Sunday 27 March 2016

We need to believe

in each other. No, I am not about to go "all religious". I don't go to church. Perhaps I should but I don't. 
But I read the news feed this morning with a weary sense of "I've seen it all before" and "nothing has changed" and "when are people going to stop fighting each other" and...well, you get the point. I don't need to rave on about it.
Today though is Easter Sunday and although I would love to have the comfort of a strong belief in the actuality of the events being celebrated I haven't. I do believe in what those supposed events are supposed to teach us - the idea of service to others, of caring, of loving, of respecting, and looking out for each other. 
And that is why the news feed bothers me. There seems to be a lack of it. I fail miserably myself at times but, so far, I have had no problems resisting the temptation to kill someone else simply because they don't believe what I believe.
I  hope I never have a problem with Christmas or Easter,  Eid or Hanukah, or Divali or any other religious festival. What other people want to believe is fine by me as long as they don't tell me I have to believe it too.  In return I am not going to tell them what they have to believe. Fair?
I am not into the business of "saving souls" - the idea that only what I believe (or don't believe) is right. It would be pretty arrogant of me, especially when I have all those doubts myself.
But this morning I am bothered again. There was a short piece in the news feed about the death of a Muslim shopkeeper in Glasgow. He was apparently killed by a fellow Muslim for wishing Christians a Happy Easter. There is so much wrong with this. 
Are people so busy believing in their religion that they have forgotten to believe in each other?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Perhaps that is what it is!
Like you, I don't go to church, but back when I did I learned a bit about the ten commandments, which I remember as basically being nice to each other, do not harm each other and respect each other. I do believe that is the way we should treat each other.

Allison said...

After reading this post, I'm glad you've put in a request for that book we've talked about. I wasn't sure it would be your cup of tea but now I feel more strongly that you would enjoy her journey and thoughts.