Religion
Questions 31-40
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THE QUESTION:
RE40: What is the religious/cultural significance of the
temporary skin-painting done on the hands and arms of Indian women? I
desire as detailed an answer as possible.
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
L.A., 29, white female, Boston, MA
ANSWER 1:
Indian women, like many other Eastern women (Arabs, for
example), consider the hand painting a sign of beauty and decoration.
This is customarily done at times of weddings, engagements or other
celebrations. It is a widespread cultural practice in the Eastern
world not limited to Indian women.
POSTED JUNE 30, 1998
Ali S., 23, Indian
<alis87@hotmail.com>,
Los Angeles, CA
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
RE39: Why do people in some Asian cultures shave the heads of
their babies on or around their first birthday? What is the
cultural/religious significance? I desire as detailed an answer as
possible.
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
L.A., 29, white female, Boston, MA
ANSWER 1:
I am from Thailand, where this custom is still practiced
widely. The hair is shaved more for hygienic reasons, as the climate
in our country is very humid. The head is not completely shaved -
usually a patch covering the crown is left. This is to protect the
head, as the crown is still not fully formed in the child's first
year. In choosing a child's hairstyle, parents will give a couple of
clay dolls with differing hairstyles to the child (some with pigtails
or topknot, or as many as three to four knots of hair). The child
will choose one style for himself/herself.
POSTED JULY 23, 1998
K.P., Chinese-Thai, Bangkok
FURTHER NOTICE:
Vietnamese people believe they will grow thicker and nicer
hair once it has been shaved. As a matter of fact, my wife is wanting
to do this to our six-month-old twin boys.
POSTED DEC. 9, 1998
John, 28, Vietnamese
<jvu@iex.com>, Dallas, TX
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
RE38: What is the religious/cultural significance of the dot
on the forehead of Indian females? How do they get it there? Is it
tatooed, painted or stick-on? What would happen if they neglected to
put it on? I desire as detailed an answer as possible.
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
L.A., 29, white female, Boston, MA
(Similar question posted Aug. 4, 1998, by Shelby M., Charlotte,
NC)
ANSWER 1:
Traditionally, the dot on the forehead was a symbol of
marriage. A woman, once married, has to wear the dot just like you
wear a wedding ring. I think different communities have different
traditions regarding which color should be used if you are not
married or widowed. Today, that symbolism has largely vanished, and
the dot is simply a beauty accoutrement for Indian girls and women,
much like lipstick or eye-shadow. The dot can be put on in many ways:
A liquid that washes off, a powder that will easily come off, or,
most popular with the younger women and girls, stickers in a variety
of colors and shapes. You stick it on, you can take 'em off and after
a few times, the stickiness will be gone, so you throw it away and
use a new one.
POSTED JULY 1, 1998
P.K.M., 29, Indian, Berkeley, CA
FURTHER NOTICE:
The "tika" mark worn by most adult Indian women on their
forehead is usually made of a red vermilion paste, ash or sandalwood,
and is not permanent. It can be applied by the woman to denote her
Hindu sect (different colors), or can be applied by a priest as a
blessing. Sometimes they are in the shape of three horizontal lines
(followers of Shiva), and vertical lines (followers of Vishnu). On a
man, the mark is known as a "Tilak." The tika mark in the shape of a
dot is known as a "bindi" and is worn to signify that a woman is
married.
POSTED JULY 1, 1998
Martin J.
<gshrzarmod@aol.com>,
Salinas, CA
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
This is not a symbol relegated only to Indian females, by
the way. In a traditional Korean wedding ceremony, the bride has
vermillion dots placed on the middle of her forehead, as well as her
cheeks.
POSTED NOV. 9, 1998
Female Asian, New York, NY
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
RE37: Director's Paraphrase: John L. of Calgary, Alberta,
Canada, has asked a question related to reports of wife-burning by
Hindu males. Specifically, he asks why this would done to a woman
"just because she gave you daughters instead of sons? Both genders of
children are equally deserving of love and to cherish, and I don't
understand how this type of blame can be placed on one spouse's
ability to produce one or the other gender."
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
ANSWER 1:
In most poorer, non-Western, highly agricultural
societies, there is no such thing as retirement pensions or social
security. Most people are extremely poor and the only security in old
age is their children. In many of these cultures, women have no
rights. They exist to marry and have children. They cannot go to
school, work decent jobs or own property. Economically, a baby boy is
the top prize, while a girl is just an unnecessary drain on the
family's resources. The cards are stacked even more against girls by
simple physiology. Boys have higher mortality rates, which ups the
ante considerably. And finally, if the government engages in a
"population control" program, female genocide in general becomes
quite widespread. In China, for instance, each couple gets one child,
period. The result is forced abortion, infanticide, female
circumcision (mutilating the female genitalia to make sex too painful
to engage in), forced sterilization, etc. If the girl survives to
adulthood, she marries and becomes the property of the husband. If
she does not deliver the goods, it's his legal perogative to abandon
her, divorce her or have her killed. Religion is usually part of the
undergirding social structure and can contribute to the situation,
but it's usually not the prime motivation.
POSTED MAY 7, 1998
Peter P., Roman Catholic, Redford, MI
FURTHER NOTICE:
I am not sure exactly what this question is referring to:
The Hindu "custom" of sati, wherein a wife commits suicide (on his
funeral pyre) when the husband dies, or some report of a wife being
burned by an angry husband? If the latter, it is a deplorable case of
wife abuse, a human-rights violation, murder, etc. We shouldn't try
to find cultural reasons or justifications for it, such as the
response above, by lumping all sorts of non-Western "traditions"
together. For example, female circumcision is practiced in some
countries in Africa. This has nothing to do with China's "one child"
policy, which in turn has little to do with India, since India is
neither an African country nor has a one child policy. If the
question is regarding sati, then it would be useful to realize that
this practice has never been a universally accepted Hindu custom by
any stretch. It is thought to have been common many centuries ago,
with a particular group of people in a particular region of India,
and there are sound explanations for why it came to be even there.
But it is not something the majoriity of Hindus have ever practiced,
and it is certainly condemned today by 99.9 percent of practicing
Hindus.
POSTED JULY 1, 1998
P.K.M., 29, Indian, Berkeley, CA
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
RE36: Adam and Eve had to have mated with their children, or
their children had to have mated with each other. Doesn't the Bible
say incest is wrong? Isn't incest how things had to have been
started?
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
M. Simon, Port Huron, MI
ANSWER 1:
Starting from a population of two (Eden) or eight
(post-flood), there will have to be marriage between close relatives.
You will not find any commandment against incest until Moses led the
Jews out of Egypt. By that time, all cultures had sufficient
population to support themselves genetically. Incest only seems to
have become genetically dangerous after the flood, if you look at the
life spans given in the Bible.
POSTED MAY 26, 1998
C. Pepmiller, 40, Christian
<craig@more.net>, MO
FURTHER NOTICE:
If one believes the myth of Adam and Eve, then you are 100
percent correct. St. Augustine certainly believed it, noting that
antipodes (people on the other side of the Earth) could not exist
because there was no way the original two people could have produced
them. I believe many now consider the story an allegory, not of two
people, but creation of the world and all people. But I could be
wrong.
POSTED MAY 26, 1998
Ed H., 56, white male, history student
<EdHam@aol.com>, Silver
Springs, FL
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
RE35: I grew up baptized as Protestant, but received virtually
no religious training, though we observed Christmas and I know a
little about that holiday. My question: How do Christians feel about
the Bible? It strikes me as such a huge book to get to know, and I
wonder how people use it for guidance. Do you study it over and over
even when your life is busy? Or did you study it just as a kid? I
especially want to know how people distinguish between the things to
take literally and those figuratively. It would also be helpful for
answerers to say if they consider themselves to be devout, lightly
practicing or non-practicing.
POSTED APRIL 29, 1998
N.P., 35, African-American male
Philadelphia, PA
ANSWER 1:
I am a devout Methodist and have studied the Bible always,
but far more as an adult than as a child. While it is helpful to be
familiar with the language and concepts from an early age, the Bible
is not a children's book. Much of my Bible study during very busy
times in my life was simply showing up at services and hearing the
Bible read there. "Lectionary" churches read specified passages each
Sunday of the year. Each Sunday, millions of Christians in different
denominations worldwide listen to exactly the same passages. I would
imagine you can also find an adult Bible study group through a church
in your community. There is a fine book recently published
specifically for people who don't feel comfortable reading the Bible:
The Good Book by Peter J. Gomes, who is also an African
American raised as a Protestant. He addresses many of the highly
controversial aspects of the Bible and explains major disagreements
that arise among sincere Bible-believing Christians.
POSTED MAY 6, 1998
Chris G.,
<caguldi@flash.net>,
Dallas, TX
FURTHER NOTICE:
As a not-as-devout-as-I-want-to-be Catholic, the Bible is
the basis for Christianity and just a great read in general. It seems
like a ponderous tome, but the basic message of the whole book is
summed up in John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His
only begotten Son to die for us, that whosoever believes in Him shall
have eternal life" (Now you know what those signs at football games
mean). A great deal of the book is action narrative that tells this
story using a number of surprisingly flawed characters. Most people
are surprised to find that the book of Genesis has more illicit
sexual encounters than a good episode of "Melrose Place." The rest of
the book fills out this idea and what it means to us today through
poetry, theological discourse and a number of other literary
approaches. As to how you decide what is literal and what is
figurative, that is what theologians do based on context,
archeaology, varied critical methods, Jewish and early Christian
tradition, etc. Even the study of the history of scriptural
interpretation is quite interesting, and Catholics entrust the
decision of what is "proper interpretation" to the authority of the
Church, while Protestants do not. However, no matter how you slice
it, the basic message is clear, and there is no ambiguity.
POSTED MAY 7, 1998
Peter P., Roman Catholic
<PPROUT20@aol.com>,
Redford, MI
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
It's sad to say, but most religious people have never read
through the core writings for their faith. I suspect a great deal of
hardship would be eliminated if everyone did their reading. I decided
a few years ago to read through the Bible. I bought a "One Year
Bible" and, after some fitful starts, I'm nearly done. I plan to
continue until I get tired of the one-year format and then change to
some other organized plan. I know someone who decided to read "Think
and Grow Rich" each year. He read, then started to practice ... and
is now a millionaire at 40. He is also divorced and living in a
wealth-conserving shack. I decided the Bible would encourage a far
more balanced life. If you are interested in Christianity, read the
basics. It's taking me about 40 minutes a day, and I consider it well
worth it.
POSTED MAY 23, 1998
C. Pepmiller, 40, Christian
<craig@more.net>,
Missouri
FURTHER NOTICE 3:
I have found that simply reading the Scriptures for 10
minutes a day, every day, right before I go to sleep, helps a lot. Of
course, you can pick a different time, like five, 15, 20 or something
else. I also like to memorize Scriptures I like or that have a
special meaning to me. You can start at Genesis and work your way
through, or read a certain section, like the Beatitudes or the Book
of Isaiah, if you feel that particular part of the Bible could help
you in your life at the time. Scripture study classes also help
immensely.
POSTED JUNE 15, 1998
Rachel J., 14, Christian
<fredjudd@aol.com>,
Irvine, CA
FURTHER NOTICE 4:
Sometimes, in times of trouble and desperation, I will
grab my Bible and randomly open it to a page and read the first
paragraph I see. Amazingly, what I have read often has significance
to my problem, and these instances occur more than can be explained
by probability. However, I must admit that most often I open the book
near the middle (not consciously) where the books of Psalms and
Proverbs are located. These can be considered the "advice" section of
the Bible, in that they offer simple instructions on a wide variety
of problems.
POSTED AUG. 31, 1998
J.C. <JPPC3@aol.com>,
Naperville, IL
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
RE34: Many customs associated with holidays have their origins
in pagan holidays and beliefs. Why do non-pagans seem to readily
incorporate some pre-Christian customs (the Easter bunny, Easter
eggs, Christmas trees, Yule logs, wassailing, Candlemas,
Jack-o-Lanterns, trick-or-treating, May baskets, May poles, wheat
weaving, corn dollies, etc.) while other pagan customs often engender
fear or strong opposition (Goddess, pentagrams, tarot cards,
balefires, chanting, covens, circle casting, dumb supper, sabbats,
etc.)? I do not see this fear associated as much with the more
unfamiliar customs of other minority religions in the United States.
(Hindu, Shinto, Buddhist, etc.) as with Wicca and Voudou (proper for
"Voodoo").
POSTED APRIL 28, 1998
WitchWomon, Dianic witch
<WitchWomon@aol.com>,
Southfield, MI
ANSWER 1:
I agree with you that Christians celebrating non-Christian
festivals does seem weird, especially if they are so anti-Paganism. I
think a lot of it stems from not knowing the origins of these
festivals or refusing to believe the truth about them (my
grandparents, for example). However, I can see a big difference
between the first list of Pagan "accepted" traditions and most of the
second list of "non-accepted" traditions. The accepted traditions are
more to do with charms protecting yourself from evil, whereas the
second list includes practices that are supposed to be able to cause
things to happen - for either good or bad. I do have friends who are
strict Christians and they don't celebrate Halloween, but I think
they still celebrate Easter with eggs and rabbits!
POSTED APRIL 29, 1998
Beth, Edinburgh, UK
FURTHER NOTICE:
To WitchWomon: As a seminary student 20 years ago, I had
the same questions. Then I found a book titled "Babylon Mystery
Religion." It changed my whole outlook, beliefs and method of study
concerning the Bible and modern traditions. As a result, I do not
celebrate accepted modern "Christian" holidays.
Here is my reasoning: The Bible was written by Jews, living in
Jewish communities, following Jewish customs and traditions. When I
applied this line of thinking to my study of the Scripture, it
changed my whole understanding of what was written down. Until the
rule of Constantine the Roman emperor, early Christians followed
Judaisam with the understanding that the Messiah had indeed come for
their "atonement." Constantine made Christianity a state religion,
but with his own traditions. Anyone found following Jewish traditions
was killed. So early Christians found ways to identify their beliefs
with pagan, e.g. Passover was switched for Easter.
My opinion is that they fully intended to go back to their
original ways of worship when Constantine died, but as we see today,
that never happened. Now, modern Christians so thoroughly identify
with these holidays that it is nearly impossible to change. Coupled
with the fact that we have so many fond memories of these holidays as
children, to change would be painful, almost a betrayal to their
families. I have a question for you: I was a little surprised to see
that you (a proclaimed witch) identified non-pagans with Christians
and non-Christians with pagans. Can you explain?
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
Steve N., 40
<blaster7@hotmail.com.>,
Dallas
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
I believe the answer to your question is stated in your
question: The numerous holiday-related events/symbols aren't
frightening because they have been "borrowed" into Christianity as a
means of converting pagan peoples into Christianity. Other symbols -
pentagrams, goddess, etc .- were both not assimilated into
Christianity and were vehemently propagandized against in an effort
to squelch "witchcraft" (Wiccan or otherwise). Buddhism, Hinduism,
etc. were never serious opponents to then-new Christianity because of
their distance from the European center, broadly defined.
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
Lilstar, Wiccan male, Huntington, WV
FURTHER NOTICE 3:
I suspect it has nothing to do with the origin of the
practice(s) and everything to do with marketing and the media. I
lived in Japan for three years, where a majority of people follow the
Buddhist or Shinto religions. Christmas is very big there -
decorations and music and gift-giving, etc. (The life-sized statues
of Col. Sanders outside the KFCs get dressed up as Santa). I don't
know how this got started, but it is obviously not in a religious
(e.g., Christian) context.
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
D.M.S., female, 30, Jacksonville, FL
FURTHER NOTICE 4:
I am a Christian and well aware of the pagan origins of
the aforementioned holiday symbols. I couldn't care less about it
because it is simply fun to celebrate in those fashions. My children
get Easter baskets, go trick-or-treating and receive Christmas
presents. So what?
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
J.R. <exwob@aol.com>,
Riverview, MI
FURTHER NOTICE 5:
I am a Christian. You have included some things in your
question that you have called pagan celebrations, such as Christmas
presents and Easter eggs. The tradition of Christmas presents came
about because of the gifts brought to our Lord on his birth, and
Easter eggs were given as a representation of "New Life" after his
resurrection. I do not let my child celebrate other pagan holidays
such as Halloween. This is a holiday that celebrates evil and demonic
things.
POSTED MAY 3, 1998
M. Mauldin, 27, Christian white female, Birmingham, AL
FURTHER NOTICE 6:
To Steve N.: I'm not sure how you inferred your question
from what I posted, since I did not imply what you are inferring.
While Christians are non-pagan and pagans are non-Christian, there
are many who are neither Christian nor pagan (Jewish, Muslim,
agnostic, atheist, etc.). Besides Christians, many people who
consider themselves neither Christian nor pagan still celebrate the
holiday customs mentioned, which is fine with me.
I just wish some people were no more fearful of and more
respectful toward other Wiccan practices as they seem to be of the
religious practices of other religions. It is not logical that the
concept of Goddess should be more disdainful than that of God, or
that Wiccan chanting should be any more fear-inducing than Buddhist
chanting, or that a coven sabbat should be any more frightening than
a Shinto ritual. Some folks who would never dream of picketing a
mosque or synagogue seem to have no conpunction at all about opposing
a Beltane or Samhain ritual. How best to overcome that fear is the
question. Hopefully, this Y? Forum will help.
POSTED MAY 3, 1998
WitchWomon, Dianic witch
<WitchWomon@aol.com>,
Southfield, MI
FURTHER NOTICE 7:
I feel pagan holidays and pagan ways have been given a bad
rap through the ages. All you ever hear about witchcraft is tied up
in Satanism and evil, which is kind of funny because I have never
heard of a wiccan or pagan group that believes in Satan. Although
pagan holidays were apparently combined with the Christian religion
to make the transformation over to Christian ways easier, some of the
pagan gods were used as the new Christian devils.
POSTED MAY 3, 1998
Dave O., Hazel Park, MI
FURTHER NOTICE 8:
The origins of a festival or date are irrelevant. In
modern Christianity, a festival is a symbol or landmark of an
important event: That is its only importance. OK, the selection of
the date might, hidden by the mists of time, be pagan. However, it is
celebrated as a Christian ceremony, and that is what people who
observe it are focusing on. The symbols of a festival are a bit
funnier. If Bible Belt Christians were halfway aware that they adorn
their houses with pagan fertility symbols at Easter, I guess you'd
sell fewer Easter bunnies in Texas. But bunnies and chicks are
cuddly. Halloween demons are not.
POSTED MAY 4, 1998
Trailer
<trailer99@hotmail.com>,
Chatham, UK
FURTHER NOTICE 9:
To M. Mauldin (Further Notice 5): The practice of leaving
gifts under the Christmas tree originated from the Norse custom of
leaving gifts for Odin under the tallest tree in the forest at the
winter solstice.
Easter is named after the old goddess of fertility, Oestre. The
origin of Easter eggs and bunnies was this: After a long winter,
Oestre was walking through the woods when she heard the first bird of
spring singing. She rewarded the bird by giving it the form of a
rabbit. The bird was so happy with its new shape that she laid a nest
of brightly colored eggs as a gift for Oestre.
The pagans refused to give up their holidays and traditions when
Christianity forbade them, so the early Christian church co-opted the
holidays in an attempt to convert more people.
POSTED MAY 9, 1998
Colette
<inkwolf@earthlink.net>,
Seymour, WI
FURTHER NOTICE 10:
Dear WitchWomon: First, my apology. I did not understand
your usage of "pagan/non-pagan." As to Wiccan practice and beliefs, I
am the first to say that I am ignorant of them. To many people raised
in traditional churches, the word "witch" automatically instills a
certain level of fear, mistrust and/or misunderstanding. As to
Goddess/God, I have no problem with it. In my belief system, there
are times I need the mothering aspect of God, and there are times I
need the fathering aspect. To me, the word "God" is not a
gender-based word. In the Bible we read that both genders were
created in the image of God. Therefore, God must embody both genders.
Further, in the New Testament, even Jesus compares God to a mother
hen gathering her chicks for protection. In a male-dominated society,
we tend to overlook such details. I would like more dialogue on
Wiccan beliefs. I have a feeling I might not agree with some practice
issues, but there may be common ground in some of the thoughts and
beliefs behind the practices themselves. Thank you for
responding.
POSTED MAY 15, 1998
Steve N., 40
<blaster7@hotmail.com>,
Dallas, TX
FURTHER NOTICE 11:
Any ritual or holiday exists only if it is meaningful to
the participant. For instance, my child's birthday is cause for great
celebration in my house, but probably means nothing to you. We may
even have a ritual dinner at a particular restaurant because it means
something to us, even though you and I might agree there are much
better places to eat. Christianity began as a sect of Judaism. It
existed initially in the Roman Empire, which was at the time a
religious smorgasbord. Following Christ's teachings to "render unto
Ceasar that which is Ceasar's," they would typically take part in the
social life of the area in which they lived. Local custom and varied
religious celebrations were given Christian significance and
incorporated into religious life as long as they didn't violate
fundamental tenets (i.e. no child sacrifices, no denying the faith,
etc.). These practices eventually became traditions. The needle now
swings the other way. Christmas is a secular orgy of materialism yet
maintains its significance in the Church as a celebration of Christ's
birth. Other religious traditions (voodoo, etc.) would probably be
incorporated elsewhere if someone else found some significance in
them. Of course, they would then lose their "real" intention.
POSTED MAY 20, 1998
Peter P., Roman Catholic
<PPROUT20@aol.com>,
Redford, MI
FURTHER NOTICE 12:
As a Jehovah's Witness, this is the reason we do not
celebrate holidays. The only thing Jesus specifically instructed us
to observe yearly was the "Last Supper" or the "Memorial of Jesus'
Death." This is not exactly a "celebration" because it is such a
serious occasion, but it does remind us of the importance of his
death and what it makes possible for mankind. Neither Jesus nor the
early Christians observed customs that had Pagan origins. I do not
view the first list any differently from your second list - all are
associated with false worship. As for those who say, "I don't care
about the origin, no one remembers that anyway," I ask, "Doesn't your
God remember?" He certainly knows what all these observances mean.
Christians would never think of keeping Jewish customs, so why should
they keep Pagan ones?
POSTED JULY 27, 1998
M.A.M., 25, Atlanta, GA
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
RE33: I was taught God was all-forgiving. If this is so, how
can some religions say that only people who believe in and practice
their faith will go to heaven? Won't anyone who believes in God go to
heaven?
POSTED APRIL 20, 1998
Jessica C., 27, white female, Summerville, S.C.
ANSWER 1:
In traditional evangelical Christianity, it is not
considered enough to simply believe in the existence of God. Satan
believes in the existence of God. One must trust and know God as
well, which means accepting Christ as your savior in your heart, and
praying and reading the Bible. If one truly believes in God as He
really is, as revealed in scripture, then one knows that God cannot
tolerate sin, because sin and holiness cannot exist together. We must
admit our sin (confess) and accept His forgiveness. If this isn't
necessary, then God sent His son to die for nothing. I don't think He
would bother.
POSTED APRIL 23, 1998
Terry A., white female, evangelical Christian
<MrsArthur1@aol.com>
Sterling Heights, MI
FURTHER NOTICE:
The Bible states that you have to be baptized in Christ in
order to be saved from sin. So, it is not enough to just believe in a
greater power.
POSTED APRIL 23, 1998
Aaron S., Jackson, MS
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
I believe God is all-forgiving if you repent of your sins.
By repenting, you are saying you are sorry for your sins and will try
your hardest not to sin anymore. You must believe in God in order to
say you are sorry for sinning against him. To say that to go to
heaven you must believe in Him is true. If you believe in him, you
will listen to his commandments. Thus, you will honor his command to
honor him through church. I don't think it really matters which
church you go to, as long as it is Christian.
POSTED APRIL 23, 1998
M.L.H., 31, Lutheran
<mlhutchi@oakland.edu>
Novi, MI
FURTHER NOTICE 3:
The idea of forgiveness means that something was wrong and
needed to be forgiven. Different faiths have different ways for
making up for this need for forgiveness. Imagine a good friend
clearly wronged you. Then she started to be very nice to you, but
never apologized. Have you ever had the feeling, "I just would like
to hear 'I'm sorry.'?" I believe God doesn't want us to try to please
him so much that he will forget we wronged him, but rather just to
admit that we did and ask for forgiveness. Many faiths will try to
compensate with good deeds to try to make up for bad ones; others say
you can't earn it, but that God graciously forgives if you ask him.
It is on this idea of how to reconcile with God that the faiths
disagree. Logically speaking, people of different faiths will say if
you are trying to reconcile with God the wrong way, then perhaps you
are not forgiven.
POSTED APRIL 23, 1998
J. Batton
<jbatton@ibm.net>, Dallas,
Texas
FURTHER NOTICE 4:
Different religions teach different things about the
nature of God, sin, forgiveness, etc. Most require fidelity to the
teachings of the faith or they don't believe in a "god" that could be
sinned against. In either case, forgiveness is not a big part of the
religious views. You probably got your views of forgiveness from
Christianity, where it is fundamental to the religion. Christianity
believes in a personal God, that sin severs our proper relationship
with God and that, through the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, God
offers to restore that relationship by the complete forgiveness of
sins. But even here, forgiveness is not unconditional. You must
recognize your sins and make a committed attempt to amend your ways
(formally called repentance) before you are forgiven.
POSTED APRIL 23, 1998
Peter P., Roman Catholic
<PPROUT20@aol.com>
Redford, MI
FURTHER NOTICE 5:
It is true that God is all-forgiving. There are many
religions that claim their way is the only way. So how do you know
which one is the true way? The Bible is the best source to answer
your question. In it, you will discover that Jesus said He is the
Way, the Truth and the Life. Many men since have made similar claims,
but they have fallen short. Sure, they may have had or have a
following of people, but they do not claim they sacrificed their life
in order to make mankind clean and forgive our sins.
POSTED APRIL 24, 1998
Guardian95, 28, African-American male
<guardian95@aol.com>
Lexington, KY
FURTHER NOTICE 6:
I can't explain the contradiction in your religious
teachings, but I can tell you that the concepts of "heaven" and
"hell" are not universal. Not all religions include the belief in the
existence of "heaven" and "hell"
Marsha Z.
<mzalik@telusplanet.net>
Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
FURTHER NOTICE 7:
I think the ability to recognize truth is in all of us.
When we hear it, see it or whatever way it is revealed to us, we will
recognize it and know it to be. Therefore, search yourself for the
answer to this question, read, ask others if you deem it necessary,
but by no means take those resources as the gospel truth. Books were
written by man, and all messages have of way of losing a little of
their true meaning everytime they are passed down. But don't take my
word for it, examine it for yourself. Another thing: Man has always
found a way to to manipulate a scripture to get his point of view
across. So trust that voice inside of you, talk to your God and you
will find your way.
POSTED APRIL 26, 1998
Sabrina M
<samal31@yahoo.com>,
Georgia
FURTHER NOTICE 8:
Despite their widespread acceptance and practice in human
culture, the basic premise of there being such things as a God, a
Heaven and even an afterlife are questions that remain devoid of
factual support in the real world. Furthermore, to quote John Fowles
on the matter: The true longing of humanity is not for an afterlife.
It is for the establishment of a justice here and now which will make
an afterlife unnecessary. As to why some religious groups lay claim
to owning the only "keys to the kingdom," the answer is quite simple:
Any religious group making such a claim is seeking to: 1) Increase
its numbers through fear, and 2) Provide comfort, security and
stability to those who already believe by maintaining the quite
possibly erroneous viewpoint that "we are the only ones who are
right."
POSTED MAY 3, 1998
R.M., Brandon, FL
FURTHER NOTICE 9:
I do not believe God is all-forgiving. I believe He
forgives only when we sincerely ask for forgiveness. We don't get
forgiven simply because we need forgiving; we get forgiven because we
realize we have done wrong and are truly repentant.That means turning
away from the wrong thing we did and making a life change regarding
that particular "wrong." Regarding going to heaven: When in the
Garden of Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion, Jesus, while
praying, said (my paraphrase): "If there's any other way for the
world to be forgiven Lord, this is the time to let me in on it." By
the lack of a response, another way, Jesus knew for sure that there
was no other way to get to heaven except by the way He provided by
giving His life for anyoned who accepts it. It takes faith, but I
believe accepting the Bible takes a lot less faith than some of the
things my atheist acquaintances believe in. Taking that first step of
faith is truly a big one, but it's the first one. Once you trust and
believe, the rest just gets easier. It's a building block kind of
thing. With each step of your walk with the Lord, your faith
increases and you are able to understand so much more. Then you
wonder why you ever doubted.
POSTED JUNE 14, 1998
Dottie M., 43, Southern Baptist
<agr8grny@exis.net>,
Yorktown, VA
FURTHER NOTICE 10:
Although I am not responding directly to your question, it
and the other responses brought this question to mind: Does anyone
else question the idea of a deity that creates a son solely for the
purpose of being murdered for someone else's sins? When the story of
that family that had a baby solely for the purpose of using her as a
donor for her older sister came out, people were shocked. These are
the same people who accept the aforementioned idea of sacrifice? It
sends chills up and down my spine.
POSTED FEB. 12, 1999
Sidna, born-again pagan/Wiccan
<baskthed@flash.net>,
Fort Worth, TX
To respond
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THE QUESTION:
RE32: Do Jewish people consider themselves white or
minority?
POSTED APRIL 14, 1998
Colette
<inkwolf@earthlink.net>
Seymour, WI
ANSWER 1:
I consider myself white, as do all Jewish people I know
(except for certain Jews of African origin and certain
African-American converts). I find it hard to imagine what other
classification related to skin color I would be. Perhaps you are
wondering whether Jews are a separate race. That question has been
debated forever. My own opinion, as a biologist, is that it is a
meaningless question, much like whether Slavs or Anglo-Saxons are a
separate race. When I was born in 1942, I was a minority in terms of
how Jewish people were treated in relationship to jobs, home-buying
and college admissions. In my opinion, such quotas are no longer a
live issue, and I do not consider myself a member of a minority
group.
POSTED APRIL 16, 1998
Mark D., 55, Jewish by birth, Boulder, CO
FURTHER NOTICE:
All the Jews I know consider themselves white. I was told
this derives from German Jews in the 1800s, who declared themselves
to be "Americans of the Jewish religion" - and thought of themselves
as, basically, Christless Christians. Given that they are physically
unidentifiable as Jews (unless they wear skullcaps or such) they have
come to think of themselves as part of the majority - not a minority.
A non-Jewish friend of mine who is still in high school told me that
Jews are the only ethnic group that does not segregate themselves in
lunch, as do Chaldeans, Indians, Pakistanis, Asians, blacks, etc. He
says that Jews and non-Jewish whites sit together and think nothing
of it, which I suppose is the most persuasive evidence that they
think of themselves as white.
POSTED APRIL 18, 1998
M.D., Jewish, Detroit, MI
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
I think you're (the original questioner) confusing race
and religion. Most Jews in North America are descended from European
immigrants. I, and most others, consider myself white. But there are
also black Jews and Asian Jews who likely would consider themselves
of a different race. On the other hand, I also consider myself a
member of a minority, but a minority religious group. Just because
there's no "Jew" field on a government census form doesn't mean I
don't feel different from the majority.
POSTED APRIL 18, 1998
Lawrence, 31, Jewish male
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
To respond
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THE QUESTION:
RE31: In general, what is the difference between a Moslem and
a Muslim? Or is there a difference, other than spelling?
POSTED APRIL 14, 1998
Apryl P., black
<apryl@mail-me.com>
Oak Park, MI
ANSWER 1:
The message of Islam was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad
in Arabic, the language he spoke and understood. The Quran (Islam's
holy book) exists in the original Arabic as revealed more than 1,400
years ago. Most terms relating to this faith are Arabic terms. There
are certain letters of the Arabic alphabet that do not have a perfect
equivalent in the English alphabet, hence phonetic spellings. Of the
two spellings, the preferred is "Muslim" (meaning "one who submits to
Allah"). The pronunciation of this spelling most closely matches the
Arabic word that identifies a follower of Islam. The spelling and
pronunciation "Moslem" is considered archaic and derogatory.
POSTED APRIL 18, 1998
F. Talib, Muslim
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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