The Outsider Goes to Peru

       Lately there have been gaps between the update of the blog. Part of this reason is busyness and partially it is also due to my growing apathy towards religions use in general. Suffice to say that interest was reignited by two things. One of my best friends telling me about faith work during the tornadoes in Oklahoma in his work for FEMA, and trip to Peru.

      The trip was largely a family trip but also was through my Mom's work, so I got to meet more people who my Mom knew or who were worked with my Mom. Suffice to say the group was amazing! On the trip no one got sick, and the differences in age was a non-issue. There were always ways to talk and connect regardless of our differences.

      The next entries will be exploring what I saw, learned and experienced. I would see how much of the indigenous faith still lives on, even after the Spanish Conquest. I would see and learn about the complexity of the Catholic Faith in Peru and how in many cases it has been integrated (or figures from it like Mary or Santiago) have been integrated into faith practices of the people, along with the faith of their ancestors.

      I wouldn't say that I believe in the supernatural anymore than I do before. The trip didn't change me in that way. I don't know if God or any other supernatural thing (spirits, demons, angels, etc.) actually exist outside of our minds and I haven't been convinced that when I do have a spiritual experience it is in fact a supernatural event or supernatural player who created it. I always remain open to the possibility but that is not mean I know or am convinced of it.

    This trip didn't change that fact, but this trip was also a chance to learn a lot about myself and grow with the help or silence, prayer and the rituals we did with our guide who is a Medicine Man and Shaman. The next many entries will be that story.

"All are Welcome" - St. Paul's Episcopal Church - Salem, OR - June 3rd, 2013

       The Episcopal Church community's is one of the Christian communities I've always felt the most connected in. The Church has the tradition of Orthodox and Catholicism of Old Mass that I've always like about those 2 faiths, but the liberal approach to faith and Mass that for me has always captured the good in any community. All are welcome to partake in communion that was a big part of the discussion with the priest after the service.

        The openness of some of the sects in allowing all to partake in communion or the service is one thing that has always made me appreciate what open religion is capable of. It is a way of recognizing shared humanity and within that all that can be accomplished. I've seen this in the activism towards Marriage Equality and Immigrant rights within the Episcopal Church...this largely is motivated I think from following the "Spirit of the Law" rather than "The Letter of the Law," since the Holy Books of the Abrahamic Faiths aren't the most compassionate, virtuous or loving of books. It isn't difficult to find barbarism in the form of law being laid down by God. In this way no religion really follows all of the tenants, even the most fundamentalist
choose to ignore the laws that would end them up in prison if followed through on.

    If  you want to know ethics and how to live with virtue, your best bet is philosophy. It is there where the rational and logical formation of ethical codes are founded, critiqued and changed. Within religion there may be elements, but the moment the Supernatural enters, it adds more unknown factors that cannot necessarily be rationally or empirically proven.

    St. Paul's Chapel is small but in doing it is rather intimate. There were only a few people there as I took part in Communion and the prayers around it.

   During the service and prayers I felt the warmth I sometimes have experienced visiting certain communities. The warmth is around the chest and is almost like a high in a way. I don't know why it happens but it does usually happen connected with certain prayers and atmospheres of places. I've felt it at concerts before or when connecting to a person or group of people to a lesser extent. It's strange, and it's something I should analyze more deeply next time I experience it.

   The experience and conversation with the priest again reminded me of why I enjoyed creating this blog in the first place. Each experience is a small adventure, and what will happen whether it is unpleasant, wonderful or a mixture of the two differs from community and place as the Outsider travels. 

 

Return of the Blog - University of Washington Christian Science Organization - Seattle, WA - May 9th, 2013

      After quite a long time, the blog has returned. It's a shame the return can't be under happier circumstances. Having been dealing with illness I found I finally had time to make one of the visits I'd been intending to make to the Christian Science RSO (student group) on the avenue.

     Suffice to say it was a fascinating experience. Christian Science reminded me of a few other faiths. It's hymnal is similar to hymns I'd heard in the Mormon Church and Lutheran's. The layout was a bit different from a lot of traditions I'd been too, but that might have been because it was a student book.

    It began with a 2 readings (from the Bible and from the main book Mary Baker Eddy the founder of the faith wrote: "Science and Health with Keys to the Scripture." This was read after the hymn that was sung after the readings and prayer. The Book and the Bible are seen as the Pastor and it's the committee's involved with organizing it that create the sermons that all Churches do, based off the 2 books.

   The silent prayer was a good chance to reflect at where I am today and how lucky I am even with all the challenges that have been going on for a while (health) or recently risen.

    The day ended with another song to end and afterwords a discussion where I mostly listened as a Catholic asked about if Christian Scientists believed in the healing power of books or other objects? The answer was a major now and that the whole point is that Christian Science tries to help people heal as Jesus healed, or realize that they can, as well as living in relationship with God. Jesus is not God, though he is seen as the perfect human being that all should strive to be like. In this way it was much more based in mysticism and how Buddhism is expressed on how any person can possibly achieve Enlightenment (and in both these Christian Science and Buddhism, many thoughts on how to get to that point).

   In that way it was more Unitarian (Jesus as Example but not Deity . The most important part of the Bible that the student lead group (with 2 professors present) said was that "We are made in the image of God as expressed in Genesis" all else is second to this in how we see ourselves and what we accomplish.

    The people were kind without being overbearing or attempting to convert so it was a good experience and a great way to kick the blog back into gear. At this point though I think I'll be expanding it into other topics. Where my own journey leads, I'm not sure, but my doubting of the supernatural has not diminished and skepticism towards religious groups and the corruption that comes with human organizations as a whole.

    I was reminded of why I enjoy doing things like this though. I enjoy meeting new groups and getting to know the people. I think it's improbable that I'll ever believe in the supernatural, my doubt is a bit too strong for that (and reason why I find more truth in philosophy) but there is still value. Religions like people are changing and where it goes will be shaped by the practitioners and the world around them.

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.