What I Believe

God is Great, God is Good….

Friends, family and my dear writing group have all said to stay away from religion and politics in my essays.  But here I am, a moderately progressive Christian woman in a moderately progressive Muslim nation, ruled by sheiks.  I could tell you about the flora and fauna, and certainly will.  But I’m really interested in the mix of people in Dubai, and it’s hard to separate lifestyle from religion in a place where the call to prayer sounds 5 times a day. 

I have a diverse list of friends and likely readers of this blog.  You cover the spectrum, from liberal to conservative, urban and rural, Muslim, Jew, Christian, Atheist, and Agnostic.  And that’s okay – we can care for each other and learn from each other when we respect the right to be different.  I’ve been planning this entry for several months, feeling it important to state my beliefs from the beginning.  Otherwise half of my readers will think I’m being intolerant with my observations, while the other half worries that I’m becoming a Muslim.  ;-)

First, I believe that the Creator of this beautiful world must love diversity.  If God didn’t find joy in our many ways of being, we wouldn’t have such a variety of looks, languages, mind-sets, foods, clothing, and dance styles.  Appreciating God’s miraculous craftsmanship and dexterity makes me happy.

From talking with people, I have noticed that each seems to have a unique combination of religious beliefs, regardless of background or group identity.  I believe that’s okay, because God is multi-dimensional and ‘great,’ able to encompass most of the religious beliefs in the world.  Each of us sees only small facets of the Deity, but we can learn more by peering through the lenses of other believers. 

(My friend Kim Williams illustrates this idea in sermon three of his fun book, Wishful Preaching:  Things I Wish I had said in the Pulpit available at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ADSNP8I )

My way of following God has long been through the example and influence of Jesus.  My faith has been tested and questioned, and I keep coming back to the New Testament Gospels.  I feel that Jesus is active in my life and heart, and gives me joy, strength and comfort when life is difficult.  I believe this makes me a Christian.

But while I believe the Bible was divinely inspired, I know that human understanding is limited, and hundreds of people have influenced the words we interpret, as well as our religious practices and beliefs.  Some of those people were surely inspired by God, while others were swayed by politics.  This is why each human can read the words and listen to opinions of others, but must look into their own heart and find the way of worship that suits them best.  For some, this means loving the people around them and appreciating nature.  Others find God in a church, temple, or mosque. 

These differences are not a problem, if folks are searching for the way to Good, and not oppressing people who understand God differently.  I think that using religious belief as an excuse for violence or oppression is morally wrong.  And I don’t think any human alive can judge whether another is truly sanctified by God or not – that is an intimate knowledge between the individual and their Creator.  We can pray for each other, share information about our beliefs, and make constructive suggestions on how to live good lives and follow God’s will, but it’s hard enough to conjecture that Will for ourselves, much less another person.  I see nothing wrong with following a group’s beliefs and religious practices, as long as one feels led by the Good, and not forced.  These are my humble opinions.

Religion and politics have been entwined throughout human history.  Though our founding fathers may have tried to separate them in the US Constitution, religious beliefs have always been an important thread in the American fabric.  In many Muslim countries, they seem to be the fabric.

One reason I was a little nervous coming to Dubai, is because the Arab Muslim has replaced the Russian Communist as the boogeyman of the American psyche.  And while I do not blame the nearly 2 billion Muslims in the world for events like 9/11 any more than I blame a particular group for Oklahoma City, Tucson, etc, I am aware that there were particular tensions and conditions leading to each of these events.  There are tensions in every country, and people who dislike outsiders.  But there are also the majorities of people who accept differences, and prefer to be left alone to make a living, raise their children, and worship in peace.  Knowing this, and having heard stories about living in Saudi Arabia from my husband and his family, I looked forward to learning more about Arab Muslim culture and religion.
 
I believe Muslims, like Russians, love their children as much as we love ours (to borrow from Sting). There is a Center for Cultural Understanding that was set up by the Ruler of Dubai to share information about Muslim heritage and religion with curious visitors and newcomers. I will try to share information like theirs, along with personal observations about the people here. Perhaps greater understanding and familiarity can replace some of the fears and misunderstandings of Muslims that seem to have many roots in American and international politics.

 

 

A beautiful new mosque near our home reminds me of Cinderella's castle.

What's a Radical Moderate?

Before going further with my ‘dublog,’ I want to explain where I think I’m coming from. Why do I call myself a radical moderate, and why am I keeping those earlier political commentaries on the blog?

The media call North Carolina a “battleground” state.  This means about a third of the people lean left politically, and a third lean right.  The rest are somewhere in the middle, swaying back and forth.  This might appear to be an unbalanced situation, but actually, it shows that many people listen to both sides of an argument, and make choices based on details rather than loyalty to one political party.  I am proud of our state, where most people prefer barbecue and basketball to politics.  While I am in the Democratic camp, I have many friends who are Republicans, and I’m married to an old-fashioned conservative who sways with that middle third.  If the two of us can find so much in common for over 2 decades now, you would think the folks in Washington could learn to compromise too.

I believe a healthy country needs a balance of free enterprise and social safety net along with a strong public school system, unencumbered media, and uncorrupted government.  My guiding question is usually ‘What will most benefit our children?’  As a moderate, I try to improve the institutions we have, instead of advocating massive changes that disrupt people’s lives and get expensive.  I don’t like to waste time, talent, or money.  I believe children benefit from learning to have a strong work ethic, no matter how privileged their upbringing, and this is a lesson many of us privileged American parents and teachers have trouble imparting.  I believe every child needs and deserves love, attention to their health, and access to decent education so they may support themselves and make positive contributions when they grow up.  But any child, rich or poor, who is given many additional ‘wants’ without working for them, develops a sense of entitlement instead of self-reliance.  (For more political opinions, look at those earlier blog entries.)

And these are my humble opinions.  As a “sweet Carolina girl,” I hate to offend anyone.  Everyone has different perspectives and good points to make.  So it feels radical to express my opinions, knowing that others may disagree.  I believe it is important for the moderate voice to be heard, especially when we ask for compromise in the best interests of our country and world.  I also draw strength from stories of heroes, my family, and moderate friends who ask me to keep expressing ideas they often agree with.  But no one is right all the time, including me.  So I beg your pardon in advance, if my words offend you.  And respectful disagreement in the comments section of a blog can be healthy – discussion leads to sharing of ideas and new thoughts.  So go ahead – tell me what you think – just try to use good manners please, so we can have a kinder, gentler, healthier nation.

Yes, I am slightly left of center in both religious and political views.  I used to think these were separate issues, but Americans have become more religious about our politics and political in our religions, particularly since the events of 9/11/2001.  I believe the trauma of that day still frightens and angers many Americans.  Our recent elections and frequent massacres indicate that America needs some major therapy sessions.  Our country is like many victims of violent crime, who turn their anger inward and need help to acknowledge and process their fear and pain before they can let it go.  Victims who hold on to their anger allow the criminals to continue hurting them.  In America’s case, with our finger-pointing and fractured government, we weaken our country and help the 9/11 terrorists win.  We need to climb out of the muddy rut we’ve been in, find higher common ground, support all our leaders and people, and take steps to make our country strong enough to last another 250 years or more.

Our church lost a caring family member on 9/11.  But Sandy Bradshaw was such a positive, cheerful person that to remember her with anger would make her sad.  So after 9/11, I put my grief energy into helping my daughter’s teachers create an International Peace Site at their Montessori school.  We tried to help our next generation learn to respect differences and solve problems using words instead of violence.  This project had a profound impact, got me involved in the PTA and local politics, and showed how I could use my talents to make a positive difference.  I am still inspired by Sandy’s heroism on 9/11, and the thought of how she might have used her energy if our roles had been reversed.

When I worry about getting too radical for conservative friends, I try to remember all the people who have spoken or written over the centuries to ask for positive change.  I want to be one of those people.  I want to present unique solutions to problems, and be heard.  I want to make a positive difference.  If that makes me a radical, then so be it.  I’ll be like the witch in Wicked, forgoing her chance for a positive reputation to fight for justice….Actually, I’m not that brave.  I will politely state and explain my opinions, and give you the chance to state yours.  Then we can look for areas of agreement, and share them further.  That’s what diplomats and moderates and peacemakers do.  It’s less exciting but more effective in the long run.