Although the communist regime in Romania sought to completely eradicate religion and build an atheist state, 20 years later statistics tell a different story: Romania is one of the most religious countries in Europe, with less than 1% openly declared atheists. So it is not unusual to meet people quite keen on sharing with you their views on life and their answers the some of the deepest existential questions one might have.I was having a long discussion with some of my best friends who hold some clear and strong religious views (one of them is a protestant minister, so he doesn’t have much choice, but stick to those views). Their beliefs, right or wrong, painted a very clear image of the world, all pretty much in black and white. And since just the idea of someone (even my friends) having the absolute truth gives me shivers, I had to point out that our dearly held viewpoints, philosophies and values are to a certain degree culturally dependent, hence they can’t be all that absolute. Surely if I were born in India, there is quite a good chance I would think quite highly of my dad’s cows, whereas now the poor bovines are just hundreds and hundreds of tasty burgers.
For a moment listening to my friends it was just like seeing myself about five years ago, before I left Romania. But being exposed to a different culture and interacting with people with such different backgrounds can put things in a totally different perspective. And this is exactly what my friends haven’t experienced. So I proposed a journey of spiritual and cultural enlightenment where we travel together for a year in order to understand the diversity of this world. The aim of this trip is to meet people, learn about their lives, their history and their beliefs and live with them for a while, not like a tourist, but like one of them. And my hope would be that at the end some conclusions would come naturally and that my friends would repaint their black and white picture of the world into something very colourful.
To make this cultural shock even more dramatic, I suggested we go East.
1. The starting point would be somewhere in the Middle East, the birthplace of the largest monotheistic religions in the world: Christianity, Islam and Judaism. I guess Jerusalem isn’t bad for a start.
2. Then we would go south to Saudi Arabia (Mecca not to be missed) and experience Islam at its core.
3. The next stop would be Iran, home for Islam (Shia Muslims), but also Zoroastrianism (my favourite)
4. India will have a lot to say in this journey, as Hindu beliefs vary widely bringing some very unusual concepts of God and strange and fantastic ideas and practices. It’s also a good place to practice Yoga.
5. Moving further South-East, as far as Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, The Philippines, etc., a mixture of tribal religions can be found as well as Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, etc.
6. In China one can meet hundreds of millions of communist non-believers. Taoism is quite significant as well, and so are some Chinese folk religions (including Confucianism).
7. To really understand Buddhism, Tibet will be a good place to stop and maybe Mongolia as well.
8. South Correa has an interesting religious mixture as well. Apparently the largest Christian Church is in Seoul. Very odd.
9. And finally the last stop is Japan, a highly developed country with a taste for spirits. A good place to understand Shinto.
I thought it was a good plan, but my friends were not impressed. Instead one of them (the pastor) proposed a different journey: Go West! They would start again in Jerusalem, but this time their journey would follow the spread of Christianity throughout Europe: visit the ruins of the first Christian churches in Turkey, then go to Rome and follow the spread of the new religion throughout the Roman Empire, go further North and West with the Reformation and eventually cross the Atlantic and see the very popular evangelical churches at work in United States.
To my disappointment I couldn’t convince any of my friends to join me. They will all follow my friend and go West. Only my dearest wife will be by my side, which is more than enough to get me going. It’s just that I don’t think that she needs this journey as much as my friends do.
For a moment listening to my friends it was just like seeing myself about five years ago, before I left Romania. But being exposed to a different culture and interacting with people with such different backgrounds can put things in a totally different perspective. And this is exactly what my friends haven’t experienced. So I proposed a journey of spiritual and cultural enlightenment where we travel together for a year in order to understand the diversity of this world. The aim of this trip is to meet people, learn about their lives, their history and their beliefs and live with them for a while, not like a tourist, but like one of them. And my hope would be that at the end some conclusions would come naturally and that my friends would repaint their black and white picture of the world into something very colourful.
To make this cultural shock even more dramatic, I suggested we go East.
1. The starting point would be somewhere in the Middle East, the birthplace of the largest monotheistic religions in the world: Christianity, Islam and Judaism. I guess Jerusalem isn’t bad for a start.2. Then we would go south to Saudi Arabia (Mecca not to be missed) and experience Islam at its core.
3. The next stop would be Iran, home for Islam (Shia Muslims), but also Zoroastrianism (my favourite)
4. India will have a lot to say in this journey, as Hindu beliefs vary widely bringing some very unusual concepts of God and strange and fantastic ideas and practices. It’s also a good place to practice Yoga.
5. Moving further South-East, as far as Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, The Philippines, etc., a mixture of tribal religions can be found as well as Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, etc.
6. In China one can meet hundreds of millions of communist non-believers. Taoism is quite significant as well, and so are some Chinese folk religions (including Confucianism).
7. To really understand Buddhism, Tibet will be a good place to stop and maybe Mongolia as well.
8. South Correa has an interesting religious mixture as well. Apparently the largest Christian Church is in Seoul. Very odd.
9. And finally the last stop is Japan, a highly developed country with a taste for spirits. A good place to understand Shinto.
I thought it was a good plan, but my friends were not impressed. Instead one of them (the pastor) proposed a different journey: Go West! They would start again in Jerusalem, but this time their journey would follow the spread of Christianity throughout Europe: visit the ruins of the first Christian churches in Turkey, then go to Rome and follow the spread of the new religion throughout the Roman Empire, go further North and West with the Reformation and eventually cross the Atlantic and see the very popular evangelical churches at work in United States.
To my disappointment I couldn’t convince any of my friends to join me. They will all follow my friend and go West. Only my dearest wife will be by my side, which is more than enough to get me going. It’s just that I don’t think that she needs this journey as much as my friends do.
I have a question for you: if your life and work have an atheist, evolutionist background,how many choice do you have?
ReplyDeleteMy shivers came from the idea that the truth can be relative or less absolute:))
The most interesting thing is that you said that your friend haven't experienced the western culture, like you, but you are disappointed when they choose to follow your footsteps:))
By the way, it seems that your wife have to wait for good, and take a year of worse:) But maybe she will come with us after all...
Your article has given me the opportunity to travel half way around the world.
ReplyDeleteEnlightening journey!!!
One of the great things in this world is the opportunity to travel around the world and get to know about different cultures, civilizations, religions and habits. You name it. Many things some one can learn by doing so.
I was in Russia in 2006. While in St. Petersburg, I visited one of the biggest museums in the world - Hermitage Museum. If we look at the ceiling there is a double-headed eagle (one head pointing towards East and the other pointing towards West).
This just proves the point that we all think we are the centre of the Earth.
We can make an analogy with the absolute truth. When some one 'holds' the absolute truth, he/she things are the centre of the Earth.
That single minded attitude makes people intolerant. That puts at risk the principle of peaceful cohabitation with our neighbours in a world that has become intertwined.
We have been irreversible exposed to diversity; therefore the best way of living in harmony with other people is promoting tolerance and inclusiveness.
Definitely the way forward is 'Going East' on a life journey to expand our horizons while enjoying the ride.
You speak wisely, Daniel. I've been trying to get people to join me on this epic (virtual) journey for a while, without much luck. I guess now it's the two of us, so we can hit the road soon. :)
ReplyDeleteYes, this exposure to diversity is the essential ingredient that can eventually lead to tolerance. It doesn't always work though (see the extremely diverse, but tensed Jerusalem for instance), that's why this journey would be essential.
@PM Well, first of all evolutionist doesn't necessarily imply atheistic. But this is not exactly the topic of this discussion.
ReplyDeleteYour first point about choice is valid to a certain degree. Yes, people tend to follow the norm and succumb to pear pressure. However, this is true for all walks of life and consequently you get religious people by birth, or atheists by inheritance. But at the end of the day, one can still choose, isn't it? It's just that after we reach a certain stability in our lives we tend to become a bit lazy and scared of questioning what we know.
This is what this journey is all about: leave everything behind, forget what you know and see what you can learn. It's not about choosing a certain philosophy... it's about choosing to be brave. And this bravery may eventually give you some answers to the most fundamental questions of our existence. Or it might throw you into a neverending spiral of doubts and uncertainties.