Recently, an email and an article of questionable authenticity have been circulating. While this is a common phenomenon, this specific article struck a chord with me. It was about the Koran. Allegedly, Pope Francis stated that the Bible and the Koran are virtually the same thing, that we are all children of the same God. This has brought overwhelmingly polarized responses, from those celebrating this new united ideology to those saying it signals the end of the world. Honestly, this incident is no different than every other cross-road between social media and religion. This time caught my attention, though. I am Catholic, so I feel obligated to educate myself when it comes to news about the pope. Moreover, hearing about someone with influence in the world of religiosity calling for an end to compartmentalization not just of different sects of one church, but of all religions is something I’ve thought a lot about, and frankly, something I favor.
A few summers ago, I was a volunteer at a Christian camp for foster kids called Royal Family Kids Camp. It was a very rewarding experience that I felt furthered my own Christian faith. While the daily sermons were a little over the top for me, (it was a more contemporary service than I am used to) and I didn’t always agree with the messages, explaining why we believe certain things forced me to think critically and practically about my faith.
For example, one girl asked me what to do when she is surrounded by people who do not believe in God or in Christ, how I am able to remain Christian among my Atheist and Deist friends. Her concern was valid. As a child in the foster care system, she had no control over her surroundings, where she would end up, or who she would be with. What I told her is that Jesus did not heal people by reading them scripture. The lepers are allegorical symbols of sinners. Jesus spent time with them, he touched them. With friends who do not conscribe to my belief system, I treat them like humans. By showing the love Christ shows all to these friends, they know I am there for them. It is positivity, love, and support that brings people to Jesus, not bible-thumping. Since then, I’ve done my best to practice what I preached. I’ve begun to look at other religions for what makes us the same rather than different. By not demonizing other religions, I’ve noticed merits of each. Hinduism has great stories with characters and adventures that teach morals not unlike the bible stories of my childhood but with much higher levels of action and excitement. The connection to and reverence for ancestors that comes from Confucianism is a beautiful philosophy. Islam uses deeply devoted prayers and precise rituals to further a connection with God that I, personally, admire greatly. Even Satanists have a code of conduct of sorts that follows similar moral principles to other religions.
Oftentimes, it’s the lack of understanding for rituals that can make the religion as a whole seem scary. Listening to the woe-begotten sounds of prayers at the Western Wall is startling especially to people of cultures in which outward displays of emotion are frowned upon. Closer to home, we have plenty of similar instances. I attended a non-denominational Christian church service once. The pastor wore cargo shorts and a baseball cap. He came down off the pulpit and began crying with passion about his sermon. Meanwhile, people in the congregation were murmuring assent and shouting “Amen!” whenever the mood struck them. The whole thing was bizarre to me. Being used to masses which have specific structured parts that come at the same time every Sunday and where we listen and reflect silently on the scripture, I was put off by the lack of structure. Similarly, the first time I took my boyfriend to a Catholic mass, he was terrified. The Profession of Faith legitimately scared him. Everyone speaking the same words all at once was something I had always felt comforted by. It was a way of showing what united us as individuals.The rigidity of it terrified the poor guy. Throughout the service, he was so worried about doing something wrong that he could not receive the message of God. Personally, I find the structure makes it easier to focus on the one part that is different from week to week, the scripture. His sentiment was very different. Because the parts are so defined, he felt like an outsider, like if he stood at the wrong time or if he even coughed, he would stand out and that church-goers would be offended. It’s all a matter of what we are used to. In essence, each method of worship has the same goal: to honor the one(s) we believe have power over our lives. After that, it’s all just a different way of experiencing a connection whether that be through impromptu vocalizations or quiet reverence or anywhere in between.
In relation to the issue of Islamic versus American-Christian traditions and culture, some are put off by the hijab worn by some Muslims. They see it as a sign of oppression, that men cover their women as a sign of ownership the way we cover purses or cell phones that we leave them in a car. According to an interview I watched, some feel it is a liberation. They believe that covering their hair and much of their bodies allows them to show the parts of themselves that truly matter--their minds. The hijab to them is not a symbol of possession but of value. They see it as a way of saying that they are more than bodies. Not everyone feels such a strong symbolism with the hijab. To a woman I asked in the university’s library about hers, she said it’s just something they all do. It’s mostly an element of the popular culture than religious culture in her home-country. The way I see it, Muslims wear hijabs the way we wear crosses. To some, it is a deeper religious symbol, to others, just a part of everyday life. Some see a cross without an image of Jesus on it as a symbol of our own place on the cross, the suffering from sins we all must bear to take our place in Heaven. Others see it as simply a fashion accessory. Traditions and symbols only mean what we assign them to mean. Occasionally, yes, Muslim women are forced to wear certain things. That’s no different than the Christian women that can only wear skirts or cannot show their knees. The cliche of over-zealous Christians who force their children to wear crosses to remind them of all the evil and sin and guilt inside themselves are abundant within popular books and movies. It’s all the same as in other cultures. It is not the religion that dictates how well one person treats another; it’s the way one interprets and practices the teachings of said religion.
Rather than focusing on the things that make religions different like how many gods we believe in or what level of control they have on our lives, I think we should focus on the beauty of religiosity. To believe in something greater than ourselves is a testament to the sophistication of the human mind. To have faith without distinct proof of how things operate takes courage and tenacity. We should be celebrating that instead of shaming others for experiencing their relationship with that supernatural force by different means. Pope Francis has announced plans to visit the United States soon. I can think of no greater place to show tolerance and appreciation for diversity of religions. Though some would like to change it, America stands as a melting pot where all cultures are valued and appreciated so long as harm is not done to others in celebrating it. If we can use pieces of other cultures to flavor our own, between pinatas and zodiacs and marzipan, we should be able to adopt, or at least appreciate, aspects of other religions in our predominantly Christian nation. There is beauty and admirability in each and every religion. Every single one has its merits; otherwise, no one would believe in it. No matter which religion we believe in, we all believe we came from the same place be that God or Allah or the Moon or the Sun or an entirely random collision of particles. It’s past time we started to embody the beauty of our own religion not to look down on those of other religions, but to better understand the beauty they hold as well.
