Why can't we talk about faith?
by Keron Cato
TheStar.com
Unless you are among fellow believers at a religious gathering, the quickest way to clear a room or create an enemy is to begin talking about religion. It's like turning a light on in a room full of cockroaches. They all scatter in various directions. Even worse, passions can flare and horrible insults be exchanged.
Such is the state of religion in polite (secular) Canadian society. We go on and on about freedom of religion and free speech, but when it comes right down to it, we are guilty of stifling that very freedom. We are afraid of religious dialogue, and even more afraid of certain people of faith, especially when they hold strong views contrary to our own values.
You know the people I'm talking about. They're the ones we consider old-fashioned, archaic, backward, regressive, crazy and, even worse, worthless. They're not like us. So we dismiss them as being strange and foolish.
In preparation for this column, I decided to retrieve the thoughts of my closest buds about faith in Canadian society. One friend, who describes herself as an agnostic, said that in Canada "it's whatever floats your boat" when it comes to faith and religion. My Hindu friend loves the fact that she has never been discriminated against based on her religion. However, she does sigh at the fact that her religion has been reduced in the minds of many to a thing of fantasy and mysticism. This could explain the recent Fashion Cares faux pas, when Hindu religious imagery was appropriated for a fashion show in what the community regarded as a degrading and insulting way. Another friend said she'd get back to me but neglected to do so.
I sensed discomfort. Let's just say that my little survey was the shortest one in history. Before long, we had moved on to something we can all agree about, food. Nothing will create a bond like sharing some idle conversation over a good meal.
And therein lies the problem with faith in Canadian culture. Although Canadians like to think of themselves as tolerant and open-minded, we are only truly tolerant of things we can identify with. Everything else leaves us running for the dark when the light is turned on.
Worse yet, we are becoming a nation that has come to equate agreement with tolerance and acceptance. To disagree, especially vocally, is to be intolerant and hateful. How else would you explain the horrible name calling directed toward prominent religious and political figures as well as religious institutions that opposed same-sex marriage and fought to keep the traditional definition alive? Why is it so easy for us to dismiss religion as a source of hate and intolerance, but not secular institutions and laws? Why are we so quick to blame society's ills on religion and the faithful?
The answer is simple. Faith and religion are easy targets. They intrinsically hold a great deal of power over the human mind and life. Faith operates on a different level than any other human attribute. It asks us to go beyond, far beyond, our human state and to believe in a power much greater than ourselves. That is difficult for many people to grasp, even frightening to some.
Where does that leave faith in our increasingly secular and liberal Canada, where almost anything goes? Not in a good place. Not when it comes to the borderline where religion and secularism meet. While there are many issues on which religion and the secular world can agree, there are many where they cannot and likely never will.
Faith and religion put limits on human behaviour. Secularism and liberalism seemingly do not. Therefore, the two worlds will always have disagreement and, at times, serious conflict. The trick is to find ways in which both can live together in peace, even when they do not agree. It is not the responsibility of one side, such as the faithful, to do the mending in this relationship. Both sides must work at it. As the saying goes, "you can't clap with one hand."
The struggle over the redefinition of marriage has left many in the faith community slightly disillusioned with the democratic process and even moreso with the idea of religious freedom. Many in the faith community say that when contentious issues are put to the test, religion always loses.
Anyone who values freedom and democracy and human rights should find that extremely disturbing. We have work to do. Let us not shut out people of faith in the name of political correctness or human rights. After all, the faithful are human as well and their rights can and have been violated throughout history. Let us love one another, even when we completely disagree on serious issues.
TheStar.com
Unless you are among fellow believers at a religious gathering, the quickest way to clear a room or create an enemy is to begin talking about religion. It's like turning a light on in a room full of cockroaches. They all scatter in various directions. Even worse, passions can flare and horrible insults be exchanged.
Such is the state of religion in polite (secular) Canadian society. We go on and on about freedom of religion and free speech, but when it comes right down to it, we are guilty of stifling that very freedom. We are afraid of religious dialogue, and even more afraid of certain people of faith, especially when they hold strong views contrary to our own values.
You know the people I'm talking about. They're the ones we consider old-fashioned, archaic, backward, regressive, crazy and, even worse, worthless. They're not like us. So we dismiss them as being strange and foolish.
In preparation for this column, I decided to retrieve the thoughts of my closest buds about faith in Canadian society. One friend, who describes herself as an agnostic, said that in Canada "it's whatever floats your boat" when it comes to faith and religion. My Hindu friend loves the fact that she has never been discriminated against based on her religion. However, she does sigh at the fact that her religion has been reduced in the minds of many to a thing of fantasy and mysticism. This could explain the recent Fashion Cares faux pas, when Hindu religious imagery was appropriated for a fashion show in what the community regarded as a degrading and insulting way. Another friend said she'd get back to me but neglected to do so.
I sensed discomfort. Let's just say that my little survey was the shortest one in history. Before long, we had moved on to something we can all agree about, food. Nothing will create a bond like sharing some idle conversation over a good meal.
And therein lies the problem with faith in Canadian culture. Although Canadians like to think of themselves as tolerant and open-minded, we are only truly tolerant of things we can identify with. Everything else leaves us running for the dark when the light is turned on.
Worse yet, we are becoming a nation that has come to equate agreement with tolerance and acceptance. To disagree, especially vocally, is to be intolerant and hateful. How else would you explain the horrible name calling directed toward prominent religious and political figures as well as religious institutions that opposed same-sex marriage and fought to keep the traditional definition alive? Why is it so easy for us to dismiss religion as a source of hate and intolerance, but not secular institutions and laws? Why are we so quick to blame society's ills on religion and the faithful?
The answer is simple. Faith and religion are easy targets. They intrinsically hold a great deal of power over the human mind and life. Faith operates on a different level than any other human attribute. It asks us to go beyond, far beyond, our human state and to believe in a power much greater than ourselves. That is difficult for many people to grasp, even frightening to some.
Where does that leave faith in our increasingly secular and liberal Canada, where almost anything goes? Not in a good place. Not when it comes to the borderline where religion and secularism meet. While there are many issues on which religion and the secular world can agree, there are many where they cannot and likely never will.
Faith and religion put limits on human behaviour. Secularism and liberalism seemingly do not. Therefore, the two worlds will always have disagreement and, at times, serious conflict. The trick is to find ways in which both can live together in peace, even when they do not agree. It is not the responsibility of one side, such as the faithful, to do the mending in this relationship. Both sides must work at it. As the saying goes, "you can't clap with one hand."
The struggle over the redefinition of marriage has left many in the faith community slightly disillusioned with the democratic process and even moreso with the idea of religious freedom. Many in the faith community say that when contentious issues are put to the test, religion always loses.
Anyone who values freedom and democracy and human rights should find that extremely disturbing. We have work to do. Let us not shut out people of faith in the name of political correctness or human rights. After all, the faithful are human as well and their rights can and have been violated throughout history. Let us love one another, even when we completely disagree on serious issues.
Labels: Hindu Human Rights
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