On visiting Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country, I was given advice that if asked what religion I followed, it would be better to say Christianity than to say I didn’t believe in anything.
I made the mistake of not heeding this advice in Australia the other day, and made an unfavourable impression on a Muslim lady of importance to me.
“I respect religion for cultural heritage, but I don’t believe in it,” I said without even thinking.
“So you don’t believe in anything?” she asked bewildered.
“Not really…”
And thus came the awkward silence.
In a secular world, are we actually turning towards religion again? Or did we ever really turn our backs on it in the first place?
Two years ago, it would have been unthinkable for me to imagine a life without God, or without some sort of spiritual guidance. But on my search to find just what form this spiritual guidance should take, I have been continually doubting everything.
Religion to me is intrinsically tied to the cultural identity of a person. It is not so easy for someone who grows up in a Christian society to embrace Christianity and it is not so easy for a person who has not grown up in a Buddhist society to embrace Buddhism. You can do it of course, but you always sacrifice a little bit of the identity you have grown with in favour of a new one.
That’s not a bad thing. I could think of worse. But to me, in order to embrace a religion, you must fully immerse yourself in the thinking of the culture of the religion.
For example, it is hard for me to understand Islam’s reverence of the Koran. Christians also revere the Bible, but not to the same extent. Muslims will not drop the Koran, they will not place it in the way of physical harm. If I was a Christian converting to Islam, this reverence would not be inbuilt in me and I would find it hard to manufacture it within myself even if I love and respect how Muslims treat their holy book.
It is becoming more apparent to me that I should respect all religions and cultural heritage whether I believe in it or not.
I was gradually being swayed by the thinking of evangelical atheist Richard Dawkins, who is on a crusade to convert people away from religion.
In his book, The God Delusion, he paints religion as being a childish exercise.
There is something infantile in the presumption that somebody else ... has a responsibility to give your life meaning and point. The truly adult view, by contrast, is that our life is as meaningful, as full and as wonderful as we choose to make it (p.360).
But I think this sort of thinking is wrong.
I don’t believe that religion is child like. In fact, I think it is beautiful and provides a mechanism for us to embrace and preserve dying cultural traditions.
I note that some cultural traditions should not be preserved, such as honour killings, but these are not necessarily endorsed by religions such as Islam.
If man didn’t have religion, there would be even more wrong. Religion can act as a catalyst for horrific acts, such as terrorism, but I find it is usually a cover for political agendas.
If people who use religion for the wrong purposes didn’t have religion, they would find some other excuse to commit their crimes.
Thus, although I don’t practice Christianity, and I don’t really believe in it, I can’t deny it has shaped and moulded me into who I am today. Therefore, next time I am asked I will say I am a Christian and I will continue to respect it and all other religions.
3 Stars Have Something To Say!:
Intriguing post, as always,
It's cool that you're reading Richard Dawkins -- several of his books are in Jeremy's multiple bookshelves and Jeremy very much appreciates what he has to say on science/religion.
I don't know what to say on religion myself... Mum took me and my brother to church at Easter and Christmas, my brother stopped going in his early to mid teens and mum and I both stopped going when I was about 14. I'm not really sure if I was ever really a believer... I do remember being quite paranoid when, in Grade 1 or 2 religion class, I learned that God and/or Jesus saw everything I did... I think that children are always unnerved by the idea that their every move is being watched by somebody they can never see.
Personally, I can't see myself becoming a believer in any religion because I feel like to become part of one religion would mean living my life based on truths that other people came to and because it'd also feel like I was putting some kind of, I guess, boundary upon myself... just the idea that you can only be part of one religion -- is that an unspoken rule? It's been an interesting and strange experience making friends, because so many people in my inner circle have been, or have come to be immersed in religious lifestyles and I just don't have a matching experience.
I agree: all religions/cultures should be respected. What I worry about is what is happening to culture... I'm hoping that the great, smothering slugs that are Western culture and the English language can be stopped in time to save, well the 'other' cultures/languages that remain.
Hope that was coherent! :-P
Hehe entirely agree with the both of you!
Love Jo
Hi Amy,
I agree with what you and Chris are saying...
I always used to tell people I am agnostic, because I felt in order to be Christian I must got to church and practicing the religion, but yesterday I was talking to a friend of my mom believes that you can also be spirtiual and be Christian, church is merely a place to share your faith and spirituality with other like minded individuals, while religion is rituals and practices. It is something you fully immerse yourself in and it is a part of culture. Basically I think she is saying you can be a Christian, but you don't have to be religious, but you can be spirtual as well.
Melissa :)
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