"Why not let people differ about their answers to the great mysteries of the Universe? Let each seek one's own way to the highest, to one's own sense of supreme loyalty in life, one's ideal of life. Let each philosophy, each world-view bring forth its truth and beauty to a larger perspective, that people may grow in vision, stature and dedication.
The religions of humanity should be a unifying force, for all the great religions reveal a basic unity in ethics. Whether it be Judaism, Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism or Confucianism, all grow out of a sense of the sacredness of human life. This moral sensitivity to the sacredness of human personality -- the Commandments not to kill, not to hurt, not to put a stumbling block in the path of the blind, not to neglect the widow or the fatherless, not to exploit the servant or the worker -- all this can be found in the Bibles of humanity, in all the sacred books. All teach in substance: "Do unto others as you would that others should do unto you." There is, then, a basic unity among the great religions in the matter of ethics. True, there are religious philosophies which turn people away from the world, from the here and now, concentrating life-purposes on salvation for one's self or a mystic union with some supernatural reality. But most of the great religions agree on mercy, justice, love -- here on earth. And they agree that the great task is to move people from apathy, from an acceptance of the evils in life, to face the possibilities of the world, to make life sweet for one another instead of bitter. This is the unifying ethical task of all the religions -- yes, of all the philosophies of humankind. There is no need to force our own theological points of view upon one another or to insist that the moral life grows out of final, absolute authority."
-Algernon Black
My Aunt sent me the top part of this quote today in my e-mail and it fit. I have been so frustrated with people trying to control or convert one another...ugh. This frustration has come to the front with the reading of The Slave. I do not understand where humanity got this big idea that it is better to call another man a villain because he does not hold the same beliefs as you do. At the same time, exclusiveness makes sense in an evolutionary/animalistic view. Our guest speaker said that one of the greatest priorities for a people was preservation of the tribe (with pure bloodlines). It makes sense to me that it would be a natural tendency to try to preserve your own and drive out the competition-- more resources for me. We are, I think, inherently selfish by nature. And in the animal kingdom, males battle over their females all the time--preservation of your own. And yet, as thinking and creative creatures, why can't we get around this idea of exclusiveness? On a large scale, exclusiveness in religion causes violence, hate crimes, the very worst side of humanity. And it is everywhere on a small scale too--just step back into a middle school cafeteria at lunch time.
But it frustrates me. Why can't we just all get along? Why is it so difficult to communicate about our differences and find some common ground? We know we are capable of it--at least from time to time. Cannot we learn from our past as human race and all of the suffering that has unnecessarily occurred because we cannot reconcile our different interpretations of scripture? or God.
In The Slave, I have been frustrated with the Jewish people's habit of picking and choosing. I suppose that is what Singer is trying to illustrate to his readers. I am nearing the end of the book, and I will write more about it when i am actually finished. But one of the smaller parts in particular stands out to me. The way the women in Pilitz gossip and redicule Sarah. It has always seemed so controversial to me to watch supposedly "religious" people gossip and be so mean to one another. I have suffered in silence listening to gossip by many religious people I know. And I cannot believe how mean they can be to one another. I never understood it then, as a small person. Especially, I think, because my parents raised me without the influence of religion, watching this behavior tainted my ideas about what religion can offer a person. I do not think religion is the key to becoming a good person. I think we all know how to be good to one another; but why is treating each other well so difficult? that is what I would like to know. Religion left out of the question, why can't we just be nice to each other? Find love and compassion instead of anger, judgement, jealousy...
No comments:
Post a Comment