In the Name of Interfaith

[marutidas]

I know that this is a mainly christian site,
what I would like to know if people here steps outside their culture.

Me, I am a Hindu that follows the teachings of Buddhism and the lessons of Christianity.

I like to take a littel bit of many philosophies, because i feel it helps me have a balance life. It helps me understand others and where they maybe coming from.

I have studied many religions including Voduo, Wicca, Qabalah on top of what I have already listed. I do not convert to a different religion but I try to take an unbiased look at something I am learning.

My question is,
Would any of you visit a different Church, Temple, Mosque, Senagouge or Stupa to understand the people who follow a differnt faith ,better?

[keltic63]

My question is,
Would any of you visit a different Church, Temple, Mosque, Senagouge or Stupa to understand the people who follow a differnt faith ,better?

I definitely would. However, I think it would be of more benefit to do some research before going. Attending it cold, without prep, I might not understand what was going on during the service and not really have the opportunity to have questions answered as things were happening. I agree that there attending services of another faith would help build understanding between faiths.

[suzer1013]

Good question! I actually took a night course at Emory, which was a broad overview of the world's major religions, so I could understand them a little better. It was very interesting. I wish I had the time to devote to being a student again so I could study more.

Though I self identify as "Christian", I think that other religions have much to teach us. I attended a synagoge once, as I was reading and learning about Judiasm. I've never been to any Hindu, Buddhist or Muslim ceremonies, though. I agree with Keltic that reading up a bit first is a wise idea.

I have a friend who is B'hai, and I've learned a little about that, too.

I find that there are common threads in all religions -- a universalism that makes many fundamentlists cry "heretic" if I mention it.

I'm glad we have other folks on the boards here at Soulforce who come from backgrounds that are other than Christian (or who have converted to other religions). It adds to our discussions and, I think, builds bridges of understanding that we would otherwise lose.

Blessings...

Susan

[marutidas]

I think it would be of more benefit to do some research before going. Attending it cold, without prep, I might not understand what was going on during the service and not really have the opportunity to have questions answered as things were happening. I agree that there attending services of another faith would help build understanding between faiths.

I agree totally that you do some research before going and/or go with a friend who is of that faith, so you can ask questions and so you don't feel like a complete stranger.

I have noticed that much of the violence that can come from religious communites is because they are seperated, either geographically or religiously, I mean ,how many christians do you know that would be willing visit a Hindu temple or a Mosque just as a visiter. I do not know if this is true, because it is just my observation. What do you think?
My next question is have you ever thought of being another faith than you are now? and what would it be?
Here is what I know of Hinduism. At least the part about Hanuman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjZYn71KSCc
This is the temple in Taos, NM I visited, and hope I can go back sometime in the near future.
It is more developed now, than when this video was made. This statue or murti is of Hanuman flying to Lanka with Ram's ring for Sita.
This is the Hanuman Chalisa, Forty verse in praises in name of Lord Hanuman.
This is in Hindi, Don't worry you dont have know what they are saying to understand what is being said. This just version of the chalisa, there are 11 different versions.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Kbxqu8e5igI&mode=user&search=
This murti is of Hanuman carrying the mountain with the healing herb to save Lakshman's (Ram's brother) and Jambavan's(the king of Bears) lives.
Here is a sample of an arti ceremony( hindu service) there are no sermines, there is devotional songs that are sung and after persad is handed out, persad is God's gift to devotees and anyone who attends. It is considered bad manners to throw away any persad. It is usually fruit or some other kind of small sweet. The murti are where offerings to the deity in this case Hanuman. Hanuman is the servant of Ram, people call on him when they need strength for a difficult task and to be filled with joy and free from suffering and to learn the lessons of true devotion and divine love. Hanuman is an aspect of Lord Shiva so the there are sometimes small statues of Shiva , Ganesha as well as of Ram and Sita in the Temple.
No shoes are worn inside of the temple. Socks are ok, It is ok to were shoes on the grounds just not where the murti is kept.
Arti is performed in the morning and in the evening and the Chalisa is sung through out the day by traveling devotees.
Each Temple has it own way of doing things, so what is done in one temple might not be done in another.
www.wikipedia.org
is a great place to do reseach about any religion, when and if you decide to go. Do research about the god or goddess that the temple is dedicated to before going to help with question you might have.
There hundreds of Gods and Goddesses in Hinduism, I am only talking about Hanuman, Becuase I know the most about him.
I cannot answer all questions about Hinduism, because I am still learning, But I will do my best.

I ensourage others to talk about their faith so that we may close the gaps between us.
--Marutidas:pray:

[kara speltz]

I find that there are common threads in all religions -- a universalism that makes many fundamentlists cry "heretic" if I mention it.

I'm glad we have other folks on the boards here at Soulforce who come from backgrounds that are other than Christian (or who have converted to other religions). It adds to our discussions and, I think, builds bridges of understanding that we would otherwise lose.

Blessings...

Susan

I absolutely agree. Although I was born and raised Catholic. I left the Church for 20 some years. Studying wicca, buddhism, Huna, Yoruban, and spending a great deal of time reading what Ram Das has to say. I only returned to the Catholic church some 20 years ago, when I found a parish that felt like home. One of the priests was also, like Merton, very into buddhist tradition.

All the spiritual processes I've studied have created my eclectic faith today. I still daily do a Huna prayer, which is very powerful in my life. Ram Das said, study it all and take in what rings true to you. I have tried to take that on, as much as possible.

Kara

[Daniel]

I now call myself a 'Closet Buddhist (Ha!). Like Kara, I've delved into may things along the way. My adolescence and 20's were spent in the pews of Assembly of God churches after a childhood of lukewarm Protestantism (Hungarian Reformed). Then, after coming out of the closest, I investigated methods of meditation (still practice that), The Silva Method (learned about using inner awarness and intuition) and also studied A Course in Miracles, sat with the Dalai Lama as well as other Buddhist teachers and read just about everything one can read about faith and philosophy. Whatever one gets involved in, I think its a good idea to really get into it, otherwise one may only skim the surface, which I think, doesn't lend itself to real change. So it really does behoove one to get the lowdown on whatever one is getting in to. I also think there are two sides to spiritual endeavors: the thinking and the doing. Mental activity (knowledge) isn't the same without a practice of some sort- the doing aspect which makes it real.

[kara speltz]

Mental activity (knowledge) isn't the same without a practice of some sort- the doing aspect which makes it real.

I agree Daniel, but there's also another aspect to our practice of spiritual awareness as I see it, and that is service. With all the work I do for Soulforce, the personal service kind of went by the wayside for some time. But at a local Soulforce meeting, we got to talking about it and I remembered how deeply I had been touched by my previous AIDS work, and returned to volunteering there. That has made such a difference in my life - there is no way I can express how much more I get back than what I give.

If you're not currently doing some sort of one on one service, I highly recommend it. That was one of Ram Das's really strong points. We can't wait til we reach some sort of perfection in our spiritual practice because that won't happen without the service part of it, working side by side.

Kara

[Zerbie]

Hi, Marutidas, what a great thread!! I've enjoyed reading the various responses so far. :)

Me? I don't have a religion. (leave it to me to say that. :p ) No, really. I don't have a religious affiliation. I used to ask my parents to take me to a church, any church. For a few years I *begged* to be sent to Sunday School. My parents flatly refused.

At about age 13 I was wandering a bookstore one afternoon with my mom nearby when I saw a copy of the Bhagavad Gita on the shelf. I immediately picked it up thinking, "This is familiar, I am supposed to study this." Had to *beg* my mom to buy it for me, which finally she did, I brought it home, and my lifelong love affair with the Gita took flight then.

I practice yoga. Yoga is not a religion, but a practice. It has led me, at the moment, to activism.

Periodic flirtations with Christianity left me throwing my hands up in frustration.

I do not consider myself Hindu or Buddhist though other folks sometimes describe me as such. Truly, I do not know a word to explain my religion. It is indefinable in that sense, or at least, *unnameable,* as is my sexuality.

[BruceChris]

We would then have 6 billion religions.

Peace, Love, and endless variety, Bruce Chris

[scott snedeker]

:lol: I certainly would since I am a Pagan! Pan is my first best representation of source energy (God) because he had sex with men and women.
Always Remember that You are a man with the soul of a man. When you make love to another man, you please God with the afffirmation of your true nature. It is a holy encounter. The more you love, The closer you are in connection with the spirit that knows your soul. This is why It feels good!
Go with the representation of God that feels the best. Since I have a sexual appetite worthy of a Satyr my choice is obvious!:lol:
I could probably really get to like the Hindu Monkey-god too:lol:


Scotty :cowboy:

[ladyinred]

I personally have learned the teachings of Christianity,(but not fundalmentalism) but have read some on buddhism, hinduism, I had a friend who was wiccan, so I know very little about that, also moslem, because I've been exposed to that culture.( and no, they are not all fanatics or terrorists like the religious right would have you believe, in effect I see the radical right very similar to the islamic fanatics, their ideology is very similar) So I guess I don't identify with any particular faith but tend to try to take some from all of them. Yes there is a universality that runs through many religions. But I personally don't agree with the fundalmentalistic teachings that if you are not Christian you are going to hell for not being a believer... That is something I find appalling because really different religions have alot to teach us. I also don't agree with assumptions that hindu or buddhist and other religions are pagan religions. If I enter a church that ever teaches that , I will definitely run out the door. I even go to atheist and agnostic sites and chat with and write to them ( I personally think they abhor fundalmentalism ) Otherwise I don't really see that they have any major conflicts with more open minded people of different religions or faiths. Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson were deists not Christians... I also like Taro Gold's books on Buddhism, I have a book on sufis, gnosticism,Dr Wayne Dyers books and Marriane Williamson and Gerald Jampolsky,also there is a site called "God without religion." that I subscribe to. I am also checking out the silent unity church in my area when I move.. A beautiful site on American Indian spirituality is www.ishaah.com , another is on spirituality .www.innerself.com. Here is something taken from the positive atheist site, that I was impressed with. "I have something to say to the religionist who feels atheists never say anything positive:

You are an intelligent human being. Your life is valuable for its own sake. You are not second-class in the universe, deriving meaning and purpose from some other mind. You are not inherently evil—you are inherently human, possessing the positive rational potential to help make this a world of morality, peace and joy. Trust yourself.

–Dan Barker, from his book, Losing Faith in Faith
So I say keep an open mind and you will have much to learn about other people religious and nonrelgious alike.

[marutidas]

You are an intelligent human being. Your life is valuable for its own sake. You are not second-class in the universe, deriving meaning and purpose from some other mind. You are not inherently evil—you are inherently human, possessing the positive rational potential to help make this a world of morality, peace and joy. Trust yourself.

....– So I say keep an open mind and you will have much to learn about other people religious and nonrelgious alike.

The Dali Lamma talks about this alot, in his book Expanding Love.
That our religion, our culture, our race is all secondary, we are human beings first.( i know i have used this quote many times on the forums, but is its worth repeating.) and our enemies give us many oprotunities to grow that our friends do not.

I think about it in this way, if we did not have our adversaries, would we have come together as a community, would we care about each other so deeply? I don't think so.
I know I would not have met so many people of both great intellegence and creativity and deep spirituality if we did not come together as we have done. from this point of veiw it has deep karmic connections. So I thank all my enemies, for helping learn to be compassionate and patient and making me a better person. And I thank them for bringing us together.

On this thread I do not come as a Hindu, but as a human being talking to another, if we first establish this basic connection with others, that we are human beings, all wanting to be happy and not wanting suffering, I am sure that we could find common ground even with our most difficult opponents.

Can you think about this, can you find some time where an enemy has help you in some way? Even the smallest they have helped you.



And while on Soulforce we do work for fair treatment for GLBT people, Let us also work to help end religious violence by building understanding between us.
---Marutidas:pray:

[ladyinred]

170I used to think of my ex husband as my enemy, we had so many cultural clashes and didn't see eye to eye on alot of things... but now that several years have passed we are good friends and he and I both seem to be more open minded and more tolerant of each others views, not always do we see eye to eye on things, but there aren't the arguments like there once was.

[marutidas]

I think importance of being inclusive in this and every holiday season, it to embrace the diversity that this season brings,

Hanukkah Begins dec 15th,
also known as the Festival of Lights or Festival of Rededication, is an eight day Jewish holiday, that starts of the 25th day of Kislev, which maybe in December, late November in very rare cases in January. The festival is observed by lighting a candle on each of the holiday's Eight nights. Small gifts are exchanged on each of the eight nights.

Yule, Winter Solstice, December 21st
In Wicca, Rituals are performed celebrating the return of the God, It starts by inviting the the God(Lord) and Goddess(Lady) to the circle, the rite is to celebrate the God's rebirth, after his death(Samhain, November 2) afterward there is food, music and dancing.

Christmas, December 25th
Chistians Celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, It is celebrated by the exchanging of gifts, It is a time of family and friends, of peace, of goodwill and compassion and of giving.
Many seculars celebrated for the latter rather than the former.

Kwanza, Decmeber 26th
is a week-long secular holiday honoring African-American heritage, observed from December 26 to January 1 each year, almost exclusively by African-Americans in the United States of America. It consists of seven days of celebration, featuring activities such as candle-lighting and pouring of libations, and culminating in a feast and gift-giving. It was founded by controversial black nationalist Ron Karenga, and first celebrated from December 26, 1966, to January 1, 1967. Karenga calls Kwanzaa the African American branch of "first fruits" celebrations of classical African cultures.

See how many holidays take place during this time, you don't need to have some crazy long winded title, just sayHappy Holidays and you are inclusive and you wont be out of breath while saying it.

[BronzDragon]

I know that this is a mainly christian site,
what I would like to know if people here steps outside their culture.
...
My question is, Would any of you visit a different Church, Temple, Mosque, Senagouge or Stupa to understand the people who follow a differnt faith, better?


» Thom says: ☛ I have, and I would again. I have explored Catholic, Buddhist, and Jewish religions in my interest in what is really the truth and what we really understand about it … and that was before my break from Christianism. Since then, I’ve passed through, like Pilgrim in John Bunyon’s book, through Wicca, Paganism, Buddhism and Hinduism, even ZarathUshtraism. I have been to a LDS church once, and am currently learning both ReiKi and Hoodoo. Like books on a shelf each has been of value to me as I continue to learn and strive to understand mine and humanity’s condition.

[marutidas]

Here is a link to a reading of the Lotus Sutra,
I didn't know existed, until Lady in Red mentioned it.

I thought would be of benefit, especially when dealing with cc's that come to the Forums. Anything to help the reconciliation. There is just to much spite on both sides, that how can we heal if the other side offers the Olive Branch, and we do not except it when it is offerd.

http://www.buddhistinformation.com/henry_david_thoreau.htm

[nervezapper]

Me, I am a Hindu that follows the teachings of Buddhism and the lessons of Christianity.

I like to take a littel bit of many philosophies, because i feel it helps me have a balance life. It helps me understand others and where they maybe coming from.

I have studied many religions including Voduo, Wicca, Qabalah on top of what I have already listed. I do not convert to a different religion but I try to take an unbiased look at something I am learning.



Since November I have been going to an Interfaith "church". They meet for a spiritual service once per month. The minister has had a Buddhist monk and a practicing Hindu speak at the services. We have also had Native American cerimonies and Qabalah classes. The views of this "church" are that we are all more alike than we are different. I LOVE this place.

[antonyh]

If we were to define religion as the relationship between an individual and their God, we would then have 6 billion religions.

Your statement took my breath away. Thank you.

I think we loose so much in our pursuit of spirituality by getting rapped up in the ideological components of various religions. I'm not saying that we should not understand the content of belief systems, but that often we're searching for the right "truth" and we forget that spirituality is discovering that you are already part of Being (east) or that the infinite Being out there wants to be part of your being (west).

I grew up in the Evangelical tradition which is all about the "truth", the "right way to believe". After coming out, I no longer fit into their ideological views and one of the results of that is that I started to question the role of ideological attachment in spirituality. As I started learning about Buddhism, I discovered that ideological attachment is actually one of the sources of human suffering. This resonated with me because of my own personal suffering in the ideologically attached Evangelical church.

It is the relationship with Being that really counts. Spirituality is about the practices that we do to realize this relationship at the core of our life. As Ekhart Tolle says, we need to live joyfully in "felt oneness with Being".

The main barrier to joyfully living in felt oneness with Being is the mind. Our minds are constantly lying to us: "You're not worthy, you're going to starve, you're ugly, you're evil, you're sinful, you're this, you're that..." I found that the first result of Buddhist meditation is being able to see exactly how unruly the mind really is, how totally out of control it is. As you sit in meditation, your mind continually tries to take over. In Zen they call it the "monkey mind". The second result of Buddhist meditation is the intimate discovery of your connection with Being. As you see what the mind is doing, Being spontaneously comes out of hiding and you find yourself in felt oneness with Being with all the joy and peace that brings. I would also say that God my be discovered in that intimate space within.

Bruce is right...this experience will be as unique as the individual because everyone is different. There are six billion religions in the world.

For me at this point in my journey, spiritual practice is what is important. My weakness is that I love to digest the ideological content of religions and do comparative analysis and this takes away important time from just sitting.

[BrentRichards]

I'm probably one of the more "traditional" and "conservative" people here (Pablo and I have yet to armwrestle for the title), and I have to say that visiting and learning to appreciate other faith communities is absolutely appropriate, and in fact, essential to understanding. While my personal faith might prevent me from participating in some or all of another faith's worship practices, it certainly doesn't prevent me from observing them as a respectful guest. I recently ran across an item from The Kings College (a tiny university run by Campus Crusade for Christ, and admittedly no friend of the GLBT community!) ... apparently they've had students refuse a class assignment to visit a mosque or temple (not even during a service, but just in general) out of fear they would become "possessed" by doing so ... I can hardly believe an educated person could even think that way. Sigh.

In the Reformed Christian tradition (of which I am a part) there is a saying that "All Truth is God's Truth." Truth is truth wherever we happen upon it, and no Christian should have any fear of "information" or "experience."

[Sherrie Z]

I'm glad this thread was revived from November ... since I'm relatively new here ... it's interesting to read about the different experiences here ...

To the original question, I would say YES ... and I have had a great time visiting alternative faiths ... and appreciate knowing people from a wide variety of styles of faith and/or non-faith so to speak ... I've visited and/or participated for stretches with Buddhist, Jewish, Catholic, Episcopal, UCC, Unitarian, and various "new age" groups, and so on ... also a wide range of "styles" of mainstream and not-so-mainstream Protestant Christian groups ... such as predominantly black churches, pentecostal, and so on ... also many Mennonite churches (not technically Protestant or Catholic) ... including very conservative to relatively liberal Mennonites ... I've been to Mennonite events where horses and buggies and Amish-style attire were present ... and also Mennonite events where left leaning activists were present ... and I've also been very involved with MCC, attending a wide variety of MCC churches and conferences ... : )

My own background is what I would now describe as loosely evangelical, with stretches of intensely evangelical in the earlier years and left wing radical evangelical in the later years ... I could say so much more about what this all means, but it would take pages ... although I was not raised as Mennonite, I went to a Mennonite college and majored in Humanities with a Biblical Studies emphasis ... I was politically left leaning and generally comfortable with questioning and challenging assumptions pretty much throughout ... this is all decades ago at this point ... there have been times when I've described myself as "post-Christian" ... integrating the aspects I most appreciated from my evangelical years while adding in aspects of other faiths ...

In more recent decades I have described myself as liberal Quaker ... one of the aspects that I have especially appreciated about Quakers (at least the ones I've known, there can be quite a variance from group to group) is their eclectic approach ... with members from all faith (or non-faith) backgrounds ... and also their non-violent social activism ... much like the members of this forum. : )

[nmwolfboy]

My question is,
Would any of you visit a different Church, Temple, Mosque, Synagogue or Stupa to understand the people who follow a different faith, better?

Definitely, yes. Visiting helps me a great deal in understanding other people through the lens of their faith traditions. So often it appears that we're all talking about the same experiences, despite differences in our referents.

i've also studied and followed different spiritual traditions over the years, which have all deepened and enriched my understanding of faith. My partner and i follow different traditions (i'm Episcopalian, he's quasi-Buddhist) and have great discussions which i find very helpful.

Pax :dove:

scott

[pnggrad79]

Bruce said that if religion is a relationship between the individual and God, then there would be six billion different religions. Amen! I think that is the way God intended it to be. We each have our own understandings of who God is and if we try to categorize ourselves and try to find common ground, that is when the lines start getting drawn.

We are all on a path, and so our understandings of God and our relationship is very personal. Churches tend to want to lump all that together into one collective relationship and to me, it can't be done.

My lovely sister always wants to show me up and purport herself to be smarter and farther along spiritually than I am. It used to bother me, but now, I am like, I am not in competition with you sweetheart. My relationship with God is MY RELATIONSHIP, and since you are not part of it, then go on and pat yourself on the back because you THINK you are more spiritual than I am. I really don't care. (Since I came out, you understand, she thinks I never had a relationship with God, because God doesn't love homosexuals)

[scott snedeker]

..................
We are all on a path, and so our understandings of God and our relationship is very personal. Churches tend to want to lump all that together into one collective relationship and to me, it can't be done...............

My lovely sister always wants to show me up and purport herself to be smarter and farther along spiritually than I am. ............ (Since I came out, you understand, she thinks I never had a relationship with God, because God doesn't love homosexuals)


I Have a question for your sister.


If a group of openly gay people were to walk the streets of ancient Jerusalem Who would most likely persecute them?

Christ or The Clergy who crucified him?

Who would most likely defend their right to live and speak up for them?

Christ or The Clergy who crucified him?

What does your attitude toward the same group (that includes your sister) resemble most?:eek:


Christ or The Clergy who crucified him?

Hmmmmmm:cool:

[progressive4christ]

I know that this is a mainly christian site,
what I would like to know if people here steps outside their culture.


I would if I knew I would be welcomed, but I would not want to go alone.

[scott snedeker]

I know that this is a mainly christian site,
what I would like to know if people here steps outside their culture.


I would if I knew I would be welcomed, but I would not want to go alone.


I am a pagan because I stepped outside. The more cultures I find like the Radical Faerie culture and others, the more in tune I become with my inner spirit

[progressive4christ]

I do not think that I have to step out of my culture to be cultured or to gain an understanding, but I would go to let them know that in spite of our differing faiths I love and respect you as a person and not as a faith. I just think it is so fun to meet different people and have peaceful dialog. My belief is that I do not have to except someones faith or them to except mine, but the person them self. So, that is why I do not push my faith apon people, but I will share because it is good and people can make their minds up for themselves. I believe that one should not convince people of their faith but live it by example and the opportunity may present it self and open door to opportunity to discuss will open and it should be peaceful.

[Tinkerbell047]

I am the daughter of a nondenominational minister. I have been in church from the time I was 3 days old until recently because my parents quit another church to start their own. In that time I have visited many different denominations. Interdenominational, Catholic, Baptist, Orthodox, some accepting and affirming, many Christian denominations. Once, I went with a Jewish friend to temple, and have many friends of different religions with whom I discuss faith, and we learn from each other.

I love to learn about different faiths, though, I still feel that Christianity is the one for me.

-Tink