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Sep. 13th, 2003
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Sep. 13th, 2003 09:30 pmI’ve posted in the past about what my religion isn’t about, but have never tried a corresponding summary of what it is about. I have to start with spirituality first, then religion, though, so....
It’s all about peace. Peace within, peace with God, peace with other people, peace with nature. I generally use the Hebrew word ‘shalom,’ to avoid the shallow “not actually fighting with anyone right now” understanding as well as the too-common shallow Christian “at peace with God, nothing else matters” attitude. Several theologians use ‘shalom’ to express a condition where everything is happening the way it was intended to happen. The other term I like is harmony (if you know me, it’ll probably take about two seconds to figure out why).
Religion, done right, points the way to peace in all its aspects, and actually builds peace. Done wrong, religion damages peace-- and I’m perfectly willing to admit that that happens far too much (not just within Christianity). Teaching about peace has to involve teaching how to make decisions that will lead to peace; it’s probably inevitable that in many (if not all) communities, that leads to a common understanding that certain behaviors build peace, certain other behaviors damage it. Two major errors: coming to believe that that common understanding is The Way Things Are, rather than just a common understanding for a particular time and place; and disturbing the Peace in the name of peace (what could be sillier?).
Questions? Comments? Points you wish I’d expand on?
It’s all about peace. Peace within, peace with God, peace with other people, peace with nature. I generally use the Hebrew word ‘shalom,’ to avoid the shallow “not actually fighting with anyone right now” understanding as well as the too-common shallow Christian “at peace with God, nothing else matters” attitude. Several theologians use ‘shalom’ to express a condition where everything is happening the way it was intended to happen. The other term I like is harmony (if you know me, it’ll probably take about two seconds to figure out why).
Religion, done right, points the way to peace in all its aspects, and actually builds peace. Done wrong, religion damages peace-- and I’m perfectly willing to admit that that happens far too much (not just within Christianity). Teaching about peace has to involve teaching how to make decisions that will lead to peace; it’s probably inevitable that in many (if not all) communities, that leads to a common understanding that certain behaviors build peace, certain other behaviors damage it. Two major errors: coming to believe that that common understanding is The Way Things Are, rather than just a common understanding for a particular time and place; and disturbing the Peace in the name of peace (what could be sillier?).
Questions? Comments? Points you wish I’d expand on?
