as well, and about the same age as the Torah. The history lesson was beautiful, putting the book in a state of awe, wasn't really my thing. I learned later that honoring the Torah is honoring the Word within ourselves. Which I can relate to as the ability to create through imagination and action that we all possess.
Service ended with the shofar being blown. It truly an ancient beautiful sound. After the service we all had lunch together before we left.
What happens when Buddhist and Taoist philosophy meet Judaism? The answer: You get Bet'Alef Synagogue. I have so many memories in this place, good ones at that. My adoptive family the Bonyhadi's attend here, and I had visited here prior with YES and IVY.
I will be attending in High Holy Day Services with my adoptive family the Bonyhadi's. I missed them much during my China trip and it was glorious to catch up with how all of them are doing and connect on topics of life, the universe and everything.
On the way to Synagogue I learned about the Hierarchy Judaism, which is really a lack of Hierarchy. Each Synagogue is independent. Rabbis have unions but there are no Higher Rabbis. I like this a lot about Judaism. I also learned about most of the cons with Judaism lie with Orthodox and Conservative Judaism. Where there are no female rabbis and Leviticus is law...so gay marriage is definite no for these groups. Women are also placed in a traditional role as well, which is why I support reform and Hasidic Judaism where power is equal between the sexes.
Today is the day before new year. Rosh Hashanah, when people confess their sins and die to themselves. This dying to oneself was the theme. "Accept yourselves as you are." The Rabbi said. Which was having all expectations we attach to others perception of us - die. Releasing attachments was the theme, to awaken the God part of ourselves, the light of Enlightenment. It was a beautiful service. At the core, it was learning act of forgiving oneself, so that one can forgive others and truly live love and compassion. Service was about discovering God within ourselves.
One thing I have always loved about Bet'Alef is the music, and today was no disappointment. There music seemed to touch the very humanity of all present. There was anger, sadness, joy, sorrow, peace, anxiety and all other emotions that each piece spoke when it was sung.
I would have visions during some of the songs, which would play into the theme of Rosh Hashanah Day service the next day.
Before service ended that night we would meditate. It was amazing to get in touch with how my body was feeling and the constant stream of thoughts and images in my mind. While I sat in the silence I was able to discover balance again. True meditation, like true prayer...really does calm the mind.
After service there was the blessing on the Challah and wine. I stayed with the Bonyhadis when I wasn't off observing and taking it all in. I found when meeting new people, I didn't quite know what to say. So I ended up enjoying the peace of the company of all who attended.
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.
I think I need to make something clearer. If I'm interviewing you I consider you important and personal to me, not a data point. This blog is meant to cover my own spiritual journey, discovery and experiences. Johnson and I had a mix-up during the discussion on this issue. But it is all okay now. This is for future reference for other people I discuss their faith with. The discussion is a shared experience of growth and I learn a lot from the people I talk too. You interviewees matter to me, just by being yourself and being present in the discourse that is conversation and growth. This blog is my spiritual journey shared with everyone else. You matter and are a part of it.
Today was the day I met up with Johnson. I am friends with his sister and see her as an adopted sibling and have met him once. But it had been years, today was the day we were able to meet and share out faith journeys and how we got to where we are today.
Johnson shared with me his parents' back story on how they became Christians and also the moving around he experienced in his life and how it brought about separateness and difficulty to form friendships. This reminded me of my Mom's experience, her being a Navy Brat who also lived in many locations as she grew up through childhood. From experiencing racism and Alabama (and not letting racism directed towards him, poison him) to Malaysia, to Texas and here in Washington. The experience of not letting bitterness entrench itself was something I could relate to myself. The Mormon Church taught me a lot, and helped me grow, and though I could never rejoin or become a member again. I'm grateful that it was a still a part of my life and growth.
We also talked about the importance of family, and at least for myself, however a family may be, if people can work out their issue with each other and reach peace, then there is a bit more hope for the world. How can communities and tribes get along if there is hatred between those connected through biologically and love?
He shared with me his personal relationship with Jesus and how in his difficult times the ways God has been there and helped him through.
One of the powerful moments is when Johnson read me 1 Corinthians 4-7. The passage is about the definition of love, and is one of the best definitions I have heard. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." This is how I understand love, and hope I practice it always.
Generation Church was where he connected to God the most which was different from his Parent's Church. One of the miracles in his life was being able to move back to Seattle after being so far way from his Church community and family. He shared Psalm 18 with me, which is about a man defeating his enemies with God's help and how it had helped him through a difficult trial in his life, when it's personal meaning clicked.
I told Johnson about my vision experiences I've had during certain services. Which I'd never told anyone except my girlfriend and a few other friends and he called it a gift. I'd' never heard it called that before, and opening up about the visions helped me grow and better accept that part of myself, a part that I may never understand.
During the conversation we of course about Christianity, and I talked about one of the reasons I don't see myself, ever able to join Christianity. The issue is the problem of Evil. In the Bible God commits hanus acts against his own creations, from destroying entire civilizations, to allowing His people to do that to one another. Allowing the existence of Evil Incarnate (The Devil in Christianity) is also wrong. I'm unable to see how these acts and allowing evil in the world is any way loving, or makes sense when something is the perfect, personal Good.
It was a blessing to receive his perspective and to form a friendship in our shared experiences of being an outcast and faith exploration. We also both are very aware of how much we still have learn, and are students of life.
Generation Church, which is the Seattle Campus of one of the City Churches. The church is an American Evangelical Church run completely by young people. They have services Wednesday night, which was the service I attended. The pastor looked like he was twenty-six and had a three year old son and around me were students my age and younger, all calling out for Jesus. I must say I was happy for them, I can't think of many places where it's okay for a guy to cry in public except Church and I witnessed that there. It was a beautiful site.
The room that the service took place in was like a concert stage, and there were popular songs of today changed around to be about Jesus. "This is why he's hot, this is why he's hot." As an example of a rap song made to be about Jesus...yeah, that was a bit strange. The concert environment helped feed the passion. The youth leaders also acted as MC's doing call and responses with the congregation and enforcing the free Mariner Ticket opportunity they were doing. Didn't like that much at all, I've always found meditation and reflection important, though good music can inspire, which some of the music that day did.
What do I mean by inspire? In many of the masses I have been to with my girlfriend and with some of music concerts I've been to, I've seen images in the minds eye. Inspiration and passion bring about creativity and stories and I've also been able to be a part of that in services from any faith that have touched me. It's like watching a story book, be it fantasy characters like Elves or Demons fighting, Polytheistic Gods, or figures from the religion I'm in. When I'm inspired it's out of my control and I just enjoy the show of the mind's creativity. Visions seem to be a part of how religion works too, so maybe it's something more? I'm honestly open to either interpretation.
Then began the service. The theme was discipleship. The Pastor talked about the importance of asking questions of your pastor and being questioned by your pastor, so you can understand your role and find strength in following God's plan for you. Over three passages from Luke were sited and Corinthians was also used for an example of discipleship. I related a lot to the sermon in the sense of that we are always teachers and students and it is the role of the teacher to question us, and for us to question our teachers so that we learn. This has been one of the blessings I've had with people I see as mentors. I also discovered the community was active with service projects in the U-District in Seattle.
The pros of Generation Church were the passion, kindness and the community. The youth were clearly there for one another and were there for a reason beyond the Euphoria of worship, which they were obviously feeling. After I talked to one of my friend's brothers to schedule an interview and talked to two other young men who were youth leaders around my age. They were nice and respectful of what I was doing.
The Pastor was a nice guy, but I found that traditional gender roles were subtly enforced throughout the day. The Pastor did a bit of showing off when he talked about how he beat a friend who was visiting in Ping-Pong. He brought up beating his friend again, and again...showing off basically, while enforcing Male toughness and that when people should come up to choose a disciple (a youth leader) that they should choose someone of the same sex. I learned later Evangelical Churches like the Orthodox, Mormon and Catholic Church still don't see women in the main Priest or Pastor role. Which is something I really disagree with and could never be a part of, unless I was working to make equal leadership roles possible.This was one of the cons. I did learn later that they have a female pastor, so that made me happy.
The other cons were a shirt I saw, the loud music (and use of popular songs slightly changed, which was corny) and the Devil. The shirt said, "When the rapture comes, I'll be here." It had an arrow pointing up. Apocalyptic to say the least. The Rapture is when God is supposed to take all the believers into Heaven and leave all the non-believers to suffer and be destroyed. Sure is loving. Why work to understand other faiths and perspectives if they're going to Hell anyway? Also, who made the other faiths? The Devil. He takes people away from Jesus. The pastor brought up the Devil twice, as someone who lies, takes away, and isolates people. Which I found offensive given some of the Churches greatest leaders went into the wilderness alone to learn (Abraham, Moses and the Burnish Bush, the Prophets). They had no community for much of their lives and embraced isolation, yet they were hardly of the Devil.
I take issue of the idea of an all powerful personal malevolent or benevolent force, but that's a story for another day. For a little on my reasons though, other then seeing something deity or life-form like that as unlikely is: Each Forces' existence takes away responsibility from people for their actions. A convenient force made it possible, not their own will, circumstances or choices.This also brings up the problem of the existence of Evil when there is an all powerful Good that could destroy it.
Many youth I think will like this Church. They can relate to the personalness of how the Church is run, and the fact that everyone is young, and the music is like the music you hear on the radio, just replace the song being sung about with Jesus, and your set. I would like to talk to more of the youth their to get their personal perspectives, but I don't see myself attending that Church again. Given all the factors I listed, both pros and cons, I wouldn't pass up helping them with their service opportunities around the University District.
