Got Faith?
Choosing the Right Religion for You!
Introductions
Cartoon © Chris Madden 2008, chrismadden.co.uk.
Welcome to my second column of ‘Got Faith?‘! First off I want to say thanks a million for all the support so far, especially to Lana, Julia, Kaitlin, all my friends for giving me feedback, and all the wonderful people who took part in the discussion I started in the Lounge. You‘re all awesome, and I really appreciate it!
The topic for this week is choosing the right religion for you! Below you‘ll find some religious quotes on the topic, my "One Rule, Three Steps" guide to choosing religions, a nifty quiz, and as always the opportunity to voice any and all religion-based thoughts you may have, inspired by this column or otherwise!
Love & peace - Suzie! =)
Quotes
"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumoured by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it."
Gautama Siddharta, founder of Buddhism, 563-483 BC
"Several studies have suggested that there are nearly 10,000 separate and distinct religions in the world today. Within Christianity alone, according to the Center for the Study of Global Christianity, there are nearly 40,000 denominations. Some denominations are openly accepting of gays and lesbians, as they should be allowed to do. Thus, it should be possible to find a denomination or a religion that will cater to just about anyone’s lifestyle.
People all over the world are in the process of changing religious affiliation or rejecting any affiliation. These actions are usually the consequence of economic, social, or political inducement, but they occur for spiritual or ideological reasons as well. Religions are human-created entities, and as such, none are perfect. There are so many from which to choose. Any individual who seeks to be affiliated with a religious tradition should find one that resonates with his or her core values. If not, what is the use?"
Ramdas Lamb, Newsweek/ Washington Times ‘On Faith’ panelist, Hindu monk in India from 1969-1978, University of Hawai’i Professor of World Religions and Contemporary American Religion
One Rule, Three Steps
Suzie‘s Guide to Choosing the Right Religion for You!
The most golden of rules when choosing a religion (or deciding whether or not to switch faiths) is: Don’t make a quick decision!
‘Tis a far, far better thing to REALLY deliberate over this than to simply hop from one religion to the next when you realise that your current one doesn‘t exactly suit you. There′s also something to be said for simply sticking with what you were raised as without ever giving it any carefully considered, educated thought. It‘s hardly respectful to your parents, your religion, and even your God (or Gods) if you‘re just insincerely "going through the motions", or identifying yourself as of a particular religion but remaining non-practising out of apathy.
Well whether you‘ve already decided that you want to join a new religion, or you‘re just curious about religions in general, here are my three main steps to get you on your way:
Step One: Research!
Learn as much as you can about all religions, and be sure to keep your mind wide open. Your first task is to learn about religions, not to pick one for yourself just yet. Don‘t accept or reject anything at this point, just keep on learning. Take the time to learn as much as you can about how religions shape how people live their lives, how religions influenced world history, how different religions compare, how they‘ve formed entire cultures, what their basic philosophies are, every aspect that you can think of, pretty much! How in depth you go is up to you.
Step Two: Soulsearch!
Question yourself. Why do you feel that you need or want to follow a religion? Remember that religion can be an escape too, or simply conforming to a societal standard. What is the real reason that you want to follow a religion? Reflect on your values. What are your own personal beliefs? What do you think religion should be? Think about how much commitment a religion involves, as well as accepting traditions and a potentially important set of beliefs. Remember, your values must always be deep-seated and your own. Don‘t force yourself to accept something just to be involved. Always stay true to yourself, don‘t adjust your values to a religion. And never compromise critical thinking and reason for social acceptance. You don‘t have to believe anything in particular in the end.
Step Three: "Sightsee"!
Visit places of worship, and meet the religious leaders in your neighbourhood. Ask them about their views on life, God (or Gods, or not, depending on the religion), the afterlife, relationships, ethics, other religions, the daily practice of their religion, why they feel their particular religion is best suited to them, the conversion process, and any questions you came up with whilst studying their religion. Ask if you can attend one of their masses/sermons/insert-appropriate-term-here without actually worshipping, or even other religious events or ceremonies that would take place more privately, such as the observation of Shabbat. The more you can observe first-hand the better the idea you‘ll have as to what life as a member of that religion would be like for you.
Once you‘ve taken all these steps you‘re probably ready to reflect on everything and come to a decision. You might find yourself drawn to one religion in particular, or maybe to a few, or you might discover that your current religion seems the one most right for you after all, or, you just might find yourself more confused than before. Hopefully that last possibility would just spur you on to keep learning and questioning until you find your answer.
You might find it helpful to discuss things with your family, friends, or others (like with the wonderful people in the PurplePJ‘s Lounge!), but be careful of anyone that seems to be pushing their own faith on you. Also, keep in mind that religion is a sensitive subject, and something that a lot of people take very seriously. Always do your best to remain tolerant, peaceful, and non-judgemental when talking about religion. As Aretha Franklin put it, "R-E-S-P-E-C-T"!
(Though she wasn‘t talking about religious tolerance, it‘s still a good rule to go by, and one hella’ catchy tune).
Quiz Me!
This quiz should definitely get you thinking about different religions and which one is the right one for you! "Warning: Belief-O-Matic™ assumes no legal liability for the ultimate fate of your soul."
Got Opinions?
Next on ‘Got Faith?‘: The religious calendar for September!
Until then, what were your opinions of this week‘s column? Did it make you think about your faith? Are you considering other religions, or interested in learning about them? If you‘ve changed religion or joined a new religion in the past, what provoked you into doing so? Why did you pick the religion that you did? How did you find the conversion process? Please send in any comments, suggestions, or questions, I‘d love to hear from you!
Tags: how to, religion, quotes, got faith, quiz, philosophy, beliefs
Feedback: Technology & Religion
I would have to say that yes, there is an anti-religious bias on the internet; however, there’s also an anti-anything bias on the internet. It all depends on where you’re looking. I mean, if a devout Christian was going to go to, for example, 4chan, there would DEFINITELY be a bias against that. However, I’m sure that, as an atheist, I wouldn’t exactly be welcomed on the Pope’s website. In the same way, someone who really likes Twilight should stay away from anti-Twilight boards, and someone who hates it should stay away from foreverdawn - there are places where certain points of view are more accepted than others, and it’s just a matter of, if you don’t feel like getting into a fight, figuring out what websites you should stay away from.
Jamie, 19 from Arizona
Suzie says: Many thanks for your feedback Jamie!
I‘m pretty sure that the official stance of the Catholic Church is of tolerance towards other religions. If you want to take a look at His Holiness‘ homepage, here‘s a link! I couldn’t find an anti-Atheist disclaimer anywhere. Seriously though, I think that that‘s quite an insightful comment. It‘s true that there‘s something to offend everyone on the internet. There‘s something to offend everyone just on 4chan.
Tags: religion, internet, got faith, message boards, tolerance, technology
iPray: Technology & Religion
Introductions
Cartoon © Dave Coverly 2009, speedbump.com.
So, what‘s the status update on religion in this modern world where technology, the internet, and social networking rule? Many organised religions have waged a war on science and technology for centuries, but now that its grip seems undefeatable, will these religious organisations about-face and embrace it? And if they don‘t, does religion risk losing its role in today‘s society?
Below you′ll find the Newsweek article that inspired this week’s column, along with links and summaries for some other interesting articles on this topic, and the opportunity to express your own opinion on this and any other religious issue! This is my first column, and I‘m writing it for YOU, so please don‘t be shy!
Love & peace - Suzie! =)
“God Bless This Gadget”
“Religious Groups Turn to Technology” - Taken from Newsweek.
“If you had to choose one weapon for fighting the next religious war, you could do worse than to pick an iPhone. In recent months, the foot soldiers of religion have come out with a bevy of new programs designed to win converts and make religious practices more accessible. For those of the Jewish faith, iBlessing helps in figuring out which blessings go with which food, ParveOMeter keeps track of the waiting times between eating meat and dairy, and Siddur gives prayer times based on one’s GPS coordinates. Devout Roman Catholics will appreciate iBreviary, which pulls up and displays complete missal and principal prayers in Spanish, French, English, Latin, and Italian.
Ever since Galileo, the relationship between technology and organized religion has been uneasy. The printing press helped spread the Gospel and win new adherents to Christianity, but it also greatly undermined the Catholic Church’s information monopoly. To avoid repeating this mistake, religious organizations are embracing cutting-edge communications technologies, hoping to stay on the right side of the next technology revolution.
Less than a year ago, the Vatican deplored “the age of the Internet and the mobile,” in which, according to Cardinal Lombardi, the pope’s spokesman, it’s “more difficult than before to protect silence and to nourish the interior dimension of life.” Since then, the pope has changed his tune. “Young people … have grasped the enormous capacity of the new media to foster connectedness, communication, and understanding between individuals and communities, and they are turning to them as means of … forming networks, of seeking information and news, and of sharing their ideas and opinions,” he said in May.
Thank the Vatican’s younger cohort for this turnaround. Paolo Padrini, a 36-year-old Italian pastor and a Vatican insider with a knack for technology, is the developer of iBreviary, the first iPhone application officially approved by the Vatican. Padrini launched the ambitious Pope2You site, which aggregates the Vatican’s presence on various social networks. It boasts cutting-edge social-media components, including an iPhone application that keeps its users updated with the pope’s recent speeches and activities and a YouTube channel that features papal video addresses. A site called Wikicath delivers the pope’s messages “in a new way, interactive and hypertext, through a platform built in the Wiki style.”
Not to be outdone, followers of Islam have begun battling over religion online almost as vehemently as they used to clash in the streets of Baghdad. Even mobile-phone ringtones are emerging as important affirmations of religious identity. So many people have been downloading verses from the Qur’an that a Muslim organization in India saw fit to issue a fatwa declaring it a sin to interrupt the tone before it has finished the verse.
As the Vatican has discovered with its Wikicath site, posting boring texts online doesn’t guarantee thousands of followers. Lately the site seems to elicit little comment. If Vatican officials continue to haunt Facebook and Twitter, though, they’re bound eventually to absorb the new-media culture. Whether the young crowd will have moved on by then is another story.”
Educate Yourself!
Check out these informative links!
“Web Space Where Religion and Social Networking Meet” (NY Times) - An article on religion-specific social networking sites, lots of which are listed, for anyone interested in joining one!
“Papal message on Catholic social networking site” (Total Catholic) - On that note, an article about the first official Catholic social networking site, which you can find a link for at the bottom.
“Facebook and MySpace can lead children to commit suicide, warns Archbishop Nichols” (Sunday Telegraph) - Original article on the anti-networking statement from the new Archbishop of England and Wales. This was made in response to a young girl committing suicide for being bullied, but has caused some controversy. Keeping it in the Telegraph: the response of their Communities Editor (link), and an article on the response of the head of the Open Episcopalian Church (link).
“Technology and Religion: An Interview with the Episcopal Church‘s Tom Ferguson” (TechNewsWorld) - Does exactly what it says on the tin.
“Look Who’s Talking” (Wired) - A long but interesting article on the Amish adopting modern technologies, particularly phones.
“Can Religion Withstand Technology?” (PBS) - A PBS “Closer to Truth” special on technology and religion, with discussions between “a sceptic, a devout Muslim scientist, and an expert in the sociology of religion”.
“A Nun’s Life” - And finally, just for kicks, the website of a nun-turned-blogger!
Got Opinions?
Next on ‘Got Faith?’: Choosing the right religion for you!
Until then, what are your opinions on technology and religion? Are you for or against religious organisations promoting themselves in these ways? Do you think that there‘s an anti-religious bias on the internet? What technologies do you use to support your faith or learn about religion? Here‘s a hint: by reading this column you‘re doing exactly that!
Tags: facebook, religion, internet, gadgets, got faith, cyberbullying, social networking, apps, iphones, technology
A Reader′s Request
My mother is a strong believer on sex AFTER marriage and I think its fantastic to save first intimate stuff like this for your spouse. But she thinks couples should marry young because there is less of a chance of them fornicating. I strongly disagree. I don’t think marriage should be rushed for the sake of virginity. I think young couples marrying too early and who aren’t mature enough is what leads to high divorce rates. I’m not saying a couple can’t get married at 19 and have a successful relationship but I don’t think they should feel obligated to if they aren’t completely ready.
I wanted to know other people views on what both me and my mother believe.
Lindsay, 16 from Florida
Suzie says: Thanks for the submission Lindsay!
Personally, I’d agree that “saving yourself” is a real nice idea, but it shouldn’t be a standard kept to so highly that couples rush into such a serious commitment just to be allowed have sex. What does everyone else believe, and is it a belief that your religion shares? Send us your thoughts!