The Interfaith Amigos - Faith United Methodist Church - Sammamish, WA - October 22nd, 2012

     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.

http://thereligiousoutsider.blogspot.com/2011/04/children-of-abraham-interfaith-workshop.html

   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.

http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&biw=1366&bih=653&tbm=isch&tbnid=eWaYoTxTaKC0NM:&imgrefurl=http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Interfaith-Amigos-visit-Stamford-680339.php&docid=rwlBZIBi4JePmM&imgurl=http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/01/24/66/347571/3/628x471.jpg&w=628&h=372&ei=a36NUPedC8TJiwKbmIDIAQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=330&vpy=166&dur=782&hovh=173&hovw=292&tx=242&ty=87&sig=107060927398958671216&page=2&tbnh=146&tbnw=217&start=17&ndsp=31&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:20,i:167

   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.

 

The Importance of Freedom of Speech

      “The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.” 
      ― John Stuart Mill, On Liberty

        Anyone who has been watching the news over the last few days has seen the violent protests that have erupted all over the middle east. There are many reasons for it but one of the highest mentioned ones by the protesters is the film "Innocence of Muslims."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19625167

      The content of the film in the end matters very little. The people who wished to silence the views expressed in it would have found another justification to do so, much like what Salman Rusdhie experienced when Iran's Ayatollah declared a Fatwa on him for writing the "Satanic Versus," (A book not even explicitly about the prophet Muhammad) and also other people who have done work  explicitly critical of Islam.

     The limits of free speech legally are an ongoing conversation. Much like a person cannot scream fire in a crowded theatre or commit libel against another, but that conversation should never be dictated by thugs. The threat of death for the sharing of an opinion should not even be on the table. It is savage and barbaric and has no place anywhere in society or in any group of people. Extortion is something that should play no part on how the courts and people define free speech's limits.

     This is important because shutting down the conversation doesn't give the other a chance to correct the opinion through reason. As John Stuart Mill beautifully illustrates in the quote above. Freedom of speech means more than any one person's feelings. If someone is offended they can write why the person is wrong, they can mock the other person...they can do countless things that don't involve killing, violence and extortion.

     Another point that must be brought up is why any one group should deserve special protection from being critiqued? Why should Islam and Muhammad deserve special treatment when Jesus, Buddha, Moses and countless others have been on the cutting board since people finally were able to critique these figures without the threat of death hanging over their head (blasphemy laws in Europe and the West that existed years ago). To whitewash their legacies is to a lie about who they were as flawed human beings.

     Connected to this is the danger in those laws that once existed. Who is defining what "Blasphemy" is? Isn't blasphemy by it's very nature a thought crime? In all the places were such laws exist (Iran, all over the Middle East, etc.) Minorities suffer for it. There is no protection for Christians, Jews, Baha'i, Sufis, Ahmaddiya Muslims and Sunnis and Shiites (depending on which faction is in control of the government in regards to Sunnis and Shiites)  and other religious minorities. They actually live in fear for their lives and can't speak about why they believe in their religion without getting targeted in many cases. This is directly tied to free expression (and also the separation of Church and State...which will be another blog post for another day).
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/19/opinion/friedman-look-in-your-mirror.html?hp

      The final piece I wanted to touch on was the liberal hypocrisy in regards to Islam. I consider myself moderate liberal and find it sad and hypocritical that the left is comfortable criticizing and mocking conservative Christianity, but never does so with conservative and radical Islam. This is hypocrisy that should be pointed out. No group is above criticism and radical Islam does have problems that should be brought up and problems that are worthy of satire and mocking, just like conservative (and Liberal) Christianity and religion as a whole.

     Part of what tolerance and acceptance means is accepting views that make you uncomfortable. You have no right to shut another down simply because you are offended. Just as they do not have a right to keep you from expressing your opinion. That's what freedom of speech means. It means allowing a place for the views you disagree with. 

The Inevitability of Change - Saint Aloysius Church - Spokane, WA - September 3rd, 2012

     This is going to be a blog that is a little bit different. St. Aloysius was not having a service when I visited the Church...but by visiting it I still got to experience it's significance in the conversations I had with my friends during the visit and after leaving. 

    First, I am going to mention why I was in Spokane because of the close friends who live there who went and go to my College. My friend and I are graduates from the college that they attend and before he goes across the country for an internship we saw it as a last get together for the four of us to do. Suffice to say it was amazing. The experience of getting together with old friends is a difficult thing to describe, but whenever it happens it brings some of the best memories. 

     We were visiting Gonzaga University because one of my friends who lives in Spokane taught a class there and also went to the prep school there too. He was showing us around the campus and with it came the stories. 

    One of the major services that Churches do is bring community together. At private religious schools this is most obvious, but even outside of religious schools church can play a big role. Whether it is hosting community events or recognizing accomplishments within the community it serves, while at the same time providing a service...the community aspect that Churches and specifically St. Aloysius accomplish can not be understated. 

       During our time in the Church I lit a candle for those who have died and recalled how the Temple's in China served a similar purpose. Whether it was weddings, funerals, births or deaths...the Church offered a place to remember and to honor in a small way those who have passed. 

    Change, the very existence of life is a monument to the inevitability of it. Matter is always changing, we are always changing, even if parts of our base personality stay mostly constant. It's this change that gives me hope about the future. 

    Change does happen in institution and always is. No organization is static. No person is static. It's in this very neutral truth that I realize possibility, and with that, how our power is greater than we know. 

Saint Joseph's Catholic Church - Salem, Oregon - August 26th, 2012

   What does it mean to be a member of a faith group? Is it okay to question and to be agnostic within a faith tradition? I'm curious to hear your thoughts on it. I'll explain my own point of view and what happened at the service in the following post.

    The service was unquestioning of dogma. Essentially. "If you don't believe with the policies of the papacy, then get out."

    The service itself was quite beautiful, though that undercurrent of fear didn't add to the connection with anything higher, even with the church pulling out all the stops. From bell ringing during the Eucharist, large candle sticks, an ethereal choir and good music. Which I think showed for me that creative/mystic experiences can't always be simply created.

    I wasn't there for the first reading, but the second reading tied into the theme of obedience. Now I can understand this theme but I think it ties into trust. A trust that I don't feel many religious figures (and other people) have truly earned. It can lead to problems too, such as Cardinal Ratzinger order that abuse should not be reported until 18 years after and should only be dealt with in house (much like how Penn State for years "dealt with it" in House).
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/now-pope-linked-to-child-abuse-coverup-2098327.html

    The Church didn't deal with the sex abuse cover up until long after, and it's only been recently that we've been seeing secular justice applied to these people who hid these atrocities...and even then, the now Pope Benedict will never be held accountable unless those who are members speak up.

    We see this happening in the Orthodox Jewish communities too in regards to abuse and in other communities that try to cut themselves off from "The World" and in turn claim to be above it, even when their mistakes question the validity of that claim of being God's chosen or being guided by something more than any other group or person on Earth.

     The Decon who was giving the service seemed completely unaware or in denial over this point. Simply saying that, "I know we've made mistakes," while at the same time attacking those who question. This is a mentality that does nothing for organizational growth.

    Religion by its very nature is based in uncertainty. Whether it's dealing with God, the Prophets, Angels, Demons, the soul and the supernatural...these are claims that are in the end based on faith. They can't be proven or falsified. It is for this reason that I find myself drawn to the attempt at ethics religion does...as well as to the stories and myths...some of which are amazing tools for teaching and growing. The practical application and "Living the best you can be," within your faith tradition or no faith tradition is what I hope for. One should live by the higher truth of the Good/virtue relating to the self and to others.

    I have some issues with the Dalai Lama that I'll bring up in another post, but he does have a quote I believe is relevant to my current beliefs about religion,

  "Whatever that makes you more compassionate, more sensible, more detached, more loving, more humanitarian, more responsible, more ethical. The religion that would that for you is the best religion. I am not interested my friend, about your religion or if you are religious or not. What really is important to me is your behavior in front of your peers, family, work, community, and in front of the world. Remember, the universe is the echo of our actions and our thoughts." 

     How in interpret the Universe bit at the end is karma, which is the fact that our actions have consequences. What we do and how we treat people matters. It is this simple truth that so often we miss in whatever stories we pick up and believe about ourselves and others.


   

The Wisconsin Gurdwara Shooting

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNrYTy99of_X571eoB4_KrFQh25ZP-uhhljN8TK8gsgbciXU-kE7nsYnQXuhLpkyONDGIxNxdg1LzDu8Nj7jvDpCDv8yD-Pb2t5Qkp5VfIJI_oOJ174DRBrzfTWA_PGjXmF23nj1rBDo/s1600/velaacesa.jpg

        It's been a while since posting on the blog largely because I've been dealing with my reason for doing the blog in the first place (and reaffirming the initial reasons: the interactions with people, learning and discovery). I'm writing today about the shooting in Oak Hills, Wisconsin at the Sikh Gurdwara by a white supremacist.  

    For those who don't know much about the Sikh community here is my post from a while back:
http://thereligiousoutsider.blogspot.com/2011/05/meeting-babaji-redmond-wa-april-30th.html

    The Sikh community is one of the kindest and welcoming communities I've ever known.

      The reasons behind the shooting were fear and hatred of the Other. In this case Muslims, though I think for the guy the fact that the they weren't Muslims mattered very little. He was part of an organization that believed white supremacy, a philosophy based not only in fear and hatred of the other, but a belief that superiority exists in something as superficial as the color of ones skin.

     One thing I think needs to be done is to approach this kind of terrorism the way we approach any other kind. There is a reason that there haven't been any successful terror attacks from radical Muslims, the same should apply to any other group that targets people because of their ethnicity and beliefs and believes that murder is right. The government should do monitoring and action before the evil occurs to prevent it in the first place.

    This is not the only thing that should be done though, education is also key. People don't tend to fear what they understand. That's one thing where we as people as well as our education system can do better. How exactly, like my idea above should be done, I'm not sure. I think whatever is done should be based on whatever is most just and true.

    The philosophy of any sort of supremacy of race is built on a lie. It falls when held up to the light of the truth. It's broken base cannot be supported and it crumbles. This is the importance of education, people who choose to be good can change when they (white supremacists, fundamentalists who believe in killing for their ideology) realize just how flawed and wrong the ideology is.

   I shall end with a quote from the first Guru of Sikhism which is relevant on the actions we take:

"In the whole wide world that I see around, Nothing can be without good actions."

(Guru I, Japji)

     May we remember the bad that is done in the world and create good.
   

Saint Mary Catholic Church - Mount Angel, Oregon - July 22nd, 2012

  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.

Mount Angel Abbey and Seminary - Mount Angel, Oregon - July 15th, 2012

      There is something to be said for solitude. Being away from the world in a like-minded community focused on living a life of devotion and virtue while surrounded by nature and beautiful architecture. This was one of the first thing I noticed at Mount Angel Abbey and Seminary.

       The abbey is located in a tiny town in Oregon called Mount Angel. The church is the center of the town and surrounding it are small specialty shops, restaurants and pubs. It's like something out of Chesterton Novel on where he believed those who best expressed religion and understood the need for it where to be found. There was another side to it too of course, whether it was the tea party flag (which the mentality of the tea party itself ignore the paying Caesar what is due Caesar (taxes) and paying God was is due God (way one lives).

      The Abbey is about 10 minutes away from the downtown and when one enters it one passes up a large road in which there are paintings of the stations of the cross. Next is the home where people go on retreats and above it is the Church itself.

      The Church and Abbey overlook the valley and my is a quite a sight. Farmland, forest and mountains stretch below while near the bench could be found wild roses growing.

       That day I would witness the ritual of the monk life. At 8 o'clock the monks arrived and sang songs of praise while doing two readings. The monks were Benedictine and had long black robes. There were old men and also a few younger men. After the chants they took positions all around the Church. The abbot with one of the elders stayed near the Madonna where they had all done the "Hail Mary" prayer and the others moved about continuing their work.

     It was experiencing a snapshot in their lives and was a wonderful experience. I know that I too enjoy the contemplative life and it is a huge part of me (as well as the importance of living virtue). One of the things I need to never forget though, is that to live good I need to

     Contemplation and living simply are always things that have appealed to me. I think it's partially due to my aspergurs and the fact that I do get overwhelmed in big groups sometimes or places with lots of noise and over-stimulation. What I've found for me though is that finding that balance between being within society and around people and finding time for myself to think about the big questions and contemplate the unknown or what I'm learning has helped me to grow.

      My experience of the abbey reminded me of that and all the questions and unknowns that I think about, while at the same reminding me as I sat quietly, of the gift that silence can bring.

Religion in China - A Reflection of my Experiences

   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. 


   

St. Paul's Church - Nanjing, China - May 13th, 2012

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.

The Problem of Evil - Return to St. Paul's Church - Nanjing, China - July 1st, 2012

Today has been an interesting day. I've met with friends and talked philosophy and teaching in China, ran into a philosopher from Kentucky who is teaching math and physics here and experienced an interesting sermon. 

I figured with the time I have left in Nanjing I should revist St. Paul, and also visit the Temple before I go. Both are interesting places from what I experienced before, and in the case of Daming Temple, heard about. 

The sermon today touched on the Problem of Evil, and to a degree the nature of belief and faith. 

First I arrived early and sung two of the songs with the congregation, while also catching up with Durin, a college student who I had met there last time I had visited. After that there was the songs and readings, all which focused on the reality of God being there and the desire for God, before leading up to the sermon. 

The readings were a psalm, and a chapter in Mark in which Jesus heals a woman who is healed by her faith in him, and his healing of a dead twelve year old girl. 

The sermon started with the pastor telling a story about a sixteen year old believer he knew who died of cancer. He mentioned how he didn't know why events like this happen if God heals and that it had initially caused him to doubt. He eventually came back and tied this story to the story of a missionary in the 19th Century whose daughters had died in a shipwreck, and when he had passed the shipwreck on the way to his wife how his belief in God had caused him to have peace in his soul. 

"What is the state of your soul?" He asked the congregation. 

My thoughts were...'I don't know if I have one...I really have no way of proving if it exists or not. Where is the soul? What is the soul?'

He ended with making a claim that God seeks those who trust and have faith in him, like the woman who had faith and healed and the young girl who had been dead. If Jesus is "The Way, the Truth and the Light," my experience of the relationship has been an unknown, much like the existence of my soul, except Jesus's stories remind us of the importance of integrity with the world and living with truth and honesty in all that we do.

That is something I do believe in. virtue and integrity, it may be hard to fully define but it is something that can be defined and experienced without the questions and unknown. If Jesus Christ is God, I'll always be open to knowing that, but right now Jesus is unknown as anyone else in the past where I can know how others thought of him and what others believed him to be, but if I believed that without any doubts...I'd be lying to myself and that would not be living with virtue or integrity.

Nanjing International Christian Fellowship - Nanjing, China - April 15th, 2012

Today was my first day visiting a Christian community in China and my first Christian faith visit this year. What an experience it was.

I went with my friend that I made here in China recently who is a Christian and together we went to go check it out.

The Nanjing International Christian Fellowship (NICF) services take place on the 5th floor of a hotel. The room is quite big with many white seats. The stage is red with lights with NICF in white letters. To the right and left of the stage where the band is set up (surrounded greenery) there are two projectors. You need a foreign passport to attend due to regulations by the local government.

The congregation was extremely diverse. With people from all over Africa (including the lead singer and the reverend), the UK (another singer), America, Singapore and many other areas.

The service began like many an evangelical service I've attended in the States. It had the Christian rock feel was concert-like. The songs that were played were "We Gather to Worship" (the main opening worship hymn I've heard at modern evangelical churches) and "Trust and Obey" which kind of rubbed me the wrong way...but that's to be expected given my agnosticism I tend to have.

After that the Reverend spoke on his sermon about faithfulness. He said that by being obedient to God we are rewarded but faithfulness is needed too. He was funny in some of the comments he made:

"God is wants us to be diamonds for faithful people are rare and like diamonds. Most stores don't actually sell real diamonds, it's glass. So husbands by your wife a gold ring."

"In the old days men used to pay a bridal fee, so there wife had to be obedient cause they owned her. It is not that way nowadays so much (implying it's a good things it's changed). But God owns us."

These were some of his humorous if at time off color comments. He was good at quoting scripture and was a pretty classy guy (he was dressed in a suit). Besides the things I've written about before on how my own morals differ from Conservative Christianity, I do think he had some good points, especially on how faithfulness in friends and others should be valued. He was also big on forgiveness (he mentioned a preacher caught with a prostitute who came back...I wondered if he would feel the same about anyone else though who wasn't coming form a place of power and had made a mistake).

Because of this I felt much more connected talking to my friend afterword about the service and religion as a whole. She made me realize how much I still wrestle with it in having belief or no and I realized I may be doing that for the rest of my life (which I don't mind...I usually discover so much and it does mean I might find the truth eventually too).

The music wasn't really my thing since I find reflective music like chants or hymns are where I feel the most aware of how far I've come and still have to go. Celebration music has it's place...but when I'm thinking about God in that sort of environment, it tends to make me sort of disconnected since in the jubilation short term gratification through joy can takeover the mind versus the wholeness of what it means to be human, flawed and hopefully growing that can come from a more quite traditional environment...where things are allowed to the surface and with it the choice of what to do with it next.

Xuanmiao Guan - Suzhou, China - April 1st, 2012

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...

The Northern Temple Pagoda (Beisi Ta) - Suzhou, China - March 31st, 2012

One of the first things I noticed about the Temples in Suzhou (and most of the things in Suzhou) is that many of the sites that people can visit are cheap or free. The North Temple Pagoda (Beisi Ta in Chinese) is one of the places that nearly anyone regardless of income would be able to visit, especially compared to the Temple prices in most of the big cities like Nanjing, Shanghai and Hangzhou.

At the gate were tourist busses (every major site has them) and people selling their wares, as well as some old beggars at the gate. To get there Randy and I had walked for nearly an hour from the Humble Administrator's Garden.

At the entrance of the Temple just past the gate is a giant fat laughing Buddha sitting down behind a large stone altar. The Buddha is made of stone and his face and form is such a joyful way to be greeted in such a place as this.

The Temple itself isn't all that large for being a tourist site, which really leaves so much of it's charm and holiness of the place. In the center of the grounds rises the 9 story Pagoda (was once 11). In the middle of the Pagoda is Guan Yin draped in a red cape. The darkness adds peacefulness to the place and the narrow passageway to her is like a baby's entrance to and from the womb. I did the three bows as the other folks who passed through were doing and noticed an old couple whose seemed the most present in the act of worship (compared to some of the younger folks and the few tour groups).

After that we climbed to the second floor before descending back down. It was good we didn't go farther up, the walls have no railings on the way down making it rather dangerous (combined with the small worn down steps). The Pagoda is ancient dating all the way back to the 3rd Century, and being rebuilt once more in 1582.

After exciting the Pagoda we entered the Temple grounds where incense was being burned by couples and individuals. It was here I bought some incense and burned it for my friend Hien who had died last year. Since her funeral I've been wanting to visit but have been unable to, so in China I've wanted to honor her here.

The Three Great Golden Buddhas rose up as I bowed three times towards them with the incense that was afire and then placed it upon the sand where the others stood. In China three is lucky number. Packs of incense are in three, every Temple usually has three figures at the back.

When I left my heart was full of remembrance and time felt as if it had slowed down as I left the grounds with Randy.

Garden Tombyard of Puhaddin - Yangzhou, China, March 11th, 2012

The last place of historical and religious significance we would visit was the Tombyard of Puhaddin. Beyond the peacefulness of the place, the thing that stood out was how well the place had been kept and the history of the relationship between China and Islam that was present.

The Tombyard is still used today for some worship services and because of it some areas are locked off from tourists...such as the prayer hall which I was able to catch a glimpse of through the small windows that covered the door of the hall.

The entrance to the Tombyard is a large gate which leads into a garden that's not feeling it's best. A lot of the grass and plants are dead and the water looks a bit malnourished, but there are still areas where it feels like a peaceful garden should...such as the hill top that leads the second gate where there are areas to sit and rest.

The second gate is like an entrance to any Temple where its a circular entrance, though the colors are not temple colors. The Tombyard itself is made up of greens and whites as the main color. One of the areas that stands out the most in the Tombyard is the Pagoda that was made where prayer is called. It is made in the style of Chinese architecture (the curved roof) though at the top is a moon, a symbol of Islam and where we were located. Right next to the Pagoda was a walkway honoring a general whom an Emperor had honored. We went up to the top of the Pagoda and were able to see the building housing some of the greater Tombs (Like Puhaddin's Tomb). The Tombyard is a mixture of Chinese and Arabic architecture which really gives it a feeling of history (beyond the ancient tombstones themselves). It is quite a lovely and peaceful and has so much information.

Beyond the second gate is where the gravestones are as well. The gravestones date all the way back to the Song Dynasty, and in the room across from the tombs are coal copies of Yuan Dynasty era tombstones with translations of what had been inscribed in Arabic. Each room has its purpose listed, as well as when it was built and its importance to the Muslim community in Yangzhou.

The area had so much history present. Both of the warriors honored in the Tomb and those the Chinese Lords had chosen to honor like Puhaddin who was a teacher in Yangzhou. Most of the people honored were warriors and merchants from the Song all the way to the Qing Dynasty.

While we were there a small tour group was being lead through all the areas of the Tombyard. Historically China has never been at odds with Islam even though Chinese and Muslim Empires had fought in the past, there isn't the same legacy of the crusades and conquest of Spain and the Ottoman conquest and because of it, there isn't the same bad blood between China and Islam as there is between Europe and Islam.

The area spoke of harmony between the two cultures and could be seen in a small way in the small tour group where the Muslim guide guided a more traditional looking Chinese family through the Tombyard telling of the rich history of this powerful place.

The House Taoist Temple - Yangzhou, China - March 11th, 2012

During the adventure around the Old District, Randy and I would stumble upon an old house that had been converted into a Temple. I can't remember the man who owned the house years ago, but the House Temple itself is what really stands out. I believe it was a Taoist Temple, which I will explain more later in the entry.

The Temple was very much a mixture of Taoism and Buddhism. Upon the wall of the entrance was the Taoist symbol of the Yin and Yang, as well as the colors of Taoism...being orange and yellow. Most of the statues were bearded and men as well, which leads me to believe if it wasn't an outright Taoist Temple than it was the main influence of the place. Usually the only bearded Buddhist Bodhisattvas that are seen are of the Three Kingdoms warrior Guan Yu or local honored heroes...which may have been a part of the Temple considering the overlap between Taoism and Mahayana Buddhism here in China. I think it is more likely to be a Temple to the Immortals though, since all the men had very long beards which is a Taoist Temple trait.

There was an area for candles and where incense could be placed where the incense had burned down (you'll find this in any Temple in China be it Taoist, Buddhist or Confucian)and there were only two buildings. The first with the bearded deity at the entrance and at the back a large building where there were three different deities, all bearded men.

The Temple was small and had no entrance fee...it really hit back the better part of religion in serving the common good and community. It was here I saw it being practiced when a middle aged women came with incense to honor one of the deities. The abbot or monk present (bearded, another reason for why it might have been a Taoist Temple, Buddhist Monks don't have facial hair). The monk was pretty impatient though when helping the woman which gave a bit of a bad vibe since so much of Taoism is balance (it's like seeing an angry Buddhist Monk, though Taoists are much more comfortable with emotions and the randomness of them in my reading of the texts (Tao Te Qing, Writings of Chuang Tzu). His actions towards her where in contrast to the place which had older folks walking through it who were at peace as outside people bought tourist items and food. It was like an Oasis in a desert and I don't think I'll forget the visit to that tiny Temple anytime soon.

Daming Temple - Yangzhou, China - March 10th, 2012

Daming Temple is an enormous Temple, and one of the most popular tourist attractions in Yangzhou. The tourist attraction was the most obvious thing about the Temple besides the giant Pagoda that rose from the interior.

The tourist part was obvious because of the ticket booth, the tourist busses at the entrance and the fact we met a Westerner here, his name was Flowr and he was from the Netherlands. He came to China as a solar engineer to work out the things on the ground in regards the factories that made solar panels. Randy and I talked with him before entering the temple grounds.

It was here there was the second part of the tourist attraction and the most blatant un-Buddhist practice...monks were working gift shops for the tourists. There were many of the the shops right before the large main hall. Suffice to say I felt a bit like Jesus at the Temple...it's one thing if people who are working the Temple to support the monks livelihood are doing it outside the Temple, but inside and by the monks themselves...my mind immediately went to merchant monks (contradictory term, monks are supposed to be non-attached to worldly stuff and live off charity).

Some areas of the Temple would remind me of it's rich history. The Pagoda, a few of the other small halls that most people weren't near...and for what it's worth it was pretty empty so there was time to enjoy the calm, and even teach Flowr a bit about Mahayana Buddhism since he asked. This might have been due to the fact that we were experiencing the last hour of the temple, as to the reason it was so empty.

Lotus Temple and Slender West Lake - Yangzhou, China - March 10th, 2012

Last weekend Randy and I went to Yangzhou together. Yangzhou is one of the famous cities in Jiangsu Province and dates back 2000 years. We would see things from tombstones to gates that dated back to the Song Dynasty. I'll reach those areas when I come them...first I want to talk about the visit the Slender West Lake where the Lotus Temple was located.

First I want to talk about Slender West Lake or Shou Xi Hu in Chinese. It's a very beautiful location and is modeled after the West Lake in Hangzhou, which I visited last year when I was studying abroad in Hangzhou.

This lake is much easier to take in though since it is in a large park. The Original West Lake is enormous and is a major part of the city versus the Slender West Lake which is a tourist attraction/park with an entrance fee.

The fee was very worth it though. Throughout the entire length of the area was an assortment of locations to relax, to explore and to reflect. Exploration could be seen by folks who had rented electric boats to tour the lake to get the islands on it, and there were many paths that branched off to different areas...one could spend an entire day here.

Arrival at Lotus Temple
It was following one of these paths that Randy and I arrived at Lotus Temple. Lotus Temple is next to the White Pagoda which looks more phallic than most Pagodas, but is quite lovely with it's coloring of white and gold. It was from this area that we entered through the back of the Temple.

The Temple was peaceful and much emptier than Daming Temple, the large Temple Yangzhou that brings the tour busses...and because of it still had that naturalness to the place. Natural in that there was only one stand selling spiritual items connected to the Temple. It wasn't trying to be anything more then a place where people could come and worship. Not many people were though, so it was quite empty.

Along the walls were beautiful paintings of the life of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas and large Guan Yin's(The Goddess/Bodhisattva of Compassion) and Buddhas were in the main hall and at the back walls, much like Statues of Marys or Saints in a Cathedral. The similarities between Chinese Buddhism and Orthodox and Roman Catholic Christianity will be an ongoing theme you will find, since there are many even in the simple things like aesthetics and placement of objects representing "higher beings." I'll go into this more later in the next post about Daming Temple.
For now, Lotus Temple was a rest in a very interesting exploration of the Lake. The Temple has been around for a long time, like many of the sites would see, and with it, I've found in modern day China there is that awareness of the past that there isn't as much in America.


To reach Daming Temple we would follow the West Lake all the way to its back entrance. It was wonderful seeing the change in landscape and the amount of people became less and less until we saw only an old man with his young granddaughter. The old are very close with the young here in China. Any place you go, you will usually find a Grandma or Grandfather with their granddaughter or grandson. Something much rarer in the States to see.

We would eventually lose site of the Grandfather and his granddaughter and arrive at the gate. Across the street we saw the Nine storied Qiling Pagoda and Daming Temple, the next adventure awaited.

Taipin Heavenly Kingdom Museum - Nanjing, China - February 26th, 2012

This entry will be one of my more stranger entries in the Faith Blog. For one it's not a proper house of worship. The Museum was once the home of a Ming General before the Taiping rebellion conquered Nanjing and made it their capital. It then become the home of the leader of the rebellion.

The quarters themselves are wonderful in their layout. At the entrance as you pass by the trees you meet a bust of Hong Xiuquan that greets you as you enter. Behind him is a painting that looks like a propaganda poster with him riding in his white and yellow robes being greeted by cheers from the peasants. The man himself was born Hakka and failed the Imperial Exam three times.

Inbetween he experienced a vision which he would later interpret as his meeting of God and Jesus. He would believe that he was then told that he was Jesus's younger brother. This would inspire his movement which in turn was inspired by Protestant tracts he'd read growing up.

The Taiping rebellion believed that as an end goal the land should be redistributed the peasants and that those who have nothing should be then receive something more as part of his Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. He never did this and had it as a work progress "To be initiated at a certain time." So he could tax to fund his rebellion and Kingdom. He was pretty fanatical in his religious devotion, at one point creating an edict that the men and women would be separated until he agreed they should be together again.

What is also fascinating is how much he still kept the old ways though. There were royal robes and dragons that decorated the hall, and though there was peasant art of the animals of the countryside, what represented royalty were still grand dragons.

In a way this showed the corruption of power, and also the power of inspiration and visions. He started a whole new way of being and because of his inspiration coming from the state of the peasantry is a bit of a hero to the Party in China. He was the first to propose land distribution and a highly organized resistance to Imperial and Colonial power.


He was also probably a bit nuts...which makes me think of all the others who have taken them for themselves. Whether it was John the Baptist, Elijah, Moses, Muhammad, Jesus and others...They weren't exactly what you called stable. Unlike the other people of this time period and religious heroes of China...these people rocked the boat. Not like Confucius, Laozi and Buddha who at the core saw change as being gradual and inevitable and therefore to upset harmony would be to go against virtue, since it would be failing to recognize how all people are connected and part of a greater whole.

I think I relate much more to them, even as I find inspiration in the prophets and monotheistic holy men who did a lot of good and a lot of bad in their decisiveness and shaking of the status quo.

White Egret Isle Park and Buddhist Temple - February 26th, 2012

The next area we would discover is a place we would find by accident. White Egret Park is park off the old road (Where the Confucian Temple is and where we were going to later). This area is a special place away from the tourists. It's the area where many of the older folks come to dance, do Tai Chi, play cards and play and sing music.

The area is pretty big and Randy and I weren't able to see all of it. But what we did see was the Gratitude Pagoda (a Pagoda is a tower at this Pagoda there was an area covered in red charms and ribbons for luck where an older man was playing a Jinghu (a single stringed traditional Chinese instrument). It was beautiful, like most of the area itself.

The park is peaceful, but also has a stark contrast, especially when one reaches the Buddhist Temple on the grounds.

First the the thing that was jarring. Right next to this old Buddhist Temple was a area for kids to win prizes and go on rides. It was like any small amusement park in the States.

The old people sat outside the Temple and some of the couples walked through into the different areas where there were the names of the did with some small rooms with Guan Yin in (one where she was bald, another where she had a red cape) in these rooms where the names of those who had passed along the walls. This place had tiny areas of peace where a person could connect with those who had passed on.

 The final area of the Temple was a large area was an area of gold with three Buddhas bowing. This was the main ritual area and here I was able to be completely alone in great contrast to Linggue Temple where there were always folks at every area looking for donations. I donated here as I remembered and honored those who had died last year.

Return to the Nanjing Confucius Temple (Fuzi Miao) - February 26th, 2012

Last Sunday was my second time returning to the Nanjing Confucius Temple (called Fuzi Miao in mandarin). It was the first area visited that day. What I would discover is just how much more secular it was when I came initially. To illustrate show I'll start with the last area that the Temple entrance ticket covers.

In the back of the Temple is a cultural arts building and grounds where craftsmen sell their wares. It is part of the Temple and compliments the musical building that comes before it. In a way it kind of fits one of the themes of what it means to be a Gentlemen in regards to general knowledge. A gentlemen should be good in writing, music and the rituals. So in that way it was connected, though the final building was more about craftsmen proper. This music hall also functioned as a gift shop.

The building before the music hall is a huge contrast between the secular and religious. There are the artifacts and ritual instruments laid out with what purpose they served when the Emperor would come. Such as the ritual drum and bells and around the Temple were stories and Legends about the life of Confucius himself. There was a large tapestry of Confucius with an area for donations and to bow. It was this area that was like any Buddhist or Taoist Temple in China.

The New Years and Lantern Festival are still very much alive here. For the New Years a whole court was created at the entrance of the Temple and around the Temple and the old street were living lanterns of small dragons to celebrate the New Years and red lanterns along every street. In the area at the entrance where there is a statue of Confucius and 8 of his disciples. Last year when it was Confucius's birthday he was wearing a red cape. This year with the New Years an entire lantern court was behind the statues of the disciples and by Confucius was an area of full of names on charms and names on a board who had been a part of the celebration.

 After honoring the past and the present with reflection and the charm my name joined the others who had come here both in the past when the Emperors came and now. The purpose of the Temple hasn't changed as far as the ritual of the lunar festivals and bringing people together, and even the honoring of Confucius. It's amazing how even as things change that some core aspects can continue on, even if the meaning changes as the people change.

Baoying Adventure and Return to Linggue Temple - The pros and cons of Organized Religion

[Posted late because Cameron's girlfriend couldn't remember how to sign in to Blogger while Cameron's overseas.]

What an adventure today has been! It started with going around town with Randy (the other teacher from Washington State who I've become friends with) and going to KFC (which was a nice break from the usual but of course totally unhealthy) and visiting the classic Chinese park when we walked over to Linggue Temple.

Now for the interesting part. After walking for about fifteen minutes we came upon Linggue Temple, I had remembered correctly where it was! Once there we began walking around and taking in the silence and serenity of the open spaces that made up the Temple squares and walkways around each building that housed a Buddha, Bodhisattva or all of the above.

Most of the building were locked, except for two. We entered that one where a Golden Buddha was. It was here we learned the Chinese way of prayer at the temple full bow on the ground/mat with hands open palm upwards. We did this three times for luck and than rung the lucky gong three times for luck. During this time I talked to a young monk who was a teenager or younger. He was very kind and I told him about my study Buddhism in college. After the ringing and prayers we were asked to make a donation, I made of twenty-yuan and then recieved a booklet.

After we made our way to the back to the City God Temple area. This building is made of grey stone compared to the others that are painted yellow. A man who works at the Temple opened it and showed us around as well as giving us incense to burn to the local deity. After we were asked to make a fifty yuan donation. We got blessed necklaces and another booklet for it but it was there I realized once again the negative of so many organized religions and the disadvantage of organizations in general...

How many poor would be able to make that kind of donation to the Temple and local deity? How it goes is one who is well off is already in a better position to receive many more blessings of wealth, luck and success (the big three emphasis in regards to the supernatural in China). In old Catholicism and probably still in some corrupt parishes money does talk...someone who can give more is likely to be respected more and less likely to be questioned. The only way out of this for someone who is poor is to gain power in the Temple, Church or Institution itself. This I think is one of the greatest cons of organized faith in general (obviously not all faiths are guilty of it, but it does happen).

The pros can best be described in the times of silence bowing where extreme peace experienced, or in the sound of the gong that the monk, man or I rang...the sound can make one fully present in that moment and with it a release of all the anxiety from the day or past moments. There is a space here for people to remember those they've lost, to celebrate a birth or simply to reflect. It was made for people and it clearly shows this.

I plan on returning again and will write about those future visits. But this is what it was like my second time coming where I really had to time truly take it all in and notice the pros and cons present.

Linggue Temple Visit, Baoying, China

s been a long time since I've visited a Chinese Buddhist Temple, an entire year actually (last time it was in Hangzhou when I was studying abroad). There three things that stood out in my visit yesterday.

First was how incredibly peaceful it was...outside was the bustle of shopping, people going to the doctor and countless other things they had to do in their lives. I felt at peace at Linggue Temple, more so than I've felt anywhere else in China since teaching. The Temple truly is a beautiful place. There are the golden statues (Which will be a part of the next post), open squares, halls where monks are chanting, and an area where incense is burned to honor the dead. It allows community while slowing everything down. It's easy to be present in the moment and find peace and balance.

The second part was how parts of it reminded me of the Nanjing Confucius Temple I went to. There was a tree with red ribbons tied on it for wealth, prosperity and luck, there was the bell that could be rung for luck (without a cost attached unlike the Confucius Temple) and a store that I think supports the temples ability to run. I used to be abhorred to this idea...for example the amount of shops in the Vatican and the large showiness was a turn from me from religion. Now I would say it is less so...it matters whether the money is being towards good and if it is supporting the livelihood of those who live simply and up-keeping the sanctuary of the Temple or Cathedral...I say that's a good cause. If it's ever used to cover up or not used for betterment...then I take issue.

On the subject of the first part of the second paragraph. Mahayana Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism really are a source of solidness for many of the people who believe in these traditional faiths. The philosophies in many instances are forgotten (except by the monks and scholars), but in it's place is a focus on the people and looking for one another...giving a place for a person to feel safe and honor what they've lost...or to celebrate a marriage or birth. The philosophies can sometimes get so isolating or to universal that they lose sight of the communities or lead to isolation and non-human interaction. Like the Yogi's in the mountains or monks who never leave the monastery.

If you achieve enlightenment and forget the world, did you really achieve it? (How can one live virtue without interacting with others?).


Now, can it's up to me to try to find that balance I found in the Temple always and to live by goodness.

Where I am now at the beginning of 2012

   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.