This week was not my favorite. I felt very out of place in class for some reason and nothing has truly come to the surface for me to blog about yet. So I will just begin:
Our guest speaker, Mary Thurlkill, did an amazing job presenting the foundations of Islam to us. For example, when she lectured about purity and brought up shaking hands between men and women she gave a personal example of interaction with her students. I greatly appreciated this because, as I think about it, if any man declined to shake my hand I would most likely be offended. But now I have a cultural perspective on a possible situation that may arise in the future and I will be able to consider it as a propriety and not an offense.
The class discussion was very difficult for me to engage in. Being the daughter of a Lutheran pastor, I have been surrounded by political and theological discussions and debates my entire life. So, although I have no formal education in the matters of my faith, I like to think I know enough to be informed and make decisions regarding the status of my church and how I should practice my beliefs. This makes me fairly comfortable discussing almost anything you could think of in relation to my perspective of God.
But class discussions on religion are different for me. I want to jump in and just "educate" people on what I know is the truth about God. I want to give them better facts than what they currently know. (Realize, I'm speaking in general and this is by no means aimed at anyone in particular in any way.) I want to introduce new perspectives. I want to give information! Mostly, I don't want to listen to a bunch of people who have absolutely no idea what is going on in my church (or my faith) discuss it. I don't mind speculation, I just prefer that it is conducted under an informed perspective rather than an ignorant one.
So... I just sit there with my mouth shut wondering if this is a time for me to "evangelize!" (Since, as a Christian, that is what I am called to do.) But I know better than that. I continue to sit there and listen to ignorant speculation and, in a way, I begin to feel a certain solidarity with Muslims in their current situation in the world. I feel very misunderstood and misinterpreted based on events I had no part in.
Although I appreciated the introduction to more "outside" cultures and religions, I honestly was disappointed that we didn't receive more education on the culture we live in. I would like to be more educated on objective differences between Lutherans and Catholics. I would like to know the historical differences between Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic. Why is there a rift in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America? These are the problems surrounding us right now. Affecting the people who live next door or that work with us. Why doesn't everyone know about them?
Because no one wants to. It's as simple as that. Honestly, sometimes, I don't want to. But when I tell people that I'm a PK (pastor's kid), I don't want them to write me off as a "Bible-thumper". I want them to understand that my philosophies on life will be grounded in my faith. I want them to understand that faith is as subjective as.. what kind of car you drive or the shoes you wear. But no one wants to know. If they did, they would know. They wouldn't take an Intercultural Communications class to learn about how their neighbor or co-worker or classmate feels about God. They would just ask.
So, yes, I was uncomfortable Tuesday night. Furthermore, it is really difficult for me to take in so much objective information about religions, faiths, and philosophies other than my own. I can't figure my own faith out at times, and there is so much controversy within my church that finding the truth is difficult! I can't begin to form opinions about or regarding other practices when my own are so controversial even to their own practitioners. For all I know, the same happens for them, as well. And if I feel isolated when uneducated people speculate about my faith, I wouldn't want to put someone else in my place by doing the same to them.
Anyway, this is my honest reflection from class Tuesday night the 25th. Again, I just want to state that these are general "blanket statement" feelings, and I'm certainly not holding grudges or anything. I hope by reading this post you've possibly gained new perspectives.
--
Coming Soon:
Family History Discussion
I value your honesty, Kara. I didn't touch on the Lutheran religion and Catholic religion because it is what we seem to 'know'. Do we always know the truth about those religions? No. However, I really felt it was important that we at least stick our toes in the water about religions that we know little about. Once we start to respect other cultures (like you said about Islam, a lot of the reasons we feel the way we do is because we do not know or understand).
ReplyDeleteI am sorry that we didn't touch on those two religions that we are surrounded by every day. However, I would like to challenge you. Maybe for your final project you examine those religions and you do a comparison. I think it would be a great project for you. It would give you an opportunity to take a deeper dive into both religions and try to find out the 'truth'.
Sometimes it is difficult to not open our mouths. I grew up in a very Catholic family (more so my grandparents than my parents). So, I know that side of things, but there are still many things that I do not know. I will also be the first to admit that I have had a bit of a falling away from the church in the past couple years. The only reason my husband and I got married in the Catholic Church was because my grandparents insisted on it.
Anyway, I really hope this 'unhappiness' drives you to discover more (and take it from the most objective view possible).