"We have to be careful. It can't be easy because they don't want to be one of us, they just want to have the girls and get them pregnant so that they can take them off into their own community."
That is how I remember the answer given to me about why it is so difficult in Indonesia to become Christian (Protestant, Catholicism is considered to be a different religion and there are 7 that are recognized by the government; Islam, Christian, Catholic, Hindu, Buddhist, Confucianism, and Traditional Beliefs).
The process to become Christian involves, at least, a six-month series of classes before one is ready to be baptized into the religion. I suppose we're spoiled in the US that we only have to profess Christ as our Lord and Savior and we're Christian. We're also spoiled that at least for now, there is a relatively respected separation between church and state. There are myriad traditions and faiths permitted the freedom to worship in ways consistent with their own beliefs that are not interpreted and regulated by governmental entities.
I wondered why it's such a long and arduous process. I have a friend who attended Catholic schools growing up, despite the fact that she was Muslim. When she decided to become Christian later in life, attending church and making a profession of faith was not enough. She had to attend those classes and sadly, the contents were less about building a closer relationship with God through Christ, but more about rote memorization of verses with unquestionable (questionable) interpretations.
That's not the faith I know, but you know what? What I know doesn't matter all that much anymore because regardless of the intent behind the adage "no matter where you go, there you are", it's not so cut and dry. The 'who we are' that we bring will look different depending on the lens. Full stop.
As in every culture, in American music, film, and literature - American Art, I'll say, there are often common threads of learning and growing, suffering and oppression, defiance, baptism (change) through water, and finally redemption.
As in every culture, in American music, film, and literature - American Art, I'll say, there are often common threads of learning and growing, suffering and oppression, defiance, baptism (change) through water, and finally redemption.
Iron Man plummets into what should have been a watery grave only to emerge better and more enlightened. The same happened to Jason Bourne. Running Bear and Little White Dove escape the misery of tribal feuding to enter the land of love together, defying their tribes by sacrificing their lives, embracing each other within the swirling stream of the river that separated them. Tall thin Jones Jones saves poor sweet Sue who wouldn't hand over the keys to her family land (her soul?) Born by the river, Sam Cooke knew a change was going to come. The bad boss man in Roadhouse got what was coming to him. Who can forget a little taste of this delicious chocolate pie I made just for you? And Delta Dawn knew to wait, even though her rose had long faded. Who can forget the advice given to Spiderman (with great power comes great responsibility), which is roughly based on the Bible verse, To whom much is given, much will be required (Luke 12:48).
I know I'm reaching, but the point is that we cannot escape - regardless of the increase in the number of "nones" in America - our religious heritage. Our religious heritage is strong and I thought it would never bow to the likes of authoritarianism, bullying, or exploitation. While it is true that Christianity has enjoyed majority status in the US, we cannot ignore the indigenous religions, as well as those that came ashore in the hearts and minds of believers who were under intense duress and treated inhumanely, those religions that were carried with people escaping oppression and violence. That is our contextualized religion. We have no "state" church. The government doesn't dictate how to be ____________ (insert religion here). May we never forget that. Big Bad John used his power to save the other miners. It always works that way in American folklore. We, regardless of religious affiliation, stand up to bullies and none of us will take being pushed around lightly. We're not gonna take it.
I know I'm reaching, but the point is that we cannot escape - regardless of the increase in the number of "nones" in America - our religious heritage. Our religious heritage is strong and I thought it would never bow to the likes of authoritarianism, bullying, or exploitation. While it is true that Christianity has enjoyed majority status in the US, we cannot ignore the indigenous religions, as well as those that came ashore in the hearts and minds of believers who were under intense duress and treated inhumanely, those religions that were carried with people escaping oppression and violence. That is our contextualized religion. We have no "state" church. The government doesn't dictate how to be ____________ (insert religion here). May we never forget that. Big Bad John used his power to save the other miners. It always works that way in American folklore. We, regardless of religious affiliation, stand up to bullies and none of us will take being pushed around lightly. We're not gonna take it.
And yet we have. And we do. What constitutes a bully or abuse seems to be changing. The teenager who's triggered by your ancient terminology for something that is no longer shameful seems, in some circles, to deserve getting slapped back into comatose for being - AGH! WOKE! What could be worse than woke? It seems that an accepted definition of bully is one who hurts another's feelings. Even if the hurt feelings belong to as asshole whose never been held accountable for being an asshole. What the hell? Really?
My point is simple while my thoughts and examples are not. And that provides the best foundation for what I'm thinking and want to say: Almost everything is complicated. Things change depending on the lens through which we see them, the experiences we use to understand them, and the cultural norms we consciously or unconsciously reference to evaluate them. Not to mention the prejudices and beliefs we hold for ourselves and others. There's a reason we're not called to judge, why we should be patient and kind, not pushy with our own ways. We cannot possibly understand many things sufficiently to warrant leaving our own lanes to police others. Right and wrong become harder to pin when we expand our thinking, that's not to say that some things aren't right or wrong, but again. Where are we coming from to make those assertions? It's something to think about and hopefully grow a bit (or a pair, who knows?).
