I had this all set to go, until I read some comments on Facebook about what is happening in the U.S.. I KNEW I should have posted this blog last night! Now: a complete rewrite.
Hate is being peddled in the U.S.. It’s for sale and cheap. And fear? Fear is being handed out for free on every street corner, in every newspaper, every television station.
I read in this morning’s paper a sincere comment from a sincere woman, pointing out how important it really is to know President Obama’s religion because, after all, Islam is based on the Qur’an (“Koran”), which, according to the writer, “teaches the destruction of any government system contrary to Islamic beliefs.” Clearly she has never read the Qur’an. But she has learned to fear it.
Then I read the Facebook comments, about one of our politicians who appears to be building a huge career on fear and hate. She’s not alone of course. There are many politicians, as well as radio commentators, and newspaper columnists who are building their security on the fear of others. They seek to gain a following, if not love, by stoking the hatred of the “other.”
The question that those of us face, those who do not live our lives based on fear, and who do not build ourselves up by making the “other” into an object of fear is: how to react? Clearly there is an entire political party flummoxed by this question. It is not my desire or purpose to help them here.
But what about us? You and me? How do we react? I made a brief comment on the Facebook page. I made it because it’s hard to keep our balance in such times. And if the past is any indications, we really do need to keep our balance.
“There has always been an element of fear-mongering, and always an element of anti-intellectualism in the U.S. and really world-wide. But now there's also severe economic problems. The last era like this gave us Hitler (and less dramatically in the U.S. Huey Long). Hate is powerful. It has always been so. I think we need vocal, strong expressions of love to lighten the darkness.”
I did not mean to enter into my own version of fear-mongering. But the patterns between now and the pre-Hitler years give one pause. The “evil Jew” gave Hitler the glue he needed, just as the “evil Muslim” is giving many traction when they really have little if anything else to offer. The only fear I have right now, is the fear that FDR warned us of nearly 100 years ago. The only thing to fear is fear itself.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., admittedly a man whom I admire greatly, wrote, “Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” And anyone who feels that love cannot be strong and vocal needs to revisit the work of Dr. King.
That is why I would urge that we reply to the fear and hate with “vocal, strong, expressions of love.” That, as Dr. King reminds us, is the only way to lighten the darkness.
Which does indeed bring me to Interfaith. It is assuredly not the only way to bring light. But it is a good way, a strong way, and a loving way.
What is it to be called to Interfaith? It is to be called to the understanding of our common humanity. It is to be called to the realization that there is no “them” – that we are all a part of us. It is to be called to embrace the love that all of our varying spiritual paths have been begging us to embrace for thousands of years.
What is it to LIVE Interfaith? It is not simply to talk with people of varying faiths from behind the comforting walls of right belief. It is not to peep over the wall and wave. It is not simply to work on a project with people who do not share our faith. And to live Interfaith is not simply to come together once or twice a month to share sacred space. To LIVE Interfaith is to live it twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. To LIVE Interfaith is bring in and hold close to our hearts the reality that we are all, all in this together.
There is no them. There is only us. This is the call of Interfaith. It is becoming an increasingly urgent call.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Hate Will Triumpth If We Let It: But We Don't Have To!
This will be a somewhat bifurcated blog … the first part re-engaging a storm within our country, the second part a reminder, as much to myself as anyone else, not to be swept away by that storm. It’s rather long. But there’s a lot to say.
I observe the sickening virulence of anti-Islamic fever ravaging our country and, as a student of history, I can’t help but be reminded that this has all happened before. The tradition of the “scapegoat” is ancient. The original concept, as can be read in Hebrew Scripture, is that a goat, a scapegoat, is taken. Our sins and troubles are dumped onto the goat by a the Priest. The goat is then killed and burned as an offering and we become guiltless again. Great for us. Rather hard on the goat.
It always struck me as ironic that Jews, who started the scapegoat thing going, have been used more than any other humans as “scapegoats” for other humans. There’s a plague? Kill some Jews or at least deport them, that will solve it. Feeling unworthy? Kill some Jews or at least deport them, that will solve it. Economic problems? Kill some Jews, or at least deport them. That will solve it. I listen to the various rantings, not only about Muslims but about Hispanics and realize it’s all rooted in history. Throughout history, people have tried to “solve” their economic problems by discriminating against and, when possible, throwing out someone weaker than they. In the United States, the Irish faced it when they fled the famine to come here. So have many, many others. And lest we forget, the people who arrived at Plymouth Rock were undocumented aliens.
Still, it was left to Hitler to “perfect” the system. All of Germany’s problems were because of the Jews. Kill them. Drive them off. Do this and everything will be fine. Stalin joined Hitler, expanding his prison and death camps to include a broader swathe of “intellectuals.”
Hitler and Stalin had something else in common. They “perfected” the big lie. Say something patently absurd and completely wrong. Say it loud enough. Say it often enough. And not only will large numbers of people believe you, but those who don’t will be cowed into silence.
Today, channeling both Hitler and Stalin, comes a part of a political party that feels no shame in proclaiming that which is patently absurd and completely wrong. They have learned to say it loud and often. And if we have learned nothing else from history, we ought to have learned by now that we who know it to be wrong must not be silent. We know that. But where are our voices? Our public voices?
Eboo Patel wrote a wonderfully reassuring, if perhaps a shade optimistic, piece called “America’s promise meant for everyone” that in effect reminds us that “this too will pass.” My respect for Mr. Patel, his intellect, his dedication and his work is unbounded. But I am moved to ask, how many lives will be damaged, how many people hurt before “this too” passes? It is indeed a time for hope. But it is also a time for action.
In my August 16th blog (http://www.livinginterfaith.org/ "Steven's Blog") I talked about how freedom of religion is being undermined in this country. I spoke of the willful and malevolent equating of Al Qaeda to Islam. I pointed out that this is the same as damning all of Christianity for the evil worked by the KKK. Collective guilt. It’s what allowed the U.S. government to sanction putting Japanese Americans into prisons (“internment camps”). Mr. Patel references this too, but he passes to quickly over it with the calming reassurance that “this too passed.” But lives were destroyed before it passed. Just as lives were destroyed by McCarthyism before it too “passed.” Lives will be destroyed before the sickness that is sweeping much too much of this country passes unless those of us who know it to be wrong speak up.
This takes me to the second part of this blog. I had a wonderful visit with a long time friend last week. In her nineties, she can no longer see. She can’t see the organ keyboard that she could once play so beautifully. She can no longer see the words in the books she once read so voraciously. Today I got a final e-mail from her saying that even with all the modern wonders available, she could no longer use a computer and was giving it up.
But what is so wonderful about this amazing lady is not what she has given up, but what she still does! She still reads. She gets books on tape and thus still reads voraciously. She has music on CDs and thus still is involved with music. She can’t watch, but she listens to the news and still stays deeply involved in the issues that have engaged her for the ninety plus years she has been gracing this planet.
Too often we, and I absolutely include myself in that we, become overwhelmed by what we cannot do. Anne is a reminder to me that this is a waste of time. What we need to ask ourselves is what CAN we do? And actually, that’s the easy part. Then we need to do it!!
I once took out a full page ad regarding the war in Iraq. I did it after weeks of bemoaning what I could not do. In all honesty, I was also afraid. What would happen if I made myself “noticed.?” But I felt I had no choice, applied what writing skills I had, bit the huge financial bullet and took out the ad. For me, at that moment, DOING something rather than bemoaning “What can I do?” was more important than my retirement savings, more important than the hate messages I indeed did receive, by e-mail and over the phone.
I’m am pointedly NOT suggesting we all raid our retirements. But what I am suggesting is that sitting by while demagogues wage a mindless war on Islam (some appear to be doing it for money, others because hate is SUCH a potent political weapon), we must not stand by. Nor can we afford to take comfort in “this too shall pass.”
Most of us aren’t in office. Most of us don’t have the money to take out huge ads (I could only afford to do it once). The point is NOT to dwell on what we cannot do, but to consider what we can do … and then do it. The time to act is now.
What can we do? We can write letters to the editor. We can send whatever $ we can to candidates for public office who would not tar an entire religion because of the evil deeds of fanatics. We can visit a local mosque, just to say “Hello” and say “I may not be Muslim, but I believe in America, I believe in freedom of religion, and I believe in your right to pray as you feel called.” Oh, and you can also go to http://www.waronprayer.org/ and sign the petition.
Please, don’t bemoan what you cannot do. Take strength and courage from what you can do.
I observe the sickening virulence of anti-Islamic fever ravaging our country and, as a student of history, I can’t help but be reminded that this has all happened before. The tradition of the “scapegoat” is ancient. The original concept, as can be read in Hebrew Scripture, is that a goat, a scapegoat, is taken. Our sins and troubles are dumped onto the goat by a the Priest. The goat is then killed and burned as an offering and we become guiltless again. Great for us. Rather hard on the goat.
It always struck me as ironic that Jews, who started the scapegoat thing going, have been used more than any other humans as “scapegoats” for other humans. There’s a plague? Kill some Jews or at least deport them, that will solve it. Feeling unworthy? Kill some Jews or at least deport them, that will solve it. Economic problems? Kill some Jews, or at least deport them. That will solve it. I listen to the various rantings, not only about Muslims but about Hispanics and realize it’s all rooted in history. Throughout history, people have tried to “solve” their economic problems by discriminating against and, when possible, throwing out someone weaker than they. In the United States, the Irish faced it when they fled the famine to come here. So have many, many others. And lest we forget, the people who arrived at Plymouth Rock were undocumented aliens.
Still, it was left to Hitler to “perfect” the system. All of Germany’s problems were because of the Jews. Kill them. Drive them off. Do this and everything will be fine. Stalin joined Hitler, expanding his prison and death camps to include a broader swathe of “intellectuals.”
Hitler and Stalin had something else in common. They “perfected” the big lie. Say something patently absurd and completely wrong. Say it loud enough. Say it often enough. And not only will large numbers of people believe you, but those who don’t will be cowed into silence.
Today, channeling both Hitler and Stalin, comes a part of a political party that feels no shame in proclaiming that which is patently absurd and completely wrong. They have learned to say it loud and often. And if we have learned nothing else from history, we ought to have learned by now that we who know it to be wrong must not be silent. We know that. But where are our voices? Our public voices?
Eboo Patel wrote a wonderfully reassuring, if perhaps a shade optimistic, piece called “America’s promise meant for everyone” that in effect reminds us that “this too will pass.” My respect for Mr. Patel, his intellect, his dedication and his work is unbounded. But I am moved to ask, how many lives will be damaged, how many people hurt before “this too” passes? It is indeed a time for hope. But it is also a time for action.
In my August 16th blog (http://www.livinginterfaith.org/ "Steven's Blog") I talked about how freedom of religion is being undermined in this country. I spoke of the willful and malevolent equating of Al Qaeda to Islam. I pointed out that this is the same as damning all of Christianity for the evil worked by the KKK. Collective guilt. It’s what allowed the U.S. government to sanction putting Japanese Americans into prisons (“internment camps”). Mr. Patel references this too, but he passes to quickly over it with the calming reassurance that “this too passed.” But lives were destroyed before it passed. Just as lives were destroyed by McCarthyism before it too “passed.” Lives will be destroyed before the sickness that is sweeping much too much of this country passes unless those of us who know it to be wrong speak up.
This takes me to the second part of this blog. I had a wonderful visit with a long time friend last week. In her nineties, she can no longer see. She can’t see the organ keyboard that she could once play so beautifully. She can no longer see the words in the books she once read so voraciously. Today I got a final e-mail from her saying that even with all the modern wonders available, she could no longer use a computer and was giving it up.
But what is so wonderful about this amazing lady is not what she has given up, but what she still does! She still reads. She gets books on tape and thus still reads voraciously. She has music on CDs and thus still is involved with music. She can’t watch, but she listens to the news and still stays deeply involved in the issues that have engaged her for the ninety plus years she has been gracing this planet.
Too often we, and I absolutely include myself in that we, become overwhelmed by what we cannot do. Anne is a reminder to me that this is a waste of time. What we need to ask ourselves is what CAN we do? And actually, that’s the easy part. Then we need to do it!!
I once took out a full page ad regarding the war in Iraq. I did it after weeks of bemoaning what I could not do. In all honesty, I was also afraid. What would happen if I made myself “noticed.?” But I felt I had no choice, applied what writing skills I had, bit the huge financial bullet and took out the ad. For me, at that moment, DOING something rather than bemoaning “What can I do?” was more important than my retirement savings, more important than the hate messages I indeed did receive, by e-mail and over the phone.
I’m am pointedly NOT suggesting we all raid our retirements. But what I am suggesting is that sitting by while demagogues wage a mindless war on Islam (some appear to be doing it for money, others because hate is SUCH a potent political weapon), we must not stand by. Nor can we afford to take comfort in “this too shall pass.”
Most of us aren’t in office. Most of us don’t have the money to take out huge ads (I could only afford to do it once). The point is NOT to dwell on what we cannot do, but to consider what we can do … and then do it. The time to act is now.
What can we do? We can write letters to the editor. We can send whatever $ we can to candidates for public office who would not tar an entire religion because of the evil deeds of fanatics. We can visit a local mosque, just to say “Hello” and say “I may not be Muslim, but I believe in America, I believe in freedom of religion, and I believe in your right to pray as you feel called.” Oh, and you can also go to http://www.waronprayer.org/ and sign the petition.
Please, don’t bemoan what you cannot do. Take strength and courage from what you can do.
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