Old Friend From Far Away (Religion)
What Religion were you brought up with?
Too many!
But I will try to explain what I witnessed as a child.
On Fridays I would join the Muslims in the mosque, long garments flowing behind us as we bowed to the east, our foreheads kissing the cold cement in unison. On Wednesday I would join my Methodist classmates in saying the benediction in a tall white church. I remember that while I was saying, "May the grace of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ," I would feel guilt club at my praying soul. I hope God isn't mad at me for calling him Jesus too, I thought. Finally, on Saturdays (the Sabbath day) my Rastafarian stepfather beat drums and hailed the Ethiopian King Haille Selassie as Christ reincarnated. I was right there singing, "Babylon your throne fall down, fall down. Babylon your throne fall down."
I was committed to being a Muslim (since it was the first religion I was exposed to), but my school and father (at the time) were asking me to pray to their Gods too and so I did. But the more I studied all of these religions the more I didn't like the people who claimed they were saved, blessed, and the last righteous people on earth. What made them all so different? I saw Christians curse in church, curse at each other, and curse their Lord, Christ. I saw Muslim men pray to Allah for guidance and then ask 14 year old girls to marry them. And I saw Rastafarians silence their children because they should be seen and not heard. So, I learned that these people were hypocrites. Because no one is absolved of hypocrisy (unless you are a prophet or a saint). We are selfish, the human race, and will (and always) chose ourselves over anyone, even God.
So when people asked me what religion I was as a child, I didn't know how to answer. I questioned myself for a very long time. Sometimes I said (still say) Muslim to avoid confused glances, but then after awhile I realized it didn't matter and that my very existence proved it was possible to embrace multiple religions (therefore different types of people and therefore different beliefs). I went to church, the mosque, and beat drums in the jungle. So, what religion was I really brought up with? I was brought up with a web of laws that all humankind aspires to be and has aspired to be for centuries and centuries. However, in this skewed aspiration of religion some people forget that they are trying to achieve the same level of enlightenment or spirituality or faith and rebuke one another. How foolish are we O humankind, as we denounce one another who seek the same greater being (energy, connection, and purpose) like ourselves? If we reject others way of life, doesn't that mean we are denouncing ourselves?
I am human. That's it. Muslim sometime. Christin too. Maybe even Rastafarian. Does it matter? Really? And if so, isn't that God's decision?
Too many!
But I will try to explain what I witnessed as a child.
On Fridays I would join the Muslims in the mosque, long garments flowing behind us as we bowed to the east, our foreheads kissing the cold cement in unison. On Wednesday I would join my Methodist classmates in saying the benediction in a tall white church. I remember that while I was saying, "May the grace of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ," I would feel guilt club at my praying soul. I hope God isn't mad at me for calling him Jesus too, I thought. Finally, on Saturdays (the Sabbath day) my Rastafarian stepfather beat drums and hailed the Ethiopian King Haille Selassie as Christ reincarnated. I was right there singing, "Babylon your throne fall down, fall down. Babylon your throne fall down."
I was committed to being a Muslim (since it was the first religion I was exposed to), but my school and father (at the time) were asking me to pray to their Gods too and so I did. But the more I studied all of these religions the more I didn't like the people who claimed they were saved, blessed, and the last righteous people on earth. What made them all so different? I saw Christians curse in church, curse at each other, and curse their Lord, Christ. I saw Muslim men pray to Allah for guidance and then ask 14 year old girls to marry them. And I saw Rastafarians silence their children because they should be seen and not heard. So, I learned that these people were hypocrites. Because no one is absolved of hypocrisy (unless you are a prophet or a saint). We are selfish, the human race, and will (and always) chose ourselves over anyone, even God.
So when people asked me what religion I was as a child, I didn't know how to answer. I questioned myself for a very long time. Sometimes I said (still say) Muslim to avoid confused glances, but then after awhile I realized it didn't matter and that my very existence proved it was possible to embrace multiple religions (therefore different types of people and therefore different beliefs). I went to church, the mosque, and beat drums in the jungle. So, what religion was I really brought up with? I was brought up with a web of laws that all humankind aspires to be and has aspired to be for centuries and centuries. However, in this skewed aspiration of religion some people forget that they are trying to achieve the same level of enlightenment or spirituality or faith and rebuke one another. How foolish are we O humankind, as we denounce one another who seek the same greater being (energy, connection, and purpose) like ourselves? If we reject others way of life, doesn't that mean we are denouncing ourselves?
I am human. That's it. Muslim sometime. Christin too. Maybe even Rastafarian. Does it matter? Really? And if so, isn't that God's decision?
I forgot to add this idea as well, "who one choses to pray to and how they chose to do it, is between that person and his or her own God, Diety, Lord, or Idol or whoever they chose to evoke."
ReplyDeleteHave you always believed in a "higher power?" Have you ever doubted? I'm just curious really. If you either have or have not, might be interesting to explore.
ReplyDeleteI'd very interested in reading more about your experience and how the three religions intertwined and shaped you. By the way, have you read "The Life of Pi"? The boy in the story goes to a Hindu, Muslim, and Christian church, and the story is really about not choosing one or the other but choosing the "better story." I'm not explaining it well, but you might like it.
ReplyDeleteLovely, Maryam. I had not read this when I did my post so it was very interesting to see your background. I agree with your conclusions! And I appreciate that you seemed to have been raised with a similar "confusion" about who(which religion) was "right" when the question should have been what was right. And the only person who knows that is the individual. Unlike you, I did not pray to multiple gods (who in my opinion are all the same thing, every religion just has a different name for it/him/her), I didn't pray at all. And it makes me crazy to think of all the war, bloodshed, death, and hate that organized religion has caused...YET i do see the good in it as well. I could go for hours...!!!! I want to hear more..this piece of yours is very powerful!
ReplyDeleteI would love to see a longer piece thinking about religion and your personal experience with being a Muslim.
ReplyDelete