If religions are fated to clash, let’s clash with respect
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 11/17/2009
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Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Wicca, Taoism, Pastafarianism. I do not care what you believe in, as long as you are respectful toward others.
I was standing in line at the grocery store when I overheard the cashier talking to the customer in front of me. They clearly knew each other, and they were talking about her recent Christian mission trip to a country where the main religion is Buddhism. She was shocked and appalled that the children went on a field trip to see a giant statue of Buddha. Her group was trying to spread the word of God to these, as she saw them, wayward people.
Having faith is fine. Believing in a higher power gives many people purpose, direction and peace. I’m a Christian, but I do not look at other religions as wrong in any way. The woman in my previous example had the audacity to go to another country and see the beliefs of the people as ignorant just because they were different from her own.
I doubt she would appreciate it if a Buddhist person were to try to convert her and ridicule her beliefs, so why would she do that to others? As long as the religion is not harming anyone, what difference does it make? I’m firmly against any religion that believes in, say, murdering for fun, but that was clearly not the case. I took Philosophy of Eastern Religions, and Buddhism is a very peaceful religion.
When settlers came to the United States to try to acquire land, we all know they were not very nice to the Native Americans. In addition to their kind gifts of small pox blankets, the settlers forced many Native Americans to convert to some form of Christianity. Native American religions have been lost because of this. These religions were usually very spiritual and nature-oriented, and some featured female deities, which is rare in present culture.
Some religions have the belief that their deity is the only deity. If you want to stick by your belief that your religion is right about everything, fine. But do not try to force your beliefs on other people.
In the United States, there is such a thing of freedom of religion. Believe anything you would like, but be tolerant of others. If you want to put a pamphlet in someone’s mailbox, fine. He or she will come to you if interested. If you go to people’s houses and try to tell them why you are right and they are wrong, they will probably close the door firmly but politely in your face.
Before condemning a religion and its followers, do research. You might disagree with some beliefs, but you might find some of them make sense. College is a time to broaden your horizons; in a world this diverse, you cannot afford to be narrow-minded.
Religion is a touchy subject. It causes wars; people have died for their beliefs. With such a volatile subject, it is important to remain respectful and open-minded.
Kelly Craig is a senior in the College of Liberal Arts and may be reached at opinions@purdueexponent.org.