It's been a while since I've done a faith visit. Partially due to job searching (which has now been resolved) and partially from ambivalence and wondering where to go next...while not wanting to do a repeat visit to a faith community. Well today I would learn a little bit about this sect of Methodism as well as see some old mentors of mine and become re-acquainted with Interfaith. A part of myself which I don't think will ever go away.
The Interfaith event that brought me to my first Methodist Church was the Interfaith Amigos. They are a rabbi (Ted Falcon), pastor (Don Mackenzie) and sheikh (Jamal Rahman) who became friends after 9/11 and sought to use their mystic perspectives within their faiths to try and bridge the divide between different religions, but specifically the major 3 that came from Abraham. Rabbi Ted and Sheikh Jamal have been mentors to me in regards to Interfaith and their first book, "Getting to the Heart of Interfaith" was one of the major books I used for my Senior Thesis on how to promote successful interfaith between the 3 major religions from Abraham.
Before the event started I talked to Jamal and Ted for a while before running into someone who I will talk later about (future post later).
The event was built around their second book they put out, "Religion Gone Astray," I brought the first book that I already owned and used for my Thesis for the book signing afterword. It started out with the three talking about 9/11 brought them together and what they believe is the core of each faith. For Judaism "Oneness" for Christianity "Unconditional Love" and for Islam "Compassion." They talked about this and also tackled the problems within their faiths such as the history of their faiths in regards to the rights of women, gays and the Arab-Israeli conflict. The big thing on homosexuality and the Arab-Israeli conflict that were mentioned is how those who hate do not know people of other religions or the group they are hating and how in their personal and experiences they've had together have seen on the grassroots level those divides going away with getting to know "the other," with the end goal of helping others to get rid of the exclusivity within faiths to having the Truth, since so much conflict comes from that.
They demonstrated this with quoting the most exclusive passages from their scriptures and then interpreted them to give them new meaning or what they believe the original meaning was.
Example, "I am the way the truth and the light, no one can come to the father except through me." To mean God is the way the truth and the light, no one can come to God except through God. Since "I am" is the name of God in the Old testament.
From my experience I do have some issue with this but that's mostly due to the fact that there is no way to know if this or the traditional Trinitarian interpretation is correct. Which is why I am so agnostic when it comes to religion.
Seeing them being upfront about the human rights issues within each of their faiths, as well as ways to bring out the best in each of their faiths reminded me of why I'd been drawn to interfaith in the first place. They stated early on where the major problems at interfaith events were when people talked about their similarities and only that, or people talked about their differences...in both cases it missed the personal reasons for why a person is a member of any faith in the first place and moves it away from the interaction at hand to the abstract...which tends to kill connection in religious dialogue. The personal is where the connection happens and where there is the possibility for change.
After they sang there theme song, "It's all one and I am as I am." In Arabic, Hebrew and English their dialogue ended and it was opened up to questions. Most of the questions were understandably for Jamal since right now Islam does have the most problems related to the issues that were discussed. He did a good job answering the questions, as they all did. For all it was showing how they saw the core teaching relating to the context and history of the passages or how their religion has gone astray on human rights and their personal experiences with it.
It ended with coffee, treats and a book signing and I had the pleasure of talking to a retired Methodist pastor and the pastor of the Church, before and after the event...which will be a story for another a day.
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.
Discussion and dialogue. The very act of either is opening the self up to possible arguments, superficial connections or in the best cases, getting below the surface and the formation of friendships. This was not the goal of the SPSCC Forum though. I wish I had been though, given that the building was completely full of all the people who had come to learn or to re-validate their beliefs. The goal of the forum was to present 4 different perspectives on 3 big questions. Which I think would have been more powerful had it included small group discussions after. For what it was worth though, it was extremely educating on learning a Muslim, Christian, Jewish and Buddhist perspective on "The Meaning of Life," "Humanity's Problem" and "How to fix humanity's problem." Each representative was given three minutes to respond to each question with a little time after for questions from the audience.
What is the meaning of life?
The first to answer was Muhammad Ayub representing Islam from the Islamic Center of Olympia. He quoted the Quran, specifically the verses, "God says I have created people to worship me," and "Blessed is he who created life and death so that we could be good." From this I took the meaning of life is to worship God and through our worship of God be good, which he articulated also as being able to face God on the Day of Judgment.
The next to respond was Paul Jones the pastor of Reality Church in Olympia. He said that the meaning of life was to worship God and that through our worship of Jesus who is God we would be made good. To quote him directly, "There is a purpose that can be known, but not within ourselves, only within Him," and "We are He was quick to show the difference between Islam and Christianity by talking about God as the Trinity, being the Union of Father, Son and Holy Spirit and God as having no beginning or end and us as characters in the story he wrote. I took this meaning the meaning of life is God and letting God shape the individual which was similar to Islam.
Next to speak was Rabbi Seth Goldstien of Beth Hatfiloh the Reform Jewish Synagogue in Olympia. He expressed the meaning by using three stories from Torah. The first story was of Genesis and how man is made in the image of God and because of it holds the divine spark of God which is articulated through mercy, creation, compassion and creativity. Because we were made in the image of God we therefore partners with God in his ongoing creation.
The next story was of Sinai and Moses's receiving of the commandments from God. From this became the purpose of our relationship to one another and our relationship to God.
The third story was the Exodus, and the story of moving out of slavery to freedom and our responsibility to repair the world as we and the world transform.
Together I took this to mean our meaning is to be partners with God in creation, live in relationship of respect for another and to work to heal the world.
The final person to speak was Kelsang Tsoglam of the Mahayana Buddhist Center of Olympia. She expressed meaning as cultivating peace in the heart so that we may create that peace in the world. She said it can't be mandated or legislated but can only come through individuals finding of inner peace and helping others find inner peace as well.
What is humanity's Problem?
The first to speak was the Rabbi this time around. With each question the professor hosting the forum would switch the order around. The Rabbi's answer to the question was that humanity's problem was being human. We are fallible and not God and that it's in recognizing our humanity that we can overcome it. He said the way of moving forward knowing that we are human is through the liturgical cycle of atonement and repentance and that is how we can overcome are evil inclinations and be good. "We are in a constant state of becoming." Humans are change. He also expressed one of the problems is fundamentalism which he saw as denying our humamanness.
After the rabbi the Nun spoke of what she believed humanity's problem was. She said it was our inability to make ourselves happy. We are so focused on outside material things to be happy that we lose state of true happiness coming from within.
Next Muhammad Ayub spoke. He expressed humanity's problem being that we have a sense of hopelessness, lack of direction, greed and racism and are unable to achieve balance. He said the answer is in the Quran and that "By remembering God you find balance in your heart." As well as the words of Prophet Muhammad who said, "You are not a true believe until you love for others, what you love for yourself." It is by remembering this that we advance in God Consciencesness.
The last to speak was the Pastor. He said, our problem is pride. We don't like God being in control of our story and that was the reason for original sin and our rebellion against God. We were once perfect because of God, but because we chose self over God we have been suffering since. God declared us "dead" because of sin.
How to solve humanity's problem?
Some of the questions were answered partially in talking about the problem, but there was still more said by all. First to speak was the Buddhist Nun who reiterated that we need to solve our own problems first. She used the analogy of the airplane and that before you put the oxygen mask on another you need to put it on yourself. When a person is at peace that peace effects others and that is how the problem is solved, by more people achieving peace in their heart.
Next Mr. Ayub spoke, he expressed the solution was through the 5 Pillars of Islam, which are:
1) Testimony to God and prophets and in doing recognizing the many attributes of God.
2) Pray 5 times a day, and in doing so achieve balance through the honoring of God.
3) Charity and the giving of 2.5% of savings to the poor. Egalitarianism and looking after the widows, orphans and those who have the least in society.
4) Fasting during Ramadan in order to gain greater will power and to remember those who have not.
5) Haj - The pilgrimage to Mecca in memory of the past and to form more connections.
"A friend is someones story we have heard. An enemy is a story we have not heard."
Next was Pastor Jones who said the solution was not through doing more good works then bad. That the solution is faith in Jesus Christ and the Trinity of God not through certain behavior modifications. He believed that God would bring about those behavioral modifications in us though through our faith but that can only happen through repentance as a coming back to God. God puts the oxygen masks on us in the plane. In the end he said God will rule over creation in relationship with Him.
Last to speak was Rabbi Goldstein. He first made a joke about using another airplane analogy but couldn't think of one. Rabbi Goldstein said that the solution could be found in the Torah and the commentaries on the Torah known as the Midvash. He used one of the commentaries as an example where there are angles arguing with Moses on why he should receive to Torah when it comes from God. In the end Moses wins because he establishes that humans need to the Torah in order to be good and establish holiness in the world. He shows that the angels don't have the same problems as people do so it is really only people who need the Torah. He closed saying the answer is to live righteous and holy life and in doing so we bring each other close to one another in the Divine.
After there were a few questions in which I learned that Islam and Judaism do not believe God inhabits the individual like with Christianity. On the question of the afterlife and beginnings and endings the afterlife was also discussed. Islam describes it depth having 1/3 of the Quran cover it, Mahayana Buddhism defines it as it as continuum where Karma keeps recreating it. How a person dies depends on what they are reincarnated into in the next life. God and life are eternal in Judaism and God is most concerned with our actions in the now and for Christianity God was the beginning and is the possibility of being eternally present or eternally absent based on our choices.
Now it would be difficult to really describe all my thoughts on everything that was said. I learned a lot about all four faiths today. I wish the Nun had brought up more points about Buddha's teachings though, just as I wish there could have been small group discussions after. One thing I respect about all of these faiths is their call for virtue. Whether it's through believing God is making them virtuous, through submitting to God, to co-creating with God or living by Right action I believe that is the essential Good that I wish more members of these faiths and all people would turn too.
The Children of Abraham Research Thesis. This project is my goal for my final time here at the Evergreen State College. Over break I read tons of books on Interfaith and how to create successful dialogue between people of different backgrounds who are in conflict with one another. This project is an exploration of faith. What a Christian, Muslim or Jew is differs depending on who you are talking too...but there are common beliefs that all share and each claim Abraham as the father of their faith.
Throughout time we have seen individuals within these groups persecute and kill one another in the name of the God who made a covenant with their forefather. History is littered with atrocities committed in the name of God by all these faiths and today it is still done.
In this project I will be interviewing members of the faiths as well as taking surveys of people who I am unable to schedule interviews with. The questions will deal with how each individual sees faith playing a role in their life, what role that faith informs virtue and what Interfaith (respect and dialogue towards members of different faiths) plays a role in their religion.
Also part of the project is up-keeping the blog. I'll be visiting all the Abrahamic faiths largely, but I will also be visiting other religions as well. So I'll continue to post my faith visits. What discussions I post in here will not be in relationship to the survey questions and will be specifically for the blog. Since the survey is a questionnaire and interview, not a discussion.
This is my final quarter at the Evergreen State College and my goal with this project is to build bridges of understanding and respect between the faiths I'm studying and the people whose stories are told. I am hoping to further Interfaith dialogue, peace and understanding with the completed project. May peace be with you and God bless you all.
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.
