Anjum Anwar, Blackburn Cathedral's Dialogue Development Officer, writes about the importance of asking difficult questions.
A few days ago I purchased Benazir Bhutto's book on Reconciliation: Islam, Democracy and the West - testament of a woman who lived in the West, understood the East and married into feudalism.
What I picked up from her book was the point about "reconciliation" which should cement "clash of civilisations."
She stressed "engagement" between Islam and the West, not only through dialogue but through building bridges together and through trade - but this cannot be done without engaging with each other.
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Benazir was stressing the need for people to talk to each other by asking difficult questions.
It is exactly this "engagement" which is a miss in our societies, which causes myths in our communities, eventually leading to schism between groups of people.
Asking difficult questions are put aside so that we do not offend each other, political corrections takes precedence over seeking the truth.
How does one ask difficult question without the perceived fear of offending people is a difficult questions in it self?
So when my son asked me "why do Christians just give up what they like in Lent, this is not what Jesus (peace be upon him) did, he fasted for 40 days."
I had to tell him that things change over time, I guess - but by saying that, I had also anticipated my son's response. "So why do we fast for a month from sun-rise to sun-set?"
The conversation between my son and I was now eating into his home-work time, so to bring the conversation to some conclusion,
I had to tell him "we are all different." However, difficult questions need to be responded to, and I have my own set of difficult questions.
Are we as Muslims living up to our own high standards that our Imams talk about at every Friday sermon, are Christians living up to what Jesus (peace be upon him) had demanded of his flock, or have we, people of faith, manipulated our faiths to suit our own desires?
Has Lent, like Christmas become a commercial commodity, just as Eid and Ramadan are preceded by plans of how many samosas we are going to make?
Asking difficult questions does not mean that we are compromising our own individual values, but by asking questions, we are arriving at a truth that we can all be comfortable with.
The trick is how we ask these questions, do we ask questions by implying that we are trying to prove the other wrong, or do we ask it in a way that seeks to clarify our positions.
I guess Lent is an opportunity for reflections and may be it is also a time for me ask, and for my Christian friends to explain, why Christians only give up what they like best during Lent - is there more to Lent than meets the eye?
Posted by: Teenager, Blackburn on 4:29pm Sun 24 Feb 08
I'm becoming quite annoyed throughout these lent blogs, by the stupid reader comments, which supposedly provide a moral message. I could name two or three particular readers, but I won't. You also seem to know each other, and often share private jokes over these pages. It's not useful. I didn't want to have a rant, but I'm just concerned that the comments made a) are enigmatic b)often have a barely discernible link to the actual blog of the day, and c)seem quite disrespectful to the blogger of the day for the reasons cited above. Please, if you are going to comment, make directly relevant ones which enrich the blog itself.
I'm becoming quite annoyed throughout these lent blogs, by the stupid reader comments, which supposedly provide a moral message. I could name two or three particular readers, but I won't. You also seem to know each other, and often share private jokes over these pages. It's not useful. I didn't want to have a rant, but I'm just concerned that the comments made a) are enigmatic b)often have a barely discernible link to the actual blog of the day, and c)seem quite disrespectful to the blogger of the day for the reasons cited above. Please, if you are going to comment, make directly relevant ones which enrich the blog itself.
The blog seems to suggest that for you it is the keeping of the fast which is all important - perhaps as a mark of devotion and loyalty and self denial. I have been taught that the keeping of Lent is about undertaking activities that help me find God, and lead to me understanding myself in God's context more certainly. This understanding goes on to modify me and my whole attitude to life. It has little to do with sunrise to sunset. From what I can tell, and scholars have helped me with, this is what Jesus did and has been recorded in the symbolic language of 40 days in the wilderness. The real work was finding himself as he truely was before God. The fact I have suggested symbolic picture language speaks of a very positive working over of scripture, leading to a better understanding of Jesus' teachings and not an accomodation of scripture to suit me.
The blog seems to suggest that for you it is the keeping of the fast which is all important - perhaps as a mark of devotion and loyalty and self denial. I have been taught that the keeping of Lent is about undertaking activities that help me find God, and lead to me understanding myself in God's context more certainly. This understanding goes on to modify me and my whole attitude to life. It has little to do with sunrise to sunset. From what I can tell, and scholars have helped me with, this is what Jesus did and has been recorded in the symbolic language of 40 days in the wilderness. The real work was finding himself as he truely was before God. The fact I have suggested symbolic picture language speaks of a very positive working over of scripture, leading to a better understanding of Jesus' teachings and not an accomodation of scripture to suit me.
Posted by: Simplysimon, Burnley on 1:29pm Mon 25 Feb 08
Dear Teenager,
Don't surrender your Sense of Humour. Lent or no Lent. If a Sense of Humour is not useful why did the Creator give you one.?
Religion is not to be taken too seriously. I'm sur Jesus knew how to chuckle for no sensible reason. He never advocated being serious, as far as I know.
Tears and Laughter are part of your Humanity. You don't have to sacrifice one for the other. Whatever your Religion.
Dear Teenager,
Don't surrender your Sense of Humour. Lent or no Lent. If a Sense of Humour is not useful why did the Creator give you one.?
Religion is not to be taken too seriously. I'm sur Jesus knew how to chuckle for no sensible reason. He never advocated being serious, as far as I know.
Tears and Laughter are part of your Humanity. You don't have to sacrifice one for the other. Whatever your Religion.
Posted by: simplysimon, Burnley on 1:50pm Mon 25 Feb 08
Cantoris,
I am not an advocate of Religion. So you cannot expect me to have the same perspective of it.
When you read the scriptures of antiquity you enjoy it and learn from it. I too, read the same scriptures and I enjoy them and learn from them. I have nothing against learning about myself. There is some Truth, some falsehood and perhaps more significantly some ommisions in all the scriptures. Understanding is required.
One of the main points I have is the fact that Man was around before the existence of the written word. There were People who wanted to Understand, get closer to God before paper and the written word, was invented.
I suggest, it must still be possible without Religious Doctrine.
Cantoris,
I am not an advocate of Religion. So you cannot expect me to have the same perspective of it.
When you read the scriptures of antiquity you enjoy it and learn from it. I too, read the same scriptures and I enjoy them and learn from them. I have nothing against learning about myself. There is some Truth, some falsehood and perhaps more significantly some ommisions in all the scriptures. Understanding is required.
One of the main points I have is the fact that Man was around before the existence of the written word. There were People who wanted to Understand, get closer to God before paper and the written word, was invented.
I suggest, it must still be possible without Religious Doctrine.
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